Modern trends in classical studies at the all-Russian conference in St. Petersburg University

Abstract

The article describes the most important trends of modern classical studies in Russia, presented at the All-Russia Scientific Conference ‘Zhebelev Readings-XVII’, held at the Institute of History of St. Petersburg State University, October 28–30, 2015. The conference is a very representative forum; 70 researchers from many cities of Russia, as well as from Latvia and Poland took part. The article highlights the most important topics of the lectures presented by scientists from different cities of Russia and from abroad. Among the most important research areas are Russian and foreign historiography of antiquity and a source of ancient history. With these problems were related presentations made by Ed. Frolov about E. Koehler, by Igor Tikhonov on the Museum of Arts of St. Petersburg University, by Yuriy Vinogradov about Maria Maximova, by Roman Svetlov about the idea of progress in Xenophanes and Thucydides, by Krzysztof Navotka on the transformation of history in the “Romance of Alexander.” Many aspects of the political history of ancient Greece took an important place at the conference. Among them, the Thucydides strategia, the rule of the Thirty tyrants, and other subjects were discussed. The reports of the scientists at the conference raised a range of issues on the history of Hellenism, including the political history of the Hellenistic kingdoms, the problems of state institutions (the Ionian League and Achaean Leagues, for example), royal cults, history of peripheral regions, such as the Greco-Bactrian and the Bosporan Kingdoms. The lecture of Harijs Tumans was devoted to the Alexander the Great’s desire to imitate the ancient mythological heroes, especially, Achilles. Exploring issues of Roman History, the speakers described the Roman system of the dependent kingdoms, the process of the conquest of Britain by the Romans and Roman provincial policy. The lectures on culture and cultural life of ancient society, including the history of the ancient Greek theatre, the early Roman cults and the culture of the Celts of Britain took an important place at the conference. A specialized area of the conference was the section on the ancient history of Christianity, which raised the problem of the use of magical practices in early Christian literature, monasticism in Gaul, and others. Refs 41.