News

• Connor O’Rourke and Madison Poole defend M.A. theses

  Saturday, August 29, 2026 | By egreene

  We’re delighted to share news of two successful M.A. thesis defences and celebrate the hard work that went into these exciting projects:

  Connor O’Rourke, “Pithoi at Bronze Age Gournia: Storage, Production and Exchange from the Prepalatial to Postpalatial Periods.”
  Angus Smith (supervisor), Elizabeth Greene (second reader), Eleni Hatzaki, University of Cincinnati (external examiner)

  Madison Poole, “The Evolution of Women at Symposia: Re-evaluating Identity, Participation, and Agency in Sympotic Athenian Red Figure Vase Paintings.”
  Allison Glazebrook (supervisor), Elizabeth Greene (second reader), Chelsea Gardner, Acadia University (external examiner)

  Congratulations to Madison and Connor! We wish you both the best in the next stages of your intellectual journeys.

  

  Madison Poole with supervisor Allison Glazebrook; second reader Elizabeth Greene; and external examiner Chelsea Gardner (Acadia University).

  

  Connor O’Rourke with thesis supervisor Angus Smith, and second reader Elizabeth Greene

• Lucie Macintosh defends M.A. Thesis

  Friday, June 19, 2026 | By egreene

  Congratulations to Lucie Mackintosh on the successful defense of her thesis, “Queering Heroism: Masculinity and Gender in English Translations of Homer’s Iliad.” Supervised by Prof. Allison Glazebrook and Prof. Roberto Nickel, the project offers a terrific new contribution to translation research.

  

• Graduating student Robert Tremblay featured in the Brock News

  Thursday, June 11, 2026 | By egreene

  In a series on June graduates, the Brock News featured graduating student Robert Tremblay who earned his degree in Classics and Archaeology with a minor in Medieval and Renaissance Studies. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Master of Public Administration, both from the University of Moncton in New Brunswick. We’re delighted that Robert will pursue an M.A. degree in the Department next year!

  ‘Curious about the world’: 66-year-old grad spent studies diving for ancient artifacts

   

  According to the Brock News, “The retired Major spent 34 years dedicated to civilian and military service with the Canadian Army before coming to Brock. He served on two tours of duty in Democratic Republic of Congo and Haiti.

  In 2015, Tremblay was awarded the prestigious Meritorious Service Cross by former Governor General of Canada David Johnston for his work planning a joint security effort for the 2015 presidential elections in Haiti.

  But the decorated Canadian veteran has always had a passion for archaeology, poring over books about ancient civilizations, art and architecture long before he made the decision to study formally in retirement.

  “I lived a very full life through my career and worked hard over the years, and coming back to study at Brock — the joy of learning — was the reward,” he says.”

  Over the course of his degree, Robert participated in Brock-led field projects on land and underwater in Pantelleria and Marzamemi, Italy. Congratulations, Robert!

• Undergraduate Amelia Jackson medals in the World Bench Press Championships

  Monday, June 01, 2026 | By egreene

  Amelia Jackson represented both Canada and the Department of Classics and Archaeology at the World Bench Press Championships in Warsaw, Poland. She earned a bronze medal in the 84+ Jr women category with a bench press of 105 kg. The Canadian Junior Women’s team (18-23) won gold for the team overall points! Thanks, Amelia, for bringing your ancient training to an international stage. Don’t miss Amelia’s Engaged Leadership project, When in Rome… Lift Heavy, a blog that explored and field tested the training practices and performance of ancient athletes. Congratulations, Amelia!

  

   

• Michael Carter explains the “Thucydides trap”

  Saturday, May 16, 2026 | By egreene

  In an interview with the Financial Post, Michael Carter explains the “Thucydides trap” referenced in the recent summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jingping.

  President Xi asked President Trump, “Can China and the United States transcend the so-called ‘Thucydides trap?’ and forge a new paradigm for major-power relations?”

  As the Post writes, “The term ‘Thucydides trap’ was popularized by political scientist Graham Allison in “Destined for War,” his 2017 book about China–U.S. relations. It the idea that conflict is the likely outcome when a rising power threatens to challenge a ruling one (in the 16 historical examples Allison cites, only four avoid it).

  The theory is derived from a line in the “History of the Peloponnesian War”: “It was the rise of Athens and the fear that this instilled in Sparta that made war inevitable,” according to a common translation.

  “That’s what Graham Allison’s argument is, that the United States is the hegemon or the leader of the world and then there’s China as a rapidly rising power,” Carter said. “And at one point, something is going to happen and there’s going to be a break.”

  Carter continued, “The remarkable thing is Thucydides knew that, because he understood human nature. And that’s one of the very first things he says in the book is that, ‘I’m writing this as an example, for all time, because people don’t change, and this will happen again.’”

  Read the full article here: https://financialpost.com/news/who-was-thucydides-the-ancient-greek-general-referenced-by-carney-and-xi

  

  From The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/09/united-states-china-war-thucydides-trap/406756/

   

• Corrigan Legacy Fund supports student fieldwork

  Monday, May 11, 2026 | By egreene

  Thanks to the generous donation of Jane and Patrick Kieran we are pleased to announce the first awards made through the Corrigan Legacy Fund. Created to honour the spirit of travel and study of the ancient world exemplified by the late John Corrigan, this fund provides significant financial assistance to students who elect to travel abroad by participating in archaeological practica or study tours. This year, the fund offered support to three MA students and nine undergraduates for their upcoming participation in excavation and museum research at Murlo (Italy) and Gournia (Crete). The students are: XinFan Gazzola, Sarah Grenier, Carys Hernden, Carter Jansen, Sophia Kelly, Madeleine Macdonald, Julia Miller, Luna Nikolic, Lydia Scheunemann, Katie Snyder, Andrea Szpika, and Katherine Titishova.

  The Department expresses its gratitude to the Kierans for their generous support of our students and their passion for experiential opportunities in the field!

  

  

• Brock at the CAC

  Monday, May 04, 2026 | By egreene

  

  The Department of Classics and Archaeology will be well-represented at the Annual Meeting of the Classical Association of Canada, hosted by Queen’s University, May 5-7.

  Panel 15, “Women in Greek Society,” features two Brock papers: Madison Poole, “Adorning the Female Symposiast: Using Comparative Analysis to Explore Female Identity, Sexuality, and Agency in Sympotic Red Figure Vase Paintings” and Allison Glazebrook, “Nikarete’s Girls: Sex Trafficking and Sexual Grooming in the Athenian Sex Trade.”

  In Panel 23, the Graduate Student Caucus Panel titled “Sing it, Muse! Ancient Stories for Modern Audiences,” Sarah Grenier and Madison Poole will present their collaborative paper, “Mythbusting History One Monument at a Time: How to Use Interactive Maps to Debunk Pseudoarchaeology.”

  Carol Merriam considers “Dido’s Power: Love Magic and Witchcraft” in Panel 30, “Female Figures in Latin Literature.”

  The CAC Annual meeting offers an amazing opportunity to bring together scholars of classical antiquity from across Canada. Next year’s event will be hosted by Memorial University in St John’s, NL.

• Greene receives Faculty of Humanities Award for Excellence in Research and Creative Activity

  Friday, April 24, 2026 | By egreene

  How Humanities research is reimagining the human experience

  During the Faculty of Humanities’ spring research celebration on April 14, Professor Elizabeth Greene received the Faculty of Humanities Award for Excellence in Research and Creative Activity. Drawing on archaeological fieldwork on shipwrecks, harbour sites and maritime landscapes from the Iron Age to the present in regions like Turkey and Sicily, Greene’s research traces long term processes of trade, cultural exchange, fishing traditions and the displacement of peoples. Department Chair, Professor Michael Carter noted, “Dr. Greene’s work has shifted both how we understand and model interaction on the ancient Mediterranean and, even more importantly, how we view, value and challenge ourselves and the broader global community through heritage in the present,” The HRI Research Symposium also featured a paper by second-year M.A. student Connor O’Rourke, “Containers of Connectivity: Pithoi and Exchange Networks in Bronze Age Gournia.”

   

• Celebration of Students at the Floralia

  Tuesday, April 14, 2026 | By egreene

  At the annual April Floralia Celebration, marking the end of spring term classes, the Department of Classics and Archaeology was delighted to honour our students with a wide range of awards to celebrate their achievements.

  Undergraduate Award Winners
  Trine Varcoe Memorial Scholarship: Kathryn Snider
  Richard W. Parker Travel Scholarship: Carter Janzen
  David William Rupp Archaeological Practicum Scholarship: Lydia Scheunemann and Katherine Titishova
  School of Restoration Arts at Willowbank Vasilios and Kostas Poulimenos Book Prize: Emma Consoli
  Geoffrey William Brown Memorial Prize: Madeline Macdonald
  Department of Classics and Archaeology Book Prize in Ancient Art and Archaeology: Lauren Henderson
  Department of Classics and Archaeology Book Prize in Classical Literature and History: Josiah Straatsma
  Studium Book Prize in Classics: Summer Hradsky
  Society for Classical Studies (SCS) Distinguished Student Award: Lauren Henderson and Derek Tam
  Classical Association of the Middle West and South (CAMWS) Outstanding Accomplishment Award: Andrea Szpika
  Ontario Classical Association (OCA) Award for Outreach and Leadership in Classics: Dawson Magis
  Ontario Classical Association (OCA) Award for Achievement in Ancient Languages: Laura Muller-Bot

  Graduate Award Winners
  Society for Classical Studies (SCS) Distinguished Student Award: Madison Poole
  Classical Association of the Middle West and South (CAMWS) Outstanding Accomplishment Award: Connor O’Rourke
  Classical Association of Canada (CAC) Outstanding Student Award: Léo Beaudoin

  The event also offered an opportunity to celebrate Nadine Brundrett’s 25 years of teaching in the Department, and the bittersweet announcement of Roberto Nickel’s retirement. As always, the return of graduate alumni speakers provided a chance for reflection on the value of our field for future career paths.

  

  

  

  

  

• Classics and Archaeology Students Shine at Mapping the New Knowledges

  Monday, April 13, 2026 | By egreene

  Mapping New Knowledges shines light on grad student research

  Classics and Archaeology students made a splash at the 21st annual Mapping the New Knowledges Conference! The day opened with the presentation of awards, where 2nd year M.A. student Lucie Mackintosh received the Jack M. Miller Excellence in Research Award. Five students presented papers or posters on their research: Léo Beaudoin, Kiera Lang, Katie Mazurkiewicz, Madison Poole, and Connor O’Rourke. The conference gave Classics and Archaeology students a chance to engage in dialogue about their research with M.A. students across the University. Congratulations to all!