Mr Michael Smith

Postgraduate research student

Overview

In my research I am attempting to reconceptualise the application of eastern Roman identity in the Macedonian imperial period, by conducting ideological analysis: that is examining texts and discourse to reconstruct eastern Roman notions of authority, religion and paedia through which I can then understand diplomatic relations, motivations and power relations through an eastern Roman lens. 

My supervisor is Professor Shaun Tougher. This follows on from my MA dissertation at Cardiff University on the use of iconography by Constantine the Great on his coinage. This was also with Professor Tougher.I also hold a BA Joint Hons History and English Literature Eboracum from the University of York. I studied the Archaeology of Roman York and the excavations under York Minster as a subsidiary subject. I currently teach in SHARE and JOMEC.

In between my BA and my MA, I trained and worked as a journalist and as an adult education teacher. I still work as an arts journalist, running a general arts website asiw.co.uk, an opera website operascene.co.uk and I also contribute to a variety of print and online publications. I am a travel writer and have a travel website thatstripical.com and I also contribute to print and online publlcations. I also established the Wales Theatre Awards and a fund to support new arts writers.

I have been active in trade union and equality work, including The National Union of Journalists, the Wales TUC general council, Stonewall Cymru and many other organisations. I have also been vice chair of governors of two Cardiff schools.

I live in Cardiff with my civil partner and a mischievous, outdoors, loving, nocturnal hunting and miaowing cat who has not realised that I am about to sue her under the trade descriptions act as she told the RSPCA rescue centre that she was a house cat.