Student Theses & Research Essays - 2010
Tiffany Chezum (Essay)
A Study of Queenly Power in the Reigns of Cleopatra II and III
Paul-Ryan LeBlanc (Essay)
Athens and the Thraceward District During the Pentecontaetia
Student Theses and Research Essays - 2009
Ian Babbitt (Thesis)
Second to Fourth Century CE Structures from Hawara’s Vicus: Interim Report on Field E121 at Humayma
Ian Babbitt's Thesis on QSpace
Christopher Carswell (Thesis)
Sidera Augusta: The Role of the Stars in Augustus’ Quest for Supreme Auctoritas
Rachael Cullick (Essay)
Heroic Horses: Xanthius and Balius in the Iliad
David Sampson (Thesis)
Troilos Infelix: The Prevalance of the Achilles and Troilos Death Myth on Attic “Tyrrhenian” Group Neck-Amphorae and in the Etruscan Pictorial Tradition
David Sampson's Thesis on QSpace
Sergio Yona (Essay)
The Role of Oppositio in Imitando in Prudentius’ Psychomachia
Student Theses and Research Essays - 2008
An examination of the creation and limitation of realism in the Elegies of Propertius
Burkowski, Jane M. C. (Thesis)
This thesis is an examination of realism in the love elegies of Propertius: of how it is created, how it is limited, and how its limitations increase its effectiveness rather than diminishing it. The first half analyzes the variety and subtlety of the creation of realism in elegies 1.3, 2.29b, and 4.7, three poems that, because of shared features that link them to each other and set them apart from the rest of Propertius' elegies, represent a case study of realism. The second half begins by describing how the realism in these poems is limited, and how these limitations intensify the effect of their realism by drawing attention to the poet's agency in creating it. This effect is then related to larger trends in the creation and limitation of realism in Propertius' remaining love elegies, in which the same pattern is observed, by means of the analysis of recurring techniques. This examination of aspects of realism in Propertius's poetry provides insight not only into his poetic method, but into his attitude to his genre and potential.
Dealing with a massacre : spectacle, eroticism, and unreliable narration in the Lemnian episode of Statius' Thebaid
Gervais, Kyle G.
I offer three readings of the Lemnian episode narrated by Hypsipyle in book five of the Thebaid, each based upon an interpretive tension created by textual, intertextual, and cultural factors and resolved by the death of Opheltes, the child nursed by Hypsipyle. In the first reading (chapter two), I suggest that Hypsipyle emphasizes the questionable nature of the evidence for the involvement of Venus and other divinities in the Lemnian massacre, which is on the surface quite obvious, as a subconscious strategy to deal with her fear of divine retribution against her and Opheltes. In the second reading (chapter three), I argue that much of the violence of the massacre is eroticized, primarily by allusions to Augustan elegy and Ovidian poetry, and that this eroticism challanges a straightforward, horrified reaction to the Lemnian episode. In the third reading (chapter four), which continues the argument of the second, I suggest that the reaction of Statius' audience to the Lemnian massacre was influenced by familiarity with the violent entertainment offered in the Roman arena, and that this encouraged the audience to identify with the perpetrators of the massacre rather than the victims. The problemization of the audience's reaction and of the divine involvement in the massacre is resolved by the death of Opheltes, which is portrayed as both undeniably supernatural in origin and emphatically tragic in nature. Thus, as the first half of the Thebaid draws to a close, Statius decisively affirms the power of the gods and the horrific tragedy of violence and prepares to embark upon the war in the Thebaid's second half, which will end ultimately with the double fratricide of the sons of Oediups and Statius' prayer for future generations to forget this sin.
Sitting as a Poetic Device to Enhance Character in the Apologus of Homer's Odyssey
Holt, Timothy James
Ҫatal Hüyük - The Remains of a Neolithic Culture
Livingston, Joy Isabell (Essay)
The Neolithic culture of Catal Huyuk in Anatolia is remarkable and above all unique. The height of this settlement dates to the 7th millennium B.C. The excavations for this settlement began with James Mellaart in the 1960’s and have been continued by Stanford University’s Ian Hodder. Together their research has been the primary source of information for all discourse. The architecture of Catal Huyuk exhibits excellent workmanship and uniform building plans throughout all layers of the site. It is the core of this settlement, built mainly from mud-brick and plaster. The burials at this site are also consistent in all levels. Excarnation was practiced, and the graves that were located underneath the floors of each home were buried with grave goods. The walls hold spectacular artwork, boasted to be the earliest paintings to have been found thus far on man-made walls. Small finds were also abundant. The excess of tools and weapons as well as objects created from material not local to the site suggests trade. The fauna and flora retrieved also supports this theory, there were so many different kinds of cereals and grains, it seems the inhabitants were advancing in agriculture, creating hybrids and sustaining themselves very well. Although hunting was still going on animals such as the cow had been domesticated and it was proven recently that animals were being kept on site. The entire complex has been likened to a bee hive where a culture thrived in peace for thousands of years until its abandonment in circa 5700-5600 B.C.
Woven in Stone: The Use of Symmetry Analysis Methodology to Determine Underlying Patterns of Symmetry in the Polychrome Painted Decorations of Some Athenian Korai
Thomson, Ainslie Elizabeth (Thesis)
Student Theses - 2007
An attic black-figure Pelike : a study of a Pelike from the Diniacopoulos Collection at Queen's University, its place in the known corpus of black-figure pottery
Boyce, Shane O. D.
The primary focus of this thesis is a study of Pelike AA1635 from Queen's University, but originally from the Diniacopoulos Collection, which is housed primarily in Montreal, Quebec. As mentioned, the vessel being studied is a pelike, a shape that does not appear into the repertoire of Athenian vase makers until around the last quarter of the sixth century B.C., shortly before the beginning of the Classical period. This type of vessel served primarily as a container for holding either wine or oil and thus was relatively common because of its practicality.
This thesis is basically a study of all the comparanda available concerning pelikai, but also the iconography depicted on the vessel. In order to properly place this vessel into the corpus of known pelikai, the iconography will be extremely useful and may in fact be the most important tool in determining all the possible information about this vessel.
A study of Fulvia
Weir, Allison J.
Who was Fulvia? Was she the politically aggressive and dominating wife of Mark Antony as Cicero and Plutarch describe her? Or was she a loyal mother and wife, as Asconius and Appian suggest? These contrasting accounts in the ancient sources warrant further investigation.This thesis seeks to explore the nature of Fulvia's role in history to the extent that the evidence permits. Fulvia is most famous for her activities during Antony's consulship (44 BC) and his brother Lucius Antonius' struggle against C. Octavian in the Perusine War (41-40 BC). But there is a discrepancy among the authors as to what extent she was actually involved. Cicero, Octavian and Antony, who were all key plays in events, provide their own particular versions of what occurred. Later authors, such as Appian and Dio, may have been influenced by these earlier, hostile accounts of Fulvia.
This is the first study in English to make use of all the available evidence, both literary and material, pertaining to Fulvia. Modern scholarship has a tendency to concentrate almost exclusively on events towards the end of Fulvia's life, in particular the Perusine War, about which the evidence is much more abundant in later sources such as Appian and Dio. However, to do this ignores the importance of her earlier activities which, if studied more fully, can help to explain her actions in the 40's BC.
This thesis is divided into five chapters. The first provides an introduction to the topic and a biography of Fulvia. The second is a review of the modern scholarship on Fulvia. The third focuses on the contemporary sources, both the literary evidence from Cicero, Cornelius Nepos and Martial, as well as the surviving material evidence, namely the sling bullets found at Perusia and a series of coins that may depict Fulvia in the guise of Victoria. The fourth is a discussion of those authors born after Fulvia's death in 40 BC, of whom the most important are Plutarch, Appian and Dio. The fifth provides a conclusion to the thesis, and returns to the questions posed above in light of the analysis of the sources provided throughout the thesis. It concludes that Fulvia played a significant role in events, particularly from Antony's consulship onwards, and that her actions were deliberate and politically motivated. Moreover, while these actions were done on her husbands' behalf, she nevertheless exhibited a remarkable degree of independence.
Student Theses - 2006
Pattern I
Old age, ageing and death in Horace's Odes : a study of the interpretation and meaning of old age and death in the Odes of Quintus Horatius Flaccus
MacAuley, Aara E.
This thesis explores Horace's representation and interpretation of old age, ageing and death in his four books of Odes. It attempts to disprove the presentation of Horace either as a pessimist or a careless hedonist, and instead explores the positive and meaningful messages to be found within his poetry.
The thesis begins with an introductory survey of the history and literature of old age in Greek and Roman times as well as a brief biography of Horace, and a survey of the relevant literature on the topics of both Horace and old age in the ancient world. This introduction is followed by three further chapters, which group Horace's odes on old age into three broad categories: seasonal poems (in which old age is associated with winter and youth with spring), moralising poems (in which Horace attempts to guide his friends towards a proper way of living before it is too late), and love poetry (in which Horace plays with the convention that old age is a time of free sexual activities and desires).
Each chapter will begin with a brief introduction to the major topic being addressed, and will follow with individual analyses of the relevant poems. The goal of this thesis is to reveal the positive message that Horace offers to his readers, and to argue that Horace's view of old age, far from being one of hopeless decline, loneliness or careless hedonism, is of a peaceful, contemplative and ultimately welcome time of life worthy of celebration and enjoyment.
The exordia of Cicero in select murder and extortion trials : a study of style, structure and correspondence
Sirman, William G.
This thesis is a study of the exordia of four judicial speeches of Cicero, In Verrem actio prima, Pro Fonteio, Pro Cluentio and Pro Caelio. The purpose is to assess their correspondence with the precepts of oratory that Cicero advanced in his own writings on the subject of exordia and to determine whether any departures from those dictates may be related to the applicable strategy for the conduct of the trial.
The introductory chapter contains a brief chronology of the speeches followed by a review of current literature on the practice of assessing the correspondence of exordia. There is a detailed section on Cicero's writings on the exordium with the emphasis on the De Inventione and a section that describes the particular crimes and courts involved in each trial. Literary concerns are then addressed with a review of the Attic-Asiatic controversy as well as the issue of publication versus authenticity. This writer opines that the latter debate is insignificant in the case of exordia, since the beginnings of speeches were written out prior to delivery.
In the ensuing chapters, the speeches are placed individually in their respective historical context, and thereafter, their style, structure and diction are analyzed and conclusions drawn with respect to correspondence. Particular focus is placed in the analysis on whether the diametrically different rhetorical features known as Attic or Asiatic are present and their contribution to the discerned strategic approach.
In the overall summary, this writer concludes that in the exordia which have been examined, departures from Cicero's own tenets on how one should craft an exordium to achieve its desired ends can be explained with reference to forensic strategy and that the exordia exhibit a stylistic variety which consists of both Attic and Asiatic elements.
Pattern II
The lion and the mouse: fables in the satires and the epistles of Horace
Jordan, Cara T.
Horace was well versed in the use of metaphors and exempla, and thus he takes advantage of the metaphorical use of fables for clever criticism in the Satires, or, conversely, in the Epistlesfor admonition with tact and gentle persuasion. Fables are particularly suited to Horace, as he does not acknowledge adherence to any philosophical school (Epistle 1.1.13-15: nullius addictus iurare in verba magistri), but rather draws his exempla from many quarters. He acquired his ideas not only through study but also through experience and contemplation. In his use of fables there is certainly a reflection of his common subject of daily life and country life, and of the masses who had little to do with Stoicism or Epicureanism, but whose philosophy was "vigorous common sense, and was learned from living, not from conning books."1 We get the sense that simple country wisdom is still the best. In examining each of these fables in regards to its form, context, purpose and source, it is possible to gain a deeper understanding of Horace's use of fables and their larger significance within the Satires and the Epistles.
Showerman 1922: 35.