Current Events

The Making of the Greek Literary Canon, From Antiquity to the Renaissance

14-15 May, 2025, Classics 110

Less than 1% of ancient Greek literature survives today and even a smaller part of that corpus constitutes the “canon.” Why do we have the texts that we do? Why were others lost? In a two-day workshop, we will explore the forces that shaped the selective survival of the broader archive of Greek literature and the narrower canon nested within it, including the body of Roman law. We will focus on the mediating role of east Roman culture (aka Byzantium). 

Support for this in-person workshop was provided by the Center for Hellenic Studies; the Department of Classics; the Franke Institute for the Humanities; and the Division of Humanities. Contact: Anthony Kaldellis (kaldellis@uchicago.edu).

PROGRAM

Wednesday 14 May

9:00 am: welcome and opening remarks

9:30-10:30 am: Epic poetry, Baukje Van Den Berg (Central European University)

10:30-11:30 am: Drama, Filippomaria Pontani (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice)

11:30-1:00 break

1:00-2:00 pm: Historiography, Leonora Neville (University of Wisconsin-Madison)

2:00-3:00 pm: Epigram, Floris Bernard (Ghent University)

3:00-3:30 pm break

3:30-4:30 pm: Roman law, Daphne Penna (University of Groningen)

Thursday 15 May

9:00-10:00 am: Rhetoric/rhetorical theory, Aglae Pizzone (University of Southern Denmark)

10:00-11:00 am: Grammatical theory, Fevronia Nousia (University of Patras)

11:00-11:30 am: break

11:30-12:30 am: Philosophy, Michele Trizio (University of Bari)

12:30-2:00 pm break

2:00-3:00 pm: Christian canons / Greek canons, Kostas Chrysogelos (University of Patras)

3:00 pm: Open discussion

Lecture by Professor Constantine Psimopoulos

Dear friends of Hellenic Studies,
We are thrilled to invite you to our upcoming lunch lecture on Thursday, April 24 at 12:00pm (CDT) in Swift Hall, Common Room at the University of Chicago Divinity School, featuring Professor Constantine Psimopoulos, a renowned bioethicist from Harvard University. Professor Psimopoulos is affiliated with the Human Flourishing Program and serves as Senior Program Director of Harvard’s Initiative on Health, Spirituality, and Religion. We are delighted to offer this event in collaboration with the Program on Medicine and Religion at the University of Chicago.
Bioethics and Di-AI-Logos in Medicine and Religion for Human Flourishing
Should conversations in and around bioethics focus more on human flourishing—and if so, why? How do we define these terms: bioethics, flourishing, and the human? When discussing the use of AI in medicine, is its implementation always inherently beneficent, or should we view it with a measure of concern?
One of the foundational principles of bioethics—and of medicine more broadly—is that of nonmaleficence, or first, do no harm. How can this principle be upheld and effectively taught to future doctors, scientists, and clinicians in an age where AI technologies, often embedded with biases in their algorithms and large language models, are increasingly influencing decisions in health and healthcare?
Can—and should—we address issues of social justice and health equity, which matter not only to scientists and physicians but also to theologians and those who understand the Logos (with a capital “L”) as the Word of God? How can we ensure that character, virtue, and phronesis remain central to our dia-logos with AI—values that are not just ethically important, but profoundly tied to what it means to be human and to live within a community?
About the Speaker:
Constantine Psimopoulos serves as Senior Program Director and faculty member at Harvard’s Initiative on Health, Spirituality, and Religion, and is affiliated with the Human Flourishing Program, the Center for Bioethics, and the departments of Global Health and Social Medicine at HMS and Epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. His scholarly interests lie at the intersection of bioethics, theology, and emerging technologies, with a particular focus on theological bioethics, artificial intelligence, spirituality and healing in medicine, and public health ethics.
At Harvard, he co-teaches the course Religion and Public Health and contributes to the required module Responsible Conduct in Science (MED SCI 300), taught to all doctoral students, including those in MD/PhD programs. At Hellenic College Holy Cross (HCHC), Professor Psimopoulos teaches Orthodox Christian Ethics and Social Ministries.
For any questions about the event, please feel free to reach out. We hope you will join us for what promises to be a fascinating lecture!
Lunch will be provided

 

Lecture by Dr. George Manginis on 1821 Before and After

Dear friends of Hellenic Studies,
We are thrilled to invite you to our upcoming webinar lecture on Tuesday, March 25 at 12:00 pm CDT featuring Dr. George Manginis, the Academic Director of the Benaki Museum. On the occasion of the Greek Independence Day, we are honored to host Dr. George Manginis for a lecture on one of the most significant exhibitions ever organized by the Benaki Museum—1821 Before and After.
This landmark exhibition, commemorating the bicentennial of the Greek War of Independence, was the most extensive ever devoted to modern Hellenism. Covering a transformative century (1770–1870), it traced the journey from the early movements for Greek liberation to the formation of the modern Greek state. Through rare artworks and compelling historical testimonies, the exhibition provided an unparalleled perspective on this pivotal period.
In this talk, Dr. Manginis will take us on a journey by presenting key works that illustrate why this remarkable era continues to inspire and captivate audiences today.
About the Speaker:
Since 2001, Dr George Manginis has been teaching history of Byzantine, Islamic, and Chinese art at SOAS / University of London, the Courtauld Institute, the University of Edinburgh, and the Institute of Ismaili Studies, among other institutions. In 2013, he was a Stanley J. Seeger Fellow at Princeton University. He has participated in archaeological excavations in Greece, Cyprus, and the Sinai peninsula in Egypt, and has worked as curator, archivist, and museum development consultant. He has published scholarly articles on Cypriot prehistory, Islamic art and architecture, Sinai studies, Chinese ceramics, European decorative arts, and the Greek and Armenian diasporas, as well as five books: Mount Sinai: A History of Travellers and Pilgrims (London, 2016); China Rediscovered: The Benaki Museum Collection of Chinese Ceramics (Athens and London, 2016); Director’s Choice: Benaki Museum (London, 2021); Ceramics from Korea at the Benaki Museum. The George Eumorfopoulos Collection (Athens, 2021); and Imperial China (Athens, 2023).
Please use the link below to register:
https://uchicago.zoom.us/webinar/register
We hope you will join us for what promises to be an inspiring and thoroughly engaging event!

Prof. Ioanna Sitaridou on The Evolution of Asia Minor Greek

Dear friends of Hellenic Studies,
We are delighted to invite you to a lecture by Professor Ioanna Sitaridou (University of Cambridge), organized by the Center for Hellenic Studies at the University of Chicago in collaboration with the Consulate General of Greece in Chicago.
“The Evolution of Asia Minor Greek”
 
Date: Friday, February 28, 2025
Time: 5:00 PM
Location: Kent 120, University of Chicago
 
Professor Sitaridou is Professor of Spanish and Historical Linguistics at the University of Cambridge, Co-Director of the Cambridge Centre for Greek Studies, and Fellow, Tutor, and Director of Studies in Linguistics and Modern and Medieval Languages at Queens’ College, Cambridge. Her groundbreaking research on historical and dialectal linguistics—particularly on Romeyka, an endangered Greek variety spoken in Turkey—has redefined our understanding of Greek linguistic phylogeny, language contact, and heritage language preservation. Her lecture will explore the evolution of Asia Minor Greek, unraveling the historical and linguistic forces that have shaped this unique variety over time.
We look forward to welcoming you to what promises to be a fascinating and deeply engaging lecture, celebrating the richness, resilience, and timeless beauty of the Greek language.
For more information on the Romeyka Project, please visit:

Lecture by Professor Gonda Van Steen on her book Stage of Emergency – November 17

Dear friends of Hellenic Studies,

We are thrilled to invite you to our upcoming webinar on Sunday, November 17 at 12:00pm CST featuring Professor Gonda Van Steen, a highly distinguished scholar in Modern Greek studies. On the occasion of the anniversary of the Athens Polytechnic Uprising, Professor Van Steen will present insights from her impactful book, Stage of Emergency, which examines the role of theater as a form of resistance during Greece’s military dictatorship.

This event is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on how art and performance can serve as powerful tools for resilience and resistance in times of crisis. We hope you will join us for what promises to be an inspiring and thought-provoking discussion.

Please use the link below to register:

https://uchicago.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qq7yC-2nQ8qs1_vvGmI5fQ

For any questions, feel free to reach out. We look forward to welcoming you to this event!

 

Echoes of the Past – National Oxi Day Event

 

 

Welcome Ceremony of the 2024-25 “Refresh your Greek” Program

 

The University of Chicago