Group Minds in Ancient Narrative

✨ A memorable evening of intellectual exchange at the University of Cyprus!

🎓Our research project was honoured to welcome Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Jonas Grethlein (University of Heidelberg), one of the world's leading scholars in Classical Studies and ancient narratology, for his lecture “Oikonomia: The Ancient Entanglements of Narrative Arrangement and Estate Management.”

🎓Prof. Grethlein's thought-provoking presentation explored the fascinating connections between storytelling, cognition, and the organisation of social and economic life in antiquity. The lecture sparked a lively discussion with active participation from students, researchers, and members of the public, demonstrating the enduring power of the Classics to inspire new ways of thinking about literature, society, and the human mind.

🎓We are deeply grateful to Prof. Grethlein for his inspiring lecture, generosity, and engagement with the Cypriot academic community. It was a privilege to host such a distinguished scholar, and we look forward to continuing our exchange of ideas and developing future collaborations.

🎓At Group Minds in Ancient Narrative, we remain committed to bringing internationally renowned scholars to Cyprus and fostering cutting-edge research at the intersection of Classics, narratology, and cognitive studies.

👏 Thank you to everyone who joined us and contributed to the stimulating discussion!👏

🚨 Upcoming Lecture by Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Jonas Grethlein (University of Heidelberg) at the University of Cyprus 🚨

What do storytelling and estate management have in common in the ancient world?

The ERC-funded project Group Minds in Ancient Narrative invites you to a fascinating lecture by Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Jonas Grethlein (University of Heidelberg), one of the leading voices in modern Classical scholarship and a pioneer in bringing narrative theory and cognitive approaches into the study of ancient texts.

In his talk, “Oikonomia: The Ancient Entanglements of Narrative Arrangement and Estate Management,” Grethlein explores how ancient thinkers connected the way stories are structured with the way households and resources are organised—offering fresh insights into how meaning, thought, and even collective ways of thinking are shaped in literature.

📅 Friday, 8 May 2026
🕖 19:00
📍 University of Cyprus, Social Facilities Centre (Room 018)
🎟️ Free entry | Registration required
📩 Reserve your place by 2 May: [email protected]

Join us for an evening that brings together Classics, narrative, and cognition in a truly thought-provoking way.

For more info: https://www.ucy.ac.cy/groupminds/distinguished-lecture-by-prof-jonas-grethlein-university-of-heidelberg/

“Speaking Groups in Attic Oratory” by Dr. Chrysanthos S. Chrysanthou (Chrysanthos Chrysanthou)

📢 We are excited to share that the Principal Investigator of Group Minds in Ancient Narrative has a new article accepted in the American Journal of Philology!

📚 The study explores the intriguing phenomenon of the ancient narrative “we-voice” in Attic oratory, combining ancient rhetorical theory with modern cognitive approaches. It shows how collective voices—imagined yet grounded in real civic groups—shape persuasion, responsibility, and ethical reasoning in powerful ways.

🚀 This publication highlights the project’s ongoing contribution to innovative, interdisciplinary research in Classics and cognitive theory.

Dr Chrysanthou’s “Speaking Groups in Attic Oratory” accepted for publication in AJP We are delighted to announce that a new article by the Principal Investigator of the Group Minds in Ancient Narrative project, Dr Chrysantho S. Chrysanthou, has […]

📢 New Publication Accepted!

We are thrilled to share that a new article by our postdoctoral researcher Dr Kyriakoula Tzortzopoulou (Kely Tzortzopoulou) has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Early Christian Studies (JECS).

Her study explores collective emotion, unity, and social cohesion in John Chrysostom’s "Homilies on the Statues", highlighting how emotional communities are shaped in moments of crisis.

Another important contribution from the GROUPMINDS team to the international research community of Classics.

Congratulations, Kyriakoula! 👏
https://www.ucy.ac.cy/groupminds/new-publication-in-journal-of-early-christian-studies/

📢 Great news from the Group Minds team!

Our new co-authored article — “Concordia and Social Cognition in Latin Literature” (Chrysanthou, Tzortzopoulou & Waldron) — has been accepted for publication in Mnemosyne! 🎉
The piece rethinks Roman concordia as a form of shared cognition and emotional alignment, bringing Latin literature into dialogue with modern cognitive theory.
A wonderful example of collaborative, interdisciplinary research in action.
👏👏👏Congratulations to the team!
More details here:

Joint Research Success: Forthcoming publication in “Mnemosyne” We are delighted to announce that a new co-authored article by members of the GROUPMINDS research team has been accepted for publication in Mnemosyne, one of […]

📢 Another publication success for GROUPMINDS!

Dr Kyriakoula Tzortzopoulou’s (Kely Tzortzopoulou) article, “Binding and Dividing: John Chrysostom on Collective Emotions in the Riot of the Statues,” has been accepted in the Journal of Early Christian Studies.

The article examines how collective emotions shaped social cohesion — or division — in Antioch after the Riot of 387 AD, and how Chrysostom sought to transform crisis into solidarity.

✨ A powerful contribution to both early Christian studies and contemporary debates on collective emotion.

Congratulations!

Dr Kyriakoula Tzortzopoulou’s Article on Collective Emotions and Social Cohesion Accepted in the Journal of Early Christian Studies We are pleased to announce that a second article by Dr Kyriakoula Tzortzopoulou, Postdoctoral Researcher of our project, has been accepted for publication in the Journal of […]

🎉 Great news from GroupMinds!

Dr Kyriakoula Tzortzopoulou’s article, “Collective Emotions and Intersubjectivity in John Chrysostom,” has been accepted for publication in Mnemosyne.

The study explores how a “collective mind” was cultivated in Late Antiquity through Chrysostom’s image of the Church as one body, highlighting shared emotions such as compassion and co-suffering as fundamentally communal experiences.

By connecting early Christian thought with modern theories of collective cognition, the article makes a significant contribution to the core research of our ERC project.

👏 Warm congratulations!

Dr Kyriakoula Tzortzopoulou’s Article on Collective Emotions in John Chrysostom Accepted in Mnemosyne We are delighted to announce that an article by Dr Kyriakoula Tzortzopoulou, Postdoctoral Researcher of our project, has been accepted for publication in the prestigious journal […]

🎓 Group Minds at the ASCS Conference!

🌍 On Tuesday, 3 February 2026, our postdoctoral researcher Dr Byron Waldron presented a paper at the Australasian Society of Classical Studies Conference, held in Auckland.

📖His paper, “Group Minds in Roman Political Leadership: The Dyarchy and Tetrarchy as a Case Study,” explored how ideas of collective or group minds can help us understand Roman political leadership.

👏 Congratulations to Dr Waldron on a successful presentation and on representing the Group Minds in Ancient Narrative project at an international conference!

Find our more on this presentation here:

Group Minds at the Australasian Society of Classical Studies Conference On Tuesday, 3 February 2026, our postdoctoral researcher Dr Byron Waldron presented a paper at the annual conference of the Australasian Society of Classical Studies (ASCS). […]

🎉 Exciting News from the GROUPMINDS Project! 🎉

It’s been a busy season for our GROUPMINDS researchers — after sharing work in the US and Athens, we’re now heading to the UK as well!

Our proposed panel “Group Minds in Late Antiquity” has been officially accepted for the International Medieval Congress (IMC) Leeds 2026 — one of the biggest gatherings in medieval studies worldwide!

Three of our team members — Byron Waldron, Kyriakoula Tzortzopoulou, and Thea Lawrence — will present fresh research on how ancient communities thought, felt, and acted together in Late Antiquity, from imperial co-rule and urban unrest to ascetic female networks.

We’re thrilled to see GROUPMINDS research heading to Leeds next summer!

👉 Read the full announcement on our website and stay tuned for more updates as we get closer to IMC 2026!

GROUPMINDS Panel Accepted at the International Medieval Congress (IMC) Leeds 2026 - Group Minds in Ancient Narrative We are delighted to announce that a panel proposed by three members of our ERC project “Group Minds in Ancient Narrative” (GROUPMINDS) has been officially accepted […]

🎉 GROUPMINDS in Athens! 🎉

In November, our post-doc researcher Kyriakoula Tzortzopoulou presented her work at the international conference “Cognition and Emotion in Ancient Historical Writing” at the Danish Institute in Athens.

Her talk — “Exploring the internal dynamics of collective emotions in ancient narratives: the case of the Riot on the Statues (4th c. A.D.)” — examined how emotions spread and intensify within communities during moments of crisis, and how leaders like John Chrysostom could actively reshape collective feelings and strengthen social cohesion. A perfect match with our project’s focus on group cognition and shared mental life!

A big bravo to Kyriakoula for representing GROUPMINDS in such an exciting and interdisciplinary event! 📚

👉 Read the full announcement on our website:

GROUPMINDS at the “Cognition and Emotion in Ancient Historical Writing” Conference (Athens, November 2025) - Group Minds in Ancient Narrative We are pleased to report that our post-doc researcher Kyriakoula Tzortzopoulou represented the GROUPMINDS project at the international conference Cognition and Emotion in Ancient Historical Writing, […]