18 April, 7:00 (online: free)
Greek Community of Melbourne
David Pritchard (University of Queensland)
The funeral oration, a tradition observed almost annually for classical Athenians
fallen in war, underwent a significant reinterpretation nearly four decades ago by
Nicole Loraux. In her seminal work, The Invention of Athens, Loraux shed light on
the crucial role of this genre in shaping Athenian identity. She demonstrated how each
iteration of the speech contributed to maintaining a consistent self-identity for over a
century. However, Loraux’s exploration had its limitations. By minimizing the focus
on authorship, she neglected crucial questions surrounding individual speeches.
In his lecture, “The Athenian Funeral Oration: After Nicole Loraux,” Professor
Pritchard aims to address the significant questions overlooked by Loraux and to
provide the intertextual analysis lacking in The Invention of Athens. This examination
reveals a deeper political impact of the funeral oration than previously acknowledged.
Part of the Greek History and Culture Seminars hosted by the Greek Community
of Melbourne This talk will be online-only. For more information and links, see the Facebook event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/792457726144441/ or watch
the Youtube stream here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cMPtArbBjI/.
Classical Association of Victoria 