[Usyd_Classics_Events] CAH/CCANESA Research Seminar #2 Leah O'Hearn Sept 1

[Ben Brown]

Dear Friends of Classics and Ancient History,

Our next seminar will take place on Thursday, the 1st of September at 4pm, (AEST UTC/GMT +10: on campus and on Zoom) with

Leah O’Hearn (LaTrobe University).

"Nocet esse feracem: An Ecofeminist Analysis of the Nux and Ovid’s Daphne (Met. 1.452–567)."

Abstract:
The Nux depicts the complaints of a walnut tree who is pelted with stones and beaten with rods when she bears fruit. Its overriding concerns with fertility, nature, the female, and violence evoke Ovid’s stories of women transformed into trees in the Metamorphoses(Sharrock 2020). Discussion of the Nux, however, has largely centred on its authorship. Recognising its deep engagement with Ovid’s work, I set aside this question to take an ecofeminist approach and demonstrate how the Nux figures the domination of nature and the oppression of women as outcomes of the same ideology (Gaard 1993; cf. Cowan [unpublished]). I argue that the poem feminises the walnut tree so that, for instance, her complaints about fertility bringing harm (‘it hurts to be fertile’, nocet esse feracem, 107) and her criticism of trees who sabotage their fertility to be beautiful (‘now she who wants to look beautiful mars her womb’, nunc uterum vitiat quae vult formosa videri, 23) have meaning for human women. I then examine Ovid’s Daphne, who wants to escape fertility and marriage (Ov. Met. 1.481–8) but still suffers through her beauty when she is transformed into a laurel tree. Reading these stories in concert can reveal now only how the Nux comments on Ovid’s arboreal women but also how it reflects as much upon the control of human female sexuality as it does upon human abuses of nature.

Presenter bio
Leah O’Hearn works on literature of the late Roman Republic and early Empire, with a particular focus on Catullus and the Augustan love elegists. She is working on her first monograph, The Lover in Conflict: Catullus, Masculinity, and Self-Control, which uses the philosophical concept of akrasia (weakness of will) to explore how Catullus represents himself failing to restrain his erotic desire. She is also interested in the Environmental Humanities, especially ecocritical approaches to ancient literature. She completed her PhD at La Trobe University in 2020, after an MA at Durham University and BA (Hons) at UNE.

Please register for this free online presentation (if you have not already registered for the series):
https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/ru_iC3QNPBimw2LjvuggFMG?domain=signup.e2ma.net<https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/vFqEC4QOPEiJylLZxIxxL0K?domain=t.e2ma.net>

Venue information
While we had intially planned an online seminar, we are delighted to announce that Dr. O'Hearn will be able to join us in person! Therefore, this event will be presented in a hybrid format.
The on campus venue is the series' traditional home, the CCANESA Boardroom. We would ask our audience to please be mindful to follow all safety precautions in this space, including signing in and out of the Centre at the front desk, and maintaining social distancing. The use of masks in the Centre is encouraged.
The Zoom meeting details for this seminar are:
Meeting URL: https://uni-sydney.zoom.us/s/81304089476<https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/Y35rC5QPXJi0o6qy1Cyrwho?domain=t.e2ma.net>
Meeting ID: 813 0408 9476


Please note, our seminars begin promptly at 4 pm. To assist in facilitating the online space, please ensure that your Zoom username matches the name on your registration (where possible).

Please note further that by participating in this seminar, you agree to abide by the University of Sydney’s ICT policy. You can view the policy here: https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/vojFC6XQ4LfoEyQRJc5bReE?domain=sydney.edu.au<https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/GAtYC71R2NTmvZ3rYuqAUTO?domain=t.e2ma.net>

An extra note on recording of seminars:
As part of a School initiative to preserve our online content for potential future use, we intend to record our seminars. If you would not like to be inadvertently recorded, please turn off your video and microphone after joining the meeting.

We look forward to seeing you at the commencement of a new season for an exciting paper!
For any further information or questions, please contact us at ccanesa.general at sydney.edu.au<mailto:ccanesa.general at sydney.edu.au>

All best, Ben

DR BEN BROWN
Classics and Ancient History
School of Humanities A18
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Co-director Critical Antiquities Network
THE UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY NSW 2006
Ph.: 9351 8983; Office: Main Quad J6.07
E benjamin.brown at sydney.edu.au<mailto:benjamin.brown at sydney.edu.au> | W https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/tTczC81V0PTjlYnmgswFXo5?domain=sydney.edu.au

Erst kommt das Fressen, dann kommt die Moral

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