Back to the Future, a workshop on beginnings

The Back to the Future workshop welcomes colleagues and students, and interested others, to an afternoon exploring the nature of origins for the study of Classical antiquity. We are especially delighted to welcome Prof. Alexandre Grandazzi (Paris, Sorbonne) whose paper focuses on how the study of the origins of Rome relates to the beginnings of disciplinary formation in the 18th century.

2pm Welcome, and opening remarks
David Larmour & Diana Spencer

2.10-2.30pm
‘Varro’s origines: defining a beginning’
Diana Spencer (University of Birmingham)

2.30-2.50pm
‘“The Book of Greek Life”: J. W. Mackail’s new epigrammatic canon’
Gideon Nisbet (University of Birmingham)

2.50-3.10pm
‘Rome’s shady past: Romulus, Numa and Juvenal’
David Larmour (Texas Tech)

3.30-4.30pm
'Paris-Londres, et retour: 1722-1752. Louis de Pouilly, l'abbé Sallier, Nicolas Fréret, Newton, Lord Bolingbroke: une controverse sur les origines de Rome à l'origine des modernes sciences humaines'
Alexandre Grandazzi (Sorbonne)

4.30pm
Discussion

5pm
Reception (Arts 305)

...followed by trip to local curry house — please advise (d.j.spencer@bham.ac.uk) by 14 June if intending to join us for reception and/or dinner.