pilipiliÂþ»­

 

Peter O'Brien

Assistant Professor; Graduate Coordinator; Latin Literature

Head Shot P. O'Brien

Email: Peter.OBrien@dal.ca
Phone: 902-494-2295
Mailing Address: 
Marion McCain Building, Room 1174
 
Research Topics:
  • Late antique historiography
  • Latin literature
  • Neo-Latin
·¡»å³Ü³¦²¹³Ù¾±´Ç²Ô:Ìý
  • BA (Hons)(Vind)
  • MA (Dal)
  • MA, PhD (Boston University)
Biography:

I was born and raised in Halifax, and completed my undergraduate degree at pilipiliÂþ»­ and the . After an MA thesis on Greek Tragedy at pilipiliÂþ»­, I began doctoral studies at Boston University, where I continued to study Greek literature, but gradually shifted my main research focus to Latin. Before taking up my Dalhousie appointment in 2000, I taught Classics and English at a private school in Boston. In 2001, I became a member of the joint King's-Dalhousie faculty.ÌýSince 2011, I have served as Public Orator at King’s, and from 2017-2021, I took a leave from my regular departmental duties to serve as Vice-President at King’s.

With Myles McCallum of Saint Mary’s University and Kathryn Simonsen of MUN, I serve as Co-Editor of

Research and teaching interests
My doctoral thesis explored imperial speeches in the fourth century A.D. historian Ammianus Marcellinus. My work since then has also focused on literary aspects of that author's work, particularly his knowledge of and allusions to the Augustan epic poet Virgil. More recently, I have begun to explore the vast domain of Neo-Latin literature, especially its treatment of Canadian themes and topics, as well as the Classical Tradition at King’s and Dalhousie.

In addition to a graduate seminar on Ammianus, I teach Virgil, Ovid, Catullus, and other Latin poets in advanced language courses and seminars, as well as undergraduate courses in late Roman history and in Greek and Roman myth and literature.Ìý At the University of King’s College, I am a frequent lecturer in theÌýÌý (Homer’sÌý ÌýOdyssey,Ìý Ìý³Õ¾±°ù²µ¾±±ô’sÌý Aeneid), and have served as Co-ordinator of its first section.

In off-campus teaching, I’ve contributed lectures and seminars for several years toÌýÌý²¹²Ô»åÌý.

Awards

2010 - pilipiliÂþ»­ Outstanding Graduate Advisor Award
2007 -Ìýg
2006 -Ìý

Recent Publications

"nec, nate, tibi comes ire recuso: Classical Formation and Latin Verse at King’s in the 19th Century.� In Academic Musings: The Legacy of the Euro-Méditerranée: A Festschrift in Celebration of the Reverend Doctor Thomas H. Curran. Eds. P Bryson, Susan Dodd, Neil Robertson. Belfast, PE: Underhill 2019. 269-286.

“Si potes exemplo moveri, non propiore potes: Emotional Reciprocity in Le Brun’s Nova Gallia.� In Changing Hearts: Performing Jesuit Emotions between Europe, Asia and the Americas. Eds. Y. Haskell and R. Garrod. Leiden: Brill 2019. 147-166.

"Contemporary Companies outside the Civitas Dei: Augustine’s Pagan Adversaries.� In The Church Visible and Invisible: “The Blessed Company of all Faithful People.� Ed. S. Harris. Charlottetown, P.E.I.: St. Peter Publications, 2017. 75-107.

".&±ç³Ü´Ç³Ù;Ìý Cahiers des Études AnciennesÌý no.Ìý 50 (2013): 139-160.

“.� Dialogues d’histoire ancienne suppl. 8 (2013): 221-258.

The Virgil Encyclopedia,Ìý
s.v. Ammianus Marcellinus andÌýHistoria Augusta.ÌýEd. Richard Thomas and Jan Ziowlkowski. Wiley-Blackwell, 2013.Ìý

ÌýÌýTangence no. 99 (2012): 35-60.

“Origins: From Royal Priesthood to Hellenic Kingship to Roman Sacred Imperium.â€� InÌýChanging our Mind on Secularization: The Contemporary Debate about sacred and secular in Judaism, Christianity and Islam.ÌýEds. W. Hankey and N. Hatt. Charlottetown, P.E.I.: St. Peter Publications, 2010. 49-69.

“An unnoticed Reminiscence ofÌýAeneidÌý10.517-20 at Ammianus Marcellinus 22.12.6â€�,ÌýMnemosyneÌýÌý60.4 (2007): 662-668.

“The Goddess of Love and the Poetry of Rome.â€� inÌýProceedings of the 25thÌýAnnual Atlantic Theological Conference,ÌýSt. Peter Publications, 2006. 109-134.

“Ammianus Epicus: Virgilian Allusion in theÌýRes Gestae,â€� PhoenixÌý60.3-4 (2006): 274-303.
. Ottawa: Senate of Canada, 2006.

Reviews

Review: Kelly, G. 2008.ÌýAmmianus Marcellinus: The Allusive Historian.(Cambridge Classical Studies) Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. MnemosyneÌý64.2 (2011), 345-350.

.ÌýThe Classical ReviewÌý(forthcoming 65.1, 2015).

Review: Matthews, J. 2007.ÌýThe Roman Empire of Ammianus Marcellinus.ÌýWith a New Introduction.ÌýRev. ed. Ann Arbor: Michigan Classical Press. Pp. xvi + 608. US $87.00. ISBN 978-0-9799713-2-7.ÌýMouseionÌý53.9.3 (2009): 350-354.

Review: Ursula K. LeGuin.ÌýLavinia.ÌýOrlando: Harcourt, 2008. Infomonkey Book Reviews, January 26, 2010,

Review:Ìý. Mnemosyne Supplementa, 289.ÌýBryn Mawr Classical Review.Ìý[Sept. 17, 2008;Ìý]

Review:ÌýA Companion to Catullus.ÌýEdited by Marilyn B. Skinner. Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World. Malden and Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2007. xxvi, 590 pages. $191.99.ÌýThe Dalhousie ReviewÌý88.3 (2008):Ìý453-455.

Review:Ìý³Õ¾±°ù²µ¾±±ô’sÌýAeneid: Decorum. Allusion, and Ideology,Ìýby Wendell Clausen.ÌýThe Dalhousie ReviewÌý84.2 (2003): 315-318.

Review:ÌýClimbing Parnassus,Ìýby Tracy Lee Simmons.ÌýThe Dalhousie ReviewÌý83.3 (2003): 449-451.