Rethinking Work in the Graeco-Roman World

We are pleased to announce a postgraduate conference dedicated to the study of labour and employment in the Graeco-Roman world (sixth c. BC – sixth c. AD). The event aims to bring together PhD students and early career researchers working on the definition, practices and structures of work in antiquity from a socio-economic and legal perspective. 

The aim is to facilitate a dialogue among scholars from different disciplines and historical backgrounds, enabling the development of a transhistorical, interdisciplinary and intersectional perspective on ancient work. The objective of this conference is to rethink inherited assumptions and ask how different ancient societies constructed, valued, and represented labour diachronically across the ancient world. 

The workshop welcomes contributions that engage with the lived realities of labour and production in the ancient world, from the organisation of workshops and the conditions of employment to the legal frameworks governing labour relations. Papers are encouraged to explore broader cultural and ideological dimensions, including the role of professional associations, the legal status of workers, and the identities – social, civic, and professional – that shaped and were shaped by work in antiquity. 

Topics may include, but are not limited to: 

• Realities of employment (e.g. remuneration; seasonality and mobility; supply and demand of labour; organisation of workshops and worksites); 
• Legal regulation of labour (e.g. contracts; liability and accountability; legal distinction between categories of workers);
• Labour markets (e.g. free and slave labour; contracted work; misthotoi, misthophoroi, mercennarii); 
• Associations and professional communities (e.g. membership; functions and economic role of associations; craft workers, ownership and expertise); 
• Technē, ars, banausia (e.g. definitions; self and popular perception; manual worke, skilled work and professionalism); 
• Popular working culture (e.g. religion; folklore; reputation; working-class habitus; oral knowledge, practical expertise, and the transmission of skills). 

Presentations should be delivered in English and not exceed 20 minutes. 

Abstracts of no more than 300 words (pdf format, bibliography excluded), along with a brief bio (max 150 words), should be submitted by the 30th of September 2026 to the email address tap.conference2027@gmail.com. Any queries should be directed to the same address. 

While we regret that we are unable to provide financial assistance for travel or accommodation, we are committed to assisting participants in finding suitable accommodation in the city centre. 

Organising and Scientific Committee:

 Veronica Capriotti, Giulia Fanesi, Giulia La Cognata, Will Higgins, Panayiotis Karageorgopoulos. Dr. David Lewis, Prof. Paul J. Du Plessis, Prof. Mirko Canevaro.