Staff profile

I studied Classics at Oxford and then completed postgraduate work at Nottingham, emerging from the latter with a Ph.D. and then taking up a post at Durham.

Research

Research interests: Greek comedy, tragedy and paratragedy (5^_th – 3^_rd centuries BCE); 20th and 21st c. popular culture and ancient Greek literature, especially children's media and animation; the popularisation of Greek drama in the ancient world; classical reception of Greek drama in 4^_th c. BCE philosophy;

Current research

1. I love to explore the form and use of paratragedy in fragments of Old Comedy and considers how this can be viewed as a mode of reception and popularisation of Greek drama in its earliest performance contexts. I am currently working on a monograph on the Fragments of Old Comedy. See my publications below "Chapter in Book" on: "Aristophanes' Fragmentary Contemporaries" and my work on: Paratragedy and Strattis. This builds on my thesis, which focused on one poet: "Strattis, Tragedy, and Comedy", available at: http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/10887/

2. I was delighted to be an organiser on the 'Plato on Comedy Project in the Department of Classics and Ancient History at Durham. We are putting the finishing touches to an edited volume on Plato and Comedy with CUP. My co-organisers are Dr. Anthony Hooper (University of Wollongong, Australia), Prof. Andrea Capra (Durham Univeristy & Università degli Studi di Milano), Dr. George Gazis (Durham University), Ms Marta Antola (Durham University) and Ms Maddalena Ruini (Durham University). The project takes a uniquely interdisciplinary approach to the study of Plato's relationship with comedy, drawing on the expertise both of philosophers and classicists to explore the complexities of Plato's views on, treatment of and interactions with comedy. We held research seminars in 2018-19, an international workshop in March 2019, and a conference in July 2019. We hope to continue these conversations in future meetings. 

School Talks

I am more than happy to give talks in schools on topics related to Greek literature. Topics include: all things Aristophanes!, Greek drama, Greek Comedy, Greek Tragedy, Greek literature in contemporary pop. culture. Just get in touch, and feel free to suggest other topics.

• Greek comedy, comic fragments, mime, paratragedy and tragedy (5th – 3rd centuries BCE), Plato's relationship with drama, and Greek myth in 20th and 21st c. popular culture, children's media and animation.
• I love to explore the relationship between comic and tragic and everything in between. Previous research has focused on the form and use of paratragedy in fragments of Old Comedy, considering how this can be viewed as a mode of reception and popularisation of Greek drama in its earliest performance contexts. I am currently working on a commentary for the KomFrag Project on Aristophanes' Daitales and other fragmentary comedies. See my publications below "Chapter in Book" on: "Aristophanes' Fragmentary Contemporaries" and my work on: Paratragedy and Strattis. This builds on my thesis, which focused on one poet: "Strattis, Tragedy, and Comedy", available at: http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/10887/
• Following the 'Plato on Comedy' Project in the Department of Classics and Ancient History at Durham, along with my co-organisers Dr. Anthony Hooper (University of Wollongong, Australia), Prof. Andrea Capra (Durham Univeristy & Università degli Studi di Milano), we are putting the finishing touches to an edited volume on Plato and Comedy with CUP.  The project took a uniquely interdisciplinary approach to the study of Plato's relationship with comedy, drawing on the expertise both of philosophers and classicists to explore the complexities of Plato's views on, treatment of and interactions with comedy.
• I appeared on BBC Radio 4 In Our Time (April 2024) to talk about Aristophanes' Lysistrata alongside my colleagues Prof. Paul Cartledge and Prof. James Robson. It was a lot of fun to explore this play together. You can still hear the recording here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001y2z4

Book review

• Review of Matteo Pellegrino, Aristofane. Commedie Perdute. Antologia di frammenti. Roma: Carocci Editore 2024
  
  Miles, S. (in press). Review of Matteo Pellegrino, Aristofane. Commedie Perdute. Antologia di frammenti. Roma: Carocci Editore 2024. Gnomon.
• (D.) Sells Parody, Politics and the Populace in Greek Old Comedy. London and New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2019. Pp. 291 £85. 9781350060517
  
  Miles, S. (2023). (D.) Sells Parody, Politics and the Populace in Greek Old Comedy. London and New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2019. Pp. 291 £85. 9781350060517. Journal of Hellenic Studies, 1-2. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0075426923000010
• Interactions Between Greek Tragedy and Comedy. Book Review of: Jendza (C.) Paracomedy. Appropriations of Comedy in Greek Tragedy
  
  Miles, S. (2023). Interactions Between Greek Tragedy and Comedy. Book Review of: Jendza (C.) Paracomedy. Appropriations of Comedy in Greek Tragedy. The Classical Review, 73(1), 63-65. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0009840x22002372
• Matthew Wright. The Lost Plays of Greek Tragedy. Vol 1: Neglected Authors. Bloomsbury Academic: London & New York, 2016. Pp. xxix + 277. Price: £21.99. Paperback. ISBN 978-1-47-25256775-8
  
  Miles, S. (2018). Matthew Wright. The Lost Plays of Greek Tragedy. Vol 1: Neglected Authors. Bloomsbury Academic: London & New York, 2016. Pp. xxix + 277. Price: £21.99. Paperback. ISBN 978-1-47-25256775-8. Hermathena : A Trinity College Dublin Review., 195(Winter 2013), 93-97.
• S. Halliwell, Aristophanes, Clouds, Women at the Thesmophoria, Frogs: A Verse Translation with Introduction and Notes, Oxford 2015
  
  Miles, S. (2017). S. Halliwell, Aristophanes, Clouds, Women at the Thesmophoria, Frogs: A Verse Translation with Introduction and Notes, Oxford 2015. Journal of Hellenic Studies, 137, 231-232. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0075426917000210
• The Afterlife of Greek Comedy in Roman Times - Marshall (C.W.), Hawkins (T.) (edd.) Athenian Comedy in the Roman Empire. Pp. vi + 295. London and New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2016. Paper, £25.99 (Cased, £90). ISBN: 978-1-4725-8883-8 (978-1-4725-8884-5 hbk)
  
  Miles, S. (2017). The Afterlife of Greek Comedy in Roman Times - Marshall (C.W.), Hawkins (T.) (edd.) Athenian Comedy in the Roman Empire. Pp. vi + 295. London and New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2016. Paper, £25.99 (Cased, £90). ISBN: 978-1-4725-8883-8 (978-1-4725-8884-5 hbk). Classical Review, 67(2), 1-3. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0009840x17000099
• Menander. C. Austin (ed.) Menander. Eleven Plays. (Proceedings of the Cambridge Philological Society, Supplementary Volume 37.) Pp. xviii + 84. Cambridge: The Cambridge Philological Society, 2013. Paper, £20. ISBN: 978-0-9568381-2-4
  
  Miles, S. (2014). Menander. C. Austin (ed.) Menander. Eleven Plays. (Proceedings of the Cambridge Philological Society, Supplementary Volume 37.) Pp. xviii + 84. Cambridge: The Cambridge Philological Society, 2013. Paper, £20. ISBN: 978-0-9568381-2-4. Classical Review, 64(02), 409-411. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0009840x14000110
• (G.W.) Dobrov Ed. Brill's Companion to the Study of Greek Comedy. Leiden : Brill, 2010. Pp. xv + 579, illus. €189. 9789004109636
  
  Miles, S. (2012). (G.W.) Dobrov Ed. Brill’s Companion to the Study of Greek Comedy. Leiden : Brill, 2010. Pp. xv + 579, illus. €189. 9789004109636. Journal of Hellenic Studies, 132, 193-194. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0075426912000304
• Review of: E. Bakola, Cratinus and the Art of Comedy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010. Pp. xiv + 380, illus. £65. 9780199569359.
  
  Miles, S. (2011). Review of: E. Bakola, Cratinus and the Art of Comedy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010. Pp. xiv + 380, illus. £65. 9780199569359. Journal of Hellenic Studies, 131, 187-188. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0075426911000292
• Myths of Lemnos - Masciadri(V.)Eine Insel im Meer der Geschichten. Untersuchungen zu Mythen aus Lemnos. (Potsdamer Altertumswissenschaftliche Beiträge 18.) Pp. 412, maps. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag, 2008. Paper, €68. ISBN: 978-3-515-08818-3
  
  Miles, S. (2009). Myths of Lemnos - Masciadri(V.)Eine Insel im Meer der Geschichten. Untersuchungen zu Mythen aus Lemnos. (Potsdamer Altertumswissenschaftliche Beiträge 18.) Pp. 412, maps. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag, 2008. Paper, €68. ISBN: 978-3-515-08818-3. Classical Review, 59(02), 506-507. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0009840x09000845

Chapter in book

• Aristophanes' Contemporaries
  
  Miles, S. (2024). Aristophanes’ Contemporaries. In M. C. Farmer & J. B. Lefkowitz (Eds.), The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Aristophanes (pp. 304-318). Wiley.
• Performing Mime in the Idylls of Theocritus: Metrical Mime, Drama, and the “Everyday” in Theocritus, Idylls 2, 14, 15
  
  Miles, S. (2021). Performing Mime in the Idylls of Theocritus: Metrical Mime, Drama, and the “Everyday” in Theocritus, Idylls 2, 14, 15. In P. Kyriakou, E. Sistakou, & A. Rengakos (Eds.), Brill’s Companion to Theocritus (pp. 154-175). Brill Academic Publishers.
• Euripidean Stagecraft
  
  Miles, S. (2020). Euripidean Stagecraft. In A. Markantonatos (Ed.), Brill’s companion to Euripides. (pp. 726-748). Brill Academic Publishers. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004435353_033
• Animating Antiquity on Children’s Television: The Visual Worlds of Ulysses 31 and Samurai Jack
  
  Miles, S. (2020). Animating Antiquity on Children’s Television: The Visual Worlds of Ulysses 31 and Samurai Jack. In I. Cisneros Abellán, M. Cristina de la Escosura Balbás, E. Duce Pastor, M. del Mar Rodríguez Alcocer, D. Serrano Lozano, & N. Tarancón Huarte (Eds.), Happily Ever Ancient: Visions of Antiquity for Children in Visual Media. (pp. 95-112). JAS Arqueología Editorial.
• Paratragedy' and 'Strattis
  
  Miles, S. (2019). Paratragedy’ and ’Strattis. In A. Sommerstein (Ed.), Wiley-Blackwell encyclopedia of Greek comedy. Wiley.
• The Odyssey in the ‘Broom Cupboard’: Ulysses 31 and Odysseus the Greatest Hero of them All on 'Children's BBC', 1985-86
  
  Miles, S. (2018). The Odyssey in the ‘Broom Cupboard’: Ulysses 31 and Odysseus the Greatest Hero of them All on ’Children’s BBC’, 1985-86. In A. Wrigley & F. Hobden (Eds.), Ancient Greece on British television. (pp. 147-167). Edinburgh University Press.
• Cultured Animals and Wild Humans? Talking with the Animals in Aristophanes’ Wasps
  
  Miles, S. (2017). Cultured Animals and Wild Humans? Talking with the Animals in Aristophanes’ Wasps. In T. Fögen & E. Thomas (Eds.), Interactions between animals and humans in Graeco-Roman Antiquity. (pp. 205-232). De Gruyter. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110545623-009
• Greek Drama in the Hellenistic world
  
  Miles, S. (2016). Greek Drama in the Hellenistic world. In B. van Zyl Smit (Ed.), A handbook to the reception of Greek drama. (pp. 45-62). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118347805.ch3
• Staging and Constructing the Divine in Menander
  
  Miles, S. (2013). Staging and Constructing the Divine in Menander. In A. Sommerstein (Ed.), Menander in contexts. (pp. 75-89). Routledge.
• Accessoires et para-tragédie dans les Skeuai de Platon et l’Électre d’Euripide
  
  Miles, S. (2013). Accessoires et para-tragédie dans les Skeuai de Platon et l’Électre d’Euripide. In B. Le Guen & S. Milanezi (Eds.), L’appareil scénique dans les spectacles de l’Antiquité. (pp. 183-200). Presses Universitaires de Vincennes.

Journal Article

• Mime And The Performance Of Character: A Study Of Mime In Herodas And Theocritus
  
  Miles, S. (in press). Mime And The Performance Of Character: A Study Of Mime In Herodas And Theocritus. Phoenix.
• Ancient Receptions of Euripides in Comedy: the Phoenissae of Euripides, Aristophanes and Strattis
  
  Miles, S. (2018). Ancient Receptions of Euripides in Comedy: the Phoenissae of Euripides, Aristophanes and Strattis. Frammenti Sulla Scena. Studi Sul Dramma Antico Frammentario, 1, 175-200.
• Gods and heroes in comic space: a stretch of the imagination?
  
  Miles, S. (2011). Gods and heroes in comic space: a stretch of the imagination? Dionysus Ex Machina, 2, 109-133.