News & Events

UNC Asheville Guest Lecture: “Girls’ Athletics in Ancient Greece”

January 20, 2012

“Go Spartans: Girls’ Athletics in Ancient Greece,” is the subject of a guest lecture by Jenifer Neils at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, in the Whitman Room of UNC Asheville’s Ramsey Library. Neils is the Ruth Coulter Heede Professor of Art History and Classics at Case Western Reserve University. This lecture is free and open to the public.

Because there are few images from ancient Sparta depicting that city-state’s legendary athletic and independent women, Neils will discuss Athenian red figure vase paintings as possible representations of young Spartan females. Beginning with athletics, where Spartan girls are most readily identifiable, Neils will discuss rare images of girls racing chariots, drinking wine, going to school, and being courted by older women. Ranging in date from the late 6th century to the end of the 5th century B.C., these paintings illustrate Athenians’ fascination with their Greek rivals.

Neils’ talk is part of the Joukowsky Lectureship of the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA). The Joukowsky lectures are named for Martha Sharp Joukowsky, past AIA president and professor of Old World Archaeology at Brown University.

The lecture is co-sponsored by the WNC chapter of the AIA and UNC Asheville’s Department of Classics. For more information, contact Laurel Taylor at 828.251.6290.