Aspects of the Mediterranean in Greco-Roman Antiquity

On the occasion of Mediterranean Day, the Department of Philology at the University of Patras and the Lefkada Intercultural Institute are co-organizing the event “Aspects of the Mediterranean in Greco-Roman Antiquity” — a meeting of scholarship and culture dedicated to the sea that has connected peoples, myths, and civilizations across time.

The event is coordinated by PhD candidates in Classical Philology Theodora Pylarinou-Markantonatou, Maria Sklaveniti, and Tilemachos Asimakopoulos, and will feature an opening address by Theofanis Tsiampokalos, Assistant Professor of Ancient Greek Philology at the University of Patras. Undergraduate students Panagiotis Fotopoulos, Eleni Tsagkouri, and Georgia Katsimpoula, together with postgraduate students Manos Undeger, Athina Pitela, and Giannis Sofianopoulos, will deliver three thematic presentations exploring the Mediterranean of ancient sources — from the turbulent context of the Punic Wars and the Roman civil wars to pirates, sea monsters, and the cult of Isis along the Mediterranean coasts.

The event will take place in Lefkada on the afternoon of Saturday, November 29 (exact time and location to be announced soon). It represents a significant outreach initiative by the University of Patras, promoting collaboration with local organizations and the dissemination of scholarly knowledge within the wider community. The choice of Lefkada, an island with a longstanding connection to the sea, literature, and imagination, underscores the enduring pulse of the Mediterranean throughout history. The event is open to all.