John Donne Lecture with Mary Beard

26 April 2019 - 17:00

Titled ‘What’s the point of Classics?’, Mary Beard will deliver the next John Donne Lecture on Friday 26 April 2019 in the Sheldonian Theatre at 5pm.

In this lecture, she will ask why we still need Homer and Virgil, Thucydides and Tacitus. Can Classics be defended against those who claim it has become merely a weapon of the alt-right, white supremacism and ‘toxic masculinity’ – and indeed always has been? Is it possible to unpick the myth that Classics has always been the intellectual twin of empire, racism and misogyny? Mary’s assertion is ‘yes’, and she hopes to show how this is the case.

We regret that public tickets for this event are now sold out. Current and former members of Hertford College may contact the Development Office to enquire about last-minute availability. 

OXFORD, ENGLAND – APRIL 05: Professor Mary Beard, classicist and writer, photographed at the FT Weekend Oxford Literary Festival on April 5, 2016 in Oxford, England. (Photo by David Levenson/Getty Images)