20th Trends in Classics: Mapping the History of Greek Literary History
University of Amsterdam, Department of Classics
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Department of Classics
20th Trends in Classics International Conference
Mapping the History of Greek Literary History
Thessaloniki, May 21-23, 2026
Auditorium I
Aristotle University, Research Dissemination Center
September 3rd Avenue, University Campus
http://kedea.rc.auth.gr
The conference explores the (early) history of literary histories of Classical Greek literature. While antiquity recognized literary periods and included canons from Alexandrian scholars, the actual emergence of literary history as a genre occurred in 19th-century Europe. Driven by nationalism, scholars began writing national literary histories and turned to Greek (and Latin) literature, which was widely taught and considered a shared cultural heritage. Friedrich von Schlegel’s Geschichte der Poesie der Griechen und Römer (1798) is seen as one of the earliest examples. Although classical scholarship in the 19th century has been thoroughly studied, the specific role of literary histories has received little attention. Similarly, while nationalism and its influence on classical studies have been researched, its connection to Greek literary history remains underexplored. This conference aims to analyze the structure, genealogical networks, national perspectives, and shifting receptions of key authors. Special focus will be given to paratextual elements such as titles, introductions, footnotes, and tables of contents.
PROGRAM
Thursday, May 21, 2026
17.00-17.30
Registration and Greetings
Panel 1
17.30-19.30
Presider: Casper de Jonge
Irene de Jong (Amsterdam): “Introduction: Why (and How) Literary History”
James I. Porter (Berkeley): “The Literary History of the Cynics: A Beginning Without a Known Beginning”
Stavros Tsitsiridis (Patras): “History vs Theory: On the Absence of Greek Literary Histories in Ancient Greece”
Roberto Nicolai (Sapienza): “Greeks and Romans on Literature and History of Literature”
19.30: Wine Reception
Friday, May 22, 2026
Panel 2
10.00-11.00
Presider: James Porter
Casper de Jonge (Leiden): “Dionysius of Halicarnassus: Histories of Greek Literature in Augustan Rome”
Carlotta Santini (École Normale Supérieure): “Nietzsche and Greek Literary History”
11.00-11.30: Coffee Break
Panel 3
11.30-12.30
Presider: Irene de Jong
Margalit Finkelberg (Tel Aviv): “The 19th-Centrury German Histories of Greek Literature and the Historical Metanarrative”
Constanze Güthenke (Oxford): “The First German Literary Histories”
12.30-13.30: Lunch
Panel 4
13.30-15.00
Presider: Antonios Rengakos
Richard Hunter (Cambridge): “Forty Years On: Cambridge Reflections on The Cambridge History of Classical Literature”
Ioanna Karamanou (Thessaloniki): “The First Greek Literary History of the Modern Greek State and its Agenda”
Ioannis Konstantakos (Athens): “Modern Greek Histories of Ancient Greek Literature: The Twentieth Century”
15.00-15.30: Coffee Break
Panel 5
15.30-17.00
Presider: Carlotta Santini
Carlo Franco (Venezia): “Italian Histories of Greek Literature in XIXth Century”
Maurizio Sonnino (Sapienza): “Gennaro Perrotta’s History of Greek Literature as a Balancing of Opposites”
Laurent Pernot (Strasbourg/Institut de France): “The History of Ancient Greek Literature in France”
20.00: Conference Dinner
Saturday, May 23, 2026
Panel 6
10.00-11.00
Presider: Maurizio Sonnino
Judith E. Kalb (South Carolina): “The First Russian Literary Histories”
Francisco García-Jurado (Universidad Complutense de Madrid): “Hispanic Greek Literature Textbooks During the 19th Century: From Braulio Foz to Otfried Müller”
11.00-11.30: Coffee Break
Panel 7
11.30-13.00
Presider: Margalit Finkelberg
Gościwit Malinowski (Wrocław): “The First Polish Literary Histories”
Maciej Junkiert (Adam Mickiewicz University Poznań): “Polish Monographs on the History of Greek Literature: Groddeck, Węclewski, Sinko”
Olesia Lazer-Pankiv & Oleksandr Levko (Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv): “Studies on Greek Literary History in Ukraine in the Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries: Trends and Challenges”
13.00-14.00: Lunch
Organizing Committee
Irene J. F. de Jong, University of Amsterdam
Antonios Rengakos, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki & Academy of Athens
Stavros Frangoulidis, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
With the kind support of
ARISTOTLE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH COMMITTEE
DE GRUYTER BRILL
UNIVERSITY STUDIO PRESS