Professor Christopher Pelling, Regius Professor of Greek, Oxford University: How the Greeks explained history: the case of Herodotus

Professor Christopher Pelling, Regius Professor of Greek, Oxford University: How the Greeks explained history: the case of Herodotus
Wednesday, March 20th, 5:30 pm, HUMN 250

Abstract: 'Are scientific and historical explanations felt as operating in the same way, and in particular need they imply inevitability or even predictability? That is an issue still; it was also an issue in the fifth-century BCE, when both historiography and (in particular) medicine were simultaneously developing explanatory concepts and categories. In this talk, Professor Pelling will explore some points of contact between Herodotus and the early Hippocratic writings, and see whether they have anything to tell us still about the practice of writing -- and particularly of reading -- history.'
This lecture is free and open to the public, and sponsored by: the Graduate Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, the Center for the American West, the Department of Classics and the Center for Western Civilization.

For further information, please contact Jackie.Elliott@colorado.edu