Event Description
A two-day international and interdisciplinary conference on the career and work of Publius Nigidius Figulus (c. 98-45 BCE), a Roman statesman and polymath of remarkable interests and achievements. As a political conservative, Nigidius opposed Julius Caesar in the Civil War of 49/8 BCE and died in exile. Being an important agent of what has been called the “cultural revolution” of the first century BCE, he published extensively on Latin grammar, Aristotelian biology, astronomy and astrology, and various forms of divination. Nigidius is credited with reviving Pythagoreanism at Rome and is described by his contemporary Cicero as “a keen and careful investigator of those matters that seem to have been concealed by nature” and by St. Jerome as a “Pythagorean and magician.” This conference brings together scholars who work on different aspects of Nigidius in an attempt to arrive at a holistic image of this unusual figure.
Event Speakers
Please visit the event webpage to view the full speaker list.
Event Information
Free and open to the public; registration required. For more information, please visit the event webpage or contact Katharina Volk at [email protected].
Hosted by the Center for the Ancient Mediterranean and co-sponsored by the Classics Department at Columbia University.
