Fall 2019

The Greek Gods in the 21st Century

Dr. Michael Griffin

UBC Classics, Near East and Religious Studies

Monday 28 October 2019 at 7:30 pm

Upper Hall, Hellenic Community Centre

4500 Arbutus Street, Vancouver, Canada

Are the Greek gods thriving in the 21st century? In this talk, we'll explore the enduring appeal of figures like Zeus, Athena, Artemis, and Apollo in modern story, art, and ideas. Setting out from fiction, film, and games, we'll also investigate the legacy of the Greek gods in our philosophy, psychology, and science, and the value—and challenge—posed by the vision that Homer and Hesiod sang into being more than 2,500 years ago.

Now it is time for the gods to step out of inhabited things…

And to knock over every wall in my house...

A brand-new field of air. —Rilke

Now it is time for the gods to step out of inhabited things…
And to knock over every wall in my house...
A brand-new field of air. —Rilke

Edward Lear’s Greece

Richard Spratley,

President Pharos

Monday 25 November, 2019 at 7:30 pm

Upper Hall, Hellenic Community Centre

4500 Arbutus Street, Vancouver

English author, poet, botanist and landscape painter Edward Lear (1812-1888) is best known today for his nonsense rhymes and limericks.  However, in the mid-nineteenth century he travelled widely in Greece, Italy and the Middle East and his travel writings and sketches offer a fascinating insight into life in these areas.  We will follow Lear’s travels in Northern Greece – then part of the Ottoman Empire – and share with him the trials of an eccentric English Gentleman in  a very wild and uncivilized landscape.

Pharos Spring 2019

Monday January 28th, 2019 @ 7:30 pm

Upper Hall, Hellenic Community Centre

4500 Arbutus Street, Vancouver

Katherine and James Huemoeller, UBC
The Greek city of Morgantina, Sicily

The elite houses and monumental city centre of Morgantina in central Sicily have been the subject of archaeological research for more than sixty years, but there’s plenty of life in Morgantina beyond the agora.  James and Katharine Huemoeller will present on the recent excavations of the Contrada Agnese Project: American Excavations at Morgantina in a neighborhood west of the agora, where we can get a glimpse of ordinary life in the Hellenistic city.

Katherine is Assistant Professor of Roman History in the UBC Department of Classical, Near East and Religious Studies; she is currently working on a monograph on the sexual dimension of ancient Roman slavery.  James is principal of JIM Architecture, adjunct professor at UBC’s School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, and Project Architect and Geospatial Director for the Excavations at Morgantina.

Monday February 25th, 2019 @ 7:30 pm
Upper Hall, Hellenic Community Centre
4500 Arbutus Street, Vancouver

Jonathan Vickers, UBC

The Olympic Games: Past and Present

In his Pharos talk, Dr. Vickers will discuss three important factors in the birth of Greek sport and their influence on modern athletics, covering ground from the ancient Olympics to the modern Games. His focus is on the athletic body and its symbolism, the social importance of athletes and the glory of their victory, and the legacy of ancient Greek ideals in today's sporting world."

Dr. Vickers is a Lecturer at UBC, having previously taught at Trent University in Peterborough (ON) and Mount Allison University in Sackville (NB). His research interests include ancient sport and spectacle, the body in Greek culture, and ancient performance and entertainment. He is currently preparing a monograph on ancient Greek acrobatic performance and the rich social meaning expressed by representations of the acrobatic body in action. 

Monday March 25th, 2019 @ 7:30 pm
Upper Hall, Hellenic Community Centre
4500 Arbutus Street, Vancouver

Hector Williams, UBC

Attika: the land of the Athenians

Athens was the largest city state of ancient Greece and her rich territory in many ways made possible her greatness.  The talk will visit different parts of Attika from the sea battered cliffs of Sounion at the south to the heights of Mt. Parnes in the north and present the many sanctuaries, rich silver mines, marble quarries, and rural estates.  90% of the population lived in her territory, areas often neglected by the millions of tourists who visit the city each year.

Monday April 29th 2019 @7:30 pm

Upper Hall, Hellenic Community Centre

4500 Arbutus Street, Vancouver

A Musical Evening With

Yannis Fyssas and Friends

Σιγανά. Σιγανά: Ballads of Greece 1939 to 2018, 

Yannis  will present an eclectic collection of Greek songs spanning Entehna, Rembetika and Laika from 1939 to 2018, performed in the intimate setting of the upstairs hall in the Hellenic Community.  Σιγανά. Σιγανά (Sigana, Sigana) roughly translates as "softly, delicately" which describes the ideal environment to hear and enjoy this music.   He will be joined by musicians Natalia Pardalis – Piano; Mark Hamilton – Laouto / Baglama; John Mavrogeorge – Guitar / Vocals; George Yioldassis – Bouzouki / Vocals and Kostaki Roumeliotis - Drums / Percussion