Profs & Pints Alameda: The Futures of Ancient Rome

Profs and Pints Alameda presents: “The Futures of Ancient Rome,” a look at how a famed past civilization sought to predict what’s ahead, with Duncan MacRae, expert on ancient religions and associate professor of ancient Greek and Roman studies at the University of California, Berkeley.

The future seems less certain than ever, thanks to developments such as recent years’ political shocks, the COVID pandemic, environmental change, and the rise of artificial intelligence. But those of us alive today are hardly the first to worry about what’s ahead and to wish that we knew.

Learn how ancient Romans dealt with this problem through the writing and reading of poetic oracles—enigmatic texts and objects that offered glimpses of what was to come and told what to do about it.

Drawing from classic texts and recent archaeological discoveries, Professor Duncan MacRae, a scholar of ancient Italy and the co-director of the Berkeley Center for the Study of Religion, will discuss how oracles informed not just individuals but the whole Roman State.

Those on hand at Alameda’s Faction Brewing will learn of hidden books and mysterious archaeological finds that shed light on how ancient Romans responded to crises using oracles, and how such oracles served as guides rather than firm predictions. We’ll consider times when oracles proved remarkably prescient and times when they clearly were the handiwork of con artists.

We’ll consider whether an opera that portrayed an ancient oracle and debuted in the East Bay, renowned South African artist’s William Kentridge “Waiting for the Sibyl,” was right in suggesting that oracles actually might be useful to us in modern times.

Looking ahead to the future one thing is certain: This talk will be fascinating. (Tickets available only online. Advance tickets: $13.50 plus processing fees. Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. The talk starts 30 minutes later.)

Image: “The Sibyl of Cumae,” a 1900 painting by Louis Hector Leroux (Public Domain).

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