Abstract

The International Society for Late Antique Literary Studies was cofounded by David Bright (Emory University), Scott McGill (Rice University), and Joseph Pucci (Brown University) in 2012, after a pair of conferences hosted at Rice University and Brown University in 2011. The organisers intend a broad definition of literature — Christian as well as secular, high as well as low — and envision the sharing of work on literary studies, East and West. This was the first of a series of biennial or annual conferences. The conference limited its focus to the rich body of literature surviving from the sixth century. The organisers encouraged contributions focused on the Greek east, or on the connections between eastern and western literature. This brought together classicists, Latinists, and medievalists in fruitful debate and conversation. The fifteen papers presented over the course of two days were given in the Annmary Brown Memorial (www.library.brown.edu/about/amb/). In what follows, I will summarize each paper and the conversation it provoked, concluding with a general summary of particular themes drawn out by presenters.