2025 Interdisciplinary Seminar on “Competition and Excellence” in Greco-Roman Culture

10th Interdisciplinary Symposium on the Hellenic Heritage of Sicily and Southern Italy

with the theme of

“Athlos, Athlon, Athlētēs”

Exedra Mediterranean Center, Syracuse, Sicily, November 24-27, 2025

With an post-conference tour to Agrigento and Piazza Armerina, November 28-29

Call for Abstracts

The stories of ancient Greek heroes like Heracles inspired a competitive culture in which achievement was the product of struggle and effort. To be an athlete (athlētēs) in this context meant taking on a challenge (athlos) for the sake of some prize (athlon)—but it extended far beyond sport. Athletic striving was a feature of oratory, politics, jurisprudence, music, drama, education, and even philosophy, which understood moral virtue in terms of excellence (aretē). The purpose of this conference is to explore this athletic ethos in sport and far beyond it by reflecting on the phenomenon of competitive striving in a variety of practices at various times and places in Greco-Roman antiquity.

Our conference takes place at the Exedra Mediterranean Center in Syracuse, Sicily—the cultural center of Western Greece known by Epicharmus, Empedocles, Plato, Aeschylus, Sappho, Theocritus, Archimedes, Cicero and many others.  It will include academic presentations, visits to the Neapolis archeological park and Paolo Orsi museum, and a post-conference excursion to the archaeological site and museum of ancient Akragas. We will also enjoy traditional Sicilian food and hospitality, plus an American style Thanksgiving dinner (with families invited) Thursday evening.

Proposals for presentations related to any aspect of the topic are welcome. Abstracts for papers should be 200-300 words in length, prepared for blind review, and saved in .docx or .rtf. They should include a title, but no footnotes or references. Evaluation criteria include quality, relevance to the conference theme, and relevance to the heritage of Sicily and Southern Italy. Scholars are welcome to participate without presenting a paper, and can request to be on the program as a session chair.