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MEDIA CONTACT: Alan Lupack 585.275.0110 or Helene Snihur (585) 275-7800
March 17, 2005
TIME, DATE, AND PLACE: 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 30, in the Robbins Library, 416 Rush Rhees Library, on the University of Rochester's River Campus
ADMISSION: Free and open to the public
Michael J. Murrin, scholar of the middle ages and the Renaissance, will give a lecture titled "A Paradise for Killers: Marco Polo and the Garden of the Assassins," at 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 30, in the Rossell Hope Robbins Library of Rush Rhees Library on the University of Rochester's River Campus. A reception will follow.
In his talk, Murrin will discuss Marco Polo's version of the "Assassins" legend, in which the traveler describes the fortress compound and murderous guard of a medieval Persian ruler. He will explore the identity of the "Assassins," their relation to Polo's story, and the popularity of the story in the West for more than three centuries.
Murrin is the David B. and Clara E. Stern Professor in the Humanities and Professor of Religion and Literature in the Divinity School of the University of Chicago. His publications include The Veil of Allegory, The Allegorical Epic, and History and Warfare in Renaissance Epic. He is currently working on Romance and Asian Trade in Late Medieval and Early Modern Europe, a study of Europe's middle-class growth intertwined with trade development across Asia.
This event is free and open to the public and is part of the Helen Ann Robbins Medieval Lecture Series, an annual event that brings leading scholars in medieval studies to the University. This series is sponsored by the Rossell Hope Robbins Library, a special medieval collection. For more information, contact (585) 275-0110.
The University of Rochester (www.rochester.edu) is one of the nation's leading private universities. Located in Rochester, N.Y., the University gives students exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close collaboration with faculty through its unique cluster-based curriculum. Its College of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering is complemented by the Eastman School of Music, Simon School of Business, Warner School of Education, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, Schools of Medicine and Nursing, and the Memorial Art Gallery.
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