Welcome to the American Journal of Classical Reception (AJCR).  

We launched AJCR to create a dedicated, top-tier academic home for scholars, students, and creators investigating the modern cultural impact of classical antiquity.

Sponsored by the Classical Association of the Middle West and South (CAMWS) and published twice per year by Johns Hopkins University Press, AJCR is a premier peer-reviewed venue dedicated to the reception of classical antiquity.

Our Purpose and Goals

We explore how ancient Greek and Roman texts, ideas, myths, and material culture are reinterpreted, adapted, and redeployed across diverse media for today’s global audience with emphasis on three cornerstone goals.

Bridge Ancient and Modern Worlds: we examine how ancient histories, myths, and cultures are continuously reimagined, adapted, and utilized in contemporary media.

Foster Interdisciplinary Research: we provide a platform for innovative, cross-disciplinary scholarship that cuts across traditional academic boundaries.

Build a Global Community: we connect and support a collaborative, peer-reviewed network of international scholars, critics, students, and creative artists.

The AJCR Co-Editors: 

Christopher M. McDonough is the Alderson-Tillinghast Professor of Humanities and Classics at Sewanee: The University of the South. His scholarship explores classical reception in modern media, including his book Pontius Pilate on Screen. Chris served as Executive Producer on the award-winning documentary short Mine 21.

Monica S. Cyrino is Professor of Classics at the University of New Mexico. An engaging educator, keynote speaker, and media production consultant, her publications include Big Screen Rome, Aphrodite, and numerous edited volumes on screening the ancient world, including studies of HBO Rome, STARZ Spartacus, and Netflix Troy: Fall of a City. 

Publication & Submissions

AJCR publishes two issues per year (Spring and Fall) with our inaugural issue launching in Spring 2027.

We actively encourage work by creators, critics, scholars, and students that is bold, interdisciplinary, and attentive to the complex dialogues between antiquity and the modern world.

Interested in contributing? Read our Author Guidelines to review submission criteria and scope.

Ready to subscribe? Learn more about individual and institutional subscriptions via Johns Hopkins University Press.