Ancient Greece, Rome Celebrated during Lawrence University's "Classics Week"
APPLETON, WIS. -- A slide-illustrated lecture featuring Lawrence University's world-class collection of ancient coins delivered by one of the world's leading numismatists highlights Lawrence's celebration of Classics Week May 14-18. All of the events in the week-long commemoration of the glory of ancient Greece and Rome are free and open to the public.
William Metcalf, former chief curator at the American Numismatic Society in New York and an internationally recognized authority on ancient coins and medalions, presents, "Contextualizing Ancient Coins: The Ottilia Buerger Collection at Lawrence University," Tuesday, May 15 at 7:30 p.m. in the Wriston Art Center auditorium.
The extensive collection of rare Greek, Roman and Byzantine coins assembled by Buerger, a 1938 Lawrence graduate, are featured in rotating exhibitions in the Quirk Print Study Room in the Wriston Art Center and are used extensively as an educational resource in art history and classics courses at Lawrence. Metcalf's appearance is supported by the Maurice Cunningham Lectureship in Classics.
Lawrence President Richard Warch officially opens Classics Week May 14 at 11:05 a.m. with a proclamation from the steps of his office, reaffirming Lawrence's commitment to, and the importance of, the study of the classics.
Other Classics Week events include:
Monday, May 14 -- Lawrence seniors Sylvia Zwissler and Jenny Benjamin present "Hercules in Action: Artistic Representations of the Greek Hero," a slide-illustrated lecture on art works depicting Hercules. Wriston Art Center auditorium, 4:15 p.m.
Wednesday, May 16 -- "Medieval Palaeography and Renaissance Epigraphy: The Joys and Travails of Reading Sheepskins and Stones." Lawrence seniors Heather Nabbefeld and David Rees will display and discuss different styles of manuscript writing characteristic of different eras and locations. Main Hall, Room 102, 4:15 p.m.
Thursday, May 17 -- "Splish Splash They Were Taking Baths Long Ago: Roman Baths in England." Lawrence sophomore Sean Smith offers a slide-illustrated look at four types of Roman baths from the early centuries A.D. Wriston Art Center auditorium, 4:15 p.m.
Friday, May 18 -- Lawrence senior Amy Haegele presents a dramatic reading in Latin of Dr. Suess' children's classic "The Cat in the Hat" ("Cattus Petasatus") and freshmen Kelly Jones and Julie Beien share Latin riddles (Aenigmata Latina) from the south steps of Main Hall, 4:15 p.m. Rain site: Science Hall atrium.