L'Antiquité (re)sonorisée

The ancient world, like other past and present societies, was filled with sound. Its music, noises and other audible features were highly codified and meaningful. Yet, the surviving evidence of these sounds is scarce because few documents have come down to us over the centuries. This incomplete and largely silenced aspect of ancient civilizations has left considerable scope for imaginative interpretation. The question of how sound was perceived in Antiquity thus becomes fascinating, particularly given the limited exploration of it.

Stemming from the L’Antiquité (re)sonorisée conference held on 1-2 June 2023 at the Catholic Institute of Toulouse, this volume delves into the ways in which ancient sonorities are evoked, recreated and reinterpreted through contemporary productions. The assembled contributions address this (re)sonorization of Antiquity across a variety of media, including advertising, film, TV series, video games, music, opera and podcasts. Whether drawing from historical research or sonic stereotypes associated with Antiquity, the noises and melodies that evoke this period are also subject to the expectations of the modern audience and are therefore analysed from this perspective.

By interweaving multidisciplinary academic approaches and professional testimonies, this volume illustrates the role of sound in the way we imagine the ancient world to have been and questions the inherent degree of invention involved—inventions that hold up an intriguing mirror to contemporary preoccupations and understandings.