The study of emotions has emerged in the last two decades as a major research subject in
ancient studies. One of the primary aims of the study of emotions in the context of Greek and
Roman Antiquity is to explore the means through which emotions are displayed and aroused the
contexts in which these media were applied and the aims that they served. These are the themes
addressed by the studies assembled in this volume based on research conducted in association
with a research project in Oxford. The subjects discussed by the authors include the use of
disgust for the stigmatization and marginalization of individuals and groups the use of
emotions such as anger pity hope fear and affection for the construction of social
hierarchies and political fictions the various means used for the arousal of emotions in drama
historiography oratory and art emotional aspects in the work of Isocrates Polybios and
Philostratos the role of emotions in rhetorical training court dramas petitions and magic
and the display and arousal of emotions in ancient pantomime.
