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Dr Eleanor Cowan

Lecturer
Department of Classics and Ancient History
School of Philosophical and Historical Inquiry (SOPHI)
Quadrangle Building A14
The University of Sydney
NSW 2006 Australia
Office: J6.09 Main Quadrangle,
Phone: (02) 9351 2998
Fax: (02) 9351 3918

Fields of interest

  • Roman history, especially the Late Republic and Early Principate
  • History of ideas and concepts
  • Writers of the Augustan and Tiberian periods
  • Democracy and the Roman Plebs
  • Historiography

Education

  • BA Hons. (University of Sydney)
  • LLB (University of Sydney)
  • PhD (University of Exeter)

Significant Publications

Scholarly Book Chapters

  • *E. Cowan, 2011. ‘Velleius and the princeps Romani nominis’ in E. Cowan ed., Velleius Paterculus: Making History. Classical Press of Wales. pp. 335-46.
  • *E. Cowan, 2011. ‘Introduction’ in E. Cowan ed., Velleius Paterculus: Making History. Classical Press of Wales. pp. ix-xiii
  • E. Cowan, 2008. ‘Libertas in the Philippics’, in T.R. Stevenson and M. Wilson (eds), Cicero’s Philippics: history, rhetoric, ideology. Prudentia 37-38 Auckland: 140-52.

Edited books

  • (ed.) Velleius Paterculus. Making History This is an edited volume of 20 papers by leading international scholars which has been published by the Classical Press of Wales. It has been very favourably reviewed: ‘...the book is a milestone in scholarship on Velleius’ I. Wiegand, BMCR 2012. ISBN 9781905125456.

Refereed journal articles

  • ‘Tacitus, Tiberius and Augustus’. Classical Antiquity 28.2 (2009) 179-209.
  • ‘Tiberius and Augustus in Tiberian Sources’. Historia 58.4 (2009) 468-85.
  • ‘’Marius’ in Nicolaus of Damascus. Some Implications from Chronology’, Athenaeum 97.1 (2009) 159-69.
  • E. Chambers, ‘Having Hirtius to Dinner: optimates and populares in the Late Republic’, ERAS 3 (2002) ISSN 1445-5218.

Conference submissions

  • 2013. ‘Abiding by the law in Cicero's forensic rhetoric’. Australasian Society for Classical Studies. January 19th.
  • 2010. ‘Appian and Deceit’. Appian Conference (University of Sydney). April 5th.
  • *2009. ‘Velleius Paterculus and the res publica’. School of Classics and Ancient History research seminar. (University of Sydney) 27th July.
  • 2008. ‘Succession. The presentation of Tiberius’ relationship with Augustan precedent in contemporary (Tiberian) sources,’ Identity, Representation and the Principate AD14-68 (University of St Andrews) 18-20 June.
  • *2008. ‘Velleius Paterculus and the princeps Romani nominis’, Velleius Paterculus: Making History (University of Leicester).
  • 2007. ‘Plebs, Politics and Public Space’, School of Archaeology and Ancient History Research Seminar (University of Leicester).
  • 2007. ‘The Law Abiding Citizen: Cicero’s de legibus and his political speeches de imperio Cn. Pompei, pro Marcello and Philippics,’ Classical Association Conference (University of Birmingham).
  • 2006. ‘Tiberius and Augustus’, Classical Association Conference (University of Newcastle).
  • *2006. ‘Velleius and the Res Publica’ Department of Classics Research Seminar (University of Nottingham) invited paper.
  • *2005. ‘Velleius and the res publica,’ AMPAH (University of Leicester).
  • 2005. ‘Augustus, Tiberius and Velleius,’ Classical Association Conference (University of Reading).
  • 2003. ‘Libertas in the Philippics’, Cicero’s Philippics Conference (University of Auckland).
  • 2003. ‘Contemporary perceptions of the res publica: Consolatio ad Liviam’, School of Classics and Ancient History research seminar. (University of Sydney).
  • 2003. ‘Contemporary Perceptions of the Res Publica: Consolatio ad Liviam’, Classical Association Conference (University of Warwick).
  • 2002. ‘The world whose ruin we feared we found not even disturbed: Tacitus, Velleius Paterculus and the death of Augustus’, Liverpool Interdisciplinary Symposium in Antiquity: Cult and Death (University of Liverpool).
  • 2002. ‘Tiberius and Augustus: ‘Obsequious devotion’ and ‘slavish adherence’?’, Cardiff-Bristol-Exeter-Swansea Graduate Conference (Cardiff University).
  • 2002. ‘Caesar is Coming Home: the significance of returning to Rome in contemporary perceptions of the res publica’, Classics and Ancient History Departmental Seminar (University of Exeter).
  • 2001. ‘Resurrecting Ghosts? Optimates and populares in Roman Politics’, Postgraduate Research Seminar Exeter University (University of Exeter).

Other

  • E. Cowan ed. 2009. Shorter and extended notes on Church and Brodribb’s Tacitus. Annals, Histories, Agricola and Germany. Everyman Press. ISBN-10: 1841593117; ISBN-13: 978-18415931
  • E. Cowan 2008. (review) G. Woolf, Et tu Brute. A short History of Political Murder. BMCR 2008.11.06
  • *E.R. Chambers. 2006. Res Publica. Augustus to Tiberius. PhD Thesis. University of Exeter.
  • E. Cowan. 2006. ‘Tacitus, Tiberius and Augustus’, Omnibus 52: 18