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For the first time, the Faculty of Arts and Science Department of Classics and Archaeology hosted the annual conference of the .

The multi-day event featured nearly 200 academics from around the world gathering for panel discussions, workshops, poster presentations, the Annual General Assembly of the Classical Association of Canada, and a keynote lecture by Taking the Greek Gods Seriously: An Examination of How Polytheism Works. She is a specialist in Greco-Roman gods and ancient Greece and is currently the chair of Religion, History, and Society in the Ancient Greek world at the Collège de France.

Acting Faculty Vice Dean Scott MacKenzie spoke at the conference opening about the variety of disciplines represented and the value of bringing academics together around a common purpose.

“It’s an honour to host this conference here at Queen’s,” says Dr. MacKenzie. “We have theatre, theology, sexuality, legal studies, geography, psychology, and biology featured in talks and those are all subjects we teach here in the Faculty.

“We need to embrace the richness of these programs, break down barriers between disciplines, and come up with logical, but holistic approaches, to problems that face the world.”  

Classics and Archaeology Department Head Daryn Lehoux highlighted the conference’s international significance and the opportunities for academic discussions around shared areas of challenge, such as cuts to classes with small enrolments.  

“This has profound impact for Classics because we have some small language classes that are important to our discipline,” Dr. Lehoux says. “As we aren’t the only Classics department facing these kinds of pressures, we felt it was important to show support for the discipline nationally, and everyone was eager to show their support for Queen’s.”

Lehoux credits Dr. Cristiana Zaccagnino and Dr. Jan-Mathieu Carbon for their work in pulling together the event, alongside engaged and energetic student volunteers.

“We started planning more than a year in advance, so it was important to get organized early,” says Dr. Zaccagnino, noting that the conference’s dedicated website served as a key resource for attendees. She adds that interest in the conference was so strong that organizers couldn’t accommodate all submitted papers.

Dr. Zaccagnino says the event has been an exceptional experience for both current and former students, giving them the chance to hear from scholars from other institutions, build connections, and consider pursuing PhD studies in Classics.

“The conference also helps students understand how a scholarly event is planned,” Dr. Lehoux says. “It gives them the chance to meet scholars whose work they’ve studied in class, including former Queen’s students who are now professors and who have returned to reconnect through the conference.”