The fanfare of the Fourth of July continues into next week on Monday, July 6, at 6 p.m. as the Jefferson Educational Society welcomes back Dr. Robert Garland, the Roy D. and Margaret B. Wooster Emeritus Professor of the Classics at Colgate University, for a weeklong residency titled Democracy: From Beginning to Now.
Democracy, its definition, and its different forms throughout the world will be under the microscope, including notable differences between the U.K. and the U.S., its first glimmerings in the poems of Homer, its emergence in Athens, and its (possible) early presence outside the western world.
The series seeks to answer the questions, “Where, when, and how did the seed of democracy take root? Why did its roots grow and begin to branch out? What happened when democracy’s growth grew dormant until the time of the Magna Carta? Where are we today, and where might history’s lessons teach us that we’re headed?” and will take a closer look at what it means to be a democratic nation over a series of events, including:
- Where Democracy Began, at 6 p.m., Monday, July 6, JES, 3207 State St., Erie
- The Athenian Experiment, at 7 p.m., Tuesday, July 7, JES
- Athenian Democracy: Successes and Failures, at 6 p.m., Wednesday, July 8, Harborcreek Municipal Building, 5601 Buffalo Road, Harborcreek
- The Broken Chain, at 6 p.m., Thursday, July 9, Erie Center for Arts and Technology, 650 East Ave., Erie
- Where is Democracy Now, at noon, Friday, July 10, JES
Registrants are welcome but not required to attend all events to enjoy and learn from the individual lectures.
Garland made his JES debut at the 2023 Global Summit and pioneered the think tank’s visiting scholar week-in-residency programming in summer 2024, which continued in 2025 with much acclaim.
New this year, in addition to hosting a series of lectures, Garland will examine the “Odyssey,” an epic tale by Greek poet Homer of kings, heroes, and democratic debate that served as a philosophical foundation for democracy. Not only that, but it is the subject of a $150 million blockbuster Christopher Nolan film that will debut on July 17, starring Matt Damon and Anne Hatheway.
Participants in this four-part, limited capacity reading group will read selected parts of the poem in detail, and examine its origins and its reception over the ages to the present day.
“I will be eager to hear your responses throughout,” Garland said of the course. “Whether you’ve read the ‘Odyssey’ before or are coming to it for the first time, I’ll make sure that it reveals itself to you as never before.”
The four meetings, which take place from noon to 1:30 p.m. July 6-9, will take the form of discussions rather than lectures, and a book is included in the cost.
To find more information about these events, see our full summer lineup, or to make reservations, call 814.459.8000 or visit JESErie.org.
