What is reception history?
The ramblings of someone trying to come to terms with how much the past changes.
When people ask me what I do for a living, I’m always tempted to say that I’m a receptionist at the local university — I mean, it’s not untrue, as I do reception history. Usually I just say I’m an historian and most leave it at that, and it saves me from trying to explain what reception history is when in a hurry. If further information is wanted I call myself an ancient historian, as that’s the period of history I study, while reception is how I do my research and the lens I study it through. And before you ask: No, I’m not researching the rise and fall of great receptionists, sorry.
Now enjoy as I try to explain this without even mentioning Jauss or Gadamer, as Wikipedia can do that for you and I frankly don’t want to write (more) about them right now.
In short, reception history (and the closely connected field of effective history) is the study of the reception of the past, how people has used the past, thought about it, how it has been interpreted and understood by different audiences. Through this one can trace the past’s impact on later society, and how the pasts has gained different meaning to different people.
It’s not just modern reception of antiquity either, but also about ancient reception: How did the Greeks interact with Homer in the Classical era? How did the Romans view Sparta at its peak? The limit of reception is truly the sky: it’s all about framing.
The example I usually resort to when I actually need to explain this practice is the far-right, as that is something that has become (sadly) ever-present.
I recently made a post on one of these receptions, namely the “Roman salute”, but that’s only part of it. For example in the past few years the french far-right Identitarian movement has used a lamda (Λ) as their symbol, based on the ancient Spartans (often called Lacedaemonians, starting with a lamda).
Ancient reception1 is not just to be found in politics however, it’s in art, in movies, in games, in books, architecture, the list goes on. It’s in short part of how we interact and use the ancient past.
As mentioned above is the field of reception somewhat unknown, even to those who have taken a couple of history subjects at university-level; I didn´t realise I was technically doing reception before my Ph.D.-work until someone wanted part of my Master’s thesis as an article in a reception-centered anthology.
The more work I do with reception, the more I incorporate it into my way of doing and thinking history, because the ancient world we read about in schoolbooks and watch documentaries on have all gone through layers of past reception, and we are continuously adding more: From the farmer in Arcadia who heard a rumour and connected it to something (unrelated) he had heard before, to the Roman writer who wrote it down 300 years later, to the Arabic translator, to the English monk transcribing, etc. This is one of many reasons why I feel like it should be taught, as the more recent past colours so much of our modern understanding of the past: We bring our present to the past, and it colours our interpretation of the past. This isn’t necessary something negative either, as it allows us to continuously re-evaluate (and enrich) our understanding of the past, making history a dialogue between the then and now. This dynamic process helps us to see history not just as a series of static facts, but as an evolving narrative that can offer new insights and perspectives.
We want to recognise the present in the past, and we want to use the past as a mirror to understand our own lived reality. And that is fine! Recognising the present in the past allows us to draw parallels and learn from events, decisions, and outcomes. By using the past as a mirror, we gain valuable insights into our current circumstances, helping us navigate challenges and make informed decisions. This reflective approach fosters a deeper understanding of societal patterns, human behavior, and cultural evolution. And not to mention, it’s pretty fun as well. But! We should not forget that it’s a mirror that plays tricks, and mostly shows us what we what, or what we think we already know.
With that said I really just wrote this to be able to send it to people in lieu of having to explain what I’m doing all the time, so if I sent this to you: Sorry I had to run, I had to reach a bus/I had a seminar/[enter another fitting excuse of your choice here]. Hope this clears it up!
It should also not go unmentioned that one can use reception to look at all eras of the past, not just antiquity.