Congratulations to Classics minor, James Moen, whose paper, “Agroeconomic Policy: Re-evaluating the Agricultural Decline of the Later Roman Empire” was accepted for publication in the undergraduate Classics journal Philomathes. The essay was written last year for CLAS / HIST 3P09 (History of the Later Roman Empire), taught by Dr. Michael Carter.
2nd century AD mosaic from the House of the Laberii at Uthina, Tunisia (https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/527318/view/roman-country-life-mosaic)
On Wednesday, January 17th, 2024, the Department of Classics and Archaeology’s graduate student, Rachel Fawcett, was awarded the 2022-23 Brock Badgers Academic Excellence Award. This award honours student-athletes who achieve an average of 80 percent or higher within their program of study. Rachel is a member of Brock’s Women’s Figure Skating while completing her Master of Arts in Classics (Art and Archaeology).
I was surprised by the chorus of congratulations I received upon the announcement of this award. From previous experience, I am used to accepting such awards with little recognition and the response not only from Brock University Athletics, but both the Department of Classics and Archaeology and the Faculty of Humanities has been humbling.
Since I began my post-secondary career, I have enjoyed being able to participate in varsity figure skating. It helped keep me centered during my studies and when I first started my Masters program, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to maintain the level of academic and athletic achievement I had during my undergraduate career. Fortunately, with the warm welcome and continuing support of both the Department and Brock Figure Skating I have been able to excel in both activities and look forward to completing my final season of skating and my program hand-in-hand.
– Rachel Fawcett
On Wednesday, January 17th, 2024, the Department of Classics and Archaeology’s graduate student, Madelyn Huston, was awarded the 2022-23 Brock Badgers Academic Excellence Award. This award honours student-athletes who achieve an average of 80 percent or higher within their program of study. Madelyn is a member of Brock’s Women’s Track and Field while completing her Master of Arts in Classics (Text and Culture).
I really appreciate that Brock recognizes the work that it takes to balance academics and athletics. In my experience, competing in cross country and track has made me a more successful student. Having goals outside of academics is really important for my mental health, and I find that the two pursuits build similar skills, particularly in working towards a long-term goal. However, this is really only possible because the department has enthusiastically encouraged my athletic goals and allowed me to find that balance, particularly through consistent accommodations when I have to travel for meets. Overall, I consider myself very lucky to have my graduate experience enriched by both my athletic and academic communities.
– Madelyn Huston
Classics alumna (MA 2018) Francesca Patten was one of two inspiring speakers at the recent online event “Life After Grad School: Careers for MA students in Humanities,” hosted by the Faculty of Humanities and co-organized by Classics alumna Alison Innes (MA 2009). Francesca followed her studies in Classics with a Master’s in Public Administration, specializing in economic policy. She has worked for the Department of National Defence, Newfoundland and Labrador Housing, and the Canadian Transportation Agency, as well as with non-profit organizations in policy development, capacity building, and program evaluation. She is currently a PhD candidate in Educational Research at the University of Calgary where her research has brought her back to the ancient world with a focus on museums and public communication. Francesca highlighted the many skills gained during an MA degree, and especially during work on a Major Research Paper or Thesis. She noted that students shouldn’t underestimate the value of this work to future employers including time and project management, communication and analytical skills, resourcefulness, and creativity. She also encouraged students to pursue their passions and not to worry if their career path doesn’t end up being linear.
Here’s a flashback photo to Patten’s Brock days, working with fellow alumna Sydney Bryk on the Venus Pompeiana Project, a collaboration between the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, Mount Allison University and the University of Missouri
On January 5th, 2024, the Department of Classics and Archaeology’s graduate student, Miranda King, presented her undergraduate thesis at the Archaeological Institute of America’s (AIA) annual meeting in Chicago. Her undergraduate thesis focused on the cataloguing and analysis of the small finds from the Venus Pompeiana Project which excavated at the Sanctuary of Venus at Pompeii. Her poster discussed the artefacts as a whole, but also focused on the collection of slingshot bullets linked to the Sullan siege of the city.
Congratulations, Miranda!
“ToldinStone” is a YouTube channel run by Dr. Garrett Ryan, that explores the history, culture, and legacy of ancient Greece and Rome. His specialty channel, “ToldinStone Footnotes”, hosts episodes of the ToldinStone podcasts, interviewing scholars on their research. In December, the Department of Classics and Archaeology’s Prof. Michael Carter was featured on an episode about his research on the rules that governed gladiatorial combats in the Roman world.
To listen to this episode, see below. To listen to the podcast, click here.
Brock Classics and Archaeology faculty have been busy this fall speaking about their work at national and international venues:
Allison Glazebrook participated in the Greek History and Political Theory Colloquium at Western University in September, delivering a paper titled, “Community, Women, and Place in the Speeches of Isaeus.” In October she delivered a Brock Talk at the St Catharines library, “Women and Community in Classical Athens.” And in November she spoke on “Enslaved Labour, Sexual Labour, and Enslaved People” in the Department of Classics and Religious Studies at the University of Ottawa.
Elizabeth Greene gave six lectures in September as the Classical Association of Canada’s Western Tour Speaker. At the University of Manitoba and the University of British Columbia she delivered a talk titled, “The Many Voices of the Mediterranean: Archaeologies of Trade, Fishing, and Displacement in Southeast Sicily;” at the University of Alberta and Simon Fraser University she spoke on, ““Exchange in the Age of Lyric Poetry: The 6th-century BCE Shipwreck at Pabuç Burnu, Turkey;” at the University of Winnipeg her talk was titled, “The Late Antique “Church Wreck” at Marzamemi, Sicily,” and she delivered, “Ephemeral Heritage: Boats, Migration, and the Central Mediterranean Passage” at the University of Victoria.
In October, Adam Rappold presented his research on “Homer’s Interactive Iliad: Adapting Classical Texts In a Digital World” at the Department of Classics and Archaeology’s Research Seminar Series.
Along with with Rodney Fitzsimons (Trent University), Brock alumnus D. Matthew Buell, and Jane Francis (both at Concordia University), Angus Smith delivered a paper titled, “Visualizing Unseen Landscapes: Report of the Khavania Archaeological Project, 2022,” at the 29th Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists in Belfast, Northern Ireland in September.
Department faculty are also making good use of funding through Brock’s Humanities Research Institute. Michael Carter and Nadine Brundrett were awarded funds for their joint project on “The Games of Aulus Clodius Flaccus.” Carrie Ann Murray obtained funding for the Brock University Archaeological Project at Pantelleria, and Angus Smith received funds for “Ceramic Analysis of Prehistoric Pottery, Khavania Archaeological Project in Crete Greece.”
At the Fall convocation ceremony, Daniel Belanger, who graduated this spring with a Bachelor of Arts in Classics and a specialization in Greek and Roman Studies, was honoured with the Governor General’s Silver Medal. The Medal recognizes the two undergraduate students with the highest academic average of the class of 2023. Daniel is currently continuing his studies as an M.A. student in the Department of Classics and Archaeology, and we are proud to celebrate his achievement!
For more information on the Fall Convocation ceremony and the Governor General’s Silver Medal, follow this link.
From July 11th-14th, 2023, academics gathered in person and virtually from over 540 institutions to attend the annual Celtic Conference in Classics, which was held in Coimbra, Portugal. On July 12th, the Department of Classics and Archaeology’s own Professor Allison Glazebrook delivered a lecture titled “Emotional Labour and Sexual Labour in the Attic Orators” as part of the “Speaking of the Weak: The Rhetoric of Vulnerability in Greek Classical and Postclassical Oratorical Texts” panel.
The full programme of events can be found here.
Congratulations to the Department of Classics and Archaeology’s recent graduate, Daniel Belanger (BA ’23), on receiving the Dean’s Medal on Friday, June 16th, 2023 during Brock University’s 113th Convocation!
The Dean’s Medal is awarded to a student in each Faculty upon graduation with the highest standing for an Honours degree and a Pass degree in their graduating class.
The Department of Classics and Archaeology is happy to welcome Daniel back in September as he continues his studies at Brock University for his MA in Classics.
Congratulations, Daniel Belanger!
