Staff profile

I studied Classics at Oxford and then completed postgraduate work at Nottingham, emerging from the latter with a Ph.D. and then taking up a post at Durham.

School Talks

I am more than happy to give talks in schools on topics related to Greek literature: all things Aristophanes (!) and Greek comedy tragedy; Greek literature in contemporary pop. culture. Feel free to suggest a topic

• Greek drama: comedy, comic fragments, mime, paratragedy and tragedy (5th – 3rd centuries BCE); Plato's relationship with drama; Reception of greek myth in 20th and 21st c. popular culture, especially children's media and animation.
• I love to explore the relationship between the comic and tragic and everything in between. Previous research has focused on the form and use of paratragedy in fragments of Old Comedy, considering how this can be viewed as a mode of reception and popularisation of Greek drama in its earliest performance contexts. I am currently working on a commentary for the KomFrag Project on Aristophanes' 'Daitales' ('Banqueters') and his other fragmentary comedies down to 'Dramata' ('Dramas'). See: https://www.komfrag.uni-freiburg.de/baende_liste . See my publications below "Chapter in Book" on: (1) "A Culture of Comedy and Aristophanes’ Daitalēs (Banqueters): Making Mosaics of Comic Fragments" and (2): "Aristophanes' Fragmentary Contemporaries" and (3) "Paratragedy" and "Strattis". My interest in fragments began in my thesis, which focused on one comic dramatist and his relationship with Greek tragedy: "Strattis, Tragedy, and Comedy", available at: https://repository.nottingham.ac.uk/home
• I am co-editor and contributor to the volume: "Plato and Comedy in the Socratic Dialogues" (CUP, 2027), with my colleagues Dr. Anthony Hooper (University of Wollongong, Australia), Prof. Andrea Capra (Durham Univeristy & Università degli Studi di Milano). See 'Edited book' below. This followed our 'Plato on Comedy' Project in the Department of Classics and Ancient History at Durham.  The project took a uniquely interdisciplinary approach to explore the complexities of Plato's interactions with Greek comedy, bringing together scholars on ancient philosophy and Greek comic drama.
• I appeared on BBC Radio 4 In Our Time (April 2024) to talk about Aristophanes' Lysistrata alongside my colleagues Prof. Paul Cartledge and Prof. James Robson. It was a lot of fun to explore this play together. You can still hear the recording here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001y2z4

Book review

• Review of Matteo Pellegrino, Aristofane. Commedie Perdute. Antologia di frammenti. Roma: Carocci Editore 2024
  
  Miles, S. (in press). Review of Matteo Pellegrino, Aristofane. Commedie Perdute. Antologia di frammenti. Roma: Carocci Editore 2024. Gnomon.
• (D.) Sells Parody, Politics and the Populace in Greek Old Comedy. London and New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2019. Pp. 291 £85. 9781350060517
  
  Miles, S. (2023). (D.) Sells Parody, Politics and the Populace in Greek Old Comedy. London and New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2019. Pp. 291 £85. 9781350060517. Journal of Hellenic Studies, 1-2. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0075426923000010
• Interactions Between Greek Tragedy and Comedy. Book Review of: Jendza (C.) Paracomedy. Appropriations of Comedy in Greek Tragedy
  
  Miles, S. (2023). Interactions Between Greek Tragedy and Comedy. Book Review of: Jendza (C.) Paracomedy. Appropriations of Comedy in Greek Tragedy. The Classical Review, 73(1), 63-65. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0009840x22002372
• Matthew Wright. The Lost Plays of Greek Tragedy. Vol 1: Neglected Authors. Bloomsbury Academic: London & New York, 2016. Pp. xxix + 277. Price: £21.99. Paperback. ISBN 978-1-47-25256775-8
  
  Miles, S. (2018). Matthew Wright. The Lost Plays of Greek Tragedy. Vol 1: Neglected Authors. Bloomsbury Academic: London & New York, 2016. Pp. xxix + 277. Price: £21.99. Paperback. ISBN 978-1-47-25256775-8. Hermathena : A Trinity College Dublin Review., 195(Winter 2013), 93-97.
• S. Halliwell, Aristophanes, Clouds, Women at the Thesmophoria, Frogs: A Verse Translation with Introduction and Notes, Oxford 2015
  
  Miles, S. (2017). S. Halliwell, Aristophanes, Clouds, Women at the Thesmophoria, Frogs: A Verse Translation with Introduction and Notes, Oxford 2015. Journal of Hellenic Studies, 137, 231-232. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0075426917000210
• The Afterlife of Greek Comedy in Roman Times - Marshall (C.W.), Hawkins (T.) (edd.) Athenian Comedy in the Roman Empire. Pp. vi + 295. London and New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2016. Paper, £25.99 (Cased, £90). ISBN: 978-1-4725-8883-8 (978-1-4725-8884-5 hbk)
  
  Miles, S. (2017). The Afterlife of Greek Comedy in Roman Times - Marshall (C.W.), Hawkins (T.) (edd.) Athenian Comedy in the Roman Empire. Pp. vi + 295. London and New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2016. Paper, £25.99 (Cased, £90). ISBN: 978-1-4725-8883-8 (978-1-4725-8884-5 hbk). Classical Review, 67(2), 1-3. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0009840x17000099
• Menander. C. Austin (ed.) Menander. Eleven Plays. (Proceedings of the Cambridge Philological Society, Supplementary Volume 37.) Pp. xviii + 84. Cambridge: The Cambridge Philological Society, 2013. Paper, £20. ISBN: 978-0-9568381-2-4
  
  Miles, S. (2014). Menander. C. Austin (ed.) Menander. Eleven Plays. (Proceedings of the Cambridge Philological Society, Supplementary Volume 37.) Pp. xviii + 84. Cambridge: The Cambridge Philological Society, 2013. Paper, £20. ISBN: 978-0-9568381-2-4. Classical Review, 64(02), 409-411. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0009840x14000110
• (G.W.) Dobrov Ed. Brill's Companion to the Study of Greek Comedy. Leiden : Brill, 2010. Pp. xv + 579, illus. €189. 9789004109636
  
  Miles, S. (2012). (G.W.) Dobrov Ed. Brill’s Companion to the Study of Greek Comedy. Leiden : Brill, 2010. Pp. xv + 579, illus. €189. 9789004109636. Journal of Hellenic Studies, 132, 193-194. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0075426912000304
• Review of: E. Bakola, Cratinus and the Art of Comedy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010. Pp. xiv + 380, illus. £65. 9780199569359.
  
  Miles, S. (2011). Review of: E. Bakola, Cratinus and the Art of Comedy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010. Pp. xiv + 380, illus. £65. 9780199569359. Journal of Hellenic Studies, 131, 187-188. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0075426911000292
• Myths of Lemnos - Masciadri(V.)Eine Insel im Meer der Geschichten. Untersuchungen zu Mythen aus Lemnos. (Potsdamer Altertumswissenschaftliche Beiträge 18.) Pp. 412, maps. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag, 2008. Paper, €68. ISBN: 978-3-515-08818-3
  
  Miles, S. (2009). Myths of Lemnos - Masciadri(V.)Eine Insel im Meer der Geschichten. Untersuchungen zu Mythen aus Lemnos. (Potsdamer Altertumswissenschaftliche Beiträge 18.) Pp. 412, maps. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag, 2008. Paper, €68. ISBN: 978-3-515-08818-3. Classical Review, 59(02), 506-507. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0009840x09000845

Chapter in book

• Platonicomic Business: Comedy and Platonic Theatre in Theages
  
  Miles, S. (in press). Platonicomic Business: Comedy and Platonic Theatre in Theages. In A. Capra, A. Hooper, & S. Miles (Eds.), Plato and Comedy in the Socratic Dialogues. Cambridge University Press.
• A Culture of Comedy and Aristophanes’ Daitalēs (Banqueters): Making Mosaics of Comic Fragments
  
  Miles, S. (2026). A Culture of Comedy and Aristophanes’ Daitalēs (Banqueters): Making Mosaics of Comic Fragments. In F. P. Bianchi & B. Zimmermann (Eds.), Bella e perduta (e faticosamente ritrovata). Una storia della commedia greca dopo KomFrag. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.
• Aristophanes' Contemporaries
  
  Miles, S. (2024). Aristophanes’ Contemporaries. In M. C. Farmer & J. B. Lefkowitz (Eds.), The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Aristophanes (pp. 304-318). Wiley.
• Performing Mime in the Idylls of Theocritus: Metrical Mime, Drama, and the “Everyday” in Theocritus, Idylls 2, 14, 15
  
  Miles, S. (2021). Performing Mime in the Idylls of Theocritus: Metrical Mime, Drama, and the “Everyday” in Theocritus, Idylls 2, 14, 15. In P. Kyriakou, E. Sistakou, & A. Rengakos (Eds.), Brill’s Companion to Theocritus (pp. 154-175). Brill Academic Publishers.
• Euripidean Stagecraft
  
  Miles, S. (2020). Euripidean Stagecraft. In A. Markantonatos (Ed.), Brill’s companion to Euripides. (pp. 726-748). Brill Academic Publishers. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004435353_033
• Animating Antiquity on Children’s Television: The Visual Worlds of Ulysses 31 and Samurai Jack
  
  Miles, S. (2020). Animating Antiquity on Children’s Television: The Visual Worlds of Ulysses 31 and Samurai Jack. In I. Cisneros Abellán, M. Cristina de la Escosura Balbás, E. Duce Pastor, M. del Mar Rodríguez Alcocer, D. Serrano Lozano, & N. Tarancón Huarte (Eds.), Happily Ever Ancient: Visions of Antiquity for Children in Visual Media. (pp. 95-112). JAS Arqueología Editorial.
• Paratragedy' and 'Strattis
  
  Miles, S. (2019). Paratragedy’ and ’Strattis. In A. Sommerstein (Ed.), Wiley-Blackwell encyclopedia of Greek comedy. Wiley.
• The Odyssey in the ‘Broom Cupboard’: Ulysses 31 and Odysseus the Greatest Hero of them All on 'Children's BBC', 1985-86
  
  Miles, S. (2018). The Odyssey in the ‘Broom Cupboard’: Ulysses 31 and Odysseus the Greatest Hero of them All on ’Children’s BBC’, 1985-86. In A. Wrigley & F. Hobden (Eds.), Ancient Greece on British television. (pp. 147-167). Edinburgh University Press.
• Cultured Animals and Wild Humans? Talking with the Animals in Aristophanes’ Wasps
  
  Miles, S. (2017). Cultured Animals and Wild Humans? Talking with the Animals in Aristophanes’ Wasps. In T. Fögen & E. Thomas (Eds.), Interactions between animals and humans in Graeco-Roman Antiquity. (pp. 205-232). De Gruyter. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110545623-009
• Greek Drama in the Hellenistic world
  
  Miles, S. (2016). Greek Drama in the Hellenistic world. In B. van Zyl Smit (Ed.), A handbook to the reception of Greek drama. (pp. 45-62). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118347805.ch3
• Staging and Constructing the Divine in Menander
  
  Miles, S. (2013). Staging and Constructing the Divine in Menander. In A. Sommerstein (Ed.), Menander in contexts. (pp. 75-89). Routledge.
• Accessoires et para-tragédie dans les Skeuai de Platon et l’Électre d’Euripide
  
  Miles, S. (2013). Accessoires et para-tragédie dans les Skeuai de Platon et l’Électre d’Euripide. In B. Le Guen & S. Milanezi (Eds.), L’appareil scénique dans les spectacles de l’Antiquité. (pp. 183-200). Presses Universitaires de Vincennes.

Edited book

• Plato and Comedy in the Socratic Dialogues
  
  Capra, A., Hooper, A., & Miles, S. (Eds.). (in press). Plato and Comedy in the Socratic Dialogues. Cambridge University Press.

Journal Article

• Mime And The Performance Of Character: A Study Of Mime In Herodas And Theocritus
  
  Miles, S. N. (2025). Mime And The Performance Of Character: A Study Of Mime In Herodas And Theocritus. Phoenix, 79(2), 236-252. https://doi.org/10.1353/phx.2025.a978860
• Ancient Receptions of Euripides in Comedy: the Phoenissae of Euripides, Aristophanes and Strattis
  
  Miles, S. (2018). Ancient Receptions of Euripides in Comedy: the Phoenissae of Euripides, Aristophanes and Strattis. Frammenti Sulla Scena. Studi Sul Dramma Antico Frammentario, 1, 175-200.
• Gods and heroes in comic space: a stretch of the imagination?
  
  Miles, S. (2011). Gods and heroes in comic space: a stretch of the imagination? Dionysus Ex Machina, 2, 109-133.