Violence in the Ancient and Medieval World – Call For Papers

Violence in the Ancient and Medieval World
International Conference
Lisbon, Portugal
17-19 February, 2014

Conference Website

With the goal of promoting and encouraging a critical reflection on the permanence of personages, values and perspectives from the ancient and medieval world(s) in western literature and culture, the Research Area “Classical Antiquity: Texts and Contexts” of the Center for Classical Studies, in collaboration with the Center of History, of the Faculty of Letters of the University of Lisbon, is organising an international conference on Violence in the Ancient and Medieval World.

The conference, to be held 17-19 February, 2014, aims at bringing together different fields of research to deal with the theme of violence and its multiple interpretations, representations and narratives in the ancient and medieval worlds.

Having in mind this interdisciplinary approach, the international conference “Violence in the Ancient and Medieval World” has the purpose of:

  • approaching the criteria/standards of violence in the historical and literary contexts of Antiquity and the Middle Ages;
  • examining representations and readings of violence in literature and material culture;
  • pondering the ancient and medieval worlds as stages of violence in its various manifestations.

The conference organisers invite paper proposals on the topic «Violence in the Ancient and Medieval World». We welcome abstracts on the following subtopics from all social and human sciences:

  • violence and war
  • violence and law
  • violence and politics
  • violence and familiar bounds
  • violence and sexuality
  • violence and religion
  • violence and myth
  • rhetorics of violence

The conference will include plenary lectures by guest speakers and thematic parallel sessions for registered delegates.

Working languages: Portuguese, English, Italian, French and Spanish.

Papers: 20 minutes

We welcome:

  • individual proposals for a 20-minute paper (ca. 500 words);
  • joint proposals for thematic panels consisting of 3 papers (ca. 350 words per paper).

Please include the following information with your proposal:

  1. the full title of your paper / of your panel and respective papers;
  2. abstract (ca. 500 words per paper), eventually with a short list of bibliographical references;
  3. a short biographical note (ca. 200 words)

All paper proposals will be peer-reviewed.

Selected papers delivered at the Conference will be eligible for publication.

Deadline for proposals: August 31, 2013
Notification of acceptance: October 15, 2013

Please submit your abstract:

  • by e-mail (saved in MS Word or PDF format): violencia.mundo.antigo@gmail.com; subject header: Abstract proposal
  • or by post:

International Conference «Violence in the Ancient and Medieval World»
A/C Centro de Estudos Clássicos OR Centro de História
Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Lisboa – Alameda da Universidade
1600-214 Lisboa
Portugal