DURHAM, N.H.—Scholars of ancient myth will gather at the Hilton Garden Inn in Portsmouth and on the Durham campus to take part in the University of New Hampshire's first John C. Rouman Symposium for Research in the Classics. The conference will take place Oct. 17, 3:30-6 p.m. (Portsmouth), Oct. 18, 9-5 p.m. (Durham), and Oct. 19, 9 a.m.-noon (Portsmouth). All presentations are free and open to the public.

The inaugural symposium will focus on myth criticism in the ancient world. Over a dozen scholars from across the United States and Europe will present research on how the Greeks, Romans, and modern thinkers shaped myths, as well as how they critically viewed their own stories.

"The conference includes a mix of well-established scholars and younger ones that bring fresh new perspectives," says R. Scott Smith, UNH professor of classics. "Many of the leading figures in mythography will be in attendance."
Presentation topics include "Comic Poets as Authorities on Myth" by Dustin Dixon of Boston University and "How Did Athena Become the 'Goddess of Wisdom"' by John Lenz of Drew University.

Visit cola.unh.edu/event/symposium-myth for a complete list of presentations.

The symposium is named in honor of UNH Professor Emeritus John C. Rouman, who taught in the UNH Classics Program for many years. A distinguished scholar, John C. Rouman has exhibited and continues to display extraordinary devotion to the field.

The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling 12,200 undergraduate and 2,300 graduate students.

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