Flora Graeca: The Discovery of Greek Nature by the Europeans
Maria Georgopoulou, Director of the Gennadius Library, American School of Classical Studies at Athens
Synopsis of the lecture:
The rare and valuable ten-volume edition of British John Sibthorp's Flora Graeca, completed in Oxford in 1840, is the culmination of many Western European scientists’ interest in Greek flora. The talk will focus on 17th and 18th century naturalists – travelers who laid the foundations for the botanical science in Greece at the time of the Enlightenment.
Short bio of the lecturer:
Maria Georgopoulou was trained as an art historian and her scholarly work explores the artistic and cultural interactions of Mediterranean peoples in the Middle Ages. She holds a Ph.D. in Art History from the University of California, Los Angeles, and taught at Yale University (1992-2004), where she also founded the Program for Hellenic Studies. She is currently the Director of the Gennadius Library at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens. During her tenure, the Gennadius Library has expanded its academic offerings and developed new outreach programs to attract and educate an ever-wider audience.