Dr Christopher Matthew, lecturer of Ancient History at the Australian Catholic University in Sydney, will give a lecture on the ancient and modern warriors and their reactions to the traumas of war, next Thursday, 9 July 2015, at the Greek Centre, as part of the Greek Community of Melbourne’s seminar series, now in its fifth year.

Western military tradition begins with the ancient Greeks. Within the writings of this culture are found some of the first recorded instances of physical and psychological reactions to the traumas of war. Yet despite this long span of precedent, how the warriors of both the ancient Greek world and those of modern societies have faced and dealt with these terrors is vastly different – and the ancient Greek warrior seems to have been much better conditioned to engage in a savage style of fighting which would seem totally foreign in the modern era. This is, in part, due to the nature of many of the different religious and socio-political parameters found within these two time periods. This presentation will discuss one of the main contributors which has helped both modern and ancient warriors account for the seemingly randomness of war – the concepts of Fate and pre-destination.

Christopher Matthew is an internationally recognised specialist in ancient warfare. He graduated with first class honours from the University of New England before moving to Macquarie University to undertake a PhD using physical re-creation, experimental archaeology and ballistics testing to examine the mechanics of warfare in ancient Greece. Chris’ research interests have resulted in numerous published articles in peer reviewed journals and several books. Chris has also been engaged as a historical consultant for film and documentary projects and for museum exhibitions. In 2015 Chris was awarded the position of Honorary Associate with Macquarie University due to the excellence of his research. Chris is currently a lecturer of ancient history at the Australian Catholic University in Sydney.

The Greek Community of Melbourne and the organising Committee of the Seminars wish to thank the sponsor of the lecture: Mr Nick Koukouvitakis and the Ancient Hoplitikon of Melbourne Inc.

When: Thursday, 9 July, 7.00pm
Where: Greek Centre, Mezzanine Level, 168 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
Language: English
Entry: Free