Courses about Ancient Civilisations

Discover the Roman Empire under the government of the Julio-Claudian dynasty – from Augustus to Nero.



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

This weekend course will offer an insight view of the multifaceted history and multilayered culture of Sicily, the ancient island off the shore of Italy mainland.



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

Shrouded in mystery and legend, Amazonian and Central American cultures reveal surprising links to societies of the Andes that defy and challenge common perceptions about the rise of civilisation in the Americas.



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

Come and discover (or re-discover) Greek artistic creations through ‘Greek eyes’ by consulting contemporary literature, history and archaeology. This course follows the course taught in the spring but can also be taken as a standalone class.



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

Women's position in the Ancient Roman world was important as they played important roles in the home, in business, in religion and even in politics.



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

Images and scenes on ancient Greek pottery have captivated, inspired, shocked and been talking points across the centuries. Enjoy exploring their role in wider culture, ancient and modern, in an informal group discussion.



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

This module will look at the reception of the stories of biblical women in the visual arts, using a variety of tools from narratology, feminist interpretation, sociology, politics and visual exegesis. We will look a number of biblical texts where women appear as central or marginal and will examine the ways in which their story is depicted. We will look at the ways in which paintings will sometimes fill a gap in the story, or indeed diverge from its biblical model. The range of paintings will range from the medieval period, passing through the Renaissance to contemporary art.



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

Mystery religions were very popular in the ancient world and were organised as voluntary associations. Their popularity is attested in writings and in material culture of the Greco-Roman world. They offered intense religious experiences outside the official, civic religions. The participants were initiated into the mysteries: whilst there is considerable variety in form and content, a belief in a form of salvation was a common denominator of many of these mystery religions. The question of the relationship between the mystery cults and Christianity will also be broached.



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

The Byzantines (circa 330-1453) have produced some of the finest works of art and erected the most remarkable buildings in the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea and beyond.



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

In this weekend course, we will examine the art and architecture of pre-Islamic Arabia and the role played mainly by Byzantines and Sasanians in the development of Islamic art.



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

Jerusalem is considered the holy city for the three monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) and is one of the most iconic cities in the world.



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

Discover the mysterious people who lived in Central Italy and ended up being enveloped by the Romans.



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

The purpose of this course is to give an overview of Byzantine history, from the refoundation of the City by Constantine the Great to its final capture by the Turks.



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.