Event
Penn Public Lectures presents Feeling: Literature in Ancient Greece and India
3260 South Street Philadelphia, PA 19104
The Penn Public Lectures on Classical Antiquity and the Contemporary World present Feeling: Literature in Ancient Greece and India
Featuring Phiroze Vasunia, Professor of Greek, University College London
The Penn Public Lectures on Classical Antiquity and the Contemporary World aim to reimagine the discipline of Classical Studies. They will be delivered by visionary scholars of ancient Greece and Rome, who will present public lectures, visit classes, run workshops, and contribute to the life of the department during their residence.
Anger
Tuesday, September 9
5-6:30 PM
Rainey Auditorium, Penn Museum
Why do ancient epics, in both the Indian and Greek traditions, pay so much attention to anger, especially the anger of men? How does rage relate to other emotions? This lecture will discuss the Indian Ramayana and the Greek Iliad and Odyssey, tracing a connection between emotions and song tradition. The talk will argue that in both ancient traditions, epic draws inspiration from the intersection between rage and other emotions, such as grief and joy.
Desire
Wednesday, September 10
5-6:30 PM
Rainey Auditorium, Penn Museum
Desire, and especially female desire, has a special place in both ancient Greek and ancient Indian lyric poetry. This lecture will compare the Greek poems and fragments of Sappho with those by women writers of Sanskrit kavya literature from South Asia. The talk will show how and why the emotions of love, lust, and yearning are associated with a particular poetic genre and a particular gender in these ancient traditions.
Compassion
Thursday, September 11
5-6:30 PM
Widener Lecture Hall, Penn Museum
The thrilling narrative drive of revenge plays a central role in many dramatic traditions, from Aeschylus’ Agamemnon to Shakespeare’s Hamlet. And yet the “deeds of mercy” have an equally central role in serious ancient drama. This talk will show that both ancient Athenian and classical Sanskrit plays have a central interest in how destructive emotions, such as vengeance and jealousy, can be overturned or transformed, and how divine or familial curses can be lifted. Through an examination of ancient Athenian tragedy and the works of the classical Sanskrit playwright, Kalidasa, the talk will show how compassion can become a transformative power in human life.
The series is supported by the Arete foundation in honor of Edward E. Cohen.
