Three Lectures: Classics in the Modern World, Greek Theater, Democracy and Military

Phi Beta Kappa National Office

Peter Meineck, Professor of Classics in the Modern World at New York University and founder of Aquila Theatre Company.

Under the auspices the national honor society Phi Beta Kappa, Peter Meineck, Professor of Classics in the Modern World at New York University and founder of Aquila Theatre Company, will share three virtual lecture/discussion presentations with the U of A community on March 10 and 11, as follows:

• "Staging Greek Drama: New Research" Wednesday, March 10, 1-2 p.m. Hosted by Department of Theatre Chair Dr. M. Riha. Go to Zoom Lecture.

• "Ancient Democracy and the Inter-Related Roles of the Theatre and Military" Thursday, March 11, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Hosted in Dr. D. Vennarucci's course ARHS 4413 Greek Art and Archaeology. Go to Zoom Lecture.

• "Classics in the Modern World" Thursday, March 11, 6-7 p.m. — Public Lecture: What value is there is the works of ancient Greece, Rome and the Mediterranean World for society today? How do they affect us today and in what ways can they be applied to better understand and even advance our own cultures? In this illustrated talk professor Meineck describes several programs he has directed where ancient drama, literature and artifacts have been used in an applied way to the benefit of different communities. These include award winning work with the American veteran community that highlighted issues of combat trauma, homecoming, women in the military and military ethics, programs with the international refugee community, and new deployments of this material that brought focus to modern contemporary issues at places such as the Bush and Obama White Houses, Pentagon Command Staff, Supreme Court and United States Congress. Go to Zoom Lecture.

Everyone at the U of A and the surrounding community is welcome to join these discussions, which will be available through the links above.

Learn more about Professor Meineck.

For more information about the lecture series, contact Daniel Levine, president, Phi Beta Kappa, Alpha of Arkansas chapter, at dlevine@uark.edu.

About Phi Beta Kappa: Founded in 1776, Phi Beta Kappa has celebrated excellence in liberal arts and sciences and championed freedom of thought for more than 200 years.  Today there are Phi Beta Kappa chapters at 290 colleges. Notable members include National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman, 17 U.S. Presidents, 42 Supreme Court Justices, and more than 150 Nobel Laureates. 

About Alpha of Arkansas: Chartered in 1932, the Alpha of Arkansas chapter of Phi Beta Kappa has inducted almost 3,000 PBK members since that time. Early initiates and chapter officers included familiar campus names such as Fulbright, Futrall, Leflar, Waterman, Hotz, Holcombe, and Droke. For 65 years, the University of Arkansas' chapter was the only one in the state. A charter was issued for a Beta Chapter at Hendrix in 1997.