Gladiators, Cleopatra, King Herod. A murder orchestrated with military precision; a forgotten conspirator who held the key to the plot; soldiers willing to be bought by the highest bidder; barbarians, cutthroats, and a political wife who was the brains behind Mark Antony’s “Friends, Romans, Countrymen” speech. None of these is found in Shakespeare’s reception of the Ides of March, yet they are all part of the real story of history’s most famous assassination. Historian and Classicist Barry Strauss, the Bryce and Edith M. Bowmar Professor of Humanistic Studies at Cornell and author of the new book, The Death of Caesar (Simon & Schuster), offers a new and unexpected look at one of history’s pivotal events.
Several organizations and academic institutions are “partnering” to welcome Professor Barry Strauss to Valley Forge Military Academy and College and to The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.
Along with those two hosting institutions, Classics Department Chairs Valentina DeNardis (Villanova University), Maria Marsilio (Saint Joseph’s University), and Radcliffe Edmonds (Bryn Mawr College), as well as Robert Sutton (President of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Archaeological Institute of America), and Mary Brown (President of The Philadelphia Classical Society) are involved in promoting Dr. Strauss’ two talks and book-signing events.
On Friday, March 6, 2015, beginning at 7:30 pm, VFMAC is hosting a reception, book-signing, and lecture in Eisenhower Hall on campus. Dogfish Head Brewery of Rohobeth Beach, DE is providing a “tasting” of Etrusca and Midas’ Touch, both craft brews designed according to ancient recipes by Penn Museum’s biomolecular archaeologist Patrick McGovern.
On Saturday, March 7, at The Penn Museum, from 2 pm-4pm, Professor Strauss will conduct a meet-and-greet and book-signing, followed by his lecture and a Q&A period.
Both events are open to the public, based on space availability. The event at VFMAC is free; the Penn Museum event is free with Museum Admission. To register for a seat at either event, contact Mary Brown [mbrown@vfmac.edu]. Also, Professor Strauss’ new book The Death of Caesar, hardcover edition published by Simon & Schuster, is now available at a premiere price of $15. To purchase a copy, order through Mary Brown. Pick-up will be set up at both book-signing lecture venues.