Qualifications & Memberships
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) (University of Canterbury)
Master of Arts with Honours (University of Canterbury)
Doctor of Philosophy (University of Canterbury)
Australasian Society for Classical Studies (ASCS) (Professional Organisation): Canterbury University Representative
Classical Association of Christchurch (Community Organisation/NGO): Member, Christchurch
Research Interests
I am currently working on two major, productive research strands: (1) ‘Allusions to Antiquity: New Zealand and WW1’; and (2) ‘The night in Antiquity’.
The first examines the relationships between WW1, New Zealand, and antiquity; relationships most obviously symbolized by NZ landing troops at Gallipoli a region rich in Classical tradition with its proximity to Troy. The geography and history are important backdrops to many accounts of the campaign, although it is little studied from a New Zealand perspective. My interests are the allusions to antiquity in soldier’s accounts, how heroic imagery is enhanced by classical references and how such imagery helped develop the Anzac legend, as well as instances where antipodean war participants collected artefacts from the ancient world.
The second ‘strand’ introduces relatively uncharted terrain, drawing on extant source material to understand the literary, cultural, and political significance of the ‘night’ in antiquity. Surprisingly little work has been done on the way people’s in the ancient world dealt with the subject of the ‘night’, yet light and dark, day and night are topics that feature strongly in classical representations, but a clear and detailed understanding of the impact of this universal division of the day is little studied. My interests range from the literary imagery of night and darkness to the reality, the activities undertaken in households, in urban areas, or military decision making and strategy.
- Night in Antiquity: Rome after Dark
- Allusions to Antiquity: New Zealand and WWI
- Roman and Greek Social History
- Roman history
- Imperial Rome
- Interaction between Hellenic and Jewish Cultures as represented in Second Maccabees
Recent Publications
- Morrison G; Minchin-Garvin P; Elder T (Ed.) (2017) We Could be Heroes: The gods and heroes of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Christchurch: Canterbury University Press. 204.
- Macauley A. and Morrison GL. (2017) Heroic and god-like mortals. In Morrison G; Minchin-Garvin P; Elder T (Ed.), We Could Be Heroes: Gods and heroes of the ancient Greeks and Romans: 47-54. Christchurch: Canterbury University Press.
- Morrison GL. (2017) Another dimension: Gods and heroes on everyday items. In Morrison G; Minchin-Garvin P; Elder T (Ed.), We Could Be Heroes: The gods and heroes of the ancient Greeks and Romans: 31-38. Christchurch: Canterbury University Press.
- Morrison GL., Minchin-Garvin P. and Elder T. (2017) Introduction. In Morrison G; Minchin-Garvin P; Elder T (Ed.), We Could Be Heroes: The gods and heroes of the ancient Greeks and Romans: 16-22. Christchurch: Canterbury University Press.
- Jones C., Morrison G., Tau TM., Hawes J., Clement J., Boister N. and Buckingham J. (2011) Remembering the Past. In Jones C; Matthews B; Clement J (Ed.), Treasures of the University of Canterbury Library Christchurch: Canterbury University Press.
