Dr Roslynne Bell, Associate Research Fellow in the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies at the University of Melbourne, will present a lecture entitled Alexander in Art: the Legend and his Legacy, on Thursday 1 August 2019, at the Greek Centre, as part of the Greek History and Culture Seminars offered by the Greek Community of Melbourne.

According to Dr Bell, few figures had a more profound impact on the iconography of rulers and royalty in antiquity and in the centuries that followed than Alexander the Great.

During his lifetime, Alexander's image became synonymous with power, military conquest, and divine patronage. After his death, depictions of the Macedonian king remained resonant, culminating in his transformation from historical figure into legendary-mythic hero.

In this lecture, Dr Bell will discuss the evolution of Alexander's image, looking not just at the works that bring us closest to the conqueror in life, but also at Alexander's artistic legacy, from Hellenistic and Roman responses to the Macedonian king to his later transformations, e.g., in the medieval Alexander Romance, and in the artistic traditions of Persia and Iran.

Dr Roslynne Bell is currently an Associate Research Fellow in the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies at the University of Melbourne. Before this she taught a range of courses in Greek and Roman art and archaeology, first in the Classics department at the University of Canterbury, NZ, and more recently at the University of Manchester, UK, where she held a joint lectureship in the departments of Archaeology and Classics. She’s also been an Honorary Academic Curator of the Greek and Roman Collections at the Manchester Museum, and a research fellow at the British School at Rome.

Her research is largely in the field of Roman art and the topography of ancient Rome with her latest publication Image and Identity: Augustus and the Cult of the Magna Mater (Oxford University Press) coming out soon. She also has a great love of Greek art, which began at the University of Canterbury where, for 11 years, she held the role of curator of the James Logie Memorial Collection of Classical Antiquities.

When: Thursday 1 August 2019, 7.00pm
Where: Greek Centre (Mez, 168 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne)