Friday, February 5, 2016

Everything you wanted to know about fabulous wealth in the ancient world, but...

People watching television and going to the movies can’t seem to get enough of stories – true and otherwise – that focus on the lives of the superrich and the celebrities of the hour. Be these regional oligarchs, virtual reality “stars” or characters in contemporary literature, ostentatious wealth gained in questionable ways and then displayed lavishly in poor taste always seems to attract envious attention. Such patterns of conspicuous consumption are, of course, not new in human societies. Elites and their imitators have been doing this since societies have become more complex in their social and economic structures.

On Wednesday, February 10th at 19:30 in the Library of the Institute Professor Brendan Burke (Department of Greek and Roman Studies, University of Victoria, BC) will give a lecture, “Myths of Wealth in the Ancient World: Ex Oriente Lux”, that will explore the nature of wealth in the ancient world.

Many foreigners, according to Greek sources, had a reputation for astronomical wealth: Priam, Midas, Croesus, Maussolos are just a few. Legends surrounding these individuals were a great source of fascination. What is often surprising to modern audiences, however, is that most of these figures from Greek and Roman legend were powerful, historical rulers. It is also often assumed that incredible wealth was in some ways corrupting or debilitating to those who held it. Prof. Burke’s lecture will examine these stories and look at the archaeological evidence for such fabulous wealth in order to distinguish myth from history.

Is truth stranger than fiction? Is it a curse to be wealthy beyond your wildest dreams? Come to the lecture find out the answers to these perennial questions and more!

Cordially,
David Rupp
Director

No comments:

Post a Comment