Department of Classics Graduate Projects
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Item Art, Archaeology, and the Museum: The Place and Value of Classical Antiquities in the Capitoline Museums, the Royal Ontario Museum, and the Acropolis Museum(2024-12) Stringer, Ceilidh H.Through three case studies, this research project examines sample groups of classical antiquities in modern museums: their collection in conjunction with the formation of the museum, their display and valuation as part of an inherent narrative, and their interpretation as artistic or archaeological objects. The case studies evaluate classical antiquities from the collections of the Capitoline Museums of Rome, Italy, the Royal Ontario Museum of Toronto, Canada, and the Acropolis Museums of Athens, Greece. The antiquities provide insight into the development and function of each museum, as well as the role of classical antiquities within the formation of national identities for the three modern museums and countries, which is demonstrated in the way that each object is valued and interpreted by the museum as either art or archaeology.Item Stoics Against Coddled Minds(2024) Biezenski, MaximilianAncient Stoicism has enjoyed a steep rise in popularity in recent decades, both inside and outside of the academy. A few scholars have briefly offered reasons as to why, such as increased interest in virtue ethics, and the ease with which Stoic ethical maxims may be accessed and memorized through short, digestible quotations. This paper not only collects data on the observable phenomenon of Stoicism’s resurgence and current popularity and details the available, and plausible, arguments as to the cause, but it also argues for a new and significant part of the story. Stoicism’s popularity comes, in addition, as a reaction to current dominant values of extreme safety, that is, safetyism, the view that safety, both physical and emotional, is sacred and overrides all competing concerns. On analysis, the arguments of Stoicism are shown to be antithetical to the arguments of safetyism. Given that the current cultural popularity of Stoicism entirely regards the philosophy’s teachings on ethics and emotions, given the evidence of growing dissatisfaction with safetyism and the search by many for alternatives, and given Stoicism’s stronger philosophical position, I argue for a causal connection between Stoicism’s popularity and the distaste of many for safetyism. Detailing safetyism, I draw heavily on the cultural diagnosis of Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt, in their book The Coddling of the American Mind (2018). Some examples of safetyism include the creation of “safe spaces,” the concept of “microaggressions,” and the censorship of speech, which all seek to remove causes of distress rather than strengthen individuals. The authors argue that, though with good intentions, these practices and values do more harm than good. Arguing instead in favour of the practices of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which has direct philosophical roots in Stoicism, I utilize some of the author’s arguments in demonstrating Stoicism’s stronger philosophical position. Stoicism and CBT both operate on the premise that if emotional distress is caused by perception and judgment, then a remedy lies in altering perception and judgment. Furthermore, they both argue that we are strengthened by stress and challenge, not weakened. CBT is already widely successful in treating emotional distress, and many are finding that Stoicism, too, offers a preferable alternative system of values to those of avoidance and suppression of the external world. As a final consideration, I also investigate the question of why Stoicism is more popular among men.Item Challenging the Use of Ancient Greek and Roman Medical Information in Paul of Aegina's 'Epitome of Medicine'(2023-10-12) Katrina JohnstonPaul of Aegina (c. 625-690 CE) was one of the foremost Byzantine medical authorities. His only surviving text, Epitome of Medicine, was written in seven books and instructed physicians on both surgical and non-surgical treatments. The Epitome addressed the remedy of ailments ranging from medical treatments for “persons bitten by a man” to surgical procedures to fix aneurisms. Indeed, Paul identifies nearly 600 plants and 200 animal products as helpful ingredients in recipes for pharmacological interventions. Paul’s medical ideas were extremely influential. His encyclopedia was originally published in Greek before being translated into several different languages. His techniques may be traced in the methodologies of later physicians including Rhazes (864-925 CE ) Albucasis (936-1013 CE) and Avicenna (980-1037 CE). It is also apparent that Paul relied heavily upon the works of ancient medical writers such as Galen (129- 216 CE) and Hippocrates (460-375 BCE) when he was compiling his Epitome. In this study I explore classical influences on the surgical portion of Paul’s encyclopedia. I observe the techniques that remained the same, those that show an evolved medical understanding, and new procedures that appear in the text. This research strategy will elucidate how the growing compendium of medical knowledge effected the evolution of surgical techniques between antiquity and early Byzantium.Item Male Homosexuality under the Julio-Claudian Dynasty(2023-10-12) William Mills VanstoneThis paper explores the nature of Roman attitudes, both elite and non-elite, regarding male homosexuality under the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Through examining Roman laws, art, and literature from the period, these attitudes will be revealed and understood to the extent in which one can understand a past society through its history and artifacts. When exploring attitudes through art, special attention is paid to the Warren Cup, an intriguing artifact of uncertain provenance whose authenticity has been debated vigorously by contemporary scholars. The nature of Roman attitudes towards homosexuality is highly related to Roman social hierarchy and where one fell within that hierarchy. Depending on one’s status and the status of their partner, desires for emotional or sexual connections with members of the same sex and gender could be viewed as either perfectly normal and legitimate, or unusual and unmanly.Item Detecting Change in High Temporal Resolution UAV Photogrammetry at Active Archaeological Excavations: International Field School Excavations at NI Stobi 2018(2023) Marie McMenaminPhotogrammetry is a common technique used in the documentation of archaeological excavations; it has been integrated into several sites since the early 20th century. Photogrammetry allows researchers to analyze and document important finds and structures. The cost of photogrammetry today has declined significantly since the early 20th century making it possible to perform daily RPAS photogrammetry over an active archaeological site. Most researchers today use photogrammetry to create orthophotos that can be traced with 2D line work, but the 3D data is essentially thrown out. This 3D data can provide valuable information using change detection. Photogrammetric change detection analysis is common when it comes to the protection of cultural heritage sites but is not commonly used on active archaeological sites. Using 3D data, we can compare Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) and Point Clouds, resulting in defined locus boundaries that can enhance the archaeological documentation. This study utilizes RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aerial Systems) data gathered during an international field school at Stobi, an archaeological site in the Republic of North Macedonia, in 2018. Using two different programs, 3DM Analyst and CloudCompare, this project shows the subtle changes that occur on an active archaeological excavation. These programs have special features that allow the user to compare the data to calculate and visualize these differences. Information gathered from field journals and locus sheets assists in the analysis of the changes that occur within the locus boundaries. The 3D information gathered can provide important information in understanding how the excavation is proceeding and what the next steps are.