Free lectures about the mysteries of Ancient Greece at the Canadian Museum of History

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

For immediate release

Gatineau, Quebec, September 16, 2015 — In conjunction with the exhibition The Greeks – Agamemnon to Alexander the Great, the Canadian Museum of History invites you to explore many of the mysteries of Ancient Greece through a series of fascinating free lectures by experts from Canada and Greece.

Olympia and the Olympic Games
Thursday, September 17 at 7 p.m.
Lecture by Dr. Susan Downie, Carleton University
(Presentation in English)
Did you know the Olympic Games began as a religious festival? Learn about competition in Ancient Greece, and tour the sanctuary at Olympia, where facilities served both religious and athletic purposes.

In quest of Alexander the Great — 2,300 years later
Thursday, September 24 at 7:15 p.m.
Lecture by Dr. Simoni Zafeiropoulou, International Cultural Relations, Greece
(Presentation in English)
Follow in Alexander the Great’s footsteps from Greece all the way to India, as he conquered his way through what are now Syria, Iraq, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Find out why the Macedonian king’s legend endures, and how his legacy continues to reverberate across the region’s complex geopolitical chessboard, 2,300 years later.

Delos, divine crossroads of civilizations Thursday, October 1 at 7 p.m.
Lecture by Denis Renaud, University of Ottawa
(Presentation in French)
The island of Delos, mythological birthplace of the twin gods Apollo and Artemis, was an important centre of worship and a crossroads of commerce in Ancient Greece. Explore this UNESCO World Heritage Site, and discover the rich cultural mosaic and religious diversity that once flourished on the sacred island.

The grave circles of Mycenae
Thursday, October 8 at 6 p.m.
Lecture by Dr. Laura Gagné, University of Ottawa and Carleton University
(Presentation in English)
In 1878, archaeologists at Mycenae, unearthing a cemetery for the wealthy, thought they had found the final resting place of Agamemnon and his followers, murdered upon their return from Troy. But the shaft graves predate the Trojan War by centuries. Find out what forensics and archaeology reveal about the men in the gold death masks.

Please confirm your presence at these free lectures either by email at rsvp@historymuseum.ca or by phone at 819-776-8392.

More information is available at historymuseum.ca or by calling 819-776-7000 or 1-800-555-5621.

Work of the Canadian History Museum is made possible in part through financial support of the Government of Canada.

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