The famous formulation that all Gaul was divided into three parts came from the self-serving pen of Caesar himself, whose conquest of Gaul served as the springboard for a quest for power that ended fatally on the Ides of March in 44 B.C.E.

Rome gradually acquired commercial and military interests in southern Gaul that provided the pretext for Roman intervention in the complicated politics of the region. Caesar then exploited internal divisions within Gaul to bring about the largest single acquisition of territory for Rome north of the Alps, a project that he conducted largely on his own initiative with only the grudging approval of the Roman Senate.

The conquest of Gaul has left a deep impression in the French national consciousness, from Louis Napoleon’s obsession with the rebel Vercingetorix to the comics of Astérix le Gaulois.

For questions or to register contact Donald Kane: baf.jccgw@gmail.com

All Bender JCC programs are open to everyone. Contact Kate Falls, Director of Inclusion, at kfalls@benderjccgw.org or 301.348.3767 to discuss support and accommodations.

Program via Zoom

One of the most famous epic narratives of classical mythology is that of the Trojan War, a decade-long conflict over the possession of Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world.

Pitting Greeks against Trojans, the war featured heroes like Achilles and Odysseus, and it was integral both to the psyche of the ancient Greeks and to the mythical foundation of the ancient Romans.

Our speaker recounts the story of the Trojan War and explores and weaves together multiple (and sometimes conflicting) strands of evidence from many periods of antiquity. She narrates passages from ancient literary sources including Homer’s Iliad (ca. 750 BCE) and Apollodouras’ Bibliotheca (ca. 100 CE) and illustrates the program with important artistic works, such as the famous Sarpeon Krater by Euphronios and the Laocoon Group in the Vatican museums.

Later representations of the Trojan War are also highlighted, such as Peter Paul Rubens’ Judgment of Paris and Nicolas Poussin’s Achilles Discovered on Skyros.

To reserve your spot, use our Zoom PayPal portal: https://link.edgepilot.com/s/e1fbb0ac/GooXf2xCq0i7Sljm5FNSWQ?u=https://basonova.org/next-lecture-reservation.html

For questions or to register contact Donald Kane: baf.jccgw@gmail.com

All Bender JCC programs are open to everyone. Contact Kate Falls, Director of Inclusion, at kfalls@benderjccgw.org or 301.348.3767 to discuss support and accommodations.