March 2025: 

Unveiling the Past

From Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief to the Avengers and Thor, we are obsessed with myths. Where do they come from? Why are they so potent? Why does their power continue? And how can we engage with myths that aren’t part of our own belief system without straying into cultural appropriation? University of Pittsburgh Assistant Professor Marcie Persyn will share a global perspective on myths around the world.

Marcie Persyn is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Classics and serves as affiliated faculty in the Department of Religious Studies in the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences. She is a scholar of Roman satire and social history, examining the cultural fusions, conflicts, and adaptations that emerge in the melting pot of the ancient Mediterranean in the aftermath of the colonization and conquest in the second century BCE often referred to as the “rise of Rome.” She regularly teaches global and transhistorical approaches to ancient mythology and religion, and believes that these timeless tales and traditions continue to impact our lives, inspiring new generations of story tellers, critical thinkers, and scholars.