Syllecta Classica was an annual publication of the Department of Classics at the University of Iowa from 1989 to 2021. As of May 2021, it is currently inactive.

Issues of Syllecta Classica are available online to premium subscribers to the Project Muse database. If you do not have access to Project Muse, you may rent (i.e., view but not download) articles at DeepDyve.

Journal Foundations

Archie Bush

The originating idea for this journal belongs to Archie Bush (1940-1989). In the spring of 1987, he formulated plans for a new journal that would give preference to research that is interdisciplinary and not mainstream in classics. He felt strongly that there should be a journal devoted to work of this nature because of his own work in the field. (Today his concern for interdisciplinary work is being maintained—see, e.g., Volume 10 in extenso—but the range of interests has been broadened to include all major areas of classics, the sub-disciplines of epigraphy, numismatics, papyrology and textual criticism included.) Despite his debilitating illness, Archie spent countless hours on details of finance and production at the early stages of the project. Without his persistence, there would be no Syllecta Classica.

Archie Bush joined the Classics Department at the University of Iowa in the fall of 1969 and completed his Ph.D. at the State University of New York at Buffalo the following year. He had earned the M.A.at the University of Virginia and the B.A. degree at St. Bonaventure University. He rose to full professor and at the time of his death was acting chairman of the department. After his appointment he began the fundamental research that brought him international recognition, namely, his investigation in the social structure of Republican families and office holders; who held offices and why and what effect magistracy had on the magistrate's family and ultimately on Roman republican society. At the time of his death he was pursuing similar research on the Roman empire.

In addition to being an innovative scholar; Archie was active in promoting courses in translation. His favorite and most popular course was on the status of women in the ancient world.

His interest in religion, both ancient and modern, led him to the Anglican Church. In 1981, after becoming a priest in the Anglican Catholic Church, he founded and served All Saints Parish in Iowa City. He practiced his faith in every aspect of his life and never more so than in his forbearance and endurance during the sixteen months of his painful illness.

Archie will be missed by his family, friends, and colleagues.

Peter Green

Peter Green took over editorship of Syllecta Classica with Vol. 9 in 1998. Although the possibilities were nearly endless in determining the future direction of the young publication, Professor Green did not bring a detailed plan to the journal, but said, “As a scholar, I have never believed that...you start with an overarching idea and then try to clamp it on everything that’s there.” Instead, Professor Green looked at the nascent trends in Syllecta Classica’s publications and directed growth from there. He sought articles with a historical spine which built a solid argument on rational thinking, however canonical or revolutionary the thesis. He supervised an overhaul of the journal’s typography and logo, coinciding with the journal’s rising profile. Under his aegis Syllecta has grown tremendously over the last two decades, becoming a respected and well-known publication which welcomes the myriad topics under the classical umbrella, with authors ranging from junior scholars to the giants of the field. Professor Green’s final issue of Syllecta, Vol. 27, featured work by some of the great contemporary minds in Classics.

Contact Information

Postal Address
Department of Classics, Syllecta Classica
210 Jefferson Building
Iowa City, IA 52242
USA

Phone Numbers
Office: 319-335-2323
Fax: 319-335-3884