ΧΑΙΡΕΤΕ, Salvete, On behalf of the Greek and Latin sections at Lund University, we have the great pleasure to invite you to the next Colloquium Balticum, which will take place at the Centre of Languages and Literature in Lund, Sweden on November 7-9, 2018. The theme of the conference will be: ''De Risu: Representations and Evaluations of laughter in Greek and Roman literature.'' The complex phenomenon of laughter has been a subject of contemplation from antiquity and onwards. While it is recognised as pertaining to universal human behaviour, at the same time it is socially and culturally conditioned. We welcome papers on the representation, perception, and reception of laughter in Greek and Latin literature. Contributions may draw from all the domains of culture, besides the obvious ancient comedy and satire also poetry, rhetoric, historiography, art, religion, and philosophy, and may discuss the manifold aspects, occurrences, and functions of laughter from different perspectives.  We welcome papers of approximately 30 minutes in English and German, but we would appreciate abstracts in English for the German presentations.  Information and contact: Please inform us about your participation no later than February 1st, 2018. The title of your presentation, a short abstract and other information necessary for your registration should be sent on June 1st at the latest. For your registration (students included), please send us your name, last name, email address, and university affiliation. We hope to be able to provide with lodgings for our guests from abroad as well as at least some of the meals. Warm greetings from Lund! On behalf of the organising committee, Morfia Stamatopoulou

©Ad Meskens / Wikimedia Commons