Die abgetrennte Zunge by Katharina Wesselmann deals with gender and power relations in ancient literature and beyond. It has received widespread attention, particularly in popular media. In this interview, thersites examines the book from an academic perspective. We talk to Katharina Wesselmann about the reactions to her work, her methodology and her conclusions. The primary focus of this interview is on what ancient texts may tell us about today’s gender issues and vice versa – it, thus, entails a broader discussion about modern Classics.
Spring Issue
(2021)
Spring Issue
(2023)
„An Herrn Prof. A. Wlosok“
(2020)
In contrast to other European countries, female professors of Classical Philology have been severely underrepresented in Germany. This article wants to shed light on Antonie Wlosok (1930–2013), the first or second woman to hold a Chair of Classical Philology in Germany. How can Wlosok’s work at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz be described, considering especially the very male-dominated academic world? Based on testimonials from the university archives and selected publications, this essay aims to give insights to this question, highlighting current debates about women in academia.
Spring Issue
(2024)
In her writings on ancient myth, the British author Natalie Haynes moves women to the centre of attention. Her two latest books, A Thousand Ships and Pandora’s Jar – a fiction novel and a non-fiction one – approach this topic from two different perspectives. This interview takes stock of Haynes’ motives and methodology as well as of the challenges she faces in the process of writing.
This special birthday issue for Christine Walde, co-founder and co-editor of thersites, features contributions from colleagues and friends. The articles, essays, and book reviews, centering around the honoranda’s research interests as well as focusing on core topics of thersites, form a thematically varied mosaic (tessellae): innovative constructions of literary genres and poetics (especially bucolic, elegy, epic, and epigram), images of the city of Rome and its counterparts, sleep and dreams, history of classical scholarship, gender studies, and classical reception studies.