Join us for a free AIA-Nashville Society Book Club meeting at the Nashville Parthenon on Monday, November 4, 2024, at 6 PM. This event is free and open to the public, with RSVP required. All are welcome. Mention “Book Club” at the Ticket Counter, receive free admission, and proceed to the Treasury on Level 2 for the friendly, informal discussion.

THIS QUARTER’S BOOK SELECTION:
We will be discussing Pericles and Aspasia by Yvonne Korshak. Reserve your seat with a free RSVP. Looking to purchase the book? Head over to Parnassus Books and mention the Archaeological Institute of America-Nashville Society book club at the Parthenon for a 10% discount.

ABOUT THE BOOK: Pericles and Aspasia by Yvonne Korshak
Description from Nashville Public Library:

Two lovers crest the wave of the golden age of Athens: Pericles, statesman and general, and Aspasia, his courtesan, a philosopher’s daughter, and a brilliant woman in her own right. In a world of hierarchies, he is at the top when she arrives as little more than flotsam cast up on Athenian shores. Their love transcends social sanctions, enduring and deepening despite the grave threat it presents to Pericles’ reputation as a leader of the Athenian democracy.

The novel unfolds against the background of the arts and history of the Golden Age, seen through the eyes of two individuals who lent their particular brilliance to make it “golden”: Pericles, the great orator and visionary of democracy, and its most influential woman, Aspasia. Their story takes them from the Agora-Athens’ marketplace to the Acropolis, from the raunchy Athenian Port Piraeus mercantile across the Aegean Sea to East Greece. Pericles and Aspasia—together and apart—navigate treacherous paths from venal calculations to impassioned philosophical inquiry, from high-stakes sea battles to the passions of family life.

Pericles and Aspasia engages issues that are vital today—the paradoxes of democracy, the tensions of hierarchy, the ironies of gender, and others—but this novel is immersed in classical Athens: the city, its sunshine, its physical presence, its people, and their struggles and aspirations.

BOOK CLUB SPONSOR: AIA-Nashville Society
The Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) promotes archaeological inquiry and public understanding of the material record of the human past to foster an appreciation of diverse cultures and our shared humanity. The AIA supports archaeologists, their research and its dissemination, and the ethical practice of archaeology. The AIA educates people of all ages about the significance of archaeological discovery and advocates for the preservation of the world’s archaeological heritage. Learn more.

ADDITIONAL BOOK CLUB SPONSORS:
Centennial Park Conservancy
Metro Nashville Parks and Recreation

PREVIOUS AIA-NASHVILLE SOCIETY BOOK CLUB SELECTIONS:
The Art of the Con: the Most Notorious Fakes, Frauds, and Forgeries in the Art World discussed August 5, 2024
Pandora’s Jar by Natalie Haynes discussed May 6, 2024
Digging for Richard III by Mike Pitts discussed February 5, 2024
The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood discussed November 13, 2023
Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips discussed August 21, 2023
Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker discussed May 8, 2023
Circe by Madeline Miller discussed February 22, 2023