"The Context and Meaning of the Battle of Marathon: Why we are celebrating the 2,500 year anniversary"

Tuesday, September 28
5:30 PM EST/ 2:30 PM PST (90 minute lecture and Q&A - followed by a reception for the live audience at New York University's Center for Ancient Studies)

Speaker: PAUL CARTLEDGE

Hellenic Parliament Global Distinguished Professor in the History and Theory of Democracy at New York University; A.G. Leventis Professor Greek Culture, Cambridge University

Host: New York University Center for Ancient Studies

Paul Cartledge, Hellenic Parliament Global Distinguished Professor in the History and Theory of Democracy at New York University and A.G. Leventis Professor Greek Culture, Cambridge University will talk about the context and meaning of the Battle of Marathon – and why we are celebrating the 2,500 year anniversary. A world expert on Athens and Sparta in the Classical Age, Professor Cartledge was chief historical consultant for the BBC TV series The Greeks and the Channel 4 series The Spartans, presented by Bettany Hughes. He is also a holder of the Gold Cross of the Order of Honour and an Honorary Citizen of (modern) Sparta.

Marathon2500 

People around the world will get a chance to participate in the celebration of the battle of Marathon, thanks to a cultural campaign initiated by the Reading Odyssey, a New York not-for-profit. The Reading Odyssey and Marathon2500 chairman Paul Cartledge of New York University and of Cambridge University will recruit the world’s best Hellenic scholars and sports historians to deliver eight lectures on the cultural, intellectual and athletic legacy of the Battle of Marathon. The talks will be given before live audiences, webcast online and archived for viewing or listening on demand. Lectures will begin in September 2010 and run through June 2011. To multiply their impact, the Reading Odyssey will work with thousands of universities, colleges, high schools, museums and sports organizations to create satellite listening centers.

Whole lecture series - free registration/information:  
http://marathon2500-fullseries.eventbrite.com

Herodotus free phone/web-based reading groups: 
http://herodotus2010-readinggroups.eventbrite.com

Individual lectures (from fall of 2010 - spring 2011):

Paul Cartledge, New York Unviersity, Tue Sep 28 @6pm ET, "The Context and Meaning of the Battle"
http://marathon2500-1.eventbrite.com   

Peter Krentz, Davidson College, Tue Oct 12 @ 7pm ET, "The Battle Itself"
http://marathon2500-2.eventbrite.com

Victor Davis Hanson, Hoover Institution, Wed Nov 10 @ 1pm ET, "Life of a Soldier—Greek and Persian"
http://marathon2500-3.eventbrite.com   

Thomas Harrison, University of Liverpool, Tue Jan 18 @ 1pm ET, "The Persian Perspective"
http://marathon2500-4.eventbrite.com

Dean Karnazes, world-renowned ultramarathoner, Wed Feb 9 @ 1pm ET “The Battle and Modern Sports”
http://marathon2500-5.eventbrite.com

Thomas Scanlon, UC Riverside, Tue Apr 5 @ 1pm ET “Sports in the Ancient World”
http://marathon2500-6.eventbrite.com   

Robert Strassler, Independent Scholar, Tue May 10 @ 1pm ET “Herodotus and the Invention of History”, 
http://marathon2500-7.eventbrite.com

John Marincola, Florida State University, Wed Jun 8 @ 4pm ET “Epilogue: What happened after the Battle"
http://marathon2500-8.eventbrite.com 

Paul Cartledge Biography

Paul Cartledge, Hellenic Parliament Global Distinguished Professor in the History and Theory of Democracy at New York University and A.G. Leventis Professor of Greek History, the A G Leventis Professor of Greek Culture and a Fellow of Clare College at Cambridge, is a world expert on Athens and Sparta in the Classical Age and has been described as a Laconophile. He was chief historical consultant for the BBC TV series The Greeks and the Channel 4 series The Spartans, presented by Bettany Hughes. He is also a holder of the Gold Cross of the Order of Honour and an Honorary Citizen of (modern) Sparta. Besides the posts at Cambridge, he holds a visiting Global Distinguished Professorship at New York University, funded by the Greek Parliament.

He has written a wide number of scholarly articles, books and books for the general public. He has a real passion for reaching the general reader and is a longtime advisor to the Reading Odyssey and chief advisor on the design of this 2,500 year Battle of Marathon anniversary lecture series and celebration.

There is no one better to kickoff this worldwide celebration.