School of Religion, Philosophy & Classics

Research Interests

• 1. The ancient novels and their religious context, especially Heliodorus
• 2. The history of the struggle between Christianity and paganism in the fourth century
• 3. The reception of Classics in South Africa
• 4. Digital analysis of texts, especially Homer

Teaching Interests

• 1. Ancient Ethiopia and the trade between the Roman Empire and India
• 2. The ancient novels and their reception
• 3. Plato’s Atlantis myth and its Minoan/Mycenean archaeological context
• 4. Alexander III of Macedon in history and his reception in media / film
• 5. The reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus in history and media / film
• 6. Hypatia of Alexandria in history and media / film
• 7. The myths and rituals associated with Dionysus
• 8. Legends of the Roman kings and the foundation of Rome
• 9. Race relations in Ptolemaic Egypt, especially Alexandria
• 10.  Greek and Latin texts: Homer, Heliodorus, Achilles Tatius, Chariton, Herodotus, Cicero, Apuleius, Tacitus etc.

Publications

Books

• Harrison, S., Hilton, J., and Hunink, V. 2001. Apuleius: Rhetorical Works. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Hilton, J. L., and Gosling, A. eds. 2007. Alma Parens Originalis? The Reception of Classical Ideas in Africa, Europe, Cuba, and the United States. Bern: Peter Lang.

Journal Articles

• Hilton, J. L. 2017. “Myth and Narrative Fiction in the Works of the Emperor Julian.”  Listy filologicke 140.1. Accepted / Forthcoming.
• Hilton, J. L. 2017. “Nomos, Physis and Ethnicity in the Emperor Julian’s Interpretation of the Tower of Babel Story.” Classical World. Accepted / Forthcoming.
• Hilton, J. L. 2016. “Emeralds and Embassies in the Ethiopian Story of Heliodorus.”  Akroterion 61: 25-42. http://akroterion.journals.ac.za/pub (as yet not posted online)
• Hilton, J. L. 2015. “Erotic Date Palms in Ammianus Marcellinus 24.3.”  Listy filologické 138.3-4: 213-229. http://lf.clavmon.cz/Soubory/Pln%C3%A9%20texty/2015/Hilton.pdf
• Hilton, J. L. 2015. “Gandhi, Carpenter, Schreiner and the Crisis of Modern Civilisation at the Turn of the Twentieth Century.” African Studies 74.2: 157-174.
• http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00020184.2015.1045717
• Hilton, J. L. 2014. “A New Sixth-Century Reader of Heliodorus’ Aethiopica?”  Acta Classica 57: 241-245. DOI 10.15731/AClass.057.13
• Hilton, J. L. 2014. “Theodor Mommsen, British Imperialism and the Second South African War of Independence (1899-1902).”  Classics Receptions Journal 6.1: 48-73.
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/crj/clt014
• Hilton, J. 2013. “The Hunt for Acrostics by Some Ancient Readers of Homer.”  Hermes 1: 88-95.
• Hilton, J. L. 2012. “The Cult of Neoptolemos at Delphi in Heliodoros’ Aithiopika.”  Acta Classica 55: 57-68. http://www.casa-kvsa.org.za/2012/AC55-07-Hilton.pdf
• Hilton, J. L. 2012. “The Sphragis of Heliodorus, Genealogy in the Aithiopika, and Julian’s Hymn to King Helios.” Ágora: Estudos Classicos em Debate 14: 1-24.
• http://revistas.ua.pt/index.php/agora/article/view/1307
• Hilton, J. L. 2012. “The Theme of Shipwreck on (in)Hospitable Shores in Ancient Prose Narratives.”  Trends in Classics 4: 274-295. https://doi.org/10.1515/tc-2012-0013,

Chapters in Books

• Hilton, J. L. 2017. “Public and Private Prayer in the Works of the Emperor Julian.” In E. Pachoumi ed. Praying and Contemplating: Religious and Philosophical Interactions in Late Antiquity. Accepted / Forthcoming.
• Hilton, J. L. 2017. “Speaking Truth to Power: Cynics, Ethiopian Philosophers and Roman Emperors.” In P. R. Bosman ed. Intellectuals and Power. Pretoria: Acta Classica. Accepted / Forthcoming.
• Hilton, J. L. 2017. “Cecil Rhodes, the Classics and Imperialism.” In G. Parker ed. South Africa, Greece and Rome: Classical Confrontations. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 74-100.
• Hilton, J. L. 2017. “The Cost of Leadership: The Relationship between Crowds and Power in the Misopogon of the Emperor Julian and the Aethiopica of Heliodorus.” In R. J. Evans ed. Mass & Elite in the Greek and Roman Worlds: From Sparta to Late Antiquity. London: Routledge. 137-148.
• Hilton, J. L. 2017. “Egyptian Necromancy in Heliodorus’ Aethiopica (6.12-15) and the Witch of Endor Narrative (1 Sam 28).” In R. J. Evans ed. Prophets and Profits. London: Routledge. Accepted / Forthcoming.
• Hilton, J. L. 2013. “A Democratic Turn in the Reception of the Roman-Dutch Law of Treason in South Africa?” In L. Hardwick and S. Harrison eds., Classics in the Modern World: A ‘Democratic Turn’? Classical Presences Series. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 47-62.
• Hilton, J. L. 2011. “The Influence of Classical Ideas on the Anti-Slavery Debate at the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa (1795-1834).” In R. Alston, E. Hall and J. McConnell eds., Ancient Slavery and Abolition: From Hobbes to Hollywood. Classical Presences. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 103-124.

Community Involvement

• Editor of Acta Classica since 2013. http://www.casa-kvsa.org.za/acta_classica.htm
• Constructed and maintain website and email list of The Classical Association of South Africa http://www.casa-kvsa.org.za
• Serve on the board of The Classical Association of South Africa. http://www.casa-kvsa.org.za

Teaching Expertise

• As for Teaching Interests

Student Supervision

Postdoctoral supervision

• Dr. Alan Ross.
• Alan’s book recently appeared from OUP.
• Ross, A. J. 2015. Ammianus’ Julian: Narrative and Genre in the Res Gestae. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

PhD (current)

• Du Plessis, J. 2015. “The Armies of Antiochus III from the Median Revolt to the Battle of Magnesia (221-188 BC) ” (PhD, UKZN). Co-supervised with Dr. P. De Souza, University College, Dublin
• Flint, A. 2015. “The Portrayal of Christian Heroism in the Psychomachia of Prudentius: An Investigation into This Poem and Its Fifth-Century Social and Religious Context.” (PhD, UKZN). Co-supervised with Prof. P. Denis, Theology UKZN
• Gammage, S. 2015. “Atticism in Achilles Tatius: An Analysis of Linguistic Purism in Leucippe and Clitophon.” (PhD, UKZN). Sole supervision.

M.A. (recently graduated)

• Parker, L. 2016. “The Spartans and the Amazulu: A Comparison of Their Military and Social Systems.” (MA, UKZN). Sole supervision
• Van der Heijden, G. 2016. “A Study of the Reception of the Life and Death of the Neo-Platonic Philosopher Hypatia of Alexandria in Amenábar’s Film Agora (2009).” (MA, UKZN). Sole supervision
• Banwari, S. 2015. “The Theory of Reincarnation and the Journey of the Soul: A Comparison between Ancient Greek and Indian Belief.” (MA, UKZN). Sole supervision.
• Bilro, C. 2015. A Comparative Study of Greek and San Mythology. (MA UKZN). Sole supervision.