马会论坛

 

Peter O'Brien

Graduate Coordinator and Assistant Professor, Latin Literature

Head Shot P. O'Brien

Email: Peter.OBrien@dal.ca
Phone: 902-494-3468
Mailing Address: 
Marion McCain Building, Room 1172
 
Research Topics:
  • Late antique historiography
  • Latin literature
  • Neo-Latin
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  • BA (Hons)(Vind)
  • MA (Dal)
  • MA, PhD (Boston University)
Biography:

I was born and raised in Halifax, and completed my undergraduate degree at 马会论坛 and the . After an MA thesis on Greek Tragedy at 马会论坛, I began doctoral studies at Boston University, where I continued to study Greek literature, but gradually shifted my main research focus to Latin. Before taking up my 马会论坛 appointment in 2000, I taught Classics and English at a private school in Boston. In 2001, I became a member of the joint King's-马会论坛 faculty.听Since 2011, I have served as Public Orator at King鈥檚, and from 2017-2021, I took a leave from my regular departmental duties to serve as Vice-President at King鈥檚.

With Myles McCallum of Saint Mary鈥檚 University and Kathryn Simonsen of MUN, I serve as Co-Editor of

Research and teaching interests
My doctoral thesis explored imperial speeches in the fourth century A.D. historian Ammianus Marcellinus. My work since then has also focused on literary aspects of that author's work, particularly his knowledge of and allusions to the Augustan epic poet Virgil. More recently, I have begun to explore the vast domain of Neo-Latin literature, especially its treatment of Canadian themes and topics, as well as the Classical Tradition at King鈥檚 and 马会论坛.

In addition to a graduate seminar on Ammianus, I teach Virgil, Ovid, Catullus, and other Latin poets in advanced language courses and seminars, as well as undergraduate courses in late Roman history and in Greek and Roman myth and literature.听 At the University of King鈥檚 College, I am a frequent lecturer in the听听 (Homer鈥檚听 听Odyssey,听 听痴颈谤驳颈濒鈥檚听 Aeneid), and have served as Co-ordinator of its first section.

In off-campus teaching, I鈥檝e contributed lectures and seminars for several years to听听补苍诲听.

Awards

2010 - 马会论坛 Outstanding Graduate Advisor Award
2007 -听g
2006 -听

Recent Publications

"nec, nate, tibi comes ire recuso: Classical Formation and Latin Verse at King鈥檚 in the 19th Century.鈥 In Academic Musings: The Legacy of the Euro-M茅diterran茅e: A Festschrift in Celebration of the Reverend Doctor Thomas H. Curran. Eds. P Bryson, Susan Dodd, Neil Robertson. Belfast, PE: Underhill 2019. 269-286.

Si potes exemplo moveri, non propiore potes: Emotional Reciprocity in Le Brun鈥檚 Nova Gallia.鈥 In Changing Hearts: Performing Jesuit Emotions between Europe, Asia and the Americas. Eds. Y. Haskell and R. Garrod. Leiden: Brill 2019. 147-166.

"Contemporary Companies outside the Civitas Dei: Augustine鈥檚 Pagan Adversaries.鈥 In The Church Visible and Invisible: 鈥淭he Blessed Company of all Faithful People.鈥 Ed. S. Harris. Charlottetown, P.E.I.: St. Peter Publications, 2017. 75-107.

".&辩耻辞迟;听 Cahiers des 脡tudes Anciennes听 no.听 50 (2013): 139-160.

鈥.鈥 Dialogues d鈥檋istoire ancienne suppl. 8 (2013): 221-258.

The Virgil Encyclopedia,
s.v. Ammianus Marcellinus and听Historia Augusta.听Ed. Richard Thomas and Jan Ziowlkowski. Wiley-Blackwell, 2013.听

听听Tangence no. 99 (2012): 35-60.

鈥淥rigins: From Royal Priesthood to Hellenic Kingship to Roman Sacred Imperium.鈥 In听Changing our Mind on Secularization: The Contemporary Debate about sacred and secular in Judaism, Christianity and Islam.听Eds. W. Hankey and N. Hatt. Charlottetown, P.E.I.: St. Peter Publications, 2010. 49-69.

鈥淎n unnoticed Reminiscence of听Aeneid听10.517-20 at Ammianus Marcellinus 22.12.6鈥,听Mnemosyne60.4 (2007): 662-668.

鈥淭he Goddess of Love and the Poetry of Rome.鈥 in听Proceedings of the 25th听Annual Atlantic Theological Conference,听St. Peter Publications, 2006. 109-134.

鈥淎mmianus Epicus: Virgilian Allusion in the听Res Gestae,鈥 Phoenix听60.3-4 (2006): 274-303.
. Ottawa: Senate of Canada, 2006.

Reviews

Review: Kelly, G. 2008.听Ammianus Marcellinus: The Allusive Historian.(Cambridge Classical Studies) Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. Mnemosyne听64.2 (2011), 345-350.

.听The Classical Review听(forthcoming 65.1, 2015).

Review: Matthews, J. 2007.听The Roman Empire of Ammianus Marcellinus.With a New Introduction.听Rev. ed. Ann Arbor: Michigan Classical Press. Pp. xvi + 608. US $87.00. ISBN 978-0-9799713-2-7.听Mouseion听53.9.3 (2009): 350-354.

Review: Ursula K. LeGuin.听Lavinia.听Orlando: Harcourt, 2008. Infomonkey Book Reviews, January 26, 2010,

Review:听. Mnemosyne Supplementa, 289.听Bryn Mawr Classical Review.听[Sept. 17, 2008;听]

Review:听A Companion to Catullus.听Edited by Marilyn B. Skinner. Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World. Malden and Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2007. xxvi, 590 pages. $191.99.听The 马会论坛 Review听88.3 (2008):453-455.

Review:听痴颈谤驳颈濒鈥檚听Aeneid: Decorum. Allusion, and Ideology,听by Wendell Clausen.听The 马会论坛 Review听84.2 (2003): 315-318.

Review:听Climbing Parnassus,听by Tracy Lee Simmons.听The 马会论坛 Review听83.3 (2003): 449-451.