The Green Lecture 2026 - Professor Dr Felix Pirson In the year 129 AD, the Roman Emperor Hadrian visited the city of Pergamon, today the UNESCO World Heritage Site Bergama/Pergamon on the west coast of Türkiye. In the same year, Aelius Galenus – personal physician to several Roman emperors and one of the most renowned physicians of antiquity – was born in Pergamon. Whilst the emperor’s visit underscores Pergamon’s outstanding significance as a Roman metropolis, several passages in Galen’s work provide a wealth of insights into the culture, society and economy of the Roman metropolis and the surrounding landscape. Both aspects highlight Pergamon’s potential for research into Roman Imperial Asia Minor. However, given its reputation as a prime example of a Hellenistic capital, this potential has not yet been systematically exploited. Since 2019, the German Archaeological Institute and its German, Turkish and international partners have been investigating the transformation of Pergamon and its landscape between the Hellenistic and Roman imperial periods. The focus is on human–environment interaction and the relationship between urban and rural areas. The lecture presents initial findings from both areas whilst also providing insights into previously unknown monuments, such as the amphitheatre of Pergamon. Sponsored by the Hellenic Society as part of the 2026 Green Lectures. Professor Dr Felix Pirson Layout section Felix Pirson is a Classical Archaeologist. He holds a MA and a PhD from LMU Munich, a MPhil from University of Cambridge, and a postdoctoral lecture qualification (“Habilitation”) from Leipzig University, where he is Honorary Professor. Since 2006 he has been director of the German Archaeological Institute at Istanbul and head of the Pergamon-Excavation (Bergama, Türkiye). He is senior fellow at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (New York University) and member of several international archaeological institutes. His current research interests include Pergamon and Pompeii, cities and micro-regions in the ancient Mediterranean, and historical human-environment interaction. Tags Classics Lecture Nov 18 2026 5:10pm - 6:30pm The Green Lecture 2026 - Professor Dr Felix Pirson The 2026 Green Lecture will be given by Professor Dr Felix Pirson on 'Galens Pergamon: The transformation of city and micro-region in the Roman Imperial period'. Meadows Lecture Theatre (G.07), Doorway 4 - Old Medical School, Teviot Place, Edinburgh EH8 9AG Find the venue This article was published on Thursday 15 October 2026
The Green Lecture 2026 - Professor Dr Felix Pirson In the year 129 AD, the Roman Emperor Hadrian visited the city of Pergamon, today the UNESCO World Heritage Site Bergama/Pergamon on the west coast of Türkiye. In the same year, Aelius Galenus – personal physician to several Roman emperors and one of the most renowned physicians of antiquity – was born in Pergamon. Whilst the emperor’s visit underscores Pergamon’s outstanding significance as a Roman metropolis, several passages in Galen’s work provide a wealth of insights into the culture, society and economy of the Roman metropolis and the surrounding landscape. Both aspects highlight Pergamon’s potential for research into Roman Imperial Asia Minor. However, given its reputation as a prime example of a Hellenistic capital, this potential has not yet been systematically exploited. Since 2019, the German Archaeological Institute and its German, Turkish and international partners have been investigating the transformation of Pergamon and its landscape between the Hellenistic and Roman imperial periods. The focus is on human–environment interaction and the relationship between urban and rural areas. The lecture presents initial findings from both areas whilst also providing insights into previously unknown monuments, such as the amphitheatre of Pergamon. Sponsored by the Hellenic Society as part of the 2026 Green Lectures. Professor Dr Felix Pirson Layout section Felix Pirson is a Classical Archaeologist. He holds a MA and a PhD from LMU Munich, a MPhil from University of Cambridge, and a postdoctoral lecture qualification (“Habilitation”) from Leipzig University, where he is Honorary Professor. Since 2006 he has been director of the German Archaeological Institute at Istanbul and head of the Pergamon-Excavation (Bergama, Türkiye). He is senior fellow at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (New York University) and member of several international archaeological institutes. His current research interests include Pergamon and Pompeii, cities and micro-regions in the ancient Mediterranean, and historical human-environment interaction. Tags Classics Lecture Nov 18 2026 5:10pm - 6:30pm The Green Lecture 2026 - Professor Dr Felix Pirson The 2026 Green Lecture will be given by Professor Dr Felix Pirson on 'Galens Pergamon: The transformation of city and micro-region in the Roman Imperial period'. Meadows Lecture Theatre (G.07), Doorway 4 - Old Medical School, Teviot Place, Edinburgh EH8 9AG Find the venue This article was published on Thursday 15 October 2026
Nov 18 2026 5:10pm - 6:30pm The Green Lecture 2026 - Professor Dr Felix Pirson The 2026 Green Lecture will be given by Professor Dr Felix Pirson on 'Galens Pergamon: The transformation of city and micro-region in the Roman Imperial period'.
