“The Product of Twisted Minds?” Ancient Greece and Rome in Contemporary White Nationalist Thought

Sep. 28, 2026, 5:00 p.m.

Location: Main Library, Class of 1951 Reading Room

Those of us who associate ancient Greece and Rome with sophisticated philosophy, high-minded political ideals, beautiful art and architecture, and profound literature, may feel outrage, dismay or contempt for the white supremacist activists who take inspiration from Classical Antiquity. But as Curtis Dozier, Associate Professor and Chair of Greek and Roman Studies, shows in The White Pedestal: How White Nationalists Use Ancient Greece and Rome to Justify Hate (Yale, 2026), it would be a mistake to dismiss or ignore the vision of history propagated by the world of “highbrow white nationalism.” Critical engagement with this movement’s thought leaders reveals the surprising and disturbing degree to which their vision of history has legitimized violent and oppressive politics not only among “extremists” but throughout American culture.

Sponsored by:

• Vassar College Libraries
• Department of Greek and Roman Studies
• Medieval and Renaissance Studies program 

Please join us for refreshments before and after the talk.

This event is free and open to the public.