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Sept. 25, 2006

From the Library of Caesar’s Father-in-Law: Documentary and Lecture to Present Unearthed Scrolls from Roman City of Herculaneum

The ancient city of Herculaneum against the backdrop of the modern city of Ercolano and Mount Vesuvius. (Photo by Mark Philbrick, Brigham Young University, courtesy Soprintendenza Archeologica di Ercolano.)

SAN ANTONIO – It is one of the most famous natural disasters of all time. In 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius erupted and forever trapped the Roman city of Pompeii in layers of lava and ash. What isn’t as well known is that Pompeii was not the only city to be destroyed by the deadly volcano. Herculaneum, a nearby seaside resort, also felt the wrath of Vesuvius. And, like Pompeii, Herculaneum has provided a trove of artifacts for archeologists, including scrolls from the library of Julius Caesar’s father-in-law. Trinity University’s classical studies department and the Southwest Texas Archaeological Society will hold a Herculaneum event featuring an award-winning documentary and presentation by a noted archeologist. The event will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 11, in Northrup Hall room 040 and is free and open to the public.

At 6:30 p.m. “Out of the Ashes” will be screened. The documentary, which received two international awards, will present the archeological history of the Herculaneum scrolls. The film will last approximately one hour. More information on the film can be found at www.byubroadcasting.org/ashes.

At 7:45 p.m., Jeffery Fish from Baylor University will speak on what scholars are learning from the scrolls in a presentation titled “Philodemus on Homer’s Bards and Prophets.” More information on his research can be found at http://www3.baylor.edu/~Jeff_Fish/Philodemus.html.

For more information, contact Trinity’s classical studies department at 210-999-7653.

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