This lecture is part of the series: "Classics | Receptions | Borders." This series showcases some of the work being done by early-career scholars that explores how the ancient world negotiated cultural boundaries and conversely how classical antiquity has been received in colonial and post-colonial arenas.

This paper opens with an overview of recent work on the ontology of fictional characters and then proceeds to arguments about the ontological status of characters who appear in fictionalizing narratives such as the Odyssey or the Ramayana who are simultaneously the objects of religious belief. Prof. Johnston suggests that such characters draw unique advantages...