Boundaries and Liminality in Flavian Poetry

Cologne International Forum Innovative Tandem Collaboration: August 2023 - July 2024

Dr. India Nattermann (Chapel Hill, USA)

Partner at the University of Cologne: Prof. Dr. Anja Bettenworth (Classical Philology)

Dr. India Watkins Nattermann, in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Anja Bettenworth and with support from the Cologne International Forum, will organize a conference titled “Boundaries and Liminality in Flavian Poetry” (June 6–9, 2024). This conference’s theme will examine the Flavian flowering of literature (69–96 CE) through the interdisciplinary theme of borders—both upheld and breached, metaphorical and literal—and through sociopolitical, metapoetic, and theoretical perspectives. With contributors from across Europe and North America and from all career levels, this conference will facilitate international collaboration and scholarly exchange, resulting in the publication of a peer-reviewed volume.

Duration:  August 2023 - July 2024 
Participants: Dr. India Nattermann and Prof. Dr. Anja Bettenworth

Key Findings
The international conference “Boundaries and Liminality in Flavian Poetry”, funded by the Cologne International Forum, took place from June 6 to 9, 2024, and successfully brought together scholars from various countries and career levels to explore the theme of boundaries in Flavian literature. The discussions revealed the intricate ways in which Flavian poets engaged with the notions of physical, social, and literary boundaries. The interdisciplinary approach of the conference provided fresh insights into Flavian poetry’s engagement with intertextuality, bodily transformations, geographic borders, and the concept of poetic identity. A key outcome of the project was the decision to publish a collected volume in the prestigious Mnemosyne Supplements series by De Gruyter Brill. The volume will bring together the diverse perspectives presented at the conference, ensuring a lasting academic contribution to the field.

Methodology
The conference was structured around five thematic panels, which examined generic boundaries and intertextuality, bodily boundaries, physical borders and walls, doubled and liminal characters, and the boundaries of poetic authorship. These themes guided discussions on how Flavian poets interacted with earlier literary traditions; represented gender, identity, and transformation; reflected geographical and political divisions; characterized marginalized figures; and presented self-representation and authority in their poetic works. In addition to these panels, scholars from Europe and North America participated in workshops and informal discussions, fostering an atmosphere of collaboration - including a lecture by Prof. Patricia Rosenmeyer (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) at the University of Cologne titled “Nearchos Navigates the Nile.”

Continuing Research
The conference has laid the groundwork for future collaborations between the participating scholars and institutions. Several key initiatives have emerged from this project, including the publication of the conference proceedings, which ensures that the research findings will be widely accessible.  Additionally, networking opportunities for early-career scholars have been fostered, facilitating mentorship and international exchange, which will continue through future events and joint research initiatives.