Pathos and Polis: The Pragmatics of Emotion
in Ancient Greece

International Conference for Classicists and Archaeologists
11.-14. October 2017, Topoi-Haus, Freie Universität Berlin

[…] it is not only necessary to consider how to make the speech itself demonstrative and convincing, but also that the speaker should show himself to be of a certain character and should know how to put the judge into a certain frame of mind. For it makes a great difference with regard to producing conviction […] that the hearers should be disposed in a certain way towards him.
Arist. Rhet.  2,1,2-3

In his Rhetoric, Aristotle identifies pathos alongside ethos and logos as one of the three rhetorical appeals. Yet, skillful play with affects and moods is by no means limited to the realm of orators and politicians, but can be found in various areas of communication and interaction throughout Greek antiquity: be they political propaganda or sentimental epitaphs, expressive drapery or gestures of pathos, solemn sympathy or passionate excess in the context of rituals. In all of these instances, emotion can serve as an element of cohesion within a group (e.g. the polis) or as a means of excluding outsiders. As such, they can be understood to be crucial instruments in the construction of collective identity.

The conference “Pathos and Polis” focuses on modes in which pathos formulas and other affect-stimulating elements were used in ancient Greek media and practices in order to inflect communication (i.e. win over an audience and/or gain their attention). Using an interdisciplinary approach, it seeks to highlight how different aesthetic, rhetorical, and performative means helped to generate particular emotions or moods and thereby enhanced the desired effect of the respective communicative act.

The organizers welcome 30-minute papers from all relevant disciplines (Ancient History, Classics, Classical Archaeology, Philosophy, Linguistics, and Media Studies) that deal with the use of emotions and affective elements in all types of communication and interaction in the ancient Greek world. Potential subject areas include but are not limited to:

•    concepts and discourses on the use of pathos
•    affect-enhancing strategies in written sources
•    affect-enhancing strategies in visual media
•    the iconography of emotional communication
•    the exploitation of emotions in politics
•    collective emotions as factors in the formation of identities
•    socio-political consequences of affective behaviours

Please submit your proposal of no more than 300 words (English or German) along with a short CV (max. 1 page) to the organizers by January 8, 2017. We hope to be able to provide travel and accommodation allowance.

Organizers:
Vibeke Goldbeck ([email protected])
Sven Page ([email protected])
Viktoria Räuchle ([email protected])

The Social Network: People, Places, and Communities

The Department of Classical, Near Eastern, and Religious Studies (CNERS) at the University of British Columbia is proud to present its 17th Annual Interdisciplinary Graduate Student Conference. The Conference will be held at the Thea Koerner Penthouse at UBC’s Vancouver campus on Friday, May 5th and Saturday, May 6th, 2017. This year’s theme is Community.

The keynote address will be delivered on Friday afternoon by Dr. Andrew Koh of Brandeis University.

This is an interdisciplinary conference. All faculties and disciplines are encouraged to apply.

The purpose of the Conference is to provide graduate students and senior undergraduates from a variety of disciplines with the opportunity to present original research in a less formal and more intimate setting than may be found in typical academic conferences. In previous years we have attracted a number of emerging scholars from across North America in several faculties within the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Sciences. We are confident that the nature of our topic for 2017 will do the same. We look forward to the variety of perspectives that will be presented on the timeless subject matter.

We are currently accepting submissions for papers related to the general theme of Community. This very broad topic spans discipline and time, finding relevance in the Ancient, Medieval, and Modern worlds, West and East, North and South, and in all areas of the Arts, Social Sciences, and Sciences. Examples of topics include, but are not limited to:

• Sociology of Community
• Ritual and Religion
• Cities, Villages, Towns
• Diet and Dining
• Exchange and Trade
• Cultural Contact
• Societal Organization
• Political Dynamics
• Family and Kinship
• Hunting and Farming
• Architecture and Art
• Passing on Mores
• Tradition and Innovation
• Conflict Resolution
• Music and Dance
• Place-making
• Migration, Assimilation
• Environment and People
• Games and Sport
• Excess and Crisis
• Medicine and Wellness

If you are interested in presenting a paper at the Conference, please submit an abstract of no more than 300 words by Friday, January 16th, 2017. Please include your Name, Institution, Degree, Specialization, and Contact Information, as well as any audio-visual equipment you may require. Presentations should be no more than 15-20 minutes in length.

Please send submissions and further inquiries to
[email protected]