University of Canterbury Classics Department

30/08/2026

This month's session of Coffee & Classics was appropriately 'epic'. In his discussion of Nolan's 2026 film, Associate Professor Patrick O'Sullivan put in situ a wide range of responses - both modern and ancient - to 'The Odyssey'. He questioned how a mythic retelling can be 'historically inaccurate', highlighted how the ancients grappled with Homer themselves, and discussed his own critiques (and praises) of Nolan's retelling.

If you're sad to have missed out on this topical session, Patrick will be speaking at a free public talk of similar ilk, 'Greek Epic, That Film and Never-Ending Odysseys'. Presented in partnership by UC Arts and Te Matatiki Toi Ora Christchurch Arts Centre it will be held in the Great Hall, Wednesday September 9th, 7:00pm. Find more info and get your tickets here: https://events.humanitix.com/greek-epic-that-film-and-never-ending-odysseys

24/08/2026

"Greek Epic, That Film and Never-Ending Odysseys”: a public talk & panel discussion.

No film in recent years has generated more discussion worldwide than Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey. While lauded by many critics for its scale and production values, this version of Homer’s epic has also been lambasted for its supposed “inaccuracies”, casting decisions and minimising of important female roles prominent in the original poem. The film has, in short, become a lightning-rod for many cultural issues of the day.

This event features three academics from the University of Canterbury, Peter Field (History), Vana Manasiadis (English) and Patrick O’Sullivan (Classics) who will discuss why this great story has such enduring appeal, and how Nolan has adapted it for the 21st century, including: the film’s directorial and narrative choices, its relation to its Homeric model, what is at stake in retelling a 3,000 year-old myth—and more... No matter which way the discussion goes, audiences will gain new insights into why the Odyssey still matters, and why, in every sense, it is truly epic .

This event is presented in partnership by UC Arts and Te Matatiki Toi Ora Christchurch Arts Centre

Where: The Great Hall, Christchurch Arts Centre,

When: Wednesday September 9th 7pm.

Here is the ticketing link:

Greek Epic, That Film and Never-Ending Odysseys

16/08/2026

Read on for more info about this month's session of Coffee & Classics.

When: Tuesday, 25th August, 10am
Where: UC Teece Museum, doors open from 9:45am.
To attend, please RSVP to [email protected]

This month Associate Professor Patrick O'Sullivan will take a dive into classical reception through pop culture with his talk “Hit and Myth: Odysseus, Homer and Responses to Nolan’s Odyssey.”

Patrick O'Sullivan is a graduate of Melbourne and Cambridge Universities, has won awards for his research, held Visiting Fellowships at Cambridge and Oxford Universities, and has twice been voted Top Lecturer in the College of Arts at UC. He teaches Latin and Greek language and literature at all levels as well as courses in translation on myth, art, philosophy, and ancient athletics. He has published widely on Archaic and Classical Greek culture from Homer to Aristotle with a focus on the pre-Platonic era, as well as on Latin literature, Greek and Roman art, and their ancient and modern reception.

This is an invitation event for PhiloLogie or Classoc members and UC students, but guests and new members are welcome to attend!

04/08/2026

Was the Middle-earth world of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings destined to decline and fade away?

This free public lecture will investigate author J.R.R Tolkien’s reception and reinvention of the Classics, focusing on his use of narratives of decline. Narratives of decline are widespread in ancient culture, in both philosophical and literary discourse. They normally posit a gradual moral and ontological degradation from an idealised Golden Age, which goes hand in hand with the detachment of the gods from mortal affairs.

Narratives of decline are also at the core of Tolkien’s mythology. This talk will discuss the reception of classical narratives of decline in Tolkien’s legendarium, pointing out intertextual relationships and thematic similarities, but also contrasts and differences, especially as regards their attribution in Tolkien to the Elves.

Prof. Giuseppe Pezzini is Tutor and Fellow in Latin at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, which he joined in 2021 after working at St Andrews, Magdalen College Oxford, and Princeton. He has published extensively on Latin language and literature, the philosophy of language, the reception of the Classics, and the theory of fiction. His publications include five books (notably monographs on the verb ‘to be’ in Latin and Tolkien’s theory of fiction), five edited volumes, and over fifty peer-reviewed articles. He is also a founder of the Oxford Tolkien Network and Tolkien Consultant for the forthcoming movie The Hunt for Gollum.

This talk is one of a series presented by the Department of Classics at the University of Canterbury, with the support of the UC Teece Museum.

WHEN: Thursday 17 Sept, 6pm. Doors open at 5.45pm.
WHERE: Recital Room, Ground floor, UC Arts city location, 3 Hereford St.
REGISTER: Book your tickets via Humanitix at https://events.humanitix.com/public-talk-tolkien-and-the-classics

19/07/2026

And speaking of the Odyssey, a few more thoughts on the inexhaustible resonance of this epic and its latest reincarnation on film...

Christopher Nolan's highly anticipated The Odyssey has arrived in cinemas. Patrick O'Sullivan is an expert in Greek culture, art and the literary reception of myth from Homer to Euripides. He joins Jim.

13/07/2026

The Odyssey is coming!

Lumière Cinemas in the Arts Centre is hosting a very special screening of The Odyssey on Wednesday July 22nd at 5.45pm. Associate Professor Patrick O'Sullivan will warm up the crowd with a short introduction to Homeric myth, so you can spot the themes (and debate the stylistic choices...) with confidence!

Nostos and popcorn - the perfect combo.

Student tickets are only $15. Book online at Lumière Cinemas - ticketing.oz.veezi.com/purchase/34254?siteToken=yy3jdf694afk32tzbdj30agtdr

24/06/2026

In a timely reminder that more unites than divides, UC presents a panel discussion on Matariki across cultures. Featuring Professor Te Maire Tau, Ūpoko of Ngāi Tūāhuriri and one of the country's leading tribal historians, and other experts.

On July 7th, UC is presenting a free public talk to celebrate Matariki, hosted by the Arts Centre. 'Under One Sky: Matariki Across Culture' will discuss the importance of the rising of the Pleiades star cluster across various cultures. The talk will feature our very own Enrica Sciarrino, of the UC Classics Department.

UC Presents: Under One Sky: Matariki Across Culture | Matariki 2026
Tue, 7 Jul, 7pm - 8pm NZST
The Great Hall, The Arts Centre
Christchurch, New Zealand
Te Matatiki Toi Ora The Arts Centre

https://events.humanitix.com/uc-presents-under-one-sky-matariki-across-culture-matariki-2026?utm_id=97757_v0_s01_e227_tv2_tp1_a1demo0jelvk0i&fbclid=IwY2xjawSoJoVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeQKhv2RR904DyR2sqKmO0N5OTKtZFqcAjA3D_NiyUtksNoxNVpzbZJrOSwQQ_aem_Rqo8VDpTP3kWhQbtUjjQxg

24/06/2026

Public talk: Finding the good life
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Tue, 14 Jul, 6pm - 8pm NZST
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3 Hereford Street
Christchurch, New Zealand · Accessibility info
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‘Finding the Good Life’
A free public talk by special guest speaker Dr Steven Kennedy.
This free public lecture will broadly draw on four influential schools of ancient Greek philosophy, each offering a distinctive view of happiness and fulfilment: Plato’s belief in a rational soul seeking truth and knowledge; Aristotle’s vision of flourishing through virtue and active citizenship; Epicurus’ pursuit of simple pleasures, friendship and freedom from fear; and the Stoics’ insistence that peace of mind comes from valuing good character and focusing on what we can control. We will also consider the ideal of the good citizen, linking classical thought to public service and philanthropy, and examining how these responsibilities shaped life in the ancient polis.

Guest speaker Dr. Steven Kennedy is Head of Classics and teaches ancient Greek at Harrow School. He completed his PhD at the University of Exeter and has been teaching at Harrow School for over a decade.

This talk is one of a series presented by the Department of Classics at the University of Canterbury.

WHEN: Tuesday 14 July, 6pm. Doors open at 5.45pm.
WHERE: Recital Room, Ground floor, UC Arts city location, 3 Hereford St.

https://events.humanitix.com/public-talk-finding-the-good-life/tickets

16/06/2026

22/05/2026

Our thanks to Midori Lindeman - former UC Classics student, who has now completed an MA at Auckland - for her paper on aspects of Ovid's Ars Amatoria, which was given to members of PhiloLogie after the AGM! We are hoping that such student presentations will become a feature of the pre- or post- AGM rituals in the future...