Discover Ancient Civilisations - Online Courses

India's three indigenous religions - Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism - have given rise to one of the oldest artistic civilisations in the world. Learn more about the art and architecture of Ancient India in this part 1 of the course.

Discover the civilisations of Ancient Egypt during the Middle Kingdom, an age of great power and influence for the Pharaohs.

The poetry of Homer and other myths tell us about the ‘abduction of Helen’ and the destruction of a city. Do archaeology and contemporary state archives support this epic tradition?

The course will look at the emergence of the novel as a literary genre during the Hellenistic period, a genre which has given birth to the modern novel.



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

The role of ancient Israelite women has been at the forefront of discussions about gender and sexuality as the biblical stories have been formative in mapping out subsequent understanding of women’s sexuality. This course will explore gender roles and sexuality in ancient Israel through biblical stories and laws about women in ancient Israel. We will explore a range of texts from myths, to laws, love poetry and texts portraying graphic violence against women while asking questions about the implications of gender constructions for the status of women in ancient Israel.



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

In 120 BC, Rome was a city-state with functioning republican institutions that made room for a substantial element of democracy. It was also the dominant power in the Mediterranean World. By 20 AD, Rome was the capital of an autocratic empire that covered virtually the whole of the Mediterranean World and most of its surrounding territories. Between these dates, Rome saw the collapse of its ancient governing institutions in an orgy of political assassination, civil wars, purges, and military dictatorships.



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

Myth permeated all aspects of ancient society and much the same can be said today. Investigate the relevance and perseverance of the Greek myth and why these tales continue to fascinate.



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

The Greeks are perhaps the exceptional people of the Ancient World. They were not saints: they were at least as willing as anyone else to engage in aggressive wars, enslavement, and sometimes human sacrifice. At the same time, working without any strong outside inspiration, they provided at least the foundations for the science, mathematics, philosophy, art and secular literature of later peoples.



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

Discover eight intriguing ancient cities, amazing places to visit today, but raw and turbulent in their Graeco-Roman heyday.

An opportunity to find about how daily life was for ordinary people in the Roman Empire.



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

An introduction to the history, essential beliefs, mythology, and iconography, of three influential religions



of the Graeco-Roman world: Isis, the mystery cult devoted to Mithras and Christ.

Have a taste of exploring the ancient Athenian stage, and how they still speak to us about the challenges we face today.

So many works of arts refer, in one way or another, to Ovid's Metamorphoses. In this course, you'll become familiar with some of the most memorable stories in this masterpiece and begin to understand why its stories are - and have been - so universally fascinating and influential.



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

Come and explore Homer's great epic tale in translation.



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