The research carried out in the Department of Ancient Classics covers a wide range, with specialisms in three of the main branches of Classical studies, Greek and Latin literature, the social and cultural history of the ancient world, and Greek and Roman philosophy. At the same time, much of our work crosses traditional disciplinary boundaries both within the field of Classics and without, as is indicated by our engagement with the reception of Classics and classical Antiquity.
Maynooth University Department of Ancient Classics
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Greek and Latin Literature
In Greek and Latin literature, there are concentrations of research interest in the areas of epic, theatre, the ancient novel and Latin poetry. Homer’s epics and their exemplary status in late antiquity (and beyond) are a prominent area of investigation, from a variety of perspectives. So to the Greek ‘ideal’ novel and the picaresque novel represented by Petronius and Apuleius are important focuses of research, in the context of imperial Rome and early Christian fiction influenced by the novel.
Academics working in these areas include:
Dr Cosetta Cadau
Dr Eoghan Moloney
Dr Will Desmond
Dr Carl O'Brien
Dr Leah O'Hearn
Social, Cultural and Religious History
Research in ancient history covers a variety of periods and themes from across the ancient Mediterranean world, from early Greece to late Antiquity. Members of the Department have particular interests in the cultural and religious factors entering into construction of identities, whether Greek, Roman, Jewish, and/or Christian.
Academics working in these areas include:
Dr Cosetta Cadau
Dr Eoghan Moloney
Dr Kieran McGroarty
Dr William Desmond
Dr Carl O'Brien
Dr Leah O'Hearn
Greek and Roman Philosophy
In Greek and Roman philosophy, research covers a broad span, embracing Plato and the Platonic tradition, Cynicism, Epicureanism, and Stoicism. A particular interest shared by members of the Department is the history of thought, a strength reflected in the recent introduction of an MA programme (taught jointly with the Department of Philosophy) in Ancient, Medieval, and Renaissance Thought , but also carrying through to the influence of ancient thought in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and in the present day.
Academics working in this area include:
Dr Kieran McGroarty
Dr William Desmond
Dr Carl O'Brien
Late Antiquity
The field of late Antiquity is a further special focus of the work conducted in the Department. Interests gravitate particularly to aspects of Latin Christianity in the late fourth and early fifth centuries AD. Power, authority, law, and the relationship of the ‘Classical’ and ‘Christian’ are two central themes of investigation.
Academics working in this area include:
Dr Cosetta Cadau
Dr Carl O'Brien
Reception of Classics and Classical Antiquity
The reception of Classics and Classical Antiquity has arguably been the greatest growth area in the field over the past two decades, and the Department’s research interests reflect that development. Special interests here include reception in eighteenth-century Ireland, particularly in the work of women writers; in nineteenth-century thought, particularly in the work of Hegel and Nietzsche; and in twentieth-century Irish literature.
Academics working in this area include:
Dr William Desmond
Dr Eoghan Moloney
Dr Carl O'Brien