The aim of this thesis is to analyse the meaning of instances of classical reception and uses of Antiquity within student clubs and societies at Stockholm University. The analysis is structured around a variety of factors, concerning the names and symbols of local student associations, as well as their social events and theatrical projects. There are notable differences to be found between societies targeting Classics students and those aimed at other student groups. Even though instances of classical reception are present in many different types of student associations, they take on a particular meaning for Classics students, who are more invested in the accuracy of the references than others. The theoretical framework of Swedish scholar Peter Aronsson is used to explain these differences. Furthermore, the study indicates that all student organisations are somewhat dependent on the classical tradition existent within academia.

Medea is, even though a mythological woman from ancient Greece, very popular today and her story feels modern, which many recent adaptations clearly prove. How can this ancient material be so applicable and thought-provoking to discuss today? This study shows how different translators and authors have interpreted and re-imagined Medea to make her feel relevant to their contemporary societies. Focus is put on Medea’s roles as a woman and a foreigner, because these aspects are especially relevant today. The following research compares three Swedish translations of Euripides Medea from 1860, 1931 and 2012 with each other and analyses three modern adaptations (a movie by Lars von Trier, a novel by Christa Wolf and a play by Viktor Tjerneld) to reveal similarities and differences in the reception of the ancient material. This is achieved by a close reading and analysis of the source material with a theoretical approach that focusses on classical reception and drama theory. The results show that the different translations only differ in nuanced details because all of them try to stay as true as possible to the ancient Greek original. Only the prefaces and character lists written by the translators reveal significant differences in the values that they express and that are signs of their contemporary societies. The modern adaptations offer more possibilities for changing the original depending on which aspects are important during the time of publication. The results show that Medea’s role as an independent woman is important today, but also that her role as a foreigner becomes even more significant as the debates about refugees are getting more evident in our society.