The Waterloo Institute for Hellenistic Studies and the Parochial Polis Research Network at McGill University will jointly host a conference on “Localism in the Hellenistic World” in April 2018. The Hellenistic period is generally seen as a time of expanded horizons and shifting frontiers, with a diffusion of Greek culture throughout the Mediterranean and the Near East unprecedented in any previous era. At the same time, the local world remained a primary frame of reference, however defined or experienced. In the shadow of omnipresent connectivity and exchange, many communities fostered an identity of place. They articulated a particular type of localism. This call for papers invites interested parties working in any field to submit an abstract for a paper exploring the phenomenon of localism in the Hellenistic period. We anticipate participation from scholars working in the areas of political and social history, philology, material culture, religion, philosophy, historical anthropology, and the other sub-disciplines of our field. A public keynote lecture and reception will be held on the evening of the opening day.
Abstracts should be about 300 words in length, and should be submitted electronically to Sheila Ager (sager@uwaterloo.ca) and Hans Beck (hans.beck@mcgill.ca).
Note: The organizers have secured base funding for the event. An application to SSHRC as part of its Connection Grants program is in preparation. If successful, travel and accommodation expenses will be covered in full.
Due date for submission of abstracts: 1 July 2017.
Event date: 26-28 April 2018.
Venue: Delta Hotel, 110 Erb Street West, Waterloo ON N2L 0C6.
Waterloo Institute for Hellenistic Studies: https://uwaterloo.ca/waterloo-institute-for-hellenistic-studies/.
Parochial Polis Research Network: http://www.hansbeck.org/local/.
