CLAS: Prof Dijkstra (University of Ottawa)

Fri. Nov. 24 03:30 PM - Fri. Nov. 24 04:30 PM
Contact: pj.miller@uwinnipeg.ca
Location: 3D01

The Classics Department presents Professor Jitse Dijkstra of the University of Ottawa with his talk: "Crowd Behavior and the Destruction of the Serapeum at Alexandria in 391/392 CE".

About the talk
The Serapeum in Alexandria was an ancient Greek temple and library that stood for five hundred years before its destruction. Ancient accounts vary and lurid details - trapped pagans, imperial edicts, secret blood sacrifices - pepper the literary record. Professor Jitse Dijkstra offers his insights into the role of mob mentality and religious fervor in the destruction of this monument to paganism and Hellenism.