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History & The Arts
Ancient ideas: where does the soul go?
Humans have grappled with the question of what happens after death for millennia. Across the ancient world, many different cultures developed their own answers and underworlds. The Ancient Greeks had several theories about what might come next.
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History & The Arts
Grief and the body: mourning in ancient Rome
In Ancient Rome was physically violent mourning seen as a true manifestation of the mourners’ grief, or was the bodily expression a performance?
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History & The Arts
Antigone: List of Characters
Confused about who’s who in Sophocles’ 'Antigone'? Dr Jessica Hughes has put together a handy cast list of the characters.
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History & The Arts
Antigone
Discover the Ancient Greek tragedy 'Antigone' in our two minute animation voiced by Helen Skelton, then find out more about the characters in the classical Sophocles' play.
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History & The Arts
Herodotus and the invention of history
With the information explosion online, how can you tell fake news from the real thing, or be more sensitive to how information can be weaponised? In the fifth-century BCE, a Greek by the name of Herodotus faced a similar challenge when he set out to examine why his people, the Greeks, and the Persians went to war with each other. Chief among his...
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History & The Arts
The many guises of the emperor Augustus
This free course focuses on Rome’s first emperor, Augustus, who lived from 63 BCE to 14 CE. The rule of Augustus marked a significant political change in Rome, and Augustus’ position as emperor was initially fragile and controversial. Key to his success in holding onto power was his masterful use of visual propaganda to cement his position and ...
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History & The Arts
HeadStart Classical Studies
Explore the worlds of ancient Greece and Rome with this collection of free courses on the classical world.
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History & The Arts
Exploring ancient Greek religion
The ancient Greeks did not have a term equivalent to the English word ‘religion’. However, their world was populated by numerous figures they both recognised and worshipped as divinities. Among these figures was Amphiaraos, an ancient Greek hero who was later worshipped as a god and popularly associated with healing through the medium of dreams....
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History & The Arts
Latin graffiti at Pompeii
The writing's on the wall—read the graffiti left by residents of the ancient town of Pompeii, preserved by a volcanic eruption
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History & The Arts
Exploring Homer’s Odyssey
This free course introduces Homer’s ancient Greek epic poem, the Odyssey, which tells of Odysseus’ long journey home after fighting in the Trojan War, and his eventual reunion with his wife Penelope. Odysseus is famous for his cunning and his courage, and for the exploits he undertakes on his travels; meanwhile Penelope is renowned for her ...
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History & The Arts
Perseus: what’s in a name?
As the Perseid Meteor Shower reaches its annual peak, Dr Joanna Paul, a Lecturer in Classical Studies, lifts the lid on the details behind its namesake, Perseus, a mythological character whose story has been told time and time again.
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Science, Maths & Technology
Iron from the sky: Meteors, meteorites and ancient culture
3-4 January 2023 will see the peak of the Quadrantid meteor shower. What’s the connection between meteors, iron and Egyptian beads? Dr Diane Johnson, a Post Doctoral Research Associate in the Faculty of Science, explains more about ‘iron from the sky’.