PhDs
- Karl Hart (primary supervisor Arlene Allan)
Completed PhDs
MA
Completed MAs
BA (Honours) archive
Classics PhD
Dean Alexander BA (Hons), MA (Otago)
Ultimus Romanorum: The Rise of Cassius the Tyrannicide
Supervisors: Jon Hall and Robert Hannah (Dean, Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, University of Waikato)
Kara Braithwaite-Westoby PgDip, BA (Otago)
Epameinondas and the Theban Hegemony
Supervisors: Pat Wheatley and Sean McConnell
Charlotte Dunn BA (Hons), MA (Otago)
The Career of Demetrius Poliorcetes
Supervisors: Pat Wheatley and Jon Hall.
Joel Gordon BMus, BA(Hons), MA (Victoria), GradDip (App Theol)
Imagining the Underworld: Topography Versus Eschatology
Supervisors: Arlene Allan and Sean McConnell
Thomas Köentges BA, MA (Leipzig)
A Commentary on the "pre-Cena" Section of Petronius' Satyrica
Supervisors: John Garthwaite and William Dominik
Kyle Gervais BSc (Hons), MA Classics (Queen's University)
A Commentary of Statius, Thebaid 2
Supervisors: William Dominik and John Garthwaite
Maria Mackay BA, Dip Tchng, DCE, PGDipArts (English, Classics), Dip Grad (English, Classics), MA (Otago)
Klytaimestra: Gene and Gender Conflict in Greek Tragedy.
Supervisors: Arlene Allan and Brian Boyd (University of Auckland)
Cameron McPhail BA (Hons), MA (Otago)
The Continents and Panhellenism: From Homer to Herodotus.
Supervisors: Robert Hannah (Dean, Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, University of Waikato) and Pat Wheatley
Stefan Pedersen BA (Massey), PGDipArts, MA (Otago)
Regularly Irregular Motion in Proclus’ Celestial Physics
Supervisors: Robert Hannah (Dean, Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, University of Waikato), Peter Anstey (Department of Philosophy)
Susan Pelechek BA (Coe College), PG Dip (Otago)
Representations and Receptions of Scipio Africanus
Supervisors:William Dominik, Jon Hall, and Pat Wheatley
Alessandra Pugliese BA, MA (Università Cattolica)
The Greek World and Rome in the Late Hellenistic Period
Supervisors: Pat Wheatley and Robert Hannah (Dean, Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, University of Waikato)
Bill Richardson BA (Hons) (UTAS)
The Origin of Philip II's Panhellenism
Supervisors: Pat Wheatley and Sean McConnell
Constance Sleeth BA (Hons) (Trent), MA (Royal Holloway, U. of London)
Euripides' Zeus, Seneca's Jupiter: The Tragic 'Father of Gods and Men'
Supervisors: Arlene Allan and William Dominik
Andrew Stopyra BA (Hons) (Otago), MPhil (Cambridge)
Diodorus Siculus on Alexander
A transalation and commentary of Diodorus Siculus Book 17 on Alexander the Great.
Supervisors: Pat Wheatley and Jon Hall
Classics MA
John Blackler
Laughter in Plato
Supervisor: Sean McConnell
Chloe Bray
The Many Faces of the Moon: Lunar Mythology and Religion in the Ancient World
Supervisors: John Garthwaite and Robert Hannah (Dean, Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, University of Waikato)
Tyler Broome
Ventriloquism in Ciceronian Oratory
Roman oratory typically involved the presentation of an opinion from a single viewpoint–that of the orator. The orator, however, was also able to speak from the perspective of other characters through the rhetorical device of prosopopoeia (sometimes called “ventriloquism” in modern studies). This thesis examines how Cicero utilises prosopopoeia, addressing both its rhetorical theory as presented by Cicero, Quintilian, and the Rhetorica ad Herennium, and the speeches in which the technique is deployed (e.g. Pro Roscio Amerino, Pro Caelio, In Catilinam I and Pro Milone). It will also address issues of oratorical delivery, analysing how this inherently theatrical device might have been performed by Cicero in the law courts and senate house. By situating the prosopopoeiae within the context of the persuasive aims of their respective speeches, this study aims to explain the differing ways in which they function.
Supervisor: Jon Hall
Campbell Calverley
The Rhetoric of Incest in Senecan Drama and Histories of Nero
Supervisor: Gwynaeth McIntyre
Ben Clarkson
Working Title: The Birds, the Bees and… Black magic? Erotic magic and individual experience in Classical Greece.
The research for my MA is aimed at examining aspects of the ancient Greek socio-religious institutions and the implications these held for women, men and the family unit in antiquity, especially in instances where such institutions are perceived to have been transgressed or infringed upon. The specific focus of this study is the use of magical practices designed to create erotic desire in an individual, such as philtres, enchantments, curses (κατάδεσμοι) and other apparatus such as the iynx wheel, that are used as a crutch to assist the lovelorn and uncharismatic. Not only were such practices ubiquitous, they were routinely employed in directly competitive contexts to provide personal advancement or benefit. Concurrently, they represent some of the more bizarre expressions of ritual and the supernatural to be found in classical society and, if not viewed as taboo per se, definitively represented practices which did not align with the traditional behavioural strictures and expectations that dictated correct and praiseworthy expressions of character. As such, this research aims to investigate the use of erotic magic by already marginal groups, both prostitutes (πόρνη) and courtesans (ἑταίρα), in relation to their use by other women and, conversely, the use of love magic upon such individuals by others in the 4th and 5th centuries BCE to analyse their impact on an individual’s standing in society.
Supervisor: Arlene Allan
Jen Copedo
There’s something in the Water: Personified dangers of the Mediterranean and the North Atlantic.
Cultures around the world share mythologies of sea creatures who have caused havoc towards sailors, whether it be through a sensual allure like the sirens of Greek myth, or through destructive means such as the Wave maidens of the Norse culture. But what lead to these creatures to develop as they did? Why did people need to tell stories of why men died at sea? I am studying the impact of nature and cultural views on the development of the Sirens and Scylla in Greek mythology and the Wave Maidens and Hafgufa in Norse mythology, by looking at where in the oceans they are found, and what the environment was like in these areas. I am also looking into the gendered nature of these creatures, and what this said about cultural views of society.
Supervisor: Alene Allan
Supun Ekanayake
‘Ruling “the other”: Roman provincial administration and its hegemony during the Late Republic as reflected in selected works of Cicero’
Provincial administration played a significant role in Roman expansion and imperialist propaganda. This thesis explores how Cicero’s portrayal of the provinces and provincials employs the notion of ‘the other’ and how this ideology functioned as a mechanism of control in the dissemination of Roman imperial propaganda. Furthermore, the thesis seeks to understand how alterity, while undeniably playing a key role in defining the relationship between Rome and her empire, also led to the ‘othering’ of the Romans themselves in the eyes of the provincials.
Supervisor: Jon Hall
Will Harvey
Reflections on the Enigmatic Goddess: The Origins of Hekate and the Development of her Character to the End of the Fifth Century B.C.
Supervisor: John Garthwaite
Chelsea Johnston
Beware of that Cup!: The Role of Food-tasters in Ancient Society
Supervisor: Pat Wheatley
Lila Knight
From Commodus to Constantine: The Function and Administration of the Roman Imperial Mints in the Third Century CE
Supervisor: Dan Osland
Amanda Macauley
Plutarch and the Virtues of the Roman matrona: Feminine First Person Discourse in the Parallel Lives
Supervisor: Jon Hall
Andy McManus
Roman Glass in the Otago Museum
In the basement of the Otago Museum is a collection of ancient Roman glass hidden away in boxes, ignored for decades. This research will explore some of the relevant glass vessels in an attempt to more fully understand the modern journey of these items prior to their acquisition by the museum, but also to investigate the original contexts and uses of these items. The investigation into the modern history of the items would attempt to trace the sites from which they were procured. Donors of ancient items are frequently recorded in the Museum’s catalogue, however the provenance is rarely present or precise. In the absence of a traceable history for these items, looking into the archaeological practices and sites of the late 19th and 20th century may provide context for the procurement of comparable items. Finally, the items should be contextualized in their classical setting. This will include dating the items, as well as determining their original uses, both in everyday and ritual contexts. Further research would include looking into the process of glass making with a focus on the Roman Imperial period.
Supervisor: Dan Osland
John Matthews
Doctor Ovid: Teaching what to whom in Tristia 2?
Supervisor: Jon Hall
Jacqui Moate
'Alleviating Death Anxiety in Epicureanism'
Epicurus famously claimed that “death is nothing to us” and not to be feared. The Epicureans were also hedonists, believing that pleasure was inherently good and pain inherently bad. Fears and anxieties were viewed as a form of mental pain, and were thus seen as a threat to human happiness. The eradication of the fear of death was therefore a core component of Epicurean ethical theory.
The Epicureans employed a multitude of arguments in order to demonstrate that death is not harmful, and therefore need not be feared. This thesis will map out such arguments and engage with modern scholarship on the subject. Of particular focus is the ‘Symmetry Argument’, which equates post-mortem and pre-natal non-existence. The practical consistency and psychological effectiveness of the arguments against the fear of death will also be examined.
Supervisor: Sean McConnell
Jon Rolfe
The Politics and Social Prestige of Priesthoods in the Late Republic
Supervisor: Jon Hall
Jessy Ruiter
Cultural Influences on Roman Burial Practices in the West
For those who could afford it creating a burial monument that would bear the deceased’s name long after they had passed was a way of granting life after death for Roman people. As such Roman burial monuments were highly personal and subject to cultural norms. In this thesis I will attempt to analyse changes to burial conventions in the western provinces in the second century AD and assess to what extent these changes can be explained by the influence of indigenous culture. This will be done primarily through the assessment of inscriptions and monument style, but will be supplemented by grave goods, trends in inhumation and cremation, and contemporary literature.
Supervisor: Dan Osland
Nathan Watson
From Philosophising Ass to Asinine Philosopher: Satire in Book 11 of Apuleius’ Metamorphoses
Supervisor: John Garthwaite
Matthew Watts
India and South East trade with the Greek West: an examination of cross-cultural trade relations in the 4th Century BCE
Trade between different groups is often the major (and sometimes only) contact between differing cultures. Unlike today where trade is direct and the parties are known, ancient trade appears to be distilled through many parties and often the goods that are traded are of unknown origins. This thesis will examine cross-cultural trade between the ‘Far East’ and the Greek world in the 4th Century BCE. This will attempt to hypothesise an interconnected nature of the ancient world and trace the direct and indirect contact of different cultures prior to the emergence of the Silk Road trade. Of particular importance will be the trade of spices (such as cinnamon and cassia) from India and South East Asia that ends up in the Greek world through the Ancient Mediterranean, which seemingly plays a unique role in Greek culture as well as having an economic impact. Evidence for the appearance of these goods are found in Sappho, Herodotus and Theophrastus as well as archaeological evidence. The establishment of the origins of these goods and how they arrive into the Greek world will demonstrate how connected the ancient world was and offer an explanation of cultural similarities along this hypothesised trade route.
Supervisor: Pat Wheatley
Classics BA (Honours) 2020
Scott Bezett
Xenophon’s Spartan Fabrication: The Construction of an Ideal State in Xenophon’s Constitution of the Lacedaemonians
Supervisor: Sean McConnell
Ben Clarkson
Binding and Demons: δαίμονες in Ancient Greek κατάδεσμοι
Lydie Leurquin
To what extent did the Minoan and Mycenaean cultures influence the Late Bronze Age Aegean? A preliminary study of eastern Aegean tombs and the origins of the material culture.
Supervisor: Dan Osland
Rhys Maurer
The Tragic Rule of Lysimachus: A Thematic Study of the Exclusion of Lysimachus’ Rule in the History of the Diadochi
Supervisor: Pat Wheatley
Megan Snell
The Roman Empire and Gaul, 260–476
Supervisor: Dan Osland
Eliza Thompson
Ideological change in Athenian Funerals: A Case Study of the Lekythoi Vases in the Otago Museum
Supervisor: Dan Osland
Classics BA (Honours) 2019
Tyler Broome
‘Moral decline in Sallust’s Bellum Catilinae and Bellum Iugurthinum’
Supervisor: Gwynaeth McIntyre
Madeleine Fountain
‘Life on the Northern Frontier of Roman Britain’
Supervisor: Dan Osland
Pia Huston
‘Gender in the Underworld’
Supervisor: Arlene Allan
Helena Jones
‘Aristophanes’ wives and lovers’
Supervisor: Arlene Allan
Sarah MacManus
‘On the side of man: Athena as a civilizing force’
Supervisor: Gwynaeth McIntyre
Jacqui Moate
‘Homer and the Presocratics on the soul’
Supervisor: Sean McConnell
Classics BA (Honours) 2018
Samantha Ball
‘“...the Macedonians would never tolerate being governed by a woman” (Plut. Alex. 68.4). The Macedonian royal women as successors’
Supervisor: Pat Wheatley
John Blackler
‘Deface the philosopher: a consideration of Lucian’s contribution to Cynicism’
Supervisor: Sean McConnell
Robyn Cooper
‘The archaeological evidence of Roman household religion’
Supervisor: Dan Osland
Heather Hutchings
‘Form and function in Vergil’s Georgics’
Supervisor: Sean McConnell
Charlotte Murray
‘Mistresses, priestesses, and wives: an analysis of female power in fifth century Athens’
Supervisor: Arlene Allan
Jessy Ruiter
‘The development of the Roman military shield’
Supervisor: Dan Osland
Matthew Watts
‘Silver and sand: economic policies of Ptolemy I Soter’
Supervisor: Pat Wheatley
Classics BA (Honours) 2017
Tom Brown
Creating an Emperor: Examining the Augustan Persona through Time and Author
Supervisor: Gwynaeth McIntyre
Mallory Heslop
‘Dying with Artemis: Greek women’s lives, liminality, and encounters with death’
Supervisor: Arlene Allan
Lila Knight
Perceptions of Caligula's Relationship with the Roman Army on Imperial Coinage
Supervisor: Gwynaeth McIntyre
Tabitha Moe
Minoan Prowess
Supervisor: Dan Osland
Classics BA (Honours) 2016
Serena Gold
Deciphering Lost History: Arrian’s τὰ μετὰ Ἀλέξανδρον and its Historical Significance
Supervisor: Pat Wheatley
Gene Haggie
Origins of felicitas in Sulla’s Reign
Supervisor: Gwynaeth McIntyre
Libby Neumann
Seen but Not Heard: An Exploration of Childhood and the Role of Children in the Art and Archaeology of Campania
Supervisor: Dan Osland
Rowan Newton
Cognitive Spectatorship in Greek Theatre and Performative Ritual
Supervisor: Arlene Allan
Classics BA (Honours) 2015
Campbell Calverley
A Woman Scorned: Literary Representations of Phaedra
Supervisors: William Dominik and Jon Hall
Katie Greene
Iambic Invective: The Protest Music of Archaic Greece
Supervisor: Arlene Allan
Christopher Hawtin
An innovative proof of concept webpage featuring the first one-hundred lines of Virgil's Aeneid with digital annotations
Supervisor: Dan Osland
Ruth Tae'iloa
The Value of a Virtue: Homeric Masculinity in Traditional Tonga
Supervisor: Sean McConnell
