This past quarter, I had the opportunity to propose new authorship for the Latin poem, "Pange lingua gloriosi" to a group of ancient scholars from across the Pacific Coast at Western Washington University. My proposal that the fifth-century priest Claudianus Mamertus was the actual author of this poem, and not the sixth-century poet Venantius Fortunatus, was well received. The ensuing discussion not only allowed me to elaborate further on my evidence for changing the attributed authorship of this poem but also opened up new avenues for me to continue to pursue this discussion. In addition to presenting my own research, I was able to expand my own thinking about ancient history by attending a panel on how classical literature and ancient history are used and represented in modern literature, art, and even video games. - Richard Rush

November 9-11, 2018:

116th Annual Meeting of the Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association in Bellingham, WA at Western Washington University.