This year’s JP Postgate lecture will be hosted by Professor Emily Greenwood of Yale University to focus on the history of ‘crisis’ from the perspective of Ancient Greece.
The language of crisis is ubiquitous in contemporary politics and the public sphere. At the close of 2015 Europe is still working through the implications of ‘the Greek crisis’, while a refugee crisis unfolds across Europe.
This lecture will consider what it means to attach the label ‘crisis’ to unfolding events and will offer a deep history of crisis from the perspective of ancient Greece focusing primarily on classical Athens, emphasising the very close relationship between political crisis, rhetoric, public debate, and the arts.
Theatre of Politics
Professor of Classics Emily Greenwood will analyse how ancient Athenians responded to and reflected on their crises, turning to highly dramatized political and legal debates and theatrical performances. These Athenian case studies in the politics of crisis offer a challenging thought-experiment for the role of the Humanities today.
The event will take place on Tuesday 8th December at the Electrical Engineering Lecture Theatre, 5.30pm to 8.00pm.
Staff and students are welcome to attend this free event but are required to register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/john-percival-postgate-lecture-with-professor-emily-greenwood-tickets-19381761370?utm_term=eventurl_text