CCS Research Seminar 3

The 1st-century geographer Strabo once described the sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi as being ‘theatre-like’ (θεατροειδής). While this was probably intended as a geographical descriptor, it is certainly the case that Delphi was a place of performance where cities could ‘take to the stage’ and proclaim their virtues before the largest audience possible. In this paper, I examine how local heroes were used in these displays to promote politically advantageous narratives. Pausanias’ Roman-era description of the sanctuary and the archaeological and epigraphic remains on site provide us with a list of 18 separate monuments from the Classical Period which depicted local heroes (broadly defined). By examining the selection and positioning of figures, the text of accompanying inscriptions, and the positioning of monuments in relation to one another, we can gain insights into why particular figures may have been depicted and the kinds of narratives that were emphasised. In particular, I intend to establish the presence of common themes across dedications by different poleis and discuss how particular commemorating bodies (notably Argos, Athens, and the Arcadian League) employed more unique policies in their choice of mythic subjects. 

Speaker:
Rosemary Selth graduated from ANU in 2021 with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours), majoring in Ancient Greek and minoring in Latin and Linguistics. In 2025, she completed a Research Masters in Classics and Ancient Civilisations at Leiden University in the Netherlands. For the last five years, she has been a regular contributor to MANTO, a linked open data project on the Greek mythical world. Her primary research interests are the use of myth as a social tool in antiquity, the public commemoration of myth in epigraphy, and Greek papyrology. She currently works as a research assistant at Macquarie University.