John Brendan Knight | Unversity of Leicester (original) (raw)

Papers by John Brendan Knight

The Greeks and Romans in the Black Sea and the Importance of the Pontic Region for the Graeco-Roman World (7th century BC-5th century AD): 20 Years On (1997-2017) Proceedings of the Sixth International Congress on Black Sea Antiquities (Constanţa – 18-22 September 2017) , 2021

***Please contact me if you wish to read this paper*** At the end of the 20th century, serious q... more ***Please contact me if you wish to read this paper***
At the end of the 20th century, serious questions began to be asked about conventional narratives describing overseas settlement in the Archaic Mediterranean and Black seas; wherein an oikistes, armed with oracular approval and compelled by crisis in the metropolis, gathered together a group of settlers and set off to found a new polis. On arrival the previous inhabitants were expelled and the oikistes set about ordering the community; dividing up land, building new homes for the gods and establishing law and order. After his death he was interred in the agora and a cult was instituted in his honour creating a unique identity for his foundation. Illusions to this practice have been posited in texts as early as the Odyssey and envisioned at sites such as Cyrene and Paestum. However, there are several problems with this scheme, particularly in relation to the Black Sea. Can we see evidence of these practices in the archaeological record? Was the establishment of these communities synchronic or diachronic? This paper will address these questions using several case studies from the Black sea to provide an archaeological critique of this model of overseas settlement.

Hermathena, 2020

***Please contact me if you wish to read this paper*** This article applies concepts of agency, ... more ***Please contact me if you wish to read this paper***
This article applies concepts of agency, habitus, and postcolonialism to a close textual criticism of Herodotus’ narrative in order to construct a nuanced understanding of how the Milesian elite negotiated their relationship with Persia and the social context that resulted in the fateful decision to attack the Persian seat of Sardis and begin the Ionian Revolt. Herodotus portrays the earlier Milesian attempt to settle at Myrcinus as a pivotal event and, like the attack on Sardis itself, it can be can be understood to have been prompted by the Milesian habitus of gaining arête (‘honour’) through colonisation and war, a habitus that was already long-established under the preceding rule by Lydia. This article views habitus as a generative, rather than a restrictive, cognitive force, which is closer to Bourdieu’s original concept and provides a fresh
perspective on the meeting of the Milesian elite and Persian imperial spheres. Taking a generative view, the Milesian leader Histiaeus can be seen to have leveraged Persian aid to gain arête for himself by founding a city, whereas his successor, Aristagoras, channelled Persian military power into an opportunistic raid on Naxos. When that failed, and perhaps inspired by Polycrates of Samos, he attacked Sardis in an attempt to regain his arête. The ‘Revolt’ he initiated, that we see as a functional behaviour within a specific social context, became a literary construct that served as a vehicle for colonialist and orientalist constructs of past events (including by Herodotus himself) which is it hard to disentangle from the originating context of the events themselves.

Revista do Museu de Arqueologia e Etnologia, 2019

With the application of post-colonial theoretical approaches in the last decades of the twentieth... more With the application of post-colonial theoretical approaches in the last decades of the twentieth century, the study of archaic Greek overseas settlement has arrived at something of a terminological and methodological impasse. Scholars continue to debate whether Mediterranean and Black sea settlement can legitimately be termed ‘colonisation’ yet attempts to modify this language of imperialism have thus far failed to achieve significant alteration of the overarching paradigms. This paper will suggest a new approach to these problems using contemporary migration theory to conceptualise archaic Greek mobility and settlement, through the case studies of Milesian migration to Naukratis in Egypt and Abydos in the Troad during the 7th century BCE. Drawing on aspects of structuration and practice theory, it will seek to describe and explain the multi-faceted structures, practices and agency involved in the migration of Milesian Greeks to these areas. The two chosen case studies will be compared to understand how spatial, social, cultural and political factors may have impacted upon the characteristics of Naukratis and Abydos and the multitude of stimuli surrounding their settlement. This will provide ways to re-envisage an important period of Mediterranean history, offering a flexible methodological approach to be utilised in other contexts.

Drafts by John Brendan Knight

Archaeofauna

It has long been recognised that individuals and groups participating in fishing and mariculture ... more It has long been recognised that individuals and groups participating in fishing and mariculture activities played a significant role in wider systems of mobility and migration across the Black Sea in antiquity and prehistory. Yet, it is less understood how this movement related to wider patterns of settlement in the region particularly between the Archaic and Hellenistic periods. This paper explores these issues by applying theoretical and methodological frameworks developed in contemporary migration studies to the case study of the Lower Buh region of modern Ukraine. This area, extensively surveyed in the second half of the twentieth century CE, provides a dataset which can be analysed using approaches such migration trajectories, capital, and drivers to approach such questions as why did fishing peoples move? How did these patterns of movement change over time and in response to endogenous and exogenous circumstances? And what effect did this have on wider patterns of movement and settlement in the region?

*UPDATED DRAFT* Recently, Graeco-barbarian antithetical polarities have undergone significant rea... more *UPDATED DRAFT* Recently, Graeco-barbarian antithetical polarities have undergone significant reassessment, with post-colonialist interpretations illuminating mutual cultural developments. The problems of studying spatial and temporal cultural interaction through the lens of competing ethnic groupings - now understood to represent social rather than genetic constructions – is likewise widely recognised. Relations between the Lydian kingdom and the East Greek polis of Miletos have previously been defined by antagonism, as represented in Herodotus' Lydian logos (1.6-94), focusing on conflict between the two. Nevertheless, novel understandings are possible through a close reading of Herodotus' text, focusing on its underlying structure and thematic topoi and reading beyond the literary constructions that pervade Herodotus' process of composition to reveal a complex underlying political and socio-cultural symbiosis. To achieve this, Herodotus' overarching narrative and its contemporary interpretation will be examined, illuminating his account of Lydian aggression and seeking to re-evaluate the scope and purpose of Lydian military activity in Western Anatolia during the Archaic period (c.700-500 B.C.). Furthermore, analysis of the importance of Mermnad patronage at Branchidai-Didyma and other sanctuaries is necessary to understand the competing cultural interfaces between the two polities. Finally, it is essential to reflect on the literary and material evidence for individuals and ideas crossing between the two and their role in furthering our understanding of the multiplicity of omni-directional interactions between Lydia and Miletos. This will facilitate a clearer picture of the temporal reality of political and cultural life in Miletos and Lydia in the seventh and sixth centuries BCE, and Herodotus' role in shaping subsequent interpretations and meta-narratives.

Books by John Brendan Knight

Hermathena (2018), nos 204-205, published Dec., 2020

Eight papers in a special, themed volume of 'Hermathena', the Trinity College Dublin journal of t... more Eight papers in a special, themed volume of 'Hermathena', the Trinity College Dublin journal of the Classical world, theology, and philosophy.

Book Reviews by John Brendan Knight

Journal of Sport History, 2020

Review

The Classical Review, 2019

how synthesise them into a more cohesive idea – a role in some ways fulfilled by A. Allan’s Herme... more how synthesise them into a more cohesive idea – a role in some ways fulfilled by A. Allan’s Hermes (2018), which touches upon many of the same issues as part of a more comprehensive picture of the god, but unfortunately must have come out too late for the contributors of the current volume to use. Anyone who is interested in Mercury and especially Hermes will profit from this book, but it is difficult to imagine those with just a general interest in the god going through the volume from beginning to end. Overall, however, this collection serves to remind not only how charming and unique the Homeric Hymn to Hermes is but also how influential it was, and also testifies to Hermes’ unique nature as simultaneously the most human of the gods while also being the only figure with the ability to go between the lands of the living and of the dead. It is a rich array that makes clear just how vital (in every sense of the term) the god was, and testifies to the connection that so many people, not just Greeks or Romans, have had with this most delightful figure.

Review of "G.R. Tsetskhladze (ed.) The Black Sea, Paphlagonia, Pontus and Phrygia in Antiquity: A... more Review of "G.R. Tsetskhladze (ed.) The Black Sea, Paphlagonia, Pontus and Phrygia in Antiquity: Aspects of Archaeology and Ancient History." The Journal of Hellenic Studies, Volume 138, (2018), pp. 288-290.

Ancient Space Beyond Maps. Review of "E. Barker, S. Bouzarovski, C. Pelling, L. Isaksen (eds.) Ne... more Ancient Space Beyond Maps. Review of "E. Barker, S. Bouzarovski, C. Pelling, L. Isaksen (eds.) New Worlds from Old Texts. Revisiting Ancient Space and Place." Classical Review, Volume 67, Issue 1, (2017), pp. 253-255.

Review of "M. Manoledakis, The Black Sea in the Light of New Archaeological Data and Theoretical ... more Review of "M. Manoledakis, The Black Sea in the Light of New Archaeological Data and Theoretical Approaches." in Archaeological Review from Cambridge, Volume 32, Issue 2, (2017), pp. 247-251.

Review of "P. Thonemann, The Maeander Valley: A Historical Geography from Antiquity to Byzantium... more Review of "P. Thonemann, The Maeander Valley: A Historical Geography from Antiquity to Byzantium." in Arctos - Acta Philologica Fennica, Vol. 9, pp. 244-245.

Webinar by John Brendan Knight

This paper was presented at the Spartakos a lu Monthly Pontic Conference organised by Dr. Thibaut... more This paper was presented at the Spartakos a lu Monthly Pontic Conference organised by Dr. Thibaut Castelli and on 19/05/2021.

Abstract: Identifying migrant groups to the Pontus in the Archaic period is a difficult task. While the establishment of new settlements demonstrates the movement of people; reconstructing the drivers, trajectories, and agency of migrants themselves requires more nuanced theoretical and methodological approaches. Nevertheless, the appearance of local craft production in migrant settlements strongly implies the presence of immigrants. The skills and techniques possessed by these migrant craftspeople require acquisition that must necessarily have occurred in an emigrant context. In other words, the aptitude required for ceramic and metallurgical production is unlikely to have developed ex novo, and without evidence for prior production, the earliest facilities indicate the arrival of migrant craftspeople. This paper will explore the migration of craftspeople to the Greek settlements in the Black Sea and its approaches. Using approaches developed in migration studies it will analyse the agency, drivers, and trajectories of craftsperson migration through an exploration of the temporal development of craft production in the region, the specialised knowledge and capital utilised by migrant craftspeople and the wider socio-economic contexts in which they migrated.

This communication will explore the migration of craftspeople to the Greek settlements in the Bla... more This communication will explore the migration of craftspeople to the Greek settlements in the Black Sea and its approaches. Using approaches developed in migration studies it will analyse the agency, drivers, and trajectories of craftsperson migration through an exploration of the temporal development of craft production in the region, the specialised knowledge and capital utilised by migrant craftspeople and the wider socio-economic contexts in which they migrated.

Conference Presentations by John Brendan Knight

Programme for a 1-day conference titled The Future of Ancient Forests to be held at Ness Gardens,... more Programme for a 1-day conference titled The Future of Ancient Forests to be held at Ness Gardens, the University of Liverpool on 20th of June 2022. This is a free event. All are welcome.

This paper was presented at the international congress: Fishing and Greek colonisation in the Bla... more This paper was presented at the international congress: Fishing and Greek colonisation in the Black Sea during Antiquity : a geographical and regional approach, online and at Aix-Marseille University on 03-04 Jun 2020, hosted by the Louvre's youtube channel.

From ancient literary sources it is clear that the fishing industry played an important role in the economies of the Greek cities and indigenous peoples of the Black Sea littoral. It has even been posited by many as one of the ultimate drivers of Greek migration to the region. However, the processes underlying the mobility and migration of individual, and groups of fishers are less well understood. Using approaches formulated in the field of Migration Studies, this paper will attempt to approach the role of fishers in migration processes and trajectories in the Black Sea during the pre-Roman era. It will explore questions relating to the drivers of fisher migration, migration capital amongst fishers and the temporal conjunctures of fisher migration within macro and meso level migration trajectories. These issues will be explored by looking at the evidence from the Bug estuary region and the Kimmerian Bosporus. Through these examples we aim to offer a more theoretically nuanced way of approaching at the role of fisher migration in the wider trajectories of migration and mobility in the northern Black Sea.

This paper was originally given at the Cambridge University on the 22 March 2018. According to th... more This paper was originally given at the Cambridge University on the 22 March 2018.
According to the third century CE biographer Diogenes Laertius, once while observing the heavens, the Milesian philosopher Thales, misplaced his footing and stumbled into a ditch earning him the reproach that if he could not see what was under his feet how could he understand what was over his head (DL. 1.33). Stories such as this feed into an imagined world of Greek philosophers, like Diogenes the cynic in his barrel, as being above and beyond the grimy realities of day-to-day life. The testimonia we possess for the earliest Greek thinkers, particularly those from Miletos, suggests that this was not in fact the case. In fact, they seem to have played an active role in political decision making both at home and abroad. Thales, recognised as the first true philosopher is said to have counselled in favour of the federal unification of the Ionian poleis (Hdt. 1.170) and accompanied the Lydian king Croesus on campaign (Hdt. 1.75). His ‘pupil’, Anaximander, was said to have lead the expedition to found the city of Apollonia Pontica on the western Black Sea coast (Ael. VH. 3.17). Hekataios, the father of geography, advised the Milesian tyrant Aristagoras throughout the Ionian revolt from Persia (Hdt. 5.36, 5.125-6, 5.137) and was chosen to negotiate with King Darius after the defeat of the insurgents (Diod. Sic. 10.25). Many of these stories, however, are generally recognised as apocryphal and we are in danger of following an overly positivistic line to accept them without serious critical analysis. Thus, we must ask what effect contemporary Milesian politics actually had on the development of these early thinkers? Can we recognise hints in the textual and material sources that help us to understand the political culture and organisation of Miletos, and their place within it? This paper will attempt to approach these questions through a critical exploration of the Archaic Milesian political scene exploring both narrowly political contexts, such as tyranny and stasis, alongside wider questions of the nature of the Milesian polis including its religious and ethnic makeups. We hope to demonstrate how these thinkers did not emerge in an intellectual vacuum but in fact were informed and inspired by the dynamism of the Milesian polis, where a variety of peoples and ideas met and contributed to the formation of a diverse and variegated intellectual and political life.

Poster Presentation from the Sixth International Congress on Black Sea Antiquities, Constanta, 18... more Poster Presentation from the Sixth International Congress on Black Sea Antiquities, Constanta, 18-22 September 2017.
At the end of the 20th century, serious questions began to be asked about the conventional narratives describing the settlement of Ancient Greek apoikia; wherein the oikistes, armed with Delphic approval and compelled by crisis in the metropolis, gathered together a group of settlers and set off to found a new polis. On arrival the previous inhabitants were expelled and the oikistes set about ordering the community; dividing up land, building new homes for the gods and establishing law and order. After his death he was interred in the agora and a cult was instituted in his honour creating a unique identity for his foundation. Illusions to this practice have been posited in texts as early as the Odyssey and envisioned at sites such as Kyrene and Paestum. However, there are several problems with this scheme, particularly in relation to the Black Sea apoikia. Was the establishment of these communities synchronic or diachronic? What does the surviving literary record tell us about how later generations perceived the genesis of their polis? Can we retroact these narratives onto the earliest stages of settlement? This paper will address these questions using a combination of archaeological evidence and literary testament from the Black Sea apoikia, exploring the diachronic process involved in the creation of master-narratives for Greek overseas settlement. It shall also explore the processes by which secondary settlement and urbanisation, in tandem with topographical narrativisation, informed the creation of new polis identities which coalesced into the normalised master-narratives familiar in our sources and emplotted as how-to-guides for foundation.

Thesis by John Brendan Knight

Ph.D. Thesis

This study examines the processes and practice of migration through the case study of Milesian ov... more This study examines the processes and practice of migration through the case study of Milesian overseas settlements in the Archaic period (c.800-475‏‏). It substantiates critiques of colonialist approaches to the topic and offers a new theoretically rigorous methodology for approaching ancient migrations through the development of a model for interpreting migration in proto-historical contexts. The notion of approaching Greek colonisation as migration is not new but this study moves the discourse forward by grounding its approaches in theoretical debates and discussions of contemporary migration in other scholarly disciplines. By modelling migration as a multi-focal interstice between wider macro-historical processes of diffused movement in temporal and spatial contexts, and meso- and micro-historical individual and group practices it facilitates a clearer understanding of the complexity of movement and resettlement in the ancient world.
Several important conclusions can be drawn from the application of this methodology to the case study of Miletos. Firstly, wider processes of Milesian migration did not occur within a vacuum but were embedded within wider processes of interaction with the local communities and polities they encountered in Anatolia, forest-steppe Skythia and the North Caucasus. Secondly, the drivers of emigration from Miletos were multivalent and acted as stimuli in different ways to different groups within Milesian society. Thirdly, access to migration capital within those social groups, such as elites and vocationally situated individuals, was key to their ability to undertake migration. Finally, the interactions of heterogenous socially and culturally positioned groups led, in time, to the development of negotiated forms of social practices and shared symbolic meanings. In the case of Milesian migration, this was manifested in overlapping communities of practice throughout the Propontis and Black Seas which formed a cultural koine which can be normatively termed “Milesian migrant culture”.
The model developed here has been applied to the topic of Milesian migration, but it has been designed to offer utility in wider scholarly approaches to migration in proto-historical contexts, both ancient and modern. By approaching the available evidence from different but interrelated viewpoints it can synthesise the literary and material evidence for migration and offer methodological approaches for analysing its significance on a variety of scales. In sum, this study offers a valuable new way of exploring a topic which remains contentious in both scholarly and popular discourses and embraces its complexity and its extensive long-term consequence.

The Greeks and Romans in the Black Sea and the Importance of the Pontic Region for the Graeco-Roman World (7th century BC-5th century AD): 20 Years On (1997-2017) Proceedings of the Sixth International Congress on Black Sea Antiquities (Constanţa – 18-22 September 2017) , 2021

***Please contact me if you wish to read this paper*** At the end of the 20th century, serious q... more ***Please contact me if you wish to read this paper***
At the end of the 20th century, serious questions began to be asked about conventional narratives describing overseas settlement in the Archaic Mediterranean and Black seas; wherein an oikistes, armed with oracular approval and compelled by crisis in the metropolis, gathered together a group of settlers and set off to found a new polis. On arrival the previous inhabitants were expelled and the oikistes set about ordering the community; dividing up land, building new homes for the gods and establishing law and order. After his death he was interred in the agora and a cult was instituted in his honour creating a unique identity for his foundation. Illusions to this practice have been posited in texts as early as the Odyssey and envisioned at sites such as Cyrene and Paestum. However, there are several problems with this scheme, particularly in relation to the Black Sea. Can we see evidence of these practices in the archaeological record? Was the establishment of these communities synchronic or diachronic? This paper will address these questions using several case studies from the Black sea to provide an archaeological critique of this model of overseas settlement.

Hermathena, 2020

***Please contact me if you wish to read this paper*** This article applies concepts of agency, ... more ***Please contact me if you wish to read this paper***
This article applies concepts of agency, habitus, and postcolonialism to a close textual criticism of Herodotus’ narrative in order to construct a nuanced understanding of how the Milesian elite negotiated their relationship with Persia and the social context that resulted in the fateful decision to attack the Persian seat of Sardis and begin the Ionian Revolt. Herodotus portrays the earlier Milesian attempt to settle at Myrcinus as a pivotal event and, like the attack on Sardis itself, it can be can be understood to have been prompted by the Milesian habitus of gaining arête (‘honour’) through colonisation and war, a habitus that was already long-established under the preceding rule by Lydia. This article views habitus as a generative, rather than a restrictive, cognitive force, which is closer to Bourdieu’s original concept and provides a fresh
perspective on the meeting of the Milesian elite and Persian imperial spheres. Taking a generative view, the Milesian leader Histiaeus can be seen to have leveraged Persian aid to gain arête for himself by founding a city, whereas his successor, Aristagoras, channelled Persian military power into an opportunistic raid on Naxos. When that failed, and perhaps inspired by Polycrates of Samos, he attacked Sardis in an attempt to regain his arête. The ‘Revolt’ he initiated, that we see as a functional behaviour within a specific social context, became a literary construct that served as a vehicle for colonialist and orientalist constructs of past events (including by Herodotus himself) which is it hard to disentangle from the originating context of the events themselves.

Revista do Museu de Arqueologia e Etnologia, 2019

With the application of post-colonial theoretical approaches in the last decades of the twentieth... more With the application of post-colonial theoretical approaches in the last decades of the twentieth century, the study of archaic Greek overseas settlement has arrived at something of a terminological and methodological impasse. Scholars continue to debate whether Mediterranean and Black sea settlement can legitimately be termed ‘colonisation’ yet attempts to modify this language of imperialism have thus far failed to achieve significant alteration of the overarching paradigms. This paper will suggest a new approach to these problems using contemporary migration theory to conceptualise archaic Greek mobility and settlement, through the case studies of Milesian migration to Naukratis in Egypt and Abydos in the Troad during the 7th century BCE. Drawing on aspects of structuration and practice theory, it will seek to describe and explain the multi-faceted structures, practices and agency involved in the migration of Milesian Greeks to these areas. The two chosen case studies will be compared to understand how spatial, social, cultural and political factors may have impacted upon the characteristics of Naukratis and Abydos and the multitude of stimuli surrounding their settlement. This will provide ways to re-envisage an important period of Mediterranean history, offering a flexible methodological approach to be utilised in other contexts.

Archaeofauna

It has long been recognised that individuals and groups participating in fishing and mariculture ... more It has long been recognised that individuals and groups participating in fishing and mariculture activities played a significant role in wider systems of mobility and migration across the Black Sea in antiquity and prehistory. Yet, it is less understood how this movement related to wider patterns of settlement in the region particularly between the Archaic and Hellenistic periods. This paper explores these issues by applying theoretical and methodological frameworks developed in contemporary migration studies to the case study of the Lower Buh region of modern Ukraine. This area, extensively surveyed in the second half of the twentieth century CE, provides a dataset which can be analysed using approaches such migration trajectories, capital, and drivers to approach such questions as why did fishing peoples move? How did these patterns of movement change over time and in response to endogenous and exogenous circumstances? And what effect did this have on wider patterns of movement and settlement in the region?

*UPDATED DRAFT* Recently, Graeco-barbarian antithetical polarities have undergone significant rea... more *UPDATED DRAFT* Recently, Graeco-barbarian antithetical polarities have undergone significant reassessment, with post-colonialist interpretations illuminating mutual cultural developments. The problems of studying spatial and temporal cultural interaction through the lens of competing ethnic groupings - now understood to represent social rather than genetic constructions – is likewise widely recognised. Relations between the Lydian kingdom and the East Greek polis of Miletos have previously been defined by antagonism, as represented in Herodotus' Lydian logos (1.6-94), focusing on conflict between the two. Nevertheless, novel understandings are possible through a close reading of Herodotus' text, focusing on its underlying structure and thematic topoi and reading beyond the literary constructions that pervade Herodotus' process of composition to reveal a complex underlying political and socio-cultural symbiosis. To achieve this, Herodotus' overarching narrative and its contemporary interpretation will be examined, illuminating his account of Lydian aggression and seeking to re-evaluate the scope and purpose of Lydian military activity in Western Anatolia during the Archaic period (c.700-500 B.C.). Furthermore, analysis of the importance of Mermnad patronage at Branchidai-Didyma and other sanctuaries is necessary to understand the competing cultural interfaces between the two polities. Finally, it is essential to reflect on the literary and material evidence for individuals and ideas crossing between the two and their role in furthering our understanding of the multiplicity of omni-directional interactions between Lydia and Miletos. This will facilitate a clearer picture of the temporal reality of political and cultural life in Miletos and Lydia in the seventh and sixth centuries BCE, and Herodotus' role in shaping subsequent interpretations and meta-narratives.

Hermathena (2018), nos 204-205, published Dec., 2020

Eight papers in a special, themed volume of 'Hermathena', the Trinity College Dublin journal of t... more Eight papers in a special, themed volume of 'Hermathena', the Trinity College Dublin journal of the Classical world, theology, and philosophy.

Journal of Sport History, 2020

Review

The Classical Review, 2019

how synthesise them into a more cohesive idea – a role in some ways fulfilled by A. Allan’s Herme... more how synthesise them into a more cohesive idea – a role in some ways fulfilled by A. Allan’s Hermes (2018), which touches upon many of the same issues as part of a more comprehensive picture of the god, but unfortunately must have come out too late for the contributors of the current volume to use. Anyone who is interested in Mercury and especially Hermes will profit from this book, but it is difficult to imagine those with just a general interest in the god going through the volume from beginning to end. Overall, however, this collection serves to remind not only how charming and unique the Homeric Hymn to Hermes is but also how influential it was, and also testifies to Hermes’ unique nature as simultaneously the most human of the gods while also being the only figure with the ability to go between the lands of the living and of the dead. It is a rich array that makes clear just how vital (in every sense of the term) the god was, and testifies to the connection that so many people, not just Greeks or Romans, have had with this most delightful figure.

Review of "G.R. Tsetskhladze (ed.) The Black Sea, Paphlagonia, Pontus and Phrygia in Antiquity: A... more Review of "G.R. Tsetskhladze (ed.) The Black Sea, Paphlagonia, Pontus and Phrygia in Antiquity: Aspects of Archaeology and Ancient History." The Journal of Hellenic Studies, Volume 138, (2018), pp. 288-290.

Ancient Space Beyond Maps. Review of "E. Barker, S. Bouzarovski, C. Pelling, L. Isaksen (eds.) Ne... more Ancient Space Beyond Maps. Review of "E. Barker, S. Bouzarovski, C. Pelling, L. Isaksen (eds.) New Worlds from Old Texts. Revisiting Ancient Space and Place." Classical Review, Volume 67, Issue 1, (2017), pp. 253-255.

Review of "M. Manoledakis, The Black Sea in the Light of New Archaeological Data and Theoretical ... more Review of "M. Manoledakis, The Black Sea in the Light of New Archaeological Data and Theoretical Approaches." in Archaeological Review from Cambridge, Volume 32, Issue 2, (2017), pp. 247-251.

Review of "P. Thonemann, The Maeander Valley: A Historical Geography from Antiquity to Byzantium... more Review of "P. Thonemann, The Maeander Valley: A Historical Geography from Antiquity to Byzantium." in Arctos - Acta Philologica Fennica, Vol. 9, pp. 244-245.

This paper was presented at the Spartakos a lu Monthly Pontic Conference organised by Dr. Thibaut... more This paper was presented at the Spartakos a lu Monthly Pontic Conference organised by Dr. Thibaut Castelli and on 19/05/2021.

Abstract: Identifying migrant groups to the Pontus in the Archaic period is a difficult task. While the establishment of new settlements demonstrates the movement of people; reconstructing the drivers, trajectories, and agency of migrants themselves requires more nuanced theoretical and methodological approaches. Nevertheless, the appearance of local craft production in migrant settlements strongly implies the presence of immigrants. The skills and techniques possessed by these migrant craftspeople require acquisition that must necessarily have occurred in an emigrant context. In other words, the aptitude required for ceramic and metallurgical production is unlikely to have developed ex novo, and without evidence for prior production, the earliest facilities indicate the arrival of migrant craftspeople. This paper will explore the migration of craftspeople to the Greek settlements in the Black Sea and its approaches. Using approaches developed in migration studies it will analyse the agency, drivers, and trajectories of craftsperson migration through an exploration of the temporal development of craft production in the region, the specialised knowledge and capital utilised by migrant craftspeople and the wider socio-economic contexts in which they migrated.

This communication will explore the migration of craftspeople to the Greek settlements in the Bla... more This communication will explore the migration of craftspeople to the Greek settlements in the Black Sea and its approaches. Using approaches developed in migration studies it will analyse the agency, drivers, and trajectories of craftsperson migration through an exploration of the temporal development of craft production in the region, the specialised knowledge and capital utilised by migrant craftspeople and the wider socio-economic contexts in which they migrated.

Programme for a 1-day conference titled The Future of Ancient Forests to be held at Ness Gardens,... more Programme for a 1-day conference titled The Future of Ancient Forests to be held at Ness Gardens, the University of Liverpool on 20th of June 2022. This is a free event. All are welcome.

This paper was presented at the international congress: Fishing and Greek colonisation in the Bla... more This paper was presented at the international congress: Fishing and Greek colonisation in the Black Sea during Antiquity : a geographical and regional approach, online and at Aix-Marseille University on 03-04 Jun 2020, hosted by the Louvre's youtube channel.

From ancient literary sources it is clear that the fishing industry played an important role in the economies of the Greek cities and indigenous peoples of the Black Sea littoral. It has even been posited by many as one of the ultimate drivers of Greek migration to the region. However, the processes underlying the mobility and migration of individual, and groups of fishers are less well understood. Using approaches formulated in the field of Migration Studies, this paper will attempt to approach the role of fishers in migration processes and trajectories in the Black Sea during the pre-Roman era. It will explore questions relating to the drivers of fisher migration, migration capital amongst fishers and the temporal conjunctures of fisher migration within macro and meso level migration trajectories. These issues will be explored by looking at the evidence from the Bug estuary region and the Kimmerian Bosporus. Through these examples we aim to offer a more theoretically nuanced way of approaching at the role of fisher migration in the wider trajectories of migration and mobility in the northern Black Sea.

This paper was originally given at the Cambridge University on the 22 March 2018. According to th... more This paper was originally given at the Cambridge University on the 22 March 2018.
According to the third century CE biographer Diogenes Laertius, once while observing the heavens, the Milesian philosopher Thales, misplaced his footing and stumbled into a ditch earning him the reproach that if he could not see what was under his feet how could he understand what was over his head (DL. 1.33). Stories such as this feed into an imagined world of Greek philosophers, like Diogenes the cynic in his barrel, as being above and beyond the grimy realities of day-to-day life. The testimonia we possess for the earliest Greek thinkers, particularly those from Miletos, suggests that this was not in fact the case. In fact, they seem to have played an active role in political decision making both at home and abroad. Thales, recognised as the first true philosopher is said to have counselled in favour of the federal unification of the Ionian poleis (Hdt. 1.170) and accompanied the Lydian king Croesus on campaign (Hdt. 1.75). His ‘pupil’, Anaximander, was said to have lead the expedition to found the city of Apollonia Pontica on the western Black Sea coast (Ael. VH. 3.17). Hekataios, the father of geography, advised the Milesian tyrant Aristagoras throughout the Ionian revolt from Persia (Hdt. 5.36, 5.125-6, 5.137) and was chosen to negotiate with King Darius after the defeat of the insurgents (Diod. Sic. 10.25). Many of these stories, however, are generally recognised as apocryphal and we are in danger of following an overly positivistic line to accept them without serious critical analysis. Thus, we must ask what effect contemporary Milesian politics actually had on the development of these early thinkers? Can we recognise hints in the textual and material sources that help us to understand the political culture and organisation of Miletos, and their place within it? This paper will attempt to approach these questions through a critical exploration of the Archaic Milesian political scene exploring both narrowly political contexts, such as tyranny and stasis, alongside wider questions of the nature of the Milesian polis including its religious and ethnic makeups. We hope to demonstrate how these thinkers did not emerge in an intellectual vacuum but in fact were informed and inspired by the dynamism of the Milesian polis, where a variety of peoples and ideas met and contributed to the formation of a diverse and variegated intellectual and political life.

Poster Presentation from the Sixth International Congress on Black Sea Antiquities, Constanta, 18... more Poster Presentation from the Sixth International Congress on Black Sea Antiquities, Constanta, 18-22 September 2017.
At the end of the 20th century, serious questions began to be asked about the conventional narratives describing the settlement of Ancient Greek apoikia; wherein the oikistes, armed with Delphic approval and compelled by crisis in the metropolis, gathered together a group of settlers and set off to found a new polis. On arrival the previous inhabitants were expelled and the oikistes set about ordering the community; dividing up land, building new homes for the gods and establishing law and order. After his death he was interred in the agora and a cult was instituted in his honour creating a unique identity for his foundation. Illusions to this practice have been posited in texts as early as the Odyssey and envisioned at sites such as Kyrene and Paestum. However, there are several problems with this scheme, particularly in relation to the Black Sea apoikia. Was the establishment of these communities synchronic or diachronic? What does the surviving literary record tell us about how later generations perceived the genesis of their polis? Can we retroact these narratives onto the earliest stages of settlement? This paper will address these questions using a combination of archaeological evidence and literary testament from the Black Sea apoikia, exploring the diachronic process involved in the creation of master-narratives for Greek overseas settlement. It shall also explore the processes by which secondary settlement and urbanisation, in tandem with topographical narrativisation, informed the creation of new polis identities which coalesced into the normalised master-narratives familiar in our sources and emplotted as how-to-guides for foundation.

Ph.D. Thesis

This study examines the processes and practice of migration through the case study of Milesian ov... more This study examines the processes and practice of migration through the case study of Milesian overseas settlements in the Archaic period (c.800-475‏‏). It substantiates critiques of colonialist approaches to the topic and offers a new theoretically rigorous methodology for approaching ancient migrations through the development of a model for interpreting migration in proto-historical contexts. The notion of approaching Greek colonisation as migration is not new but this study moves the discourse forward by grounding its approaches in theoretical debates and discussions of contemporary migration in other scholarly disciplines. By modelling migration as a multi-focal interstice between wider macro-historical processes of diffused movement in temporal and spatial contexts, and meso- and micro-historical individual and group practices it facilitates a clearer understanding of the complexity of movement and resettlement in the ancient world.
Several important conclusions can be drawn from the application of this methodology to the case study of Miletos. Firstly, wider processes of Milesian migration did not occur within a vacuum but were embedded within wider processes of interaction with the local communities and polities they encountered in Anatolia, forest-steppe Skythia and the North Caucasus. Secondly, the drivers of emigration from Miletos were multivalent and acted as stimuli in different ways to different groups within Milesian society. Thirdly, access to migration capital within those social groups, such as elites and vocationally situated individuals, was key to their ability to undertake migration. Finally, the interactions of heterogenous socially and culturally positioned groups led, in time, to the development of negotiated forms of social practices and shared symbolic meanings. In the case of Milesian migration, this was manifested in overlapping communities of practice throughout the Propontis and Black Seas which formed a cultural koine which can be normatively termed “Milesian migrant culture”.
The model developed here has been applied to the topic of Milesian migration, but it has been designed to offer utility in wider scholarly approaches to migration in proto-historical contexts, both ancient and modern. By approaching the available evidence from different but interrelated viewpoints it can synthesise the literary and material evidence for migration and offer methodological approaches for analysing its significance on a variety of scales. In sum, this study offers a valuable new way of exploring a topic which remains contentious in both scholarly and popular discourses and embraces its complexity and its extensive long-term consequence.

This essay considers the numerous factors attendant in the formation of the archaic Greek colonie... more This essay considers the numerous factors attendant in the formation of the archaic Greek colonies of the Black Sea littoral. Taking into account the early and pre-colonial history of the area it determines to first place this colonialism into its imaginative and physical context; investigating knowledge of the area prior to its settlement. The central dynamics of this movement are then divided into two categories. Firstly proactive, an investigation into the specific conditions of the Black sea and the extent to which these would have made colonialism desirable; taking into account the availability of resources to support these communities and the material benefits to be obtained by exploitation and trade of these resources. Secondly it assesses the conditions to be found in the Ionian city of Miletus – the reactive - from where the majority of the colonies originated during this period. Emphasis is placed on the rise of the Lydian empire and its interaction with the Milesians. This is followed by an analysis of the consequences of this interaction and the increasing strain placed upon the citizens by it, followed by the outbreak of serious civil disorder within the city itself. These are viewed in context of the effect they had upon the city and the degree to which they generated or contributed to colonial ventures.