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The Loyola Marymount University organised an
International conference under the title, "Ancient
Crossroads: Greece and India". This took place at the
University from the 13th to the 16th of March 2003.
The conference was co-sponsored by the Marymount
Institute for Faith, Culture and the Arts, the Department of
Classics and Archaeology and the Yoga Philosophy Program of the
University.
The aim of the conference was to examine the question
of mutual influences between those two ancient cultures both
before and after Alexander's invasion in the Indian Peninsula in
the 4th century BC. During the four-day conference, learned
specialists in a variety of disciplines such as history,
archaeology, philosophy, religion, literature and art presented
their papers and documentaries. An exhibition of a collection of
Gandharan sculptures and ancient coins from Bactria
(Afghanistan) was also organised at the same time.
The conference was introduced and presented by Dr.
Matthew Dillon, Dept. of Classics and Archaeology, LMU. The
names of the scholars and the papers read in the conference are
listed below:
"The Greeks in Bactria and the Indus River
Valley" by Dr. Ralph Gallucci, Dept. of Classics,
University of California, Santa Barbara.
"The Sound of Orpheus’ Lyre" by Dr. Thomas
McEvilley, Rice University, author of The Shape of Ancient
Thought: Comparative Studies in Greek and Indian Philosophy
"The Visual Arts: Hellenism in the Land of the
Buddha" by Dr. Katherine Harper, Art and Art History, LMU
"Greco-Buddhist Literature: The Questions of
King Milinda" by Dr. John Casey, Dept. of Theological
Studies, LMU.
"Yoga & Self-Control" by Dr. Adrian Piper,
Wellesley College.
"Gandhi and Augustine on the Body and Sexuality" by
Dr. Joseph Prabhu, Dept. of Philosophy, California State
University, Los Angeles.
"Excess and Sublimation: Tantra and Karma" by Dr.
Christopher Chapple, Dept. of Theological Studies, LMU
The
conference ended with the presentation of the film
documentary "Time
sleeps in the Orient" by Nikos Anagnostopoulos, 1993 (75 mins.) This
film is about a Greek community in Turkmenistan which (like the
Kalas in Pakistan) claims descent from the army of Alexander the
Great.
Source (edited): Bellarhine
College of Liberal Arts.
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