Myrto Garani, professor of Latin literature at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, said classical studies have evolved significantly in recent decades: While philology and close textual analysis remain fundamental, the field has become increasingly interdisciplinary and comparative.
"One of the most important developments, in my view, is the increasing interest in comparing Greco-Roman philosophical thought with classical Chinese philosophy," said Garani, who will attend the upcoming World Conference of Classics from Tuesday to Wednesday.
"This comparison is especially valuable because it allows us to examine how two major classical civilizations, developing independently and in very different historical and cultural contexts, reflected upon remarkably similar human concerns."
Despite their historical and geographical distance, both traditions explored questions and developed sophisticated reflections on ethics, virtue, social harmony, self-knowledge, and the search for wisdom and a meaningful life, she said.
