Paper presentation on “Military Group Minds in the Narration of Late Roman Succession Events”
June 20, 2025Xavier Buxton’s Article Accepted by the Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies
September 5, 2025We are delighted to announce that Dr Kyriakoula Tzortzopoulou, postdoctoral researcher in our ERC-funded project Group Minds in Ancient Narrative, participated in this year’s Classical Association Conference, held at the University of St Andrews from 11 to 13 July 2025.
Dr Tzortzopoulou’s paper, titled ‘One soul, one heart’: Revisiting collective mind in Late Antiquity, offered a fresh look at the notion of collective mentality through a close analysis of selected homilies by St. John Chrysostom. Focusing on Chrysostom’s role as a preacher in fourth-century Antioch, she explored how his theological and philosophical ideas—particularly the Pauline body metaphor and the concept of sympatheia—inform his vision of a Church united not only in doctrine but in emotional experience. Her work revealed how Chrysostom’s portrayal of shared emotions like love and compassion anticipates modern theories of distributed cognition and enriches our understanding of collective emotional states in early Christian thought.
Reflecting on the event, Dr Tzortzopoulou shared:
“My participation in the CA Conference in Classics was an intellectually stimulating experience that gave me the opportunity to connect with scholars from diverse backgrounds around the world. The exchange of ideas around my presentation was especially valuable, sparking an engaging discussion that helped me reconsider certain aspects of my research framework and explore new avenues for inquiry. I also had the opportunity to attend dynamic panels on Late Antiquity—my primary area of research—and to gain insight into current trends and emerging approaches within the field. Of particular interest was the innovative use of cognitive science methodologies across various research areas within Classics, demonstrating how interdisciplinary approaches can deepen our understanding of Antiquity and beyond”.
Dr Tzortzopoulou’s participation exemplifies the project’s commitment to fostering dialogue across disciplines and engaging with international scholarly communities. Her work not only advances our understanding of early Christian notions of unity and shared emotion, but also contributes to the broader dissemination of the group mind concept at the intersection of cognitive theory and ancient narrative. We warmly congratulate her for representing our team in this inspiring forum.
