Ever since it premiered in 1927, The Jazz Singer has been considered the paradigmatic film about the Americanization of the children of Jewish immigrants. The movie has inspired remakes and retakes on the theme of the son's rebellion against his father's traditions. This lecture examines how and why subsequent versions altered the original plotline and […]

At the beginning of the fifth century BCE, Achaemenid Persia had the largest navy in the world, but after its failed invasions of Greece, the empire limited its warships’ numbers and refused to maintain a standing fleet. While Classical Athens viewed naval power as a catalyst for maritime trade and the acquisition of wealth, the […]