Courses about Ancient Civilisations
Discover the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Roman on our courses, as well as Mayan civilisations and more.
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- The Roman legion in the Gospel of MarkCourse start date: Wed 12 Jun 2024
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Jordan DyckAll of the canonical Gospels frequently mention the Roman military; it is key to the story. Yet, in Mark’s Gospel, specific references to the Roman legion come to the fore, and perhaps to one legion in particular: Legio X Fretensis. Its symbols are coded into the story of the demon ‘Legion,’ which is placed immediately before the feeding of a ‘legion’ of 5000 men. Legionaries are involved in the torture and crucifixion of Christ, and then a statement by the centurion at the foot of the cross is at the very apex of the narrative, fulfilling the purpose set out at the start: declaring Jesus to be the son of a god – like Caesar himself. Questions over the potentially threatening nature of Jesus’ messiahship are also pervasive throughout, tying his relationship to the military to one of the core themes of the book. Probably written immediately following Vespasian’s war in Judea, which was led by none other than Legio X Fretensis, we must wonder: what is the function of the Roman legion in relation to the narrative and purpose of the Gospel of St. Mark?
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £12.00 - Gothic language: a tasterCourse start date: Wed 9 Oct 2024
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Stephen PollingtonDiscover the ancient language spoken by the Goths, an ancient Germanic population from Scandinavia who settled in North-Eastern and Eastern Europe.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £12.00 - Mystery religionsCourse start date: Wed 30 Oct 2024
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Ann JeffersMystery 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.
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