Applying ancient materials to modern contexts

For much of its history, the discipline of Classics has been ‘inherently resistant to change, especially progressive change’. The very name of Classics ‘implies that the significance of the subject is undisputed and lasting’; Classics has repeatedly ‘fed off the continuing prestige of its subject matter, and its ideological power as a marker of the cultural superiority of the triumphant imperialist West’.[i] In light of these acknowledgements made by prominent Classicists, it is no surprise that scholars are thinking with increasing urgency about the discipline’s contemporary relevance and that applying ancient studies to modern issues is gaining traction as a method for rethinking, reimagining, repositioning and repurposing the Classical discipline in today’s society. The process of bringing ancient material into dialogue with 21^st-century concerns is not a straightforward one, however: the benefits of approaches which explore the applicability of ancient studies must be considered in tandem with the potential pitfalls of misappropriation and backlash that may result from trying to increase the relevance and accessibility of Classics.

The developing concept of ‘citizen scholars’ and the establishment of organisations such as the London Interdisciplinary School and the Edinburgh Futures Institute increasingly suggest that, as academics, we have an ethical responsibility to ‘maintain a social mission that mobilises knowledge for the benefit of society’. When selecting which knowledge to ‘mobilise’, however, it is important to consider both breadth and accessibility. There is a risk that traditional strands within Classics can favour literature written by the elite over other, more diverse and representative ancient resources – material culture, graffiti, epitaphs, clothing or jewellery, for example – leading to a wider lack of diversity when it comes to ‘applying’ that material to modern debates. As a Classicist, I realise that I must investigate the diversity that existed within the ancient world in order to engage those who traditionally feel excluded from the discipline on account of the charges of elitism and homogeneousness regularly (and often justifiably) levelled against Classics. Thus, integral to ‘applying’ ancient studies to modern issues is an awareness that an inclusion of ancient disabilities, transgender individuals and the realities of slavery are just as important, if not more so, as claiming (somewhat quixotically) that Athens was the world’s first democracy.

Similarly, it is also important to be aware of the potential for misconstruing ancient narratives to the detriment of modern understanding. Aimee Hinds has stressed the responsibility that translators have not to ignore themes such as coercion or violent rape, arguing that this ‘is at best irresponsible, because doing so continues to validate dangerous tropes and leads to actual harm’. This highlighted to me that failing to think critically about ancient studies may have ethical implications, and that the canon which has received ancient narratives before us must be challenged rigorously in the process of applying Classics.

Exploring the resourceful ways in which ancient studies are being applied to modern issues has been uplifting: there appears to be a marked shift towards a conscious utilitarian focus on potential applications of Classics. Underpinning the various methodologies for applying ancient studies, I have observed a common desire for accessibility and inclusivity. From Aquila Theatre> to Barefaced Greek, from Pharos to Professor Neville Morley’s Twitter account (@Thucydiocy), online platforms are being utilised to apply Classics creatively. Theatre makers Jonathon Young and Jennie Dunne from NMT Automaticsdemonstrated awareness of the balancing act involved in applying ancient material through theatre. Their personalexperience of sometimes re-shaping ancient texts in order to prioritise the accessibility of their performances to their target audience emphasised that being realistic about who your work will impact is integral to success. Equally targeted in their approach, Aquila Theatre runs a three-week summer course called “Hear Our Call” in New York which is aimed at teenagers from immigrant, refugee and asylum families. It uses ancient Greek drama to provoke discussion and new stories about the experiences of immigrants and refugees.

Given that the ancient world can be used constructively in this way at a grassroots level to build communities and solidarity among those who are often marginalised, it is concerning that Classics is also being applied in order to promote racist and exclusionary agendas. This highlights two potential pitfalls for applying Classics: misinterpretation and misappropriation. Zuckerberg points out that while references to antiquity made by the likes of the Red Pill community ‘are often inaccurate, confounding, or lacking in nuance, they can be dangerous nevertheless’.[ii] Racist, misogynistic and totalitarian ideologies are promoted online, deriving their authority from Classical figures such as Juvenal, Seneca, Ovid and Thucydides. Both Zuckerberg and the Pharos online community are realistic with regard to the efficacy of challenging such ideologies head on, with the latter’s primary focus being to ensure that ‘someone who turns to the web to learn about antiquity finds something other than the appropriations’ documented on the website. Unfortunately, despite the methodologies and mission of Eidolon and Pharos being markedly self-conscious, Zuckerberg has been subject to online abuse for her application of Classics both from within and beyond the discipline, demonstrating another potential challenge that comes with the progressive application of ancient material: the unpopularity of rocking the boat.

This being said, I have come to appreciate that the ongoing process of applying Classics is far more nuanced than a struggle between constructive methodologies and the pitfalls of harmful misappropriations. During one of our classes, Neville Morley emphasised the importance of striving for a more porous relationship between academia and society. This suggests a reciprocal relationship in which methodologies for applying ancient studies can learn from how other groups of society interpret the same material. Helen Morales provides the perfect example for this in her experience of conducting a Queer Youth survey, discussed in her book Antigone Rising. She discovered that genderqueer people found acceptance in antiquity’s tales of Teiresias, Salmacis and Hermaphroditus, and Caeneus where she herself had interpreted the narrative as queerphobic.[iii] Thus, going forward in my own exploration of how to apply ancient studies to modern issues, it will certainly be beneficial for me to move beyond my comfort zone in order to explore, and learn from, applications that I don’t agree with, as well as those that I relate to more naturally.

[i] Chaniotis, Kuhn and Kuhn (eds.), Applied Classics: Comparisons, Constructs, Controversies, Stuttgart (2009), 7; Morley, Classics: Why it Matters, Medford (2018), 18.

[ii] Zuckerberg, Not All Dead White Men: Classics and Misogyny in the Digital Age, Cambridge (2018), 11.

[iii] Morales, Antigone Rising: The Subversive Power of the Ancient Myths, London (2020), 127-8.

(Originally published on the School of Classics blog, 30 March 2021)