Tuesday 23 November | 18:00 GMT
Greek Thebes (not to be confused with the Egyptian Thebes) was one of the most powerful and interesting of ancient Greek cities, but it tends to get overlooked in favour of Athens, Sparta, or Alexander the Great's kingdom of Macedon. For 20 years in the later 4th century BCE, it was literally lost – destroyed on Alexander's orders – but before that it had been a major political player. Theban myths have continued to resonate in the Western imagination to our own day. Think only of Oedipus – or his sister-daughter Antigone...
In this event hosted by Classics for All's Chairman, Jimmy Mulville, Professor Paul Cartledge (Emeritus A. G. Leventis Professor of Greek Culture) uncovers the rich history and mythic origins of Thebes, bringing the forgotten city vividly back to life.
Professor Paul Cartledge:
Paul Cartledge is A. G. Leventis Senior Research Fellow of Clare College and A. G. Leventis Professor of Greek Culture emeritus at Cambridge University. He is an honorary citizen of modern Sparta, and President of the Hellenic Society (UK). He's the author, co-author, editor or co-editor of some 30 books, most recently Democracy: A Life and Thebes: The Forgotten City of Ancient Greece.
Jimmy Mulville:
Jimmy came to classics at university where he read French and Classics at Jesus College, Cambridge. “In my case, studying classics at Cambridge changed my life for the better giving me many opportunities. It was an engine for social mobility.” Jimmy is Managing Director of Hat Trick Productions, which he co-founded in 1986. Since then, it has grown into one of the country’s leading producers of comedy, drama and entertainment.
If you have any queries about this event, please contact events@classicsforall.org.uk.