An engaging lecture was held at the Primakov Centre, delivered by Dmitry Vladimirovich Zaitsev, Ph.D. in Philology, Associate Professor at RANEPA and Senior Researcher at the Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Analysis of Society, Culture, and History (MIPT, Moscow).
The lecture topic — “The Largest Latin Epic and Its Author: Why and How Should We Study Silius Italicus’ Punica in the 21st Century?” — sparked lively interest among students and faculty of Samara University, as well as members of the Pergamen discussion club, who co-organized the event.
Dmitry Vladimirovich shared little-known facts about Silius Italicus, the author of the monumental Latin epic Punica, dedicated to the Second Punic War.
We learned about:
- Who was Silius Italicus? His life, era, and role in Roman culture.
- The structure and content of Punica: Key events, characters, and themes.
- The formation of the poet’s reputation: How attitudes toward Silius Italicus have changed from antiquity to the present.
- Punica as a historical source: In which scholarly directions is the epic studied today?
The lecture was part of the project “Punica by Silius Italicus: Translation, Historical Contexts, Reception,” conducted by the MIPT Center “МАСКИ” and funded by the Russian Science Foundation (Project No. 24-18-00445).
Students actively asked questions, participated in discussion, and expressed strong interest in continuing the study of Silius Italicus’ work.
We thank Dmitry Vladimirovich for the informative and captivating lecture!
This is a wonderful example of how the study of ancient literature can still be relevant and fascinating in the 21st century!
