Joseph Holwell | University of Wisconsin-Madison (original) (raw)
I am a PhD candidate specializing in cultural exchange along the northern frontiers of imperial Rome. I work mainly with material evidence left behind (inscriptions, reliefs, votive objects) in an effort to refine our understanding of identity formation and religious expression in these ever-bustling, fringe environments.
On a broader level, I am interested in assessing the complex interplay between imperial power and subject populations regarding issues such as: methods of control, (possible) forms of resistance, opportunities for integration, and contemporary understandings of empire.
Supervisors: Marc Kleijwegt and Claire Taylor
Address: Madison, WI
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Papers by Joseph Holwell
Roda da Fortuna: Revista Eletrônica sobre Antiguidade e Medievo, 2018
Sallust’s Bellum Catilinae first asserted the close connection between those participating in Cat... more Sallust’s Bellum Catilinae first asserted the close connection between those participating in Catiline’s doomed coup and the previous events of Sulla’s turbulent reign, which has become infamous for its contribution to the escalation of violence during the final century of the Republic. The following paper addresses the distinct role inhabited by the children of those proscribed (liberi proscriptorum) under Sulla’s dictatorship, ultimately demonstrating that Sallust’s narrative offers a somewhat sympathetic rendering of the liberi for their purported association with the conspiracy. The harsh treatment which they endured brought shame (pudor) stemming from a lowered social status which may have served as the impetus for taking part in the conspiracy as a way to seek justice through vengeance and to regain their honor.
Through the polarizing positions of Antigone’s main characters, Sophocles brings to bear potentia... more Through the polarizing positions of Antigone’s main characters, Sophocles brings to bear potentially conflicting aspects of Greek society: religious reverence as illustrated through loyalty to one’s kin, and adherence to the polis and state control. In developing a storyline which pits radical stances of each ideological camp against the other, the author teases out and clarifies the ways in which religion and governance can conceivably be at odds. The narrative is both reflective of contemporary Greek beliefs as well as prescriptive of acceptable social behavior toward its audience. This paper will assess the role of funerary rites in Antigone with respect to their broader role in Greek society, and how the setting of tragedy is used as a medium for expressing beliefs and customs during a time when the era of democracy was established within the Hellas.
Teaching Materials by Joseph Holwell
Please use and enjoy these Latin commentaries produced as a final project by the graduate/undergr... more Please use and enjoy these Latin commentaries produced as a final project by the graduate/undergraduate mixed seminar I taught on Lucan's Bellum Civile (Latin 519) in Fall 2016 at UW-Madison. Individual authors received comments from me and their fellow students before they finalized their drafts, but they are responsible for all virtues and errors in the final products.
Roda da Fortuna: Revista Eletrônica sobre Antiguidade e Medievo, 2018
Sallust’s Bellum Catilinae first asserted the close connection between those participating in Cat... more Sallust’s Bellum Catilinae first asserted the close connection between those participating in Catiline’s doomed coup and the previous events of Sulla’s turbulent reign, which has become infamous for its contribution to the escalation of violence during the final century of the Republic. The following paper addresses the distinct role inhabited by the children of those proscribed (liberi proscriptorum) under Sulla’s dictatorship, ultimately demonstrating that Sallust’s narrative offers a somewhat sympathetic rendering of the liberi for their purported association with the conspiracy. The harsh treatment which they endured brought shame (pudor) stemming from a lowered social status which may have served as the impetus for taking part in the conspiracy as a way to seek justice through vengeance and to regain their honor.
Through the polarizing positions of Antigone’s main characters, Sophocles brings to bear potentia... more Through the polarizing positions of Antigone’s main characters, Sophocles brings to bear potentially conflicting aspects of Greek society: religious reverence as illustrated through loyalty to one’s kin, and adherence to the polis and state control. In developing a storyline which pits radical stances of each ideological camp against the other, the author teases out and clarifies the ways in which religion and governance can conceivably be at odds. The narrative is both reflective of contemporary Greek beliefs as well as prescriptive of acceptable social behavior toward its audience. This paper will assess the role of funerary rites in Antigone with respect to their broader role in Greek society, and how the setting of tragedy is used as a medium for expressing beliefs and customs during a time when the era of democracy was established within the Hellas.
Please use and enjoy these Latin commentaries produced as a final project by the graduate/undergr... more Please use and enjoy these Latin commentaries produced as a final project by the graduate/undergraduate mixed seminar I taught on Lucan's Bellum Civile (Latin 519) in Fall 2016 at UW-Madison. Individual authors received comments from me and their fellow students before they finalized their drafts, but they are responsible for all virtues and errors in the final products.