Prof. Mary Beard - Simulacra and re-enactment

In May 1884 a three-day series of "re-enactments" were staged on the site of ancient Pompeii. In a style that seems uncomfortably reminiscent of Disney-history, local performers dressed up as Romans and staged gladiatorial games and chariot races, as well as recreating Roman weddings and funerals and serving mock-up Roman vintages from carefully restored Roman bars. Starting from this celebration, which was widely reported in the British and American press (making more of an impact abroad than in Italy itself - where it was mostly notable for incurring a terrible financial loss), this lecture explores the experience of visiting the site of Pompeii in the nineteenth century.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• mary beard
• cambridge university
• european university institute
• max weber programme