Robert Groves

Interests

Research

Multilingualism in the Ancient World (and its representation)The Greek NovelModern Performance of Ancient Drama

Teaching

Classical MythologyAmerican Reception of AntiquityAncient Greek DramaThe Ancient NovelAncient Greek Language (at all levels)Ancient Greek HistoryAncient Greek Oratory

Courses

Scholarly Contributions

Journals/Publications

• Groves, R. (2015). Statues and Stories: Ovid's Metamorphosis of Hermaphroditus. Classical World.
  More info

  ABSTRACT: Prior to Ovid's Metamorphoses, Hermaphroditus was largely the subject of visual artists' work, rather than poets'. Statues make the revelation of the god's identity a humorous and surprising focal point, and encourage attention to the artistry which causes confusion. I read Ovid in the light of the sculptural tradition and argue that Ovid manipulates the readers’ responses to create an experience parallel to the viewing of Hermaphroditus. Ovid ensures a surprise ending and encourages rewinding and examining the deception, replicating in text the experience of the visual encounter, changing Hermaphroditus from a static statue to a dynamic character.
• Groves, R. (2016). From Statue to Story: Ovid's Metamorphosis of Hermaphroditus. Classical World, 109(3), 321-356. doi:10.1353/clw.2016.0032
  More info

  Prior to Ovid’s Metamorphoses , Hermaphroditus was a popular subject of sculpture but never of extended mythological narrative. Statues make the discovery of the god’s identity a humorous and surprising focal point and encourage attention to the artistry that conveys the discover’s confusion. I read Ovid in the light of the sculptural tradition and argue that Ovid manipulates the readers’ responses to create an experience parallel to the viewing of Hermaphroditus. Ovid ensures a surprise ending and encourages rewinding and examining the deception, replicating in text the experience of the visual encounter and changing Hermaphroditus from a static statue to a dynamic literary character.

Presentations

• Groves, R. (2022, January). Story Map: A New Narrative Mapping Tool. Annual Meeting of the Society for Classical Studies. Virtual: Society for Classical Studies.
  More info

  Lightning talk presenting digital tool developed as part of COH-Digital Humaniites seed grant.
• Groves, R., & Burns, K. (2021, October). Facing our Fears: “The Gladiator” as a Case Study in Classics and Race. Ancient Drama in Performance VI. Lynchburg Virginia: Randolph College Center for Ancient Drama.
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  Invited Keynote talk.
• Groves, R. (2018, October). Rescripting Senecan Performability in Agamemnon Act 1. Ancient Drama in Performance V. Lynchburg, VA: The Center for Ancient Drama.
• Groves, R. (2017, April). "Next to Normal:" An Interior Oresteia. Classical Association of the Middle-West and South. Kitchener, Ontario: CAMWS.
• Groves, R. (2016, November). Glossed in Translation: Some Multilingual Moments in Ancient Greek Literature. Arizona in Italy/ Dorrance Foundation Lecture Series. Centro Studi di Orvieto: Arizona in Italy, Dorrance Foundation.
• Groves, R. (2014, April). "Cassandra Barbarophonos: Aeschylus at the Language Barrier”. CAMWS 2014. Waco, Texas: Classical Association of the Middle West and South.
• Groves, R. (2014, January). Statues and Stories: Hermaphroditus in Art and in Ovid. AIA Tucson Lecture Series. Tucson, Arizona: Archaeological Institute of America.

Creative Productions

• Groves, R. (2014. Rudens: The Musical!. APA Conference 2014. Chicago, IL: APA Committee on Ancient and Modern Performance (CAMP).
  More info

  A fully realized, staged reading of Plautus' "Rudens" presented with music and songs. I played the character of Gripus in the production, and now possess a DVD of the production.

Creative Performances

• Groves, R. (2021. Euripides' Helen. CAMP performance: Society for Classical Studies. Virtual: Society for Classical Studies.
• Groves, R. (2020. Cato: a Tragedy (Rob Groves, Director). CAMP performance: Society for Classical Studies. Washington D.C., Marriot Marquis Hotel: SCS Committee on Ancient and Modern Performance.
• Groves, R. (2016. Plautus' Truculentus. Society for Classical Studies. Toronto, Ontario: Society for Classical Studies, Committee on Ancient and Modern Performance.