The popular American TV series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" spanned seven seasons and gained a cult following. But how is it linked to the culture of ancient Greece and Rome? On closer inspection, its characters and narratives are revealed to be new incarnations of ancient classical myths that have filtered down into modern media. This album explores one episode, "I Was Made to Love You", in which Warren creates an artificial perfect girlfriend, just as Pygmalion sculpts an ivory statue to be his partner in Ovid's Metamorphoses. Many interesting parallels demonstrate the way in which universal human anxieties about gender identity, femininity, control and sexuality are continuously being re-examined through myth. This material forms part of The Open University course A330 Myth in the Greek and Roman worlds.

How do the themes of classical mythology come to be refashioned through the ages? Holkham Hall in Norfolk, England, is the estate of an 18th century gentleman, Thomas Coke - a scholar of epic classical authors and avid collector of the cultural beauties of the past. This album offers an opportunity to explore his house and prolific art collection, including his lavishly illustrated manuscript of Ovid's "Metamorphoses". Ovid inspired artists ranging from 2nd century sculptors to medieval illustrators and 18th century painters to capture and interpret these age-old myths from within their own cultural context. This material forms part of The Open University course A330 Myth in the Greek and Roman worlds.

This course offers a taster of the ancient Greek world through the study of one of its most distinctive and enduring features: its language.The course approaches the language methodically, starting with the alphabet and effective ways to memorise it, before building up to complete Greek words and sentences. Along the way, you will see numerous real examples of Greek as written on objects from the ancient world.

This free course, Icarus: entering the world of myth, will introduce you to one of the best-known myths from classical antiquity and its various re-tellings in later periods. You will begin by examining how the Icarus story connects with a number of other ancient myths, such as that of Theseus and the Minotaur. You will then be guided through an in-depth reading of Icarus’ story as told by the Roman poet Ovid, one of the most important and sophisticated figures in the history of ancient myth-making. After this you will study the way in which Ovid’s Icarus myth has been reworked and transformed by later poets and painters.

What can archaeological remains tell us about early cities and the people who lived in them? This album examines the important remains of one city, Poseidonia in Italy, founded towards the end of the 7th century BCE by colonists from the Greek city of Sybaris. Although only twenty-five per cent of the site has been excavated to date, much of its history and culture can be traced through its buildings, inscriptions, and decoration. After it became a colony of Rome in 273 BCE, it became known as Paestum, and Roman customs and styles superceded those of the Greeks in the city. This material forms part of The Open University course A219 Exploring the classical world.

A roistering, rabble-rousing politician from the birth of democracy bears comparison with the former host of The Celebrity Apprentice, suggests Robert Garland

Enjoy Aristophanes' comic account of one woman's extraordinary method of bringing The Peloponnesian War to an end in this classical studies animation. 

What does it mean to be poor, or an immigrant? What form should Aid take? This album begins to explore the complex issues of international development in a globalised world, starting with a look at schemes which attempt to alleviate poverty. Small business owners are empowered by micro-financing in Glasgow, while in Argentina a disastrous economic collapse has led to people taking matters into their own hands by creating an alternative social exchange currency. Migrant communities, such as Greek Cypriots and Ethiopians in London, and Sierra Leonians in Liverpool, have a chance to reveal the issues they’ve faced; while we also hear from experts who are working to expand the contribution that African migrants abroad can make to Africa’s development. Finally, a Chinese “beer pioneer” and China trade experts discuss issues surrounding China’s membership of the World Trade Organisation.In the bonus material Dr Helen Yanacopulos, Senior Lecturer in International Politics and Development at The Open University, provides insight into the educational value of the audio-visual material and explains the course structure.

This material is taken from The Open University Course U213 International Development: Challenges for a World in Transition.