CLAMS Lecture – Dr. Georgios Deligiannakis (Open University of Cyprus): ‘Laughter and Jest in Late Antiquity’

Dr. Giorgos Deligiannakis (Open University of Cyprus) presents ‘Laughter and Jest in Late Antiquity’.

This event is co-hosted with the Centre for Hellenic Studies.

The talk will last for 45 minutes, followed by 15-30 minutes of questions.

Abstract
There have been several studies of laughter in antiquity, especially for classical Athens, the late Roman Republic, and the Empire, but laughter in late antiquity seems to have been underestimated in its diversity and still shows great potential. Relevant research has focused on the antigelastic and antitheatrical attitudes of Christian writers, leaving other categories of sources relatively unexplored. My project examines the cultural, ethical, and psychological attitudes toward laughter in late antiquity (i.e., the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth centuries) in the light of contemporary sources, primarily textual but also epigraphic and visual. My paper will focus on a few pieces of evidence that underscore the diversity of the available material and offer useful insights into the subject.

Reception & Dinner
The lecture will be followed by a wine reception. We will go to dinner afterwards with the speaker, which attendees are welcome to join at their own expense. (If possible, the bill may be subsidised for students.)

We will book the dinner on the day, so interested attendees do not need to let us know in advance.