Inaugural Lecture of Professor Jeremy Armstrong

The Faculty of Arts and Education invites you to join us in celebrating Professor Jeremy Armstrongs achievements by attending his inaugural lecture.

Venue: University of Auckland B102 | Old Government House

Lecture hall: Lecture Theatre 102-G36

Time: Lecture 5 - 6pm

About the lecture

Being and Belonging in Early Rome

The history of early Rome is full of contradictions. On the one hand, archaic Rome was remembered for its openness to new arrivals. Hailed from the start as “Romulus’ Asylum”, a sanctuary for the poor and powerful alike, the Roman community was traditionally founded upon principles of integration and acceptance. However, and on the other hand, Roman history is also (and famously) full of bloody, expansionist warfare. Looking back over the centuries of the Republic, Roman ‘integration’ has become synonymous with intrusive and oppressive imperial control. This talk unpicks some of these tensions, highlights how these two sides of ‘being Roman’ are connected to the same set of forces, and explores how ancient people may have thought about themselves, their family, their neighbours, and their community in the context of early Rome and Italy.

About the speaker:

Jeremy grew up in Albuquerque (New Mexico, USA), and graduated with a BA in Classical Studies and History (2003) from the University of New Mexico. He then went on to complete an MLitt (2004) and PhD (2009) in Ancient History from the University of St Andrews (Scotland, UK). He arrived at the University of Auckland in 2008 as a Lecturer. His research focuses on Pre-Roman Italy and Early Roman History, with particular emphases on warfare, trade, technology, and politics. He is the author of War and Society in Early Rome: From Warlords to Generals (Cambridge, 2016), Early Roman Warfare: From the Regal Period to the First Punic War (Barnsley, 2016), and the recently published Children of Mars: The Origins of Rome’s Empires (Oxford, 2025), along with many edited volumes, book chapters, and journal articles.

Think GREEN! - registration is for catering purposes only, no need to print out your ticket

Getting to the venue: The Faculty of Arts and Educations' buildings are conveniently located at the heart of the University's City Campus and are easily accessible via many forms of public transport. For further information on public transport schedules, visit the Auckland Transport website. For those driving in, further information on parking options can be found here.