CRGR - Classics and Class

Research

A silhouette (in white) of Founder's Tower

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CRGR Project:
Classics and Class -
Research Project in Development

Classics and Class picture

Fragen eines lesenden Arbeiters (B. Brecht)

Wer baute das siebentorige Theben?
In den Büchern stehen die Namen von Königen.
Haben die Könige die Felsbrocken herbeigeschleppt? …

Der junge Alexander eroberte Indien.
Er allein?
Cäsar schlug die Gallier.
Hatte er nicht wenigstens einen Koch bei sich?

Questions asked by a Reading Worker

Who built seven-gated Thebes?
In the books are set the names of kings.
Was it the kings who hauled the rock slabs there? …

The youthful Alexander conquered India.
All by himself?
Caesar thrashed the Gauls.
Didn't he even take a cook along?

We are developing a project which will think about the history of the cultural presence of ancient Greece and Rome in relation to social class, primarily in Europe (with a focus on France, Germany and Britain), and primarily since the Early Modern period. Our three chief areas of focus will be

education, self-education and the curriculum
translation and recreation
political activism

Our thinking has evolved during the previous stage of our work (see 'CRGR Books' page), on the implication of ancient Greek and Roman texts and artefacts in the British and North American debates surrounding slavery and its abolition, and in the representations of British imperialism in India.

In April 2009, the CRGR presented a panel Classics and Class at the annual meeting of the Classical Association in Glasgow, on which we were joined by Dr Paula James from the Open University; see the speakers and titles of our papers.

Class and Ancient Literary Criticism

We are also hoping to organise a conference in 2011, with Professor William Fitzgerald (King's College, London), on the role played by class-influenced concepts and terminology in ancient literary criticism.