Date: Monday, June 21
Time: 7 pm EDT

This lecture will take place virtually, via Zoom. Ticket sales will end at 5 pm EDT the day of the lecture. Attendees may request a video recording AFTER the lecture takes place by emailing proof of purchase to [email protected]. Video recordings are valid for 30 days after the date of the lecture.

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The Sirens of ancient Greek mythology are well known for luring sailors to a watery grave, but their associations with death run much deeper than their famous encounter with Odysseus. The complexity of these winged, bird-legged, sweet-voiced, maiden-monsters is revealed through ancient authors and an abundance of beautiful objects from both domestic and funerary contexts.

Forget your earthly worries and join Liz Andres as she guides us through an exploration of the Sirens’ origins and mythology, their significance as seductive bird-woman hybrids, and their ancient connections to the sea, the underworld, and the inevitable transition between this life and the afterlife.

Liz Andres is a museum professional and scholar based in Los Angeles. She holds degrees in Art History, Classical Archaeology, and Museum Studies from U.C. Berkeley and the University of Leicester, and specializes in museum education and exhibition development. Her current research focuses on hybrid and liminal creatures in ancient Greek art and mythology, and museum taxidermy and representations of death and nature in western art.

Images:

1. Red-figure Stamnos, Greek, 480-470 BCE (British Museum, 1843,1103.31

2. Bowl with winged Siren, Apulia, 330-310 BCE (Martin von Wagner Museum, Wurzburg, Germany, DSC05833)

3. Winged Siren, Roman, 1st century CE (MFA Boston, 01.7754)

4. Relief of an old man and a Siren, Roman, 2nd century CE (MFA Boston, RES.08.34c)

5. Oil flask (lekythos) with figure of a Siren on front, Greek, late 5th-early 4th century BCE (MFA Boston, 01.8101)