Volume Seventeen Summer 2010 http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/classics/Newsletter

nar for Culture and Religion in Antiquity at the . I am espe- Ex Ca t h e d r a (SCRA). Devoted to exploring the context cially grateful to Professor Hugh Mason and interplay of religious traditions in the for his coordination of the Undergraduate A s another ancient world, both through formal paper Program Committee, and to the members academic year presentations and lively dialogue, SCRA who served under his benign leadership: draws to a close builds on strengths in the religions of the Professors Ben Akrigg, Jonathan Burgess, it is a pleasure to ancient Mediterranean across our units. and Dimitri Nakassis; graduate student review the Depart- Eric Tindale; and undergraduates Samuel ment’s achievements The main focus of the Department’s at- Allemang and Nigel Morton. over the past year. tention this year has been on strengthen- The revision of the ing our undergraduate programs. Having Our superb undergraduate Classics, Greek, graduate programs conducted a thorough review of both the and Latin programs have been nationally on which we worked long and hard in language and classical civilization pro- recognized again this year, with awards 2008-2009 has successfully passed the grams the undergraduate review commit- of three First Prizes to our students in the various levels of university governance tee recommended that the Department’s Classical Association of Canada National and will be implemented in the fall. We highest priority be to design (in 2010-11) Sight Translation Competitions (in Junior are very excited to be able to mount for and implement (in 2011-12) a new second- Greek, and Junior and Senior Latin); incoming and continuing graduate stu- year research methods course in Classical two Second Prizes (in Junior Greek and dents a broad slate of reading and research Studies that could be required for all ma- Senior Latin); and an Honorable Men- seminars, which showcase the strengths jors and specialists (i.e., not only in Clas- tion (in Senior Latin). Congratulations to of the Department’s research faculty in sical Civilization, but also in the language Maayan Adar (First Prize, Junior Latin; ancient ecology and philosophy, economic programs—Classics, Greek, and Latin), as Second Prize, Junior Greek), Aron Bojti and political history, material culture, a means of both enhancing instructional (First Prize, Senior Greek), Jacob Cur- Greek and Roman epic and drama, and support for research engagement in our rie (Second Prize, Senior Latin), David Roman republican literature and culture. I programs and integrating courses and Finer (Honorable Mention, Senior Latin), am also pleased to report the Department’s students across the civilization/language and Alessandro Sisti (First Prize, Senior participation in two more Collaborative program divide. In conjunction with this Latin). Programs, with the result that we now review, the Department also continued on page four participate in five altogether: Ancient and initiated discussion with St. Mi- Medieval Philosophy, Book History, Jew- chael’s College to ensure tight ish Studies, Sexual Diversity Studies, and coordination of our undergrad- Women and Gender Studies. The Depart- uate classical Latin program ment is also collaborating closely with with the undergraduate mediae- Jewish Studies, Religion, and Near and val Latin program housed there. Middle Eastern Studies in the new Semi- With the largest undergraduate Latin program in the country In this issue (and one of the largest on the Ex Cathedra...... 1 continent), it is a departmental New Faculty...... 2 priority to make available to our students the fullest possible Recent PhDs...... 2 array of Latin language course Toronto and Martin Ostwald...... 2 offerings on campus and to Department Events...... 3 take advantage of the research Left to right: undergraduates Jacob Currie, David Finer and Maayan Adar with CAC President Jonathan Edmondson and strengths in medieval studies Contact & Credits ...... 4 President-Elect Alison Keith. Photo credit: Dimitri Nakassis. Ne w Fa c u l t y Ma r t i n Os t w a l d The Department is fortunate to be joined this year The name Martin Ostwald will be familiar by Jarrett Welsh, who comes to us from Harvard to many of you. Over a career as a clas- University (PhD 2009). Jarrett works on republi- sicist spanning more than half a century can Latin literature and drama, and confesses that he published countless important articles, he most enjoys the frisson of fragmentary texts. some of which are collected recently as His dissertation examined the remains of second- Language and Culture in Ancient Greek century BCE comedies that were later classified Society (University of Pennsylvania as fabulae togatae (comedies ‘in Roman dress’), 2009), and numerous monographs, includ- and sought to sketch an understanding of the ing the enduring classic From Popular genre in its literary and cultural contexts. He is Sovereignty to the Sovereignty of Law currently revising the dissertation for publication, (1986), winner in 1991 of the APA’s and is also working on an edition and full-scale Goodwin Award of Merit. Perhaps more commentary on the fragments; the latter project importantly, as a professor to undergradu- continues to spin off articles and send him down ates at for more than philological rabbit-holes. Jarrett’s other interests thirty years and in the graduate program include ancient scholarship, satire, grammar, and at the University of Pennsylvania for antiquarianism. You can find his work in recent two decades, his teaching and mentoring issues of, among other journals, Classical Quar- profoundly influenced countless students, terly, Hermes, Mnemosyne and Harvard Studies many of whom went on to become in- Photo credit: C. L. Jones in Classical Philology. flutential teachers themselves.

Ne w Ph d s Perhaps less well known about Professor In a banner year, the department graduated calla: Family, Religion and ‘Romaniza- Ostwald is that he received his B.A. in four new PhDs. In September, Kathryn tion’.” David was supervised by Christer Classics from the University of Toronto Mattison defended her dissertation on Bruun and has the proud distinction of in 1946 and remained throughout his life “Recasting Troy in Fifth-Century Attic being the department’s first graduate of the a stalwart supporter of the Department. Tragedy.” And in January George Kovacs University of Toronto and York University While his undergraduate training will defended his dissertation on , Joint Collaborative Program in Ancient have been useful for his later career, his “Iphigenia at Aulis: Myth, Performance, History (COLPAH). We hope many attachment to the Department is likely a and Reception.” Both dissertations department graduates will be following in function of the University of Toronto’s were supervised by Martin Revermann. David’s fooststeps in the future. important role in a remarkable life story. George and Kathryn share more than just Born in Dortmund in 1922 to Jewish and their supervisor and a passion for Greek Congratulations to David, Tim, George German parents, Ostwald’s life changed Tragedy: both continue to pursue teach- and Kathryn! abruptly on November 10, 1938—Kristall- ing and research interests at universi- nacht. His family was arrested and taken ties in southern Ontario, Kathryn as to Sachsenhausen concentration camp. His an Assistant Professor in the Classics mother would later die at Auschwitz, his Department at McMaster and George in father at Terezin. Martin Ostwald man- the Department of Ancient History and aged to escape with his younger brother, Classics at Trent. first to Holland, then to England, where, after Dunkirk, he was again interned and Kathryn and George were joined by a then finally sent on to internment camps third graduating hellenist this year, with in Canada where with his fellow “enemy Tim Perry defending in April his disser- aliens” he would spend more than two tation on “Exile in Homeric Epic.” Tim years. was supervised by Jonathan Burgess and has no need to worry about any It is remarkable enough that Professor post-graduation exile of his own: in the Ostwald survived, but through all of this fall he takes up a position in the Depart- he continued to study Greek and Latin. ment of Classics at Dartmouth College. This love of ancient languages was partly an inheritance from his father, a classically Finally, David Cuff also successfully trained lawyer, whose parting words to defended in April his dissertation on his son at Sachsenhausen were in Ancient “The Auxilia in Roman Britain and the Left to right: David Cuff, Tim Perry and George Ko- Greek, from Iliad 6.448-49: “There will Two Germanies from Augustus to Cara- vacs at June convocation. Photo credit: Linda Cuff. continued on page three 2 Fantham entertained a large audience with recollections from an illustrious career. Ma r t i n Os t w a l d Dep a r t men t continued from page two That career accrued yet another mark of v en t s distinction this year when Elaine’s service come a day when sacred Troy lies in E to the field was recognized at the annual ruins and Priam and Priam’s people...” In In addition to hosting dozens of speak- meeting of the Classical Association of Canada, Martin Ostwald formed with his ers in three different seminar series, the Canada in Québec, where the President’s fellow prisoners an informal school within Department took advantage of its fantastic Panel on Roman Literature and Life was the barbed-wire compound at their remote new space in the Lillian Massey Building delivered in her honour. internment camp at Sherbrooke in south- to host a number of other special events ern Quebec. Here, when not knitting socks this year. In April, the department was the site of for the war effort, Ostwald taught courses a conference organized by the Classics on Greek, Latin and English Literature. In November, the world’s leading Sta- Graduate Student Association, on the topic tius scholars convened for a symposium “Endgendering Reception.” Coordinated Although the conditions were less than organized by Professor Michael Dewar on by graduate students Cillian O’Hogan ideal, there was an abundance of talent in the subject of “Statius and Melanie Racette- these camps and their impressively rigor- and Hellenistic Poetry.” Campbell, and keynoted ous schools achieved remarkable results. This gathering was by Professor Susanna So much so that their diplomas were inspired in part by the Braund of UBC, this formally recognized and, thanks to the recent monograph of stimulating conference Canadian Committee on Refugees and the Department alumnus included papers from Canadian Jewish Congress, private donors Charles McNelis (M.A. graduate students at were found to provide the costs of sending 1993), Statius’ Thebaid universities throughout many of these students to university. The and the Poetics of Civil North America and even University of Toronto accepted Martin Os- War (Cambridge 2007). from across the Atlantic. twald and more than a dozen of his fellow In addtion to Professor internees, perhaps somewhat reluctantly— McNelis’ keynote ad- Finally, an international the group was encouraged to participate in dress, and the strikingly workshop took place in drills with the Canadian Officer Training original papers presented the department in early Corps to assuage the concerns of worried at the symposium, one of May on the subject of trustees. And so, in 1942 Ostwald entered the real highlights was “Eikos: Probabilities, University College, realizing a dream that the substantive contri- Hypotheticals, and had not been possible since the time when bution of the graduate Counterfactuals in An- he was a young teenager in Germany and student respondents, cient Greek Thought.” a law was passed prohibiting Jews from Donald Sells, Sarah McCallum and Organized by Professor Victoria Wohl, attending university. After graduating with Miranda Robinson. this workshop brought together scholars a degree in Classics he went on to study at representing a notably wide range of sub- the and Columbia In January, the department hosted a book disciplines within Classics, including law, University. Martin Ostwald died on 10 launch for Elaine Fantham’s Latin Poets religion, philosophy and political science. April 2010, at the age of 88. and Italian Gods (Toronto 2009), a study This diversity gave rise to stimulating based on her 2004 Robson Lectures discussion at the well-attended opening examining the relationships between Late reception as well as during and after each Don a t i on s Republican and of the work- We have again included a donation request Augustan poets shop’s sessions. form in this year’s newsletter. While the and the rural The workshop Department is clearly flourishing, both in cults of central benefited terms of its graduate and undergraduate Italy. Professor especially from enrollments and the research activities of the engaged par- its faculty, this continued success occurs in ticipation of its the context of University budget cuts and graduate student gifts to the Department of Classics have moderators, never been more meaningful. Any dona- Marie-Pierre tion however modest is greatly appreci- Krück, Adri- ated. One of the projects we hope to fund anna Brook, in the future is an expanded newsletter that Lee Sawchuck includes more of the diverse voices of the Elaine Fantham shares her wisdom with graduate stu- and Miranda Department’s many current students and dent Mariapia Pietropaolo. Photo credit: Jenn Fantham. Robinson. alumni! 3 Below: Silver stater from Phaistos, Crete, c. 322-300 BC, ob- Ex Ca t h e d r a Just last month, however, verse (left) showing Herakles fighting the hydra, reverse a bull continued from page one the Department received and the legend ΦΑΙΣΤΙΩΝ; one of the many coins examined Public interest in classical antiquity the sad news of the deaths by graduate student Megan Campbell as part of a study of the coins minted at Phaistos that she embarked on while a fellow at remains high, as recent media interviews of an illustrious graduate the summer seminar of the American Numismatic Society. with Department members attest (on CBC alumnus, Professor Martin radio and in print venues such as the To- Ostwald (see notice, pp. ronto Star and McLean’s), and the Greek 2-3) and a retired col- Consulate has approached Professor Dimi- league, Professor Thomas tri Nakassis about offering public lectures G. Elliott, who died on Sat- at cultural events sponsored by the Con- urday, 22 May 2010, after sulate. In addition the Department plays a a lengthy illness. Professor vital role as a focus for public interest in Elliott took his B.A. (Hon- the Classics, through the contributions of ours) in Classics at Univer- departmental space and faculty time to the sity College, University of Archaeological Institute of America, Clas- Toronto, 1957-1961, and sical Association of Canada, Ontario Clas- then pursued graduate work at Harvard scholarly works in that area, and taught a sical Association, Royal Ontario Museum, University, from which he earned his doc- wide range of courses in ancient history, and the Toronto District School Board. torate in 1971 with a thesis on “Pagan bias classical art and archaeology, and ancient in Ammianus Marcellinus XIV-XXIV.” science and technology. A private funeral It is with mixed emotions that I report Having taught at Trinity College, Hartford, was held on Thursday, 27 May 2010. a number of Department milestones in for three years (1964-1967), he returned 2009-2010. I am happy to report that Pro- to Toronto in 1967 to take up a position as Let me close by thanking the executive, fessor Erik Gunderson has been promoted Assistant Professor. He was the first clas- Professors Hugh Mason and Victoria to the rank of full Professor, effective 1 sicist to be appointed to Erindale College Wohl, and the administrative staff, Mrs. July 2010. Professor Regina Höschele (now known as the University of Toronto Ann-Marie Matti and Ms. Coral Gavr- has been awarded a Fellowship at the Mississauga), and one of the original ilovic, for their help and guidance in the Center for Hellenic Studies in Washington cohort of faculty who began teaching in Department office. I am grateful to them, for the fall and another at the Institute Erindale’s first year of operation, 1967-68. and to all the faculty and students of the for Advanced Study in Princeton for the He was promoted to Associate Professor Department for ensuring that the depart- winter next year. Professors Burgess and in 1978, and retired in 2004. He authored ment remains one of the most collegial Keith have been awarded Standard Re- two books, Ammianus Marcellinus and units at the University of Toronto. search Grants from SSHRC, and Professor fourth century history (Toronto 1983) and Inwood won the Northrop Frye Award this The Christianity of Constantine the Great Alison Keith year for integrating research into under- (Scranton 1996), as well as a number of June 2010 graduate teaching. Congratulations to all. articles on late antiquity and reviews of Contact & Credits We welcome news of our alumni, by email to:

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