Virgin Territory: The Vestals and the Transition from Republic to Principate

The cult of Vesta was vital to the city of Rome. The goddess was associated with the City’s very foundation, and Romans believed that the continuity of the state depended on the sexual and moral purity of her priestesses. In this dissertation, Virgin Territory: The Vestals and the Transition from Republic to Principóte, I examine the Vestal cult between c. 150 BCE and 14 CE, that is, from the beginning of Roman domination in the Mediterranean to the establishment of authoritarian rule at Rome. Six aspects of the cult are discussed: the Vestals’ relationship with water in ritual and literature; a re-evaluation of Vestal incestum (unchastity) which seeks a nuanced approach to the evidence and examines the record of incestum cases; the Vestals’ extra-ritual activities; the Vestals’ role as custodians of politically sensitive documents; the Vestals’ legal standing relative to other Roman women, especially in the context of Augustus’ moral reform legislation; and the cult’s changing relationship with the topography of Rome in light of the construction of a new shrine to Vesta on the Palatine after Augustus became pontifex maximus in 12 BCE. It will be shown that the cult of Vesta did not survive the turmoil of the Late Republic unchanged, nor did it maintain its ancient prerogative in the face of Augustus’ ascendancy. The thesis therefore sheds new light on our understanding of the nature, role and significance of the Vestal cult during the Roman revolution

The strange death and curious after-lives of the academic journal

Discussion at a session featuring a panel of editors of six leading media and communication journals. Annual conference of the Australian and New Zealand Communication Association, University of Melbourne, July 2007

Elements of Country: a First Nations-first approach to chemistry

Collectively, we have chosen to explore an Australian First Nations-first approach to understanding the chemical elements. We believe that engagement with cultural heritage, ongoing cultures, and the knowledges of this place—the lands on which we work, live, and study—will lead to new ways of understanding the elements and change the way we practice chemistry. The “First Nations first” phrase and approach comes from understanding the unique place that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have in the Australian context. In this paper we explore how a First Nations-first approach could take place in Sydney on Aboriginal lands. This approach is led by Aboriginal people, engages with culture, and is produced with local knowledge holders. So far, the work has entailed two years of meeting, conversing, and sharing space to determine appropriate ways of working together, interrogating the complexities of the ideas, and to refining our approach to the work. To appreciate the significant shift that a First Nations-first approach represents for chemistry, we consider the legacy of the Periodic Table. We share some reflections on how Indigenous knowledges can contribute to an expanded chemistry curriculum through the recognition of productive cultural tension