A lecture to be held Thursday will discuss the political and propogandistic significance of Roman art covering 200 years.

Professor Dimitri Liakos will speak on “Roman Historical Iconography: Political and Propogandistic Implications” as part of the ALPHA (Art, Literature, Philosophy, History, and Archaelogy): Friends of Antiquity series of lectures.

Liakos will speak Thursday at 8:30 p.m. in the Jack Arends Visual Arts Building, room 102. The lecture is free and includes an extensive collection of slides from Liakos’ own collection.

Most Roman monuments appear to be commemorative monuments with spectacular visual displays to serve their sponsors and patrons. Monuments became instruments of an intelligently programmed imperial propoganda—both military and political made to serve the state, Liakos said.

As political and social climates changed and dynasties succeeded one another, stylistic preferences also seemed to have changed, an aspect Liakos said he plans to examine during his lecture.

ALPHA: Friends of Antiquity is an interdisciplinary organization and has served NIU for more than 20 years with lectures and other cultural activities such as conferences and round-table discussions as well as field trips to museums and historical sites in which the public are also invited in addition to students.

An informal dinner will take place before the lecture at the Bridgestone restaurant, 232 W. Lincoln Hwy.

For more information, call ALPHA officers Jean Scherpf, 758-4734 or Randy Hines, 758-2156.