It's easy to accept that we have a responsibility to ensure that Classics is not misused, today, as a building block in arguments of racial or gender superiority. Pharos and Eidolon among others are doing an excellent job of this, but many of us do our part, on a smaller scale, by correcting misconceptions when we encounter them.
The idea that we have a responsibility, as classicists, to 'reckon with' the history of Classics as a field is more complex and difficult to define. We can – and we do – 'reckon with' the history of the discipline on an academic level; critical evaluation of the biases and cultural influences of earlier scholarship is an essential part of our twenty-first-century analytical toolkit. It's not just a responsibility; it has become a professional requirement.
But beyond this, where does our 'responsibility' lie? The WCC talks about taking action and advancing equality and diversity, and there are some extraordinary individuals and groups doing just that, publicly and loudly. It's important and necessary work. However, it's not the only way to change the face of Classics; we don't all have to be part of the debate in order to have an effect.
There are teachers out there who don't think about diversity or equality. They're just teaching kids who want to learn – but the outcome is an eventual greater diversity in the student intake. On an even more basic level, behind all the activists and bloggers there need to be classicists from diverse backgrounds who simply model diversity for others to see. Being different at the same time as being a great classicist is one of the most persuasive ways of 'advancing diversity'.
So if you feel out of place in the academic world; if tweed makes you itch; if you love your regional accent; if you've been passed over, ignored or criticised because you haven't managed to pull off a flawless impersonation of a 'proper' classicist – well, welcome to the club! Pull up a chair, give the table a wipe with your sleeve and grab a handful of Monster Munch. It's pretty noisy in here, but we're all having much more fun than the traditionalists up in the ivory tower!
Iliad Part 8: 'The Beginning of the End of the Beginning' – Myths, Baby!