Classics

'Honour in Ancient Greece' - Events

Latest event in the 'Honour in Classical Greece: esteem, status, identity, and society in ancient Greek literature, life, and thought' project announced. (Published 14 February, 2017)

HCA Honour in Classical Greece

'Honour in Classical Greece: esteem, status, identity, and society in ancient Greek literature, life, and thought' is a five-year €1.9 million project 2018 under the direction of Professor Douglas Cairns and Dr Mirko Canevaro. 

Using the findings of contemporary sociology and philosophy, with contributions from other disciplines from economics to literary studies, cognitive linguistics, and psychology, 'Honour in Classical Greece' will lead to a root and branch transformation of the idées fixes that still mould the understanding of honour (Greek timê) in our ancient Greek sources. The project will show that, far from being a single value among many, timê is a pluralist, inclusive, and flexible notion, as important to ancient values of justice, friendship, and social solidarity as it is to the violence of heroic self-assertion and the pursuit of vengeance. It pervades ancient Greek literature, thought, and society. This project will write its history.

As part of the project a series of public lectures and research seminars involving leading scholars from various disciplines will be organised. The opening lecture by Professor Sir Michael G. Marmot on 'Health, status, and inequality’ took place on 12 January 2018 and a recording of the lecture can be viewed on the project's website. The first seminar is on 15 February 2018 with Professor Margaret Graver (Dartmouth) on 'The psychology of honor in Cicero’s De re publica'. The project also runs a lively blog from its website.

All are welcome to join the events and take part in the blog discussions.