Dr Sam Newington

Biography

This is my 15th fantastic year here in the Divinity department at the University of Aberdeen. I am delighted to announce too that I was promoted to Senior Lecturer which took effect in August 2021.

I studied Classics at King's College (University London) where I read for my MA. In 2006, I graduated from Durham University, St John's College, with a PhD. My PhD research involved exploring creation myths from ancient Greece and the ancient Near East.

Prizes and Awards

AUSA Shortlist Nominations:

• 2022 Best Lecturer
• 2023 Mental Health Champion

Research Overview

Although my teaching centres on Greek and Roman language, culture and history, my research area includes Near Eastern Studies. I am currently researching cross-cultural influences between the Near East and Greece.

I am able to supervise undergraduate and postgraduate students looking to research within the following areas:

• Greek and Latin literature (in particular epic, lyric and drama)
• Ancient Greek and Roman religion, in particular, mystery religion and rituals
• Greek and Roman culture and history
• Anatolian Studies
• Theories of myth
• Reception Studies

Current Research

Recent and forthcoming publications include:

I recently co-edited a volume Body and Soul (2024) with Jurgen Gatt and Michaela Senkova. I am currently co-editing a volume with Heather Reid and Jennifer Ferriss-Hill, Competition and Excellence. Both volumes are being published by Parnassos Press.

I am also working on a monograph volume on Medusa for publication in 2027 (Routledge), as well as a volume co-edited by Ben Cassell and Lesley Dean Jones on Beautification and defilement (Mohr Siebeck, 2026).

I am currently organising an internaional conference on Trauma, Tragedy and Redemption in Ortigia, September 2026.

Past Research

In summer 2022, I steered a symposium on Theology, Ecology and Climate - past and present. I also organised a seminar series - Visualising the Divine (2022-2023)

Knowledge Exchange

Throughout the year, I offer a range of outreach event in collaboration with CAS. More recently, providing online international workshops on ancient languages and providing talks on a range of ancient history and classical studies topics. Further details are also located on the CAS webpage: https://cas.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/2020/10/29/euge-latin-for-absolute-beginners/

I am currently the Director for the CAS: Ancient Voices Summer Workshop, which is an annual event. Further details area located here: https://cas.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/

I am a recently elected committee member for CAS (2023).

Collaborations

I have previously collaborated with Dr Sian Lewis (St Andrews University) on two workshops: Sacred Animals and Monsters in Greek and the Near Eastern Religions (22nd-23rd January 2014) and Animals, Monsters and Demons: a Comparative Approach (22nd-23rd January 2015). 

Teaching Responsibilities

I am the course co-ordinator for a number of undergraduate and postgraduate modules (unless otherwise stated below):

Level 1 and Level 2

• DR1039/DR1078: New Testament Greek I
• DR103X/DR103Y: Ancient Greek I
• DR101E/DR101F/DR201E/DR201F: What it Means to be Dead
• DR101C/DR101B/DR201C/DR201B: Religions of Ancient Greece and Beyond
• DR151A/DR151B/DR250A/DR250B: Ancient Empires: Religion, Power and Politics
• DR153Y/DR153X: Ancient Greek II
• DR1538/DR1578: New Testament Greek II
• DR152C/DR152D/DR252C/DR152C: Magic, Mystery, Spells and Potions
• LT1009/LT1010: Latin 
• LT1507/LT1508: Latin

Level 3 and Level 4 

• DR301P / DR351P / DR355C: Special Subject
• DR4046/DR4543: Senior Honours - Special Subject
• DR351Y/DR351Z/DR451Z/DR451Y: Cosmos and Creation in the Ancient World
• DR352X/DR352Y/DR452Y/DR452X: Animals and Monsters in the Ancient Greek World and Beyond
• DR355Q/DR355P/ DR455P/DR455Q: Wine, Revelry and Dangerous Women: Followers of Dionysus
• DR4544: Dissertation

Level 5 and Postgraduate:

• Dissertation and Research supervision