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The lives and Importance of women in Republican and Imperial Ancient Rome and Roman Britain including the importance of the worship of goddesses.
What will we cover?
The contrasting roles of women in different parts of Roman society in the Republic and the Empire, from slaves to Empresses. The numerous female goddesses will be examined and how their attributes reflected the view of men. Death and burial will also be looked at and the magnificent tomb of Helena and Mausoleum of Galla Placidia will be contrasted with the freedmen portraits of Roman women. Other famous Roman women such as the semi-legendary Lucretia and Cloelia as well as later real women like Cornelia mother of the Gracchi and empresses such as Livia, Agrippina, Poppaea, the Syrian Julias and Helena mother of Constantine. Some of these women have become famous through Shakespeare and other authors as well as artists from the Middle Ages onwards.
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
Understand the attitudes of Romans to women in society.
Understand the attitudes of Romans to goddesses.
See how these attitudes to women contrasted from the ancient societies and society today.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
Anyone with interest or curiosity for the ancient world is welcome to join. No previous knowledge required.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
This is a tutor-led lecture, with opportunities to ask questions throughout the session. The course will include a visit to the British Museum.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
No other costs. Please bring writing material if you wish to take notes.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
Any other ancient civilisations classes, see website for details.
After a BA in History & Geography at Keele with Music, Education and Greek Studies as subsidiaries, William Sterling taught History full-time before becoming a Civil Servant working for the Departments of Transport and Education. This allowed him to study part-time for his MA from Birkbeck and PhD from King’s College, London. From 1992, he lectured in Adult Education at a number of colleges before joining the City Lit in 2008. Since 1994 he has been an official Gallery Guide at the British Museum, covering the whole museum but specialising in the Ancient Greeks, Romans and Etruscans, the Medieval & Modern European and Enlightenment Galleries. As a lecturer, he specialises in those same areas as well as Royal History (especially British Monarchs from 1603 to 1910), Composers’ Lives and other Cultural, especially interdisciplinary, topics. He also lectures on Cruise Ships on subjects ranging from Vikings to Shakespeare. He runs a website offering free resources on the subjects he teaches.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
product
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The numerous female goddesses will be examined and how their attributes reflected the view of men. Death and burial will also be looked at and the magnificent tomb of Helena and Mausoleum of Galla Placidia will be contrasted with the freedmen portraits of Roman women. Other famous Roman women such as the semi-legendary Lucretia and Cloelia as well as later real women like Cornelia mother of the Gracchi and empresses such as Livia, Agrippina, Poppaea, the Syrian Julias and Helena mother of Constantine. Some of these women have become famous through Shakespeare and other authors as well as artists from the Middle Ages onwards.<ul><li>Understand the attitudes of Romans to women in society.</li><li>Understand the attitudes of Romans to goddesses.</li><li>See how these attitudes to women contrasted from the ancient societies and society today.</li></ul>Anyone with interest or curiosity for the ancient world is welcome to join. No previous knowledge required.This is a tutor-led lecture, with opportunities to ask questions throughout the session. The course will include a visit to the British Museum.No other costs. Please bring writing material if you wish to take notes.<p>Any other ancient civilisations classes, see website for details.</p>Ancient civilisationsAncient civilisationsvirtual556945RC011NONEFri15/05/2611:00 - 17:0011:0017:001 session1One-off onlyDaytimeWeekdayKSKeeley StreetWilliam SterlingBeginnersAvailable courses2026-05-15T00:00:00+00:00May 2026Culture, history & humanities6969Women in ancient Romewomen-in-ancient-rome/rc011-2526Women'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.0000-Available|2026-05-15 00:00:00The lives and Importance of women in Republican and Imperial Ancient Rome and Roman Britain including the importance of the worship of goddesses.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.The contrasting roles of women in different parts of Roman society in the Republic and the Empire, from slaves to Empresses. The numerous female goddesses will be examined and how their attributes reflected the view of men. Death and burial will also be looked at and the magnificent tomb of Helena and Mausoleum of Galla Placidia will be contrasted with the freedmen portraits of Roman women. Other famous Roman women such as the semi-legendary Lucretia and Cloelia as well as later real women like Cornelia mother of the Gracchi and empresses such as Livia, Agrippina, Poppaea, the Syrian Julias and Helena mother of Constantine. Some of these women have become famous through Shakespeare and other authors as well as artists from the Middle Ages onwards.<ul><li>Understand the attitudes of Romans to women in society.</li><li>Understand the attitudes of Romans to goddesses.</li><li>See how these attitudes to women contrasted from the ancient societies and society today.</li></ul>Anyone with interest or curiosity for the ancient world is welcome to join. No previous knowledge required.This is a tutor-led lecture, with opportunities to ask questions throughout the session. The course will include a visit to the British Museum.No other costs. Please bring writing material if you wish to take notes.<p>Any other ancient civilisations classes, see website for details.</p>Ancient civilisationsAncient civilisationsconfigurable
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