The 4th Biennial International Congress of the “International Association for Presocratic Studies” (IAPS) was hosted by the “Interdisciplinary Centre for Aristotle Studies” (DI.K.A.M.), AUTH. It was held in June 30 – July 4, 2014, at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki-Greece.

The Conference opened with a Ceremony, at the Ceremony Hall of A.U.TH., in the afternoon of June 30, 17:15-21:00 .

I. Program of the Opening Ceremony:

Welcoming addresses:

Demetra Sfendoni-Mentzou, President of the “Interdisciplinary Centre for Aristotelian Studies;” Robert P. Sanders, Consul General of the USA in Thessaloniki; Daniel Graham, President of the IAPS; Spyros Pavlidis, Dean of the School of Sciences, A.U.TH.

Speakers:  

Oliver Primavesi, Professor of Greek Literature at the Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich (keynote speaker):

“Pythagoreanism in Empedocles’ Physics”

John Seiradakis, Professor of Astrophysics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and Deputy President of DIKAM:

“The Antikythera Mechanism”

Demosthenes Davvetas, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Art IESA, Paris:

“Heraclitus and Contemporary Art”

Concert:

The choir “John Mandakas” of Aristotle (Director, Petros Bekiaridis)

Anastasia Metallinou, Soprano

Sakis Kontonikolas, Pianist

II. Conference Program:

http://dikam.auth.gr/sites/default/files/attachements/programma-2_0.pdf

According to the records, the Fourth Biennial Conference of IAPS was, probably, the largest Conference on Presocratic Philosophy, worldwide. For the first time, 90 leading scholars of ancient Greek Philosophy, and in particular of Presocratic Philosophy, were gathered together at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in order to communicate the results of their research. Impressive was also the number of the participating countries: Brazil, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Russia, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom and USA.

On the occasion of the Conference, the participants had also the opportunity to visit (a) the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, where the Derveni Papyrus is kept, and (b) the tomb (of the 4th century B.C. ), where the Derveni Papyrus was found. The visit of the tomb was part of the “Cultural Promenade in the Footsteps of Aristotle and Alexander the Great”, which was organized by the “Interdisciplinary Centre for Aristotle Studies” and took place immediately after the Conference (July 4-6, 2014). The “promenade” also included guided visits to the following places: Ancient Mieza, the place where Aristotle taught Alexander the Great, Vergina (Agai, capital of ancient Macedonia) and the Museum of the tombs of Vergina, Ancient Stagira, the birthplace of Aristotle. The “promenade” ended with a cruise around Mount Athos (Holly Mountain).

At the Closing Session of the Conference the President of the “Interdisciplinary Centre for Aristotle Studies,” Professor Demetra Sfendoni-Mentzou, thanked the IAPS Council, and in particular Professor Richard McKirahan, for the excellent cooperation with DIKAM, which led to such a successful Conference. She also thanked the participants of the conference for their contributions of an extremely high quality and, finally, all the members of her team of DIKAM, who worked so efficiently as members of the Secretariat of the Conference.

All the sessions of the Conference were broadcasted. The videos are now available on the website of DIKAM:

There is also a photo gallery of (a) the Conference and (b) the “Cultural Promenade”

http://www.dikam.auth.gr/en/presocratics-conf-2014

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