calendar
MARCH 2010
17TH MARCH: ILLUSTRATED LECTURE
Ancient Rome on Film (Illustrated)
Museum of Ancient Cultures, X5B, 7.15pm
Fiona Radford
Subtitled "When Chin Dimples meet Togas”, this lecture will explore the representations of ancient Rome on the big screen. Why do people make Roman history movies? Learn of the interplay between film-making and contemporary politics.
Fiona Radford is a doctoral candidate at Macquarie University, and teaches in the university’s famous ‘History & Film’ unit. She is currently working on a thesis which investigates the making of Kubrick’s “Spartacus”, and has recently gained access to fascinating archival material, including the Dalton Trumbo Papers at the University of California (Los Angeles), the Dalton Trumbo and Kirk Douglas Papers held by the Wisconsin Historical Society, the Howard Fast Papers at the University of Pennsylvania and the Stanley Kubrick Papers stored at the University of the Arts in London.
The lecture will be illustrated with scenes from some of your favourite films.
APRIL 2010
21ST APRIL: LECTURE
The Harbour of Ancient Torone and its Disappearance
Museum of Ancient Cultures, X5B, 7.15pm
Associate Professor Tom Hillard
Ancient Torone, situated in the Chalkidiki (northern Greece), was an important
trading centre in the classical Greek world and into the period of the Roman
Empire. Its port was considered one of the assets of ancient Macedonia. Its
strategic importance made it the target of hostile interest on a number of
occasions. An Australian archaeological expedition, under the directorship of
Prof. Alexander Cambitoglou, has been investigating this site since 1975. In
1990, during an exploratory survey, Tom Hillard and his colleague Dr Lea
Beness found interesting remains below the current sea level; and in 1993 Tom
Hillard led an Australian expedition which initiated the underwater
exploration of the site with the intention of locating Torone’s harbour. The
results were unexpected. This lecture summarizes a decade’s research,
pinpoints the harbour’s probable location, and outlines the reasons for its
disappearance.
28TH APRIL TO 1ST MAY: DRAMA REVIEW
MAHA SAC Review
Macquarie Lighthouse Theatre
Further information to follow.
MAY 2010
1ST MAY: TEACHERS' CONFERENCE
Meeting the Challenges of the National Curriculum
15TH MAY: HSC STUDY DAY - EGYPT
Normanhurst Boys' High School
JUNE 2010
JULY 2010
21ST JULY: LECTURE
The location and origins of Athens
Museum of Ancient Cultures, X5B, 7.15pm
Michael Birrell
This lecture examines the location of the city of Athens and the early evidence from the site down to the Persian invasions. We explore some of the factors which contributed to the rise of the city as an important trading and military power.
28TH JULY: LECTURE
Athens in the Classical Age
Museum of Ancient Cultures, X5B, 7.15pm
Michael Birrell
We explore the remains of the ancient city of Athens when it was at its height in the 5th Century BC. The heart of the city was the Agora, the centre of economic and political life.
30TH JULY: GREEK DRAMA FESTIVAL
Macquarie Lighthouse Theatre
NSW Secondary School Students
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AUGUST 2010
4TH AUGUST: LECTURE
The Acropolis and its Monuments
Museum of Ancient Cultures, X5B, 7.15pm
Michael Birrell
The crowning glory of 5th Century Athens was the monuments on the Acropolis, a natural hill rising up above the city. We examine the development of this sacred space with particular reference to the Parthenon, the cult place of Athena.
11TH AUGUST: LECTURE
Life and Death in Ancient Athens
Museum of Ancient Cultures, X5B, 7.15pm
Michael Birrell
We explore the physical evidence for daily life in the city of Athens during the Classical and Hellenistic periods. The remains of houses provide a rich testament of the activities of daily existence. We also explore the Kerameikos cemetery and its superb tomb monuments.
18TH AUGUST: LECTURE
Athens in the Roman Period
Museum of Ancient Cultures, X5B, 7.15pm
Michael Birrell
Athens came under Roman control in the 2nd Century BC and would acquire monumental new civic structures under the patronage of philhellenic rulers such as Augustus and Hadrian. This lecture examines the city of Athens in the Roman era down to the Byzantine era.
SEPTEMBER 2010
18TH SEPTEMBER: HSC STUDY DAY - CORE/GREECE/ROME
Normanhurst Boys' High School