Sharing Aotearoa and Ancient World connections

Friday, February 3, 2017

Sharing Aotearoa and Ancient World connections

From Hollywood to home grown theatre, Ancient Greece and Rome have captured people’s imaginations for centuries with tales and myths of sex, violence, dysfunctional families, cruel gods and corrupt politics.

Classical Studies scholars at Massey University have just launched a website to showcase how the Ancient World has inspired New Zealanders working in a variety of media.

And they want more artists, writers, musicians, craftspeople and educators influenced by the classical world myths as well as its poets, philosophers, artists and mathematicians to share their ideas and work.

Renowned actor, director and playwright Michael Hurst is among the first to be featured on the new website, Classical World New Zealand. It’s been created by Dr Anastasia Bakogianni, a lecturer in Classical Studies, and is being launched today at the Australasian Society for Classical Studies 38th Annual Meeting in Wellington.

Greek national Dr Bakogianni, who came to Auckland from Britain last year to lecture at Massey’s School of Humanities in Auckland, says she hopes the website will foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of Classical Studies and its relevance to New Zealanders.

“Classical World New Zealand [website] demonstrates the modern world’s on-going dialogue with ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt and highlights New Zealand’s contribution to this conversation,” she says. “The culture of the classical world remains a rich vein of creativity tapped by countless living artists. Their art in turn helps us to connect to the Ancient World.”

In an interview with Dr Bakogianni, Michael Hurst – who has taken Classical Studies through Massey – describes his love of the literature and drama of the Ancient World as a cornerstone of his career, and of his work involved in adapting Greek plays for the New Zealand stage.

Hurst is best known as Iolaus from the television series Hercules, in The Legendary Journeys (1995-99) and its sequel Zena Warrior Princess (1995-2001).

On the rise in popularity of Ancient Greek, Roman and Egyptian stories depicted in “sword and sandal” sagas in film and television, he says; “we have a desire for heroes as well as a need to see real human conflicts portrayed against an exotic background of gods and monsters. We see ourselves in the kings, queens, priests, priestesses, villains and heroes of these myths, these tales of great figures stalking the past.”

Interviews with filmmaker Vicky Yiannoutsos and artist Raemon Rolfe are featured, with more to be added under music, literature and visual arts headings. The website will offer an accessible, useful and up-to-date resource to students of Classical Studies throughout New Zealand schools and universities, as well as to anyone with an interest in the topic. It will house news on cultural events, resources and scholarship on the Ancient World.

Ancient stories belong to the world

Dr Bakogianni says the critical study of classical texts is relevant to many fields – journalism, the arts, (including art gallery or museum management and curation), law, politics, policy-making and diplomacy.

It’s no surprise that in her homeland, Greece, knowledge of ancient myths and legends is common to all. “When you go to school in Greece, the Ancient World extends right throughout your education.”

She grew up Athens "in the shadow of the Acropolis”. Like many Greek children, she has fond memories of her father reading her the myths and stories of Ancient Greece.

“I believe the Classical Greek and Roman myths and legends are truly global, and that they belong to the world, not just Greece,” Dr Bakogianni says.

She says most of the stories translate into modern contexts because they are about universal themes – love, jealousy, war, betrayal and fate.

The Classical Studies programme, available at the Auckland and Manawatū campuses and by distance learning, will also host a series of public talks this semester centred on big themes relevant to our times, including democracy and its roots; post-truth politics in Rome, and animal rights in the ancient world.

Michael Hurst will give the first talk April 4 at the Albany campus, Auckland, titled: Classics on Stage and Screen: A conversation with actor, director and playwright Michael Hurst.

Check the website here. Follow on Twitter @classicalnz

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