For the past years I have been largely dedicated to teaching specialized Latin Medical Terminology at the Medical University of Sofia. My academic interests lie in the intersection between medicine and poetry with a special emphasis on the exploration of medical ideas, imagery and and metaphor in Latin poetry (especially Ovidian elegy). Besides these I am also curious about the historical development of scientific ideas and vocabulary, related to human anatomy and physiology. For that purpose I designed a specialised course for my medical students, that is aimed at non specialists and discusses the concepts of health and disease in the ancient world. My research interests also include the history of ideas, especially those exploring the social dynamics of the human body and its aspects. Currently I am working on my PhD thesis, focused on medical motifs and imagery in Latin elegy, with a special emphasis on the Ovidian corpus. Supervisors: prof. Anastas Gerdjikov
Studia Classica Serdicensia: Volume 7 (under publication)
The present study focuses on the manifestations of water imagery in the Ovidian exilic oeuvre. Th... more The present study focuses on the manifestations of water imagery in the Ovidian exilic oeuvre. The portrayal of liquids is intrinsic to the metaphorical representation of poetic vitality in the Roman literary imagination. Besides being a source of inspiration, water is also seen as an important agent of health or contagion in the Hippocratic corpus. By drawing parallels between the medical characteristics of the Pontic region in the ethnographic writings and its exilic counterpart in Tristia and Epistulae ex Ponto I seek to demonstrate how Ovid exhausts the metaphorical association between liquid substances and poetry. I suggest that in order to produce an effect of a poetry and ingenium deformed and devoid of clarity, purity, and flow, Ovid mixes up together repetitive poetical allusions and ethnographic commonplaces, all of them presented as infected or infectious watery elements.
The Single Life in the Roman and Later Roman World. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press., 2019
This chapter explores the social roles and the reality corresponding to the literary depictions ... more This chapter explores the social roles and the reality corresponding to the literary depictions of the lenae. When discussing such complex social phenomena as the ‘single life’in an ancient context, both legal and literary sources could be helpful. The present study focuses to the same extent on the social and literary perspective in the depictions of the roman procuresses. For the sake of this discussion the exploration draws both from legal resources such the Digest and from the literary resources, primarily the two bawdy elegies of Propertius (4.5) and Ovid (Am.1.8).
Обучението по анатомия в съвременния академичен курикулум е органично свързано с греко-римски пон... more Обучението по анатомия в съвременния академичен курикулум е органично свързано с греко-римски понятия, претопявали се векове наред в този огромен запас от медицинска терминология, с който разполагаме днес. Можем да твърдим, че зародишът на съвременната медицина до голяма степен се крие в една съществена трансформация на подхода към човешкото тяло, а именно картографирането му, обозначаването му до най-миниатюрния детайл, и не на последно място изковаването на термин за всяка една от тези миниатюри. Все по-често анатомичната терминология се свежда до сбор от изкуствени и отживели понятия, а наред с това спада и респектът към изучаването на латинска специализирана терминология в някои страни. Подобни промени биха навредили първо, защото това са термини все още в употреба, и второ, тъй като това са думи, които някога са били съвсем „живи”, „значещи” и „истински” за огромна група хора, носители на тези езици. Етимологичното разяснение на всяка една от изучаваните думи изисква време, проучване и ентусиазъм, но би могло да събуди сериозен интерес у аудиторията, както и да потопи студентите в огромната еволюция на идеи, понятия и език, скрита във всеки един детайл от анатомията. Моята задача тук ще бъде подобна и в настоящата работа ще се опитам да очертая един предполагаем подход за постигане на това, боравейки с конкретни анатомични термини, някой базови, а други по-периферни. За целта са подбрани фундаментални за анатомичната терминология текстове на Целз, Гален и Везалий, както и други римски автори, които случайно или не употребяват специализирана анатомична лексика.
This article investigates and analyses the literary character of lena (the procuress, the wet-nur... more This article investigates and analyses the literary character of lena (the procuress, the wet-nurse) a stock-character in the Roman comedies of Plautus. The literary history of this figure dates back to the New Comedy of Menander and keeps on functioning in Western literatures, remaining basically the same and acting similarly. As a stock-character the comedy lena functions in a bit conservative way, but due to its conventional characteristics it could be easily constructed, incorporated and adapted to various texts. Thus the stereotyped nature of this portrait could result in the most vivid or dull character. According to that literary functions of figures such as lena could be underestimated and her appearance in certain comedies could be difficult to explain. The paper will investigate then how this fictional procuress treats the roman comedy and how the comedy treats her. Along with that is being discussed how certain socio-cultural concepts, built in her depiction, influence and transform her voice, appearance and actions.
A conference talk during The third Conference Readings of The Association for the Development of ... more A conference talk during The third Conference Readings of The Association for the Development of the University Classical Education (ADUCE). The presentation draws parallels between the representations of frigid climates and people in the roman ethnography in relation to the literary concept of frigidity as presented in the roman rhetorical thinking and further their application in the exilic Ovidian corpus.
The presentation traces the poetic evolution of disease theme throughout several Ovidian works; I... more The presentation traces the poetic evolution of disease theme throughout several Ovidian works; I have chosen to name this research, accordingly to the medical practice and thus I have divided it into three subdivisions, which bear metaphorical names as follows: etiology, symptoms and therapy
Образователна степен Магистър Вид на обучение Редовно Часове за седмица 2 Брой кредити 1 Вид на д... more Образователна степен Магистър Вид на обучение Редовно Часове за седмица 2 Брой кредити 1 Вид на дисциплината Свободноизбираема Вид на курса Едносеместриален
Studia Classica Serdicensia: Volume 7 (under publication)
The present study focuses on the manifestations of water imagery in the Ovidian exilic oeuvre. Th... more The present study focuses on the manifestations of water imagery in the Ovidian exilic oeuvre. The portrayal of liquids is intrinsic to the metaphorical representation of poetic vitality in the Roman literary imagination. Besides being a source of inspiration, water is also seen as an important agent of health or contagion in the Hippocratic corpus. By drawing parallels between the medical characteristics of the Pontic region in the ethnographic writings and its exilic counterpart in Tristia and Epistulae ex Ponto I seek to demonstrate how Ovid exhausts the metaphorical association between liquid substances and poetry. I suggest that in order to produce an effect of a poetry and ingenium deformed and devoid of clarity, purity, and flow, Ovid mixes up together repetitive poetical allusions and ethnographic commonplaces, all of them presented as infected or infectious watery elements.
The Single Life in the Roman and Later Roman World. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press., 2019
This chapter explores the social roles and the reality corresponding to the literary depictions ... more This chapter explores the social roles and the reality corresponding to the literary depictions of the lenae. When discussing such complex social phenomena as the ‘single life’in an ancient context, both legal and literary sources could be helpful. The present study focuses to the same extent on the social and literary perspective in the depictions of the roman procuresses. For the sake of this discussion the exploration draws both from legal resources such the Digest and from the literary resources, primarily the two bawdy elegies of Propertius (4.5) and Ovid (Am.1.8).
Обучението по анатомия в съвременния академичен курикулум е органично свързано с греко-римски пон... more Обучението по анатомия в съвременния академичен курикулум е органично свързано с греко-римски понятия, претопявали се векове наред в този огромен запас от медицинска терминология, с който разполагаме днес. Можем да твърдим, че зародишът на съвременната медицина до голяма степен се крие в една съществена трансформация на подхода към човешкото тяло, а именно картографирането му, обозначаването му до най-миниатюрния детайл, и не на последно място изковаването на термин за всяка една от тези миниатюри. Все по-често анатомичната терминология се свежда до сбор от изкуствени и отживели понятия, а наред с това спада и респектът към изучаването на латинска специализирана терминология в някои страни. Подобни промени биха навредили първо, защото това са термини все още в употреба, и второ, тъй като това са думи, които някога са били съвсем „живи”, „значещи” и „истински” за огромна група хора, носители на тези езици. Етимологичното разяснение на всяка една от изучаваните думи изисква време, проучване и ентусиазъм, но би могло да събуди сериозен интерес у аудиторията, както и да потопи студентите в огромната еволюция на идеи, понятия и език, скрита във всеки един детайл от анатомията. Моята задача тук ще бъде подобна и в настоящата работа ще се опитам да очертая един предполагаем подход за постигане на това, боравейки с конкретни анатомични термини, някой базови, а други по-периферни. За целта са подбрани фундаментални за анатомичната терминология текстове на Целз, Гален и Везалий, както и други римски автори, които случайно или не употребяват специализирана анатомична лексика.
This article investigates and analyses the literary character of lena (the procuress, the wet-nur... more This article investigates and analyses the literary character of lena (the procuress, the wet-nurse) a stock-character in the Roman comedies of Plautus. The literary history of this figure dates back to the New Comedy of Menander and keeps on functioning in Western literatures, remaining basically the same and acting similarly. As a stock-character the comedy lena functions in a bit conservative way, but due to its conventional characteristics it could be easily constructed, incorporated and adapted to various texts. Thus the stereotyped nature of this portrait could result in the most vivid or dull character. According to that literary functions of figures such as lena could be underestimated and her appearance in certain comedies could be difficult to explain. The paper will investigate then how this fictional procuress treats the roman comedy and how the comedy treats her. Along with that is being discussed how certain socio-cultural concepts, built in her depiction, influence and transform her voice, appearance and actions.
A conference talk during The third Conference Readings of The Association for the Development of ... more A conference talk during The third Conference Readings of The Association for the Development of the University Classical Education (ADUCE). The presentation draws parallels between the representations of frigid climates and people in the roman ethnography in relation to the literary concept of frigidity as presented in the roman rhetorical thinking and further their application in the exilic Ovidian corpus.
The presentation traces the poetic evolution of disease theme throughout several Ovidian works; I... more The presentation traces the poetic evolution of disease theme throughout several Ovidian works; I have chosen to name this research, accordingly to the medical practice and thus I have divided it into three subdivisions, which bear metaphorical names as follows: etiology, symptoms and therapy
Образователна степен Магистър Вид на обучение Редовно Часове за седмица 2 Брой кредити 1 Вид на д... more Образователна степен Магистър Вид на обучение Редовно Часове за седмица 2 Брой кредити 1 Вид на дисциплината Свободноизбираема Вид на курса Едносеместриален
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