Socrates and Athens | Athens | November 14

Emory University Professor Cynthia Patterson will deliver a lecture on “Socrates and the Health of Athens” at the American School of Classical Studies (ASCSA) on Thursday, November 14, starting at 7 p.m. The distinguished academic says: “Socrates lived most of his adult life in a city suffering the effects of near continuous warfare (in which he took part) as well as significant epidemic disease, known generally as ‘the plague’ described by Thucydides in memorably searing language in Book 2 of his history. In this talk, I suggest that Plato, in his portrait of Socrates engaging in conversation throughout the city of Athens (in the city’s palestrae or private houses, along the Ilisos river outside the walls or in shackles in the agora awaiting execution) offers us another way to think about ‘the health of Athens’ during these traumatic and tumultuous years.” The lecture will take place at Cotsen Hall.

ASCSA, Cotsen Hall, 9 Anapiron Polemou, Kolonaki, tel 210.721.0536, www.ascsa.edu.gr