David Carter
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+44 (0) 118 378 6473
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Head of Institute
Currently on secondment as Head of the International Study and Language Institute
Areas of interest
My research interests are in Greek drama and Greek political thought. A great deal (though not all) of my research to date is inspired by an enthusiasm for political drama in all its forms. (My favourite TV show is The West Wing, my favourite modern playwright is David Hare, and my favourite opera is John Adam's Nixon in China.)
A central question in the study of Greek drama – essentially the question behind each of my two books – is: in what ways is Greek tragedy a political art form?
Fairly early in my work on tragedy and politics I came up against the problem of the Greeks and (human/natural or legal) rights: is it reasonable to discuss ancient Greek ideas of justice in terms of rights, or was the concept foreign to them?
Research centres and groups
I was a founding member of the international network on The Legacy of Greek Political Thought. I am currently co-editing a companion volume on this subject for Brill.
Background
I am a keen supporter of classics teaching in secondary schools and I am happy to give talks to sixth formers, especially in the state sector. In a previous life I was Head of Classics in a large boys' comprehensive school, and for two years I was chair of the Classical Civilisation committee of the Joint Association of Classical Teachers.Publications
- Carter, D. (2018) Tragic parrhesia. In: Villaceque, N. , (eds.) A l'Assemblée comme au théâtre. Pratiques délibératives des Anciens, perceptions et résonances modernes. Hors serie Presses Universitaires de Rennes , Rennes. pp. 91-109. ISBN: 9782753573116
- Carter, D. (2018) Society and politics in post-fifth century tragedy. In: Liapis, V. and Petrides, A. , (eds.) Greek Tragedy After the Fifth Centur: A Survey from ca. 400 BC to ca. AD 400. Cambridge University Press , Cambridge. pp. 270-294. ISBN: 9781139833936 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1017/9781139833936.011
- Carter, D. (2013) Reported assembly scenes in Greek Tragedy. Illinois Classical Studies , 38 pp. 23-63. ISSN: 0363-1923 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.5406/illiclasstud.38.0023
- Carter, D. (2013) Republicanism, rights and democratic Athens. Polis , 30 (1). pp. 73-91. ISSN: 2051-2996
- Carter, D. (2012) Antigone. In: Markantonatos, A. , (eds.) Brill's Companion to Sophocles. Brill's companions in classical studies Brill , Leiden. pp. 111-128. ISBN: 9789004184923
- Carter, D. (2011) Plato, drama, and rhetoric. In: Carter, D. , (eds.) Why Athens? A reappraisal of tragic politics. Oxford University Press , Oxford, UK. pp. 45-67. ISBN: 9780199562329
- Carter, D. and Griffith, M. (2011) Introduction. In: Carter, D. , (eds.) Why Athens? A reappraisal of tragic politics. Oxford University Press , Oxford, UK. pp. 1-16. ISBN: 9780199562329
- Carter, D. , eds. (2011) Why Athens? A reappraisal of tragic politics. Oxford University Press , Oxford, UK. pp 450. ISBN: 9780199562329
- Carter, D. (2010) The demos in Greek tragedy. The Cambridge Classical Journal , 56 pp. 47-94. ISSN: 1750-2705
- Carter, D. (2007) Could a Greek oath guarantee a claim right? Oaths, contracts and the structure of obligation in Greek society. In: Sommerstein, A. and Fletcher, J. , (eds.) Horkos: the oath in Greek society . Exeter University Press , Exeter. pp. 60-72. ISBN: 9781904675679
- Carter, D. (2007) The politics of Greek Tragedy. Exeter University Press , Exeter. pp 136. ISBN: 9781904675501
- Carter, D. (2006) At home, round here, out there: the city and tragic space. In: Rosen, R. and Sluiter, I. , (eds.) City, countryside and the spatial organisation of value in classical antiquity. Brill , Leiden. pp. 139-172. ISBN: 9789004150430
- Carter, D. (2005) The co-operative temper: a third dramatic role in Sophoclean tragedy. Mnemosyne , 58 (2). pp. 161-182. ISSN: 0026-7074 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1163/156852505774249523
- Carter, D. (2004) Citizen attribute, negative right: a conceptual difference between ancient and modern ideas of freedom of speech. In: Sluiter, I. and Rosen, R. , (eds.) Free speech in classical antiquity. Brill (254). , Leiden, The Netherlands. pp. 197-220. ISBN: 9789004139251
- Carter, D. (2004) Was Attic tragedy democratic?. Polis , 21 (1-2). pp. 1-25. ISSN: 0142-257X