The literature of ancient Greece and Rome has survived for thousands of years. As a result, Classical literary and philosophical works have served as a profound influence on the writings of subsequent time periods. Indeed, in many subsequent time periods, the ability to quote from Classical sources became a marker of status and intelligence. However, many works of ancient Greece and Rome are not wholly original, but in fact flaunt their use of source materials, citing earlier versions of myths and epics. Often, Classical and post-Classical authors would modify their source materials, and we are able to see them not only as writers, but as readers in their own right.

This panel will explore the use of ancient sources in Classical literature and its descendants. We will examine how Classical works engage with previous sources and how ancient works of literature and philosophy became important source materials in subsequent time periods. Possible approaches include:

· Allusions to other ancient sources in Classical literature and philosophy

· The use of Classical works in the texts of later time periods

· Alterations and revisions that are made to Classical sources

· The overlap between writer and reader in the use of Classical sources

· The status of Classical sources throughout the ages

· The use of satire and/or parody to engage with the Classics

· Classical texts and the creation of new genres

Please submit a 300 word abstract and 100 word bio by September 30, 2018. You will need to create an user account through the NeMLA account in order to submit an abstract. Contact Claire Sommers (csommers@gc.cuny.edu) with any questions.

Ancient Greece and Rome have had a profound influence on subsequent literature. While our analyses of Classical literature, philosophy, and art often focus on the characters and stories they depict, these works often served as a means to examine the aesthetic process itself. One of the earliest surviving Greek texts, Homer’s Iliad, goes so far as to depict its protagonist Achilles singing of ancient heroes and strumming his lyre as a means of determining the effect of being remembered in epic.

This panel session will explore how ancient art, literature, and philosophy utilize metanarrative and meditate upon the act of creation, and how it serves as a means of examining the creative process in subsequent time periods. Possible approaches include:

· Classical reflections on their own genres and media

· Classical critiques of sources

· Metanarratives in Classical texts

· Classical theories of aesthetics and their influence

· Discussions of contemporaneous art, music, literature, and drama in Classical literature

· The use of Classical sources in subsequent literature as a means of reflection