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Papers by Betsey Robinson

B. A. Robinson, S. Bouffier, and I. Fumadó Ortega, Ancient Waterlands, Presses Universitaires de Provence, 2019

This paper takes a broad view of the rivers and springs that watered the lands around the Corinth... more This paper takes a broad view of the rivers and springs
that watered the lands around the Corinthian Gulf and ultimately
flowed into it. Gulf shores were inhabited by Achaians, Corinthians,
Boiotians, Phokians, Lokrians, and Aitolians, different ethnic groups
with diverse interests and influences but united by intervisibility
and direct communication along and across the Gulf. While some
springs in this watershed—for instance, Peirene, Hippokrene, and
Kastalia—became famous, the reputations of the rivers were quite
restricted. None is navigable, and few flow through the dry season,
but namesakes elsewhere in the Greek world reflect territorial and
historical claims and reify ethnic and political relationships. Sources
anchored communities and supported agriculture. Rivers and valleys
defined territories, and offered routes into the interior. Water-bodies
were named, integrated into genealogies, and became actors in
mythical narratives. Literature and archaeology reveal evidence for
the use of water in ritual at some sites, and sometimes specifically
in the worship of water-deities. The Corinthian Gulf watershed thus
offers a microcosm of watery phenomena in the ancient world.

Valuing Landscape in Classical Antiquity, 2000

Journal of Roman Archaeology, 2012

Books by Betsey Robinson

The Peirene Fountain as described by its first excavator, Rufus B. Richardson, is “the most famou... more The Peirene Fountain as described by its first excavator, Rufus B. Richardson, is “the most famous fountain of Greece.” Here is a retrospective of a wellspring of Western civilization, distinguished by its long history, service to a great ancient city, and early identification as the site where Pegasus landed and was tamed by the hero Bellerophon. Spanning three millennia and touching a fourth, Peirene developed from a nameless spring to a renowned source of inspiration, from a busy landmark in Classical Corinth to a quiet churchyard and cemetery in the Byzantine era, and finally from free-flowing Ottoman fountains back to the streams of the source within a living ruin. These histories of Peirene as a spring and as a fountain, and of its watery imagery, form a rich cultural narrative whose interrelations and meanings are best appreciated when studied together. The author deftly describes the evolution of the Fountain of Peirene framed against the underlying landscape and its ancient, medieval, and modern settlement, viewed from the perspective of Corinthian culture and spheres of interaction. Published with the assistance of the Getty Foundation. Winner of the 2011 Prose Award for Professional and Scholarly Excellence in the category of Archaeology/Anthropology. The Prose Awards are given annually by the Professional and Scholarly Publishing division of the American Association of Publishers.

Conference Presentations by Betsey Robinson

As the “Athens of the South,” Nashville has long prided itself as a city of humanistic inquiry an... more As the “Athens of the South,” Nashville has long prided itself as a city of humanistic inquiry and world heritage. This symposium seeks to build upon this local tradition and to energize an already active cross-campus culture of digital humanities and media studies at Vanderbilt by bringing together a group of innovative digital heritage scholars. The speakers are invited to discuss how they use digital approaches, e.g. photogrammetry, digital modeling/rendering, virtual reality, and visual and spatial analysis, to better understand and explain pre-modern architecture and urban landscapes around the world. Formal research presentations will alternate with informal discussion periods allowing participants and audience members to discuss theoretical and methodological problems, and to strategize about research design, best practices, teaching, and sharing results with the public.

Because the original Parthenon now stands in ruins in Athens, the Nashville Parthenon is a tremendous resource not only for local scholars and students, but also for archaeologists who come from around the world to experience the architecture, art, and effects of space and light in this 1920s scale model of the original. In 2006, an international symposium at the Parthenon considered “Architecture, Sculpture, and Politics in Ancient Athens.” PARTHENON^2 follows that tradition, taking Nashville’s Parthenon as a venue, a subject of study, and a springboard for a broader discussion of digital methods in architectural heritage studies and beyond.

Exhibits by Betsey Robinson

Selections from L.-F. Cassas, 'Voyage pittoresque de la Syrie, de la Phoenicie, de la Palaestine,... more Selections from L.-F. Cassas, 'Voyage pittoresque de la Syrie, de la Phoenicie, de la Palaestine, et de la Basse Aegypte' (Paris 1799), based on drawings and studies of the temples, tombs, and city of Palmyra by Cassas in 1785, paired with photographs taken in 1995. Curated by Betsey A. Robinson and E.B. Armstrong. September 22-December 10, 2015, Vanderbilt University, Department of History of Art, Cohen Memorial Hall, Rear Atrium, 1220 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37212.

B. A. Robinson, S. Bouffier, and I. Fumadó Ortega, Ancient Waterlands, Presses Universitaires de Provence, 2019

This paper takes a broad view of the rivers and springs that watered the lands around the Corinth... more This paper takes a broad view of the rivers and springs
that watered the lands around the Corinthian Gulf and ultimately
flowed into it. Gulf shores were inhabited by Achaians, Corinthians,
Boiotians, Phokians, Lokrians, and Aitolians, different ethnic groups
with diverse interests and influences but united by intervisibility
and direct communication along and across the Gulf. While some
springs in this watershed—for instance, Peirene, Hippokrene, and
Kastalia—became famous, the reputations of the rivers were quite
restricted. None is navigable, and few flow through the dry season,
but namesakes elsewhere in the Greek world reflect territorial and
historical claims and reify ethnic and political relationships. Sources
anchored communities and supported agriculture. Rivers and valleys
defined territories, and offered routes into the interior. Water-bodies
were named, integrated into genealogies, and became actors in
mythical narratives. Literature and archaeology reveal evidence for
the use of water in ritual at some sites, and sometimes specifically
in the worship of water-deities. The Corinthian Gulf watershed thus
offers a microcosm of watery phenomena in the ancient world.

Valuing Landscape in Classical Antiquity, 2000

Journal of Roman Archaeology, 2012

The Peirene Fountain as described by its first excavator, Rufus B. Richardson, is “the most famou... more The Peirene Fountain as described by its first excavator, Rufus B. Richardson, is “the most famous fountain of Greece.” Here is a retrospective of a wellspring of Western civilization, distinguished by its long history, service to a great ancient city, and early identification as the site where Pegasus landed and was tamed by the hero Bellerophon. Spanning three millennia and touching a fourth, Peirene developed from a nameless spring to a renowned source of inspiration, from a busy landmark in Classical Corinth to a quiet churchyard and cemetery in the Byzantine era, and finally from free-flowing Ottoman fountains back to the streams of the source within a living ruin. These histories of Peirene as a spring and as a fountain, and of its watery imagery, form a rich cultural narrative whose interrelations and meanings are best appreciated when studied together. The author deftly describes the evolution of the Fountain of Peirene framed against the underlying landscape and its ancient, medieval, and modern settlement, viewed from the perspective of Corinthian culture and spheres of interaction. Published with the assistance of the Getty Foundation. Winner of the 2011 Prose Award for Professional and Scholarly Excellence in the category of Archaeology/Anthropology. The Prose Awards are given annually by the Professional and Scholarly Publishing division of the American Association of Publishers.

As the “Athens of the South,” Nashville has long prided itself as a city of humanistic inquiry an... more As the “Athens of the South,” Nashville has long prided itself as a city of humanistic inquiry and world heritage. This symposium seeks to build upon this local tradition and to energize an already active cross-campus culture of digital humanities and media studies at Vanderbilt by bringing together a group of innovative digital heritage scholars. The speakers are invited to discuss how they use digital approaches, e.g. photogrammetry, digital modeling/rendering, virtual reality, and visual and spatial analysis, to better understand and explain pre-modern architecture and urban landscapes around the world. Formal research presentations will alternate with informal discussion periods allowing participants and audience members to discuss theoretical and methodological problems, and to strategize about research design, best practices, teaching, and sharing results with the public.

Because the original Parthenon now stands in ruins in Athens, the Nashville Parthenon is a tremendous resource not only for local scholars and students, but also for archaeologists who come from around the world to experience the architecture, art, and effects of space and light in this 1920s scale model of the original. In 2006, an international symposium at the Parthenon considered “Architecture, Sculpture, and Politics in Ancient Athens.” PARTHENON^2 follows that tradition, taking Nashville’s Parthenon as a venue, a subject of study, and a springboard for a broader discussion of digital methods in architectural heritage studies and beyond.

Selections from L.-F. Cassas, 'Voyage pittoresque de la Syrie, de la Phoenicie, de la Palaestine,... more Selections from L.-F. Cassas, 'Voyage pittoresque de la Syrie, de la Phoenicie, de la Palaestine, et de la Basse Aegypte' (Paris 1799), based on drawings and studies of the temples, tombs, and city of Palmyra by Cassas in 1785, paired with photographs taken in 1995. Curated by Betsey A. Robinson and E.B. Armstrong. September 22-December 10, 2015, Vanderbilt University, Department of History of Art, Cohen Memorial Hall, Rear Atrium, 1220 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37212.