COLLOQUIUM: Jeremy McInerney, UPENN, "The Pride of Halikarnassos"

Since its discovery in the early 90’s the ‘Pride of Halikarnassos’ has been seen as a prime example of story-telling used to fashion local identity. Most studies have emphasized its role situating Halikarnassos in the changing geopolitical landscape of the second century. But it is also an example of a Local Discourse Environment, in which different versions of Halikarnassian myth and history are deployed to champion the competing claims of Greeks and Karians. Comparison with other inscriptions from Halikarnassos underscores the continued existence of local groups, defined by ethnicity, familial affiliation, even neighbourhood, each vying with the other. The ‘Pride of Halikarnassos’ offers a more generous vision of Halikarnassos, recasting it as a place where these local rivalries may be reconciled.