Conventional stereotypes about romance portray it as a passionate, irrational game. Ancient philosophers, on the other hand, viewed love as something dangerous − but also enlightening.
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Articles on Classics
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Reading Wilson’s Iliad, one senses something of the chant of Homer’s verse, even through the written word.
There is a long tradition in China of associating monkeys with the mind – symbolism that has helped the novel’s most memorable character, the Monkey King, find universal resonance.
Writing about same-sex relationships and gender beyond a strict male-female binary was more common in ancient Greece and Rome than students assume, a scholar writes.
In the 1957 worldwide bestseller, Australia is – briefly – the last habitable place on earth, following a nuclear world war. One character asks, as they wait to die: ‘Why did all this happen to us?’
Ancient Greek philosophers despised the Sophists’ rhetoric because it searched for relative truth, not absolutes. But learning how to do that thoughtfully can help constructive debates.
Greek epic poetry often uses mothers and wives to humanize its heroes, reminding listeners of the meaning of sacrifice.
Athens was deeply polarized over big-picture questions, and Socrates was never hesitant to question both sides’ assumptions – or his own.
Lucian’s work provides insight into the second-century Roman world, which fostered multilingualism and multiculturalism.
Ancient Greece and Rome may have handed down the image of rosy-cheeked Cupids, but their myths about him explore the messier – sometimes scarier – sides of love.
Just in time for this year’s Nobel Prize announcements, here’s how the symbolism of a plant associated with the god Apollo lives on in modern-day laureates.
An English professor takes a critical look at why today’s students are assigned the same books that were assigned decades ago – and why American school curricula are so difficult to change.
The possibilities of ‘more human than human’ artificial intelligence and the dangers of playing God and are not new – they’re the subjects of one of the world’s first science-fiction novels.
This brainy feminist romp of a novel, loved by Rachel Cusk and Maria Semple, is often compared to Brideshead Revisited. But Carol Lefevre says it’s more like a sexy, sweary version of Nancy Mitford in 1960s London.
The classical tradition has long excluded anyone who wasn’t white. But a succession of Black female artists have attempted to broaden these ossified boundaries.
In 2014, reports of a new discovery of Sappho’s poems were remarkable. New research argues the papyrus had a fabricated backstory.
Ancient Greek philosophers including Plato likened civic leaders to doctors, creating a healthy society through balance and moderation. Those ideas feed into what we expect from leaders today.
Thucydides’ description of the plague that struck Athens in 430 BC is one of the great passages of Greek literature. It focusses on the social response, both of those who died and those who survived.
The British prime minister is fond of a common form of political rhetoric especially loved by the Romans: the promise of a ‘new age’.
A new look at ancient texts allows for a pivotal perspective on the role of a certain Greek woman.
Top contributors
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Emeritus Professor of Classics, La Trobe University
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Lecturer in Classical Studies, The Open University
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Lecturer in Classical Studies, The Open University
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Paul Eliadis Chair of Classics and Ancient History, The University of Queensland
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Honorary Professor, The University of Queensland
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Visiting Research Fellow, The Open University
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Professor of Classical Studies, Brandeis University
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Associate Professor of Classics and Head of the Centre for Classical Studies, Australian National University
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Senior Lecturer in Classics, University of Leeds
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Senior Lecturer in Ancient History, Cardiff University
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Professor of Classics, University of Oxford
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Professor of Education, University of Wolverhampton
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Senior Lecturer in Drama, The University of Queensland
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Professor of Education and Sociology, American University
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Assistant Professor of International Education, Graduate School of Education and Human Development, George Washington University
