The Department of Classical Studies Graduate Student Conference 2026 at Boston University, entitled “Cupido regnandi: Lust for Power in the Ancient Mediterranean World,” seeks to examine how literary sources theorized and remembered the polarizing personalities of tyrants, demagogues, and usurpers from the Greek archaic period to the twilight of antiquity.
The conference will take place on March 28th, 2026 at the School of Theology (Room 325) at Boston University. Papers from current graduate students in Classical Studies, Ancient History, Ancient Philosophy, Classical Art/Archaeology and related fields are welcome. Possible topics include, but are not limited to:
- Tyrannical ambitions (actual or alleged);
- Populist generals (e.g., Cleon, Pompey);
- Political readings of Greek and Latin poetry;
- Ancient biography and historiographic narrative;
- Near Eastern, Hellenistic, and Roman Imperial usurpers/conspirators;
- Accounts of political ambition and regime change in Greek and Roman philosophy.
More information about the conference and guidelines for submitting abstracts can be found on our Call for Papers. The deadline is February 17, 2026.
Should there be any questions, you can reach the organizing committee at buclassicsgradstudents@gmail.com.