Professor of Classics Arthur Pomeroy retires
Professor Pomeroy first came to Victoria University as an undergraduate student in 1971. That same year he was awarded the Rankine Brown Prize in Classics and later received a prestigious Fulbright Award to study at Cornell University. Forty-eight years later, the accolades are still rolling in, this time for his most recent book, A Companion to Ancient Greece and Rome on Screen. He is a highly regarded historiographer, literary critic, social historian and specialist in Reception Studies.
His retirement function was hosted by Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Jennifer Windsor, who began by thanking Professor Pomeroy for his contributions to Faculty and University leadership during his time as Head of the School of Art History, Classics and Religious Studies. “Art truly is perspicacious. He has an acute discernment about how things might end as well as where they start. He’s less swayed by the apparent significance of the immediate moment, and his ability to take the long view has benefitted us all.”
Four current and retired Professors of Classics from the University were present (pictured). Professor Jeff Tatum spoke of Professor Pomeroy’s widely admired scholarship and the regard in which he is held both within New Zealand and internationally: “His path-breaking book, which carries the quirky title Then it was Destroyed by the Volcano: the Ancient World in Film and Television (2008), has been lauded in multiple languages and set the standard for subsequent research on the topic. It is quite simply an indispensable contribution to Reception Studies, and its appearance did much to advance Australasia’s deservedly high reputation for innovation in this field.”
Dr Diana Burton from the Classics programme spoke to Professor Pomeroy’s dry sense of humour, his wide knowledge and his dedication to the Classics programme: “He has always been willing to go the extra mile when the need arises: as witness the infamous trimester in which he taught classes at every level, and on another occasion, his foray into teaching Greek art!” She also paid tribute to his taste in idiosyncratic ties, passion for Japanese animé and “really, really good wine”.
Other speakers included Associate Professor Stephen Epstein and Emeritus Professor John Davidson; both lauded Professor Pomeroy’s kindness and generosity with his time and advice.
With his retirement, Victoria University loses an acclaimed scholar, excellent teacher and a much-loved colleague. We wish Professor Pomeroy an enjoyable and fulfilling retirement.