Classics: Virgil The Roman Historian? With Dr Donncha O’Rourke From The University of Edinburgh
April 29 @ 13:30 - 14:15
We are delighted to welcome Dr Donncha O’Rourke, Senior Lecturer in Classics at The University of Edinburgh. Donncha will lead an interactive talk for students entitled Virgil The Roman Historian?
Virgil’s Aeneid is set in legendary time, yet Virgil constantly invites us to think about Roman history down to his own time. He does this both implicitly, by a kind of historical analogy (e.g., in how Aeneas invites comparison with Augustus), and explicitly, in some passages that verge on historiographical epic (especially prophetic passages such as the speech of Jupiter in Book 1, the underworld pageant in Book 6, and the shield of Aeneas in Book 8).
This talk will consider sections of them poem in which Virgil writes in the manner of a Roman historian and, in the process, invites his readers to think about how history gets written and what the manner of narration tells us about an author’s — or an emperor’s — historical agenda.
This exciting event is designed to support Classics and Literature students in their current studies whilst giving an insight into the rich nature and opportunities of Classics study at university level.
Lecturer Profile: Dr Donncha O’Rourke
Our events are designed so that a group of students can take part from a classroom or students and teachers can take part as individuals, either from school or from home. There is no charge to take part.
As a live, participative event, this session will not be recorded but slides and other resources will be shared after the event, where available.
Suitable for: Age 16+ pre-university Classics and Literature students. We also welcome students who are studying other subjects but are interested in classical civilization. Student groups as well as students and teachers joining individually are very welcome.
Preparation/Pre-Reading: Students may wish to consider the topic in advance and questions they have. Students can also think about questions related to studying at university level.
The IT Setup: The event will be run on Zoom and participants will be able to join using laptops, tablets, and mobile devices. If you are joining as a school group, we recommend connecting with one device and projecting on to a whiteboard. You will be able to interact with the speaker via typed comments and questions and/or via a microphone. Full details will be sent to those who have registered (see below) prior to the event.
Booking a Place: This is free for schools and colleges. If you would like to take part in this event, please register your interest using the link to the registration form below: