Background and objective of the conference:
Since the beginning of our existence, humans have strived to find meaning in a world dominated by war, violence, and suffering.  The hope that one day the human race will have managed to create a world of peace and harmony is universal, but it was in ancient Greece that it found its first explicit manifestation.  From Homer's exploration of humanity under conditions of war to Greek tragedy and the Olympic Truce, the Greeks created a timeless framework for understanding the effects of war and violence on human lives.  In recent years, exciting new research comparing ancient and modern mentalities of  war and peace has opened new paths in our effort to understand and cope with violence. The main objective of this conference is to explore the ways in which ancient and modern perceptions on war and peace can promote current  awareness of the destructive effects of violence and the need for peace and international cooperation.  The conference is organized by the Chair of Greek Studies at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.  For information about the Chair please visit <http://www.greekstudies.org>

Instructions for submission of papers:
The subject of the Conference is NOT ancient warfare.  We are seeking papers dealing with how the ancient Greek perceptions  of  violence can be used to further modern understanding of the problem.  Papers should be 15-20 minutes long, inter-disciplinary or disciplinary-specific, and be accessible both to the specialists and the general public.

The papers to be presented at the conference will be selected by anonymous reviewers and will be published in a self-standing volume. Those speakers whose abstracts will be accepted will be asked to bring to the conference a publication-ready version of their paper.

Abstracts (maximum 500 words) should be sent by December 15, 2003 to:

Professor Michael Cosmopoulos
Chair, Organizing Committee
Department of Anthropology
University of Missouri-St. Louis
St. Louis, MO. 63121
Tel. (314) 516-6241
Fax (314) 516-7235
<cosmopoulos@umsl.edu>

All abstracts should be submitted in electronic format via e-mail.  A number of travel grants will be available to cover the expenses of the speakers.