Conjoint Prof. Harold Tarrant

Biography

Professor Harold Tarrant's main interests are in Greek Philosophy; aspects of Greek Comedy, especially Aristophanes; and the ancient Novel. Professor Tarrant joined the University of Newcastle in December 1993 from the School of Archaeology, Classics and Ancient History at the University of Sydney. Professor Tarrant has been an Executive Member of the International Plato Society and is a member of several bodies promoting ancient philosophy and classical studies.

Qualifications

• PhD, University of Durham, 1972
• Master of Arts, University of Cambridge - UK, 1979
• Bachelor of Arts, University of Cambridge - UK, 1968

Research

Research keywords

• Ancient Philosophy
• Ancient commentaries
• Neoplatonism
• Platonism
• computational linguistics

Research expertise

I have been centrally involved in the study of ancient Platonism from Socrates until the Alexandrian Neoplatonists. Individual books have tackled the Academy in the time of Philo of Larissa, the kind of Platonism associated with Thrasyllus and the corpus-organisers, Middle Platonism interpretation of Plato, and most recently Proclus' interpretation of Plato. Much of my work also involves issues central to Plato's own work and the work of his imitators. I have been particularly interested in the literary vehicles for Platonic communication, from Plato's own dialogues to Plutarch, Apuleius, and the Platonic commentaries.

Collaboration

Professor Harold Tarrant has always worked in and around Plato and Platonism in the ancient world, particularly in areas where literature and philosophy intersect. This continues to be Professor Tarrant's principal interest, as evidenced by his role as an active member in both the International Plato Society and the International Society for Platonic Studies.

Languages

• Greek
• Latin

Fields of Research

Centres and Groups

Centre

Group

• Group for Religious and Intellectual Traditions

Memberships

Editorial Board.

• Member - Journal of the History of Philosophy (JHP)
• Member - Dionysius (Dalhousie University, Canada)
• Invited Member IJPT Board - International Society for Neoplatonic Studies

Learned Academy.

• Fellow - Australian Academy of the Humanities (Australian Academy of the Humanities)
• Foreign Member - Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters

Appointments

Visiting Professor University of Toronto, Classics & Philosophy Depts (Canada)	01/01/2006 - 01/04/2006
Guest Editor, European Legacy April 07 International Society for Study of European Ideas (Australia)	01/10/2005 - 01/04/2007

Invitations

2004 Triennial Symposium: Gorgias und Menon International Plato Society, Germany (Conference Presentation - non published.)	2004
Symposium on Platonic Interpretation over the ages Istituto Svizzero di Roma, Italy (Conference Presentation - non published.)	2006
4th Symposium on Greek Philosophy Institute of Philosophical Research, Patra, Greece, Greece (Conference Presentation - non published.)	2004
AAIA Annual Athens Lecture Australian Archaeological Institute at Athens, Australia (Invitation to give Annual Athens Lecture)	2006
AAIA 25th Anniversary Symposium Australian Archaeological Institute at Athens, Greece (Conference Presentation - non published.)	2005
School of History Philosophy Religion Classics University of Queensland, Australia (External Reviewer - Departments.)	2004

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Administrative

Administrative expertise

I have acted as Head of the Department of Classics, and later as Head of the School of Liberal Arts (2002-05). I have sat on a variety of committees, and have been especially involved in the delevopment of the post 2005 BA degree. I have been the convenor of ths degree on a number of occasions.

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Teaching

Teaching keywords

• Ancient Drama
• Ancient philosophy
• Classical Greek
• Latin

Teaching expertise

My teaching centres on the Ancient Greek language, Greek Drama, and Greek ideas of all kinds, along with the ways in which literature chooses to debate ethical and political questions.

Courses

• AHIS3100 - Greek and Roman Political Theory
• AHIS3320 - Greek and Roman Comedy
• AHIS3330 - Greek Tragedy
• GREK1010 - Elementary Greek I

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