Seleukid conference in Exeter this summer

[khshayathiya]

Seeing that the TWC is home to many lovers of ancient history, some of whom have followed this passion and became scholars in the field, I would like to use this venue to announce a conference organised by the University of Exeter, focusing on the final days of the Seleukids, between the 14th and the 17th of July.

Follow this link to the conference web-page, where you can find out more details.

Being one of the organisers, I would like to warmly invite all post-graduate students interested in this field to give poster-presentations. Use this opportunity to know some of the greatest scholars in the field (in no particular order: O. Hoover, GG Aperghis, Fr. de Callatay, Pannos Iossif, BC McGing, D. Ogden and others) and to let them know YOU! Particularly valuable presentations may even be included in the book that is planned to be published afterwards, based on the contributions (papers and discusions). Needless to say, that is bound to look good in your CV when applying for anything in the academic field (PhD, post-doc, Uni teacher et al.)

If you are interested, please send us the filled-in registration form (to be found under the heading "Info") or, in case you need more info, drop me a PM here, at TWC.

Thanking again the forum for graciously hosting this announcement, I am eagerly awaiting your replies.

[Solaris]

So can anyone come along or do you have to be a postgraduate?

[khshayathiya]

Post-graduate and above.

Sorry if that curbs the enthusiasm of some, but this is a major scholarly event, as you may realise looking at the list of speakers. We cannot possibly accommodate more than, say, 80 people, including the speakers and local participants (Exeter teachers and PG's). My announcement was targeted at PGs from the TW community who may have a possibility to meet face to face those people whose books they have been using to reconstruct their factions. An amazing encounter, believe me - I couldn't believe my luck when I met Brian McGing (one of the most influential scholars in Pontic as well as Seleukid studies) last year in Aarhus!

[florin80]

I certainly hope you don`t advertise the other way around too. I`d hate to see Brian McGing losing one year of study because he was adicted to modding RTW and trolling our forum being unhappy we didn`t make the selucids stronger.

[khshayathiya]

:hmmm:

[MCM]

K,

there may be some aspiring A level above candidates that are considering a career in History, or at least very interested. Are you sure that, someone with intense enthusiasm couldn't come as a participant/ spectator??

let the interested know

cheers

MCM

[Sidus Preclarum]

I certainly hope you don`t advertise the other way around too. I`d hate to see Brian McGing losing one year of study because he was adicted to modding RTW and trolling our forum being unhappy we didn`t make the selucids stronger.

LOL

Fr. de Callataÿ

A specialist of monetary and financial history, and a Belgian to boot! Flee for your lives!


seriously, the program sounds awfully interesting

[khshayathiya]

I'd have to consult with the other two organisers, but my instinct pushes me to say no. Sorry to be an arse. Let me explain:

Attending a conference presupposes that
1. You may profit from being there
2. You are able to make a contribution - not necessarily by giving a paper, but also by being actively engaged in the discussions that take place afterwards.

I have serious doubts A level students (or even undergraduates, given my experience teaching in Exeter ) would be able to do either. Enthusiasm is, of course, always welcome, but seldom sufficient. You must have acquired quite vast amounts of background information (Hellenistic history, Seleukid history, Roman history, Hellenistic economy and political ideas) in order to make sense of anything being presented there.

Take D. Engls' presentation (a random example - abstract here, but you may check any other abstract). Can anyone expect to profit from spending half an hour listening to this paper if s/he has no knowledge of economic patterns from Achaemenid down to Parthian times, coupled with a good coverage of the concepts of "Hellenism", "Hellenisation", "katoikism" - their cultural and political implications?

Not to mention some (even rudimentary) knowledge of an ancient language is necessary (Greek, mostly, but Aramaic or Latin may come in handy in this particular field).

So, I do not mean to be disrespectful to any younger enthusiasts, but what we have here is really top-level research. It's tailor-made for specialists, not for enthusiastic amateurs (and I'm using the word in its positive sense here).

[khshayathiya]

We will, of course, make available for the public the wisdom gained in the course of the conference. The proceedings will be published (as things go, I'd estimate the book to hit the shelves sometime in summer 2009).

@Sidus: How did you get the y dieresis? I haven't got that on my keyboard...

[Sidus Preclarum]

French AZERTY keyboard ftw :p
other than that, copy paste it :p
Or "Alt 152" (for ÿ specifically)

I'll suggest my (crappy) university's library to acquire a copy of the proceedings ( if I remember it by 2009 :p )

[S.W.A.T]

Well darn, I'm going for a masters/Phd in ancient history. If this were a few years later I'd come join you guys.

[khshayathiya]

Don't worry, mate! There will be plenty of conferences for you to attend.

Just keep the flame burning - that's all!

[S.W.A.T]

Don't worry, mate! There will be plenty of conferences for you to attend.

Just keep the flame burning - that's all!

I think that'll be the easiest of my things to do.

[Stalins Ghost]

Curses, only a 2nd year undergraduate

Sounds interesting as hell, particularly since I'm enjoying studying late Hellenistic relations with Rome for my project work at the moment, but I know this would actually be out of my league... for now