News from the CA's Southampton branch

by Jacqui Meredith

Here in Southampton we have a busy programme of events and social occasions throughout the year, including a Saturnalia in January and a Prandium in July, both hosted by members. We also run an annual Latin and Greek Reading Competition for schools, including a Minimus category. Our membership spans beyond Southampton itself, incorporating Winchester, Portsmouth and even eastern Dorset, as well as much of surrounding Hampshire.

We have six lectures over the year and have been lucky to entertain a variety of excellent speakers, including Professor Michael Scott, Charlotte Higgins and the late James Morwood. This last year our programme began with Dr Eoghan Moloney of the University of Winchester, who delivered an engaging argument on the ways in which Classical Greek authors and modern scholars have interpreted the Macedonians and their leaders.  We also welcomed Harry Sidebottom, author and academic, who led us with great gusto through ‘The Third Century Crisis of Rome’, which provides the background to his Warrior of Rome and Throne of the Caesars novels.  Dr Will Wootton of King’s College London then gave a highly informative and very different lecture on ‘Making Ancient Mosaics, from Hellenistic to Roman’, taking us on a visual trek around the Roman world. There followed ‘Stesichorus and the Reshaping of Homeric Myth’ given by Professor Patrick Finglass of the University of Bristol, which presented an attractive picture of the poet in his time and place. The year was rounded-off with an erudite and thought-provoking look at ‘The Many and the One: Oedipus, Dionysus, Democracy and Tragedy’ by Professor Barbara Goff from the University of Reading.

We have an exciting programme lined up for 2018-19, including lectures by Professor Armand d’Angour, Daisy Dunn and Dr Emma Aston. In November we are organising a Classics Conference for Schools. This will include a day of lectures for older pupils, to be given by Professor Edith Hall, Dr John Pearce and Professor Paul Cartledge, and a morning of workshops on the Romans and Greeks for younger students, including a literacy workshop with the author Maz Evans. We are delighted to have the University of Southampton on board to help with workshops and stalls.

Anyone is welcome to come along to our meetings and details can be found on our programme at https://thesouthamptonbranchoftheclassicalassociation.wordpress.com/. Events are also posted on the calendar on the CA website.

Jacqui Meredith

Honorary Secretary of the Southampton branch of the Classical Association