Andreas Serafim’s Body Behaviour and Identity Construction in Ancient and Roman Literature is an engaging exploration of how the body—particularly in its semi-volitional, often involuntary expressions—becomes a cogent medium for constructing, negotiating, and undermining identities in ancient Greco-Roman contexts. The author establishes the scope at the beginning of the volume: “the book…aims to answer two questions: how semi-volitional acts are expressed in the sources and how they are presented as constructs of individual or collective (ethnic/civic and cultural) identities” (p. 1). Bridging literary analysis, cultural history, material culture, and identity theory, Serafim’s book situates itself at the intersection of classical studies and modern critical theory, presenting a valuable offering to both fields.
The central claim of the volume opens up fertile explanatory ground, beginning with a definition of what Serafim calls “fundamental terms” (Introduction, pp. 4–12): “nonverbal behaviour,” “(semi-volitional) bodily behaviour,” and “identity construction.” The latter, in particular, is examined through a series of definitions provided by scholars such as Peter Weinreich, Stuart Hall, and James Paul Gee, as well as from Serafim’s own earlier work, Religious Discourse in Attic Oratory and Politics (London and New York, 2021), especially at p. 122, where identity is defined as “a sort of predicate that is attached to individuals or collectives by themselves and others and describes their nature, traits, and actions.” Serafim’s approach (Introduction, pp. 12–15) remains rooted in ancient texts while engaging broader theoretical debates.
The book is structured in four substantial chapters, each addressing a distinct aspect of bodily behaviour in relation to identity. These are framed by an introduction and a conclusion, further supported by a detailed index. Each chapter is further subdivided into concise sections, an approach that enhances clarity and readability, though it sometimes limits the development of more sustained conclusions.
The first chapter, “Sexual Identity in Bodily Production”, investigates how sexual identity is expressed and shaped through bodily acts and appearances. Drawing from a wide array of ancient sources, including non-textual and material culture (e.g., the Anavyssos Kouros (Kroisos), 540–515 BC [p. 41]; the Amasis Painter cup in Boston showing two masturbating satyrs, 520 BC [p. 45]; an Attic black figure oinochoe by the painter Kleisophos and the potter Xenocles, 520 BC [p. 52])—Serafim examines how sexual roles and orientations are both inscribed upon and interpreted through the body. Insightful is the author’s treatment of “effeminacy” and “masculinity” within Athenian civic ideology, revealing how bodily comportment intersects with notions of political fitness and social legitimacy. Even seemingly grotesque or comic depictions, such as figures masturbating or even defecating, function not as trivial scenes but as markers of social boundaries—contrasting the disciplined male citizen with those deemed shameful, or politically unfit.
Chapter Two, “Framing Collective and Clashing Identities”, shifts focus from the individual to the communal, exploring how bodily behaviour delineates group boundaries. Serafim states that “collective identity describes the life experiences and spiritual values, beliefs, and attitudes that individuals have in common with the individuals or groups of individuals around them” (p. 83). The author draws on numerous ancient sources—sometimes cited in Greek and Latin, sometimes in translation, and at times without a clearly stated rationale. For instance, Xenophon’s Cyropaedia 1.2.16 and 8.8.8 are given in both Greek and English (pp. 89–90), whereas Aristophanes’ Clouds 291–295 and Birds 392–397 are quoted only in English (pp. 101–102). While this variation does not detract from the argument, a more consistent citation practice would benefit the scholarly clarity of the chapter. Nonetheless, the analysis is rich in detail, showing how bodily markers function in the construction and perception of collective identities, and are seen “as a cultural construct that manifests identity when it is performed on the socio-cultural stage of a community” (p. 120).
Chapter Three, “Nonverbal Behaviour, Ethos, and Emotions”, offers a nuanced discussion of how bodily expression contributes to the shaping of character (ethos) and emotional credibility in both Greek and Latin literary contexts—for instance, from tragedy to historiography, and from philosophy to medicine. Serafim draws attention to the tension between intended self-presentation and involuntary bodily disclosures. This chapter is especially strong in its theoretical sophistication and textual grounding (see e.g. Demosthenes 18.258, Aristotle’s Rhetoric 1382a, Juvenal 1.45-50, and Aristophanes’ Wealth 696-704). Of note is his focus on how “emotions express a wide range of personal or group identities through nonverbal behaviour, both actively by agents…and passively by the recipients” (and this is a good insight on the basis of the overall analysis of the chapter related to, e.g., contempt, enmity, anger, disgust, ridicule, and shame), and on the “nonverbal presentation of different and contrasting identities that delineate the cultural environment of (groups of people within) larger communities, shape the idiosyncratic features of individuals and groups, and determine actions and behaviours that influence social, institutional, or intra- and intercultural processes and outcomes” (p. 178).
The final chapter, “Body from the Inside Out: Identity, Diet, and Medical Conditions”, turns to the internal body, exploring, for instance, how diet, health, and disease contributed to the construction of identity. Drawing on authors such as Hippocrates and Galen, alongside dramatic and naturalistic texts, Serafim demonstrates how the internal workings of the body were understood either as expressive of character or as agents in its formation. This chapter significantly enriches the scope of the book, moving beyond visible bodily surfaces to the culturally and socially meaningful realms of internal health and physiological balance.
One of the book’s most commendable features is its rich engagement with both primary texts and modern scholarship. The bibliography is extensive and well-curated, and Serafim situates his analyses within contemporary academic debates across classics, gender, and identity studies. The reader is guided smoothly through a wide range of scholarly perspectives without losing sight of the primary material.
That said, one limitation lies in the brevity of the book’s conclusions. While the internal structure of each chapter enhances readability, the segmentation can, at times, dilute the argumentative coherence. The concluding sections would benefit from more expansive analysis, drawing connections between individual insights and the book’s overarching argument. Likewise, a more robust general conclusion could further reinforce the work’s conceptual framework—particularly in light of the theoretical ambition of the study. Nonetheless, these are just minor concerns in what is an otherwise compelling volume. Indeed, the book offers valuable insights not only into how the ancients understood and performed identity through the body but also into how contemporary scholars might revisit texts of Greek and Roman literature with renewed attention to embodied experience. In this respect, Body Behaviour and Identity Construction in Ancient and Roman Literature will be of particular interest to scholars in several fields of research.