Helen Lovatt

Contact

• workRoom B43 Humanities
  University Park
  Nottingham
  NG7 2RD
  UK
• work0115 84 66438
• helen.lovatt@nottingham.ac.uk

Expertise Summary

Latin epic and its reception.

Teaching Summary

I teach mainly Latin and literature, but with some Greek literature, cultural and social history, and a strong interest in reception, especially film, fiction and children's literature. I enjoy… read more

Research Summary

My PhD thesis on the athletic games in Statius' Thebaid has now been published as Statius and Epic Games: Sport, Politics and Poetics in the Thebaid (Cambridge 2005). I am now working on a second… read more

Recent Publications

• LOVATT, H.V., 2013. The Epic Gaze: Vision, Gender and Narrative in Ancient Epic from Homer to Nonnus Cambridge University Press. (In Press.)
• LOVATT, H.V., 2013. Competing Visions: Prophecy, Theatricality and Spectacle in Flavian Epic. In: AUGOUSTAKIS, A., ed., Religion and Ritual in Flavian Epic Oxford University Press. (In Press.)
• LOVATT, H.V.,, 2011. The Mystery of Ovid’s Exile: Ovid and the Roman detectives. In: INGLEHEART, J.,, ed., Two thousand years of solitude Oxford University Press. 241-58
• LOVATT, H.V., 2010. Cannibalising history? Livian moments in Statius’ Thebaid. In: MILLER, J. and WOODMAN, A., eds., Latin Historiography and Poetry in the Early Empire Brill. 71-86

• View all publications

I teach mainly Latin and literature, but with some Greek literature, cultural and social history, and a strong interest in reception, especially film, fiction and children's literature. I enjoy developing new modules, and working with different age groups and types of people. I have run a Latin club in a primary school. I am interested in employability, student-centred learning, research-based learning, project work and independent learning. I would like to develop modules in 'Communicating classics' and 'Introduction to Ancient Philosophy'.

Current Research

My PhD thesis on the athletic games in Statius' Thebaid has now been published as Statius and Epic Games: Sport, Politics and Poetics in the Thebaid (Cambridge 2005). I am now working on a second book entitled The Epic Gaze: Vision, Gender and Narrative in Ancient Epic which is a study of vision and visuality in ancient epic from Homer to Nonnus. Other interests include: Neo-Latin epic, especially the Carlias of Ugolino Verino, the reception of ancient epic and other aspects of the Classical world (Ovid's exile, children's literature); the history of the argonautic myth; gender and language; Flavian epic.

Past Research

My past research has focused on the poet Statius (late first century AD) and his epic the Thebaid, though I have also worked on the Achilleid and the Silvae. My first book focused on his athletic games and in this I investigated sport and spectacle in the whole epic tradition, reading Statius' games as poetic and political, forming a microcosm of the whole epic, and reflecting on the epic tradition and Roman realities.

Future Research

The Carlias of Ugolino Verino. A long term project to study and raise awareness of this fifteenth century Neo-Latin epic on the exploits of Charlemagne. One focus on the reception of first century Latin epic, another on contextualisation, patronage and politics, bringing out the transformation of the epic genre. Two papers given: The afterlife of epic games in the Carlias of Ugolino Verino; Epic heroism as visual art: teichoscopy and ekphrasis in Ugolino Verino Carlias book 1. Books 1-4 translated. Book proposal for translation to be submitted to Bristol Phoenix Press.

Voyages with Jason: Teach module on the Argonautic myth and its reception. Long term aim: monograph. From Apollonius to Harryhausen and beyond, the Argonautica is an enduringly popular story that has been re-used and re-worked by artists, writers, musicians and film-makers down the ages.

Classics in Children's Literature: A conference was held in July 2009 jointly organised with Owen Hodkinson at Lampeter. We are now preparing an edited volume from the conference.

Flavian Epic Network: An AHRC networking application is awaiting a decision. We aim to get those working on Statius, Silius and Valerius Flaccus together to talk to each other and explore the interactions between the three epicists. Organising committee: Helen Lovatt, Gesine Manuwald, Emma Buckley, Bob Cowan and Martin Dinter. E-mail discussion list up and running: subscribe at http://lists.nottingham.ac.uk/mailman/listinfo/flavian-epic-network . Organising three events for 2010: Statius workshop (Fri Jan 22, Nottingham); Conference on reception of post-Augustan epic (July 12-14, Nottingham); panel at Celtic Classics Conference (July 28-31, Edinburgh) on Epic Poetry and Flavian Culture.

Gendered Speech in Roman Epic: Following a paper on the eloquence of Dido in Virgil's Aeneid, considering a book length project on gendered speech in Roman epic.

• LOVATT, H.V., 2013. The Epic Gaze: Vision, Gender and Narrative in Ancient Epic from Homer to Nonnus Cambridge University Press. (In Press.)
• LOVATT, H.V., 2013. Competing Visions: Prophecy, Theatricality and Spectacle in Flavian Epic. In: AUGOUSTAKIS, A., ed., Religion and Ritual in Flavian Epic Oxford University Press. (In Press.)
• LOVATT, H.V.,, 2011. The Mystery of Ovid’s Exile: Ovid and the Roman detectives. In: INGLEHEART, J.,, ed., Two thousand years of solitude Oxford University Press. 241-58
• LOVATT, H.V., 2010. Cannibalising history? Livian moments in Statius’ Thebaid. In: MILLER, J. and WOODMAN, A., eds., Latin Historiography and Poetry in the Early Empire Brill. 71-86
• LOVATT, H.V., 2010. Interplay: reading backwards and forwards in the games of Statius Thebaid 6 and Silius Punica 16. In: AUGOUSTAKIS, A., ed., A Companion to Silius Italicus Brill. 155-76
• LOVATT, H.V., 2009. Gutting the Argonautica? Making Jason and the Argonauts suitable for children. In: LOWE, D. and SHAHABUDIN, K., eds., Classics for all Cambridge Scholars Press. 17-38
• LOVATT, H. V., 2007. Statius, Orpheus and the post-Augustan <i>vates</i> Arethusa. 40(2), 145-163
• LOVATT, H. V., 2007. Statius on Parade: Performing Argive Identity in <i>Thebaid</i> 6.268-95 Cambridge Classical Journal. 53, 72-95
• LOVATT, H.V., 2006. The female gaze in Flavian epic: looking out from the walls in Valerius Flaccus and Statius. In: NAUTA, R.R., VAN DAM, H.-J. and SMOLENAARS, J.J.L., eds., Flavian Poetry Leiden: Brill. 59-78
• LOVATT, H.V., 2005. Statius and epic games: sport, politics and poetics in the Thebaid Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• LOVATT, H.V., 2004. Epic games and real games in Statius, Thebaid 6 and Virgil, Aeneid 5. In: BELL, S. and DAVIES, G., eds., Games and Festivals in Classical Antiquity Oxford: Archaeopress. 107-114
• LOVATT, H.V., 2004. Review of Nagle, B. R., 'The Silvae of Statius. Translated with Notes and Introduction.' Bloomington, IL: Indiana University Press, 2004. Bryn Mawr Classical Review. 2004.09.33,
• LOVATT, H.V., 2003. Review of 'Andreia: Studies in Manliness and Courage in Classical Antiquity' ed. Ralph M. Rosen and Ineke Sluiter, Leiden: E.J.Brill (2003) Bryn Mawr Classical Review. 2003.12.19,
• LOVATT, H.V., 2003. Review of Rüpke, J., (ed.) Von Göttern und Menschen erzählen: Formkonstanzen und Funktionswandel vormoderner Epik (Stuttgart 2001) Journal of Roman Studies. 93, 341-2
• LOVATT, H. V., 2002. Statius' ekphrastic games: Thebaid 6.531-47 Ramus: Critical Studies in Greek and Roman Literature. 31(1/2), 73-90
• LOVATT, H.V., 2002. Cheats never prosper? Sport and morality in Aeneid 5' Omnibus (London). 44, 11-13
• LOVATT, H.V., 2002. Review of Spentzou, E., and Fowler, D., (eds.) Cultivating the Muse (Oxford, 2002) Bryn Mawr Classical Review. 2002.10.34,
• LOVATT, H.V., 2001. Mad about winning: Epic, war and madness in the games of Statius' Thebaid Materiali e Discussioni per l'Analisi dei Testi Classici. 46, 103-120
• LOVATT, H.V., 2001. Review of Farrell, J., Latin language and Latin culture (Cambridge 2001) Bryn Mawr Classical Review. 2001.09.3,
• LOVATT, H. V., 1999. COMPETING ENDINGS: RE-READING THE END OF THE THEBAID THROUGH LUCAN Ramus. VOL 28(PART 2), 126-151