‘Can a Roman die like Socrates?’ A Talk by Michael Trapp.

On Wednesday 21st September at 4.30 pm, Professor Michael Trapp will be speaking on:

‘Can a Roman die like Socrates?’

Suicide as an act of defiance and a means of escape in the face of defeat and disgrace was a great tradition in Roman political life.  In this illustrated talk, Professor Trapp explores how some particularly high profile Roman suicides in the late Republic and early Empire modelled their departure – or were portrayed as having done so – on the martyrdom four centuries before of the Athenian philosopher Socrates. He also asks how this piece of Roman imitation went down with subsequent generations of Greeks.

Michael Trapp is Professor of Greek Literature and Thought at King’s College, London. He has a particular interest in how figures from antiquity – Socrates is the richest and most provocative of all examples of this – have been re-imagined, appropriated and represented since their own day.

The talk is hosted by the St Paul’s Girls’ School Classics Society. Tea and cake will be served from 4.00 in the Dining Hall and the talk will be held in the Drama Studio. The event will finish between 5.30 and 6.00. There is no charge.

The address of the school is St Paul’s Girls’ School, Brook Green, London, W6 7BS; main telephone 020 7603 2288. The nearest tube is Hammersmith.

All are welcome, but if you or your pupils would like to attend, please email Gregory Wilsdon at gregory.wilsdon@spgs.org with expected numbers as soon as possible and at the latest by Monday 19th September