Monthly Archives: May 2018

Philip the Tetrarch (4 BCE-34 CE) of Judaea, son of Herod the Great, pays homage to Augustus in 8/9 CE; the reverse depicts the Augusteum at Paneas. Credit: Heritage Auctions no. 3018 (2016) lot 20068

Ever since Katheryn Whitcomb (Rutgers Ph.D. 2016) earned an A.B. in Classical Languages at Bryn Mawr College, her work has managed to maintain an impressive balance between ancient literatures and history, texts and material culture, center and periphery. Her primary research focus eventually centered on non-Roman perceptions of Rome during the late Republic and early Empire.

This trajectory resulted in an ambitious Rutgers dissertation entitled “Allies, Avengers, and Antagonists: Rome’s Leading Men Through the Eyes of Ioudaioi”. What Katheryn compellingly conveys here is a complex and ever-shifting variety of local attitudes, with each thread in her narrative showing real development. In the end, she shows that even some generations after Pompey’s invasion and assault on the Temple in 63 BCE, one can hardly speak of universal resentment of Roman rule in Judaea. Continue reading →

At High Point Solutions Stadium, graduating Classics seniors including Michael Antosiewicz’18 (front left), with Professor Emily Allen-Hornblower (front right)

At Rutgers’ rain-soaked 252nd Commencement on Sunday 13 May, university President Robert L. Barchi called the class of 2018 “the largest and most accomplished” in the institution’s history.

Ignoring the rain (more or less) at Rutgers’ 252nd Commencement (Mother’s Day, 13 May 2018)

In all, the event—which also included Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences—saw 12,961 receive graduate status, including 13 majors in the Department of Classics.

 “Every one of you has successfully completed a rigorous course of study”, said President Barchi to the graduates in the crowd of 32,500 at The Birthplace (a.k.a. High Point Solutions Stadium), “at Rutgers, one of the finest public universities in America.” 

Classics Undergraduate Director Emily Allen-Hornblower (left) with Atiya Aftab, Department of Political Science and Middle Eastern Studies Program

Speaking of rigorous, Classics Associate Professor and Undergraduate Director Emily Allen-Hornblower quite literally carried the departmental flag at both the general Commencement and the soggy ceremony for the School of Arts and Sciences, as a large and exceptionally talented group of Classics majors received their degrees: Madison Akins, Michael Antosiewicz, Akari Armatas, Michael Collins, JuliaRose Driscoll, Kat Garcia, Shannon Gilbert, Molly Kuchler, Katie Moretti, Eric Ng, Kim Peterman, Thomas Pettengill, and Tiara Youngblood.

One of many takeaways: our majors’ trilingual mortarboard decorations were off the proverbial hook.

From left, graduating Classics seniors Shannon Gilbert, Kim Peterman, Katie Moretti, Molly Kuchler

RU Classics wishes every single one of our majors and minors and indeed all the members of Rutgers’ Class of 2018 all the very best at this most important milestone. Please stay in touch!

Did we mention that Katie Moretti ’18 wrote her Honors thesis on Dido?

On Tuesday 1 May, the Dean’s Home at Rutgers’ Douglass Residential College hosted an elegant Classics Department celebration of undergraduate achievements and graduate milestones. Faculty, students, parents, and friends converged for an afternoon of ceremony and short presentations, all accompanied by seasonal refreshments and much good cheer.

Associate Professor and Undergraduate Director Emily Allen-Hornblower chaired the festive occasion, overseeing the award of gold medals to 13 Classics majors from the Rutgers class of 2018, and laurel crowns to four new members of the Zeta Epsilon chapter of Eta Sigma Phi, the national Classics honor society.

Associate Professor (and Undergraduate Director) Emily Allen-Hornblower and Professor (and Chair) James McGlew

Recognized at the event were graduating Classics majors Madison Akins, Michael Antosiewicz, Akari Armatas, Michael Collins, JuliaRose Driscoll, Kat Garcia, Shannon Gilbert, Molly Kuchler, Katie Moretti, Eric Ng, Kim Peterman, Thomas Pettengill, and Tiara Youngblood.

Four of this year’s 13 graduating Classics majors: from left, Michael Collins ’18, Eric Ng ’18, JuliaRose Driscoll ’18, Shannon Gilbert ’18

Continue reading →