Ancient Greece: Myth, Art, War
50 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 11 years ago - ★★★★ - 36 ratingsIn this subject students are introduced to the diversity of the ancient Greek achievement, which has exercised a fundamental and continuing influence upon later European literature and culture. The subject commences with a detailed treatment of Homer's Iliad and the myth of the Trojan war. This is one of the dominant myths in the Greek tradition and is narrated in some detail in epic poetry, in drama, and in art and architecture. We explore how myths are 'read' in their historical context, especially in the contexts of the Persian and Peloponnesian wars of the 5th Century BC. A variety of sources are treated to enable students to build up a picture of Greek society as a whole.
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Episodes
The Acropolis Programme
June 11, 2013 03:33 - 51 minutes - 47.3 MBAfter a curious gap of over 30 years, the Athenians finally started to rebuild on the Acropolis following the Persian sack of 480 BC. In this lecture Dr Gillian Shepherd examines the extravagant programme of grand buildings – most famously the Parthenon – on the Acropolis and looks at some of the issues surrounding the interpretation of the buildings and their decoration. Copyright 2013 Gillian Shepherd / La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.
The Acropolis Programme (handout)
June 11, 2013 03:32 application/pdfAfter a curious gap of over 30 years, the Athenians finally started to rebuild on the Acropolis following the Persian sack of 480 BC. In this lecture Dr Gillian Shepherd examines the extravagant programme of grand buildings – most famously the Parthenon – on the Acropolis and looks at some of the issues surrounding the interpretation of the buildings and their decoration. Copyright 2013 Gillian Shepherd / La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.
Art, Myth and Marathon
May 31, 2013 03:50 - 48 minutes - 28.1 MBThe Battle of Marathon in 490 BC – when against all odds the Athenians (with a bit of help from the Plataeans) defeated the Persians was too good a PR opportunity for the Athenians to ignore and they made the most of it. In this lecture Dr Gillian Shepherd looks at the imagery associated with war and especially the Battle of Marathon and the series of victory monuments erected in Athens, Attica and Delphi. Marathon entered Athenian mythology: the gods themselves – Athena, Herakles, Theseus a...
Art, Myth and Marathon (handout)
May 31, 2013 03:49 application/pdfThe Battle of Marathon in 490 BC – when against all odds the Athenians (with a bit of help from the Plataeans) defeated the Persians was too good a PR opportunity for the Athenians to ignore and they made the most of it. In this lecture Dr Gillian Shepherd looks at the imagery associated with war and especially the Battle of Marathon and the series of victory monuments erected in Athens, Attica and Delphi. Marathon entered Athenian mythology: the gods themselves – Athena, Herakles, Theseus a...
Myth, Art, War and Greek Sanctuaries
May 31, 2013 03:48 - 48 minutes - 28.2 MBSanctuaries were the context for many of the most impressive buildings and sculptures produced by the ancient Greeks. In this lecture Dr Gillian Shepherd looks at the basic types of sanctuary and temple design, and then focuses on one of the most famous of all Greek sanctuaries, that of Zeus Olympios at Olympia – home to the Olympic games, but also the site of lavish temples, treasuries and sculpture. Copyright 2013 Gillian Shepherd / La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for pe...
Myth, Art, War and Greek Sanctuaries (handout)
May 31, 2013 03:47 application/pdfSanctuaries were the context for many of the most impressive buildings and sculptures produced by the ancient Greeks. In this lecture Dr Gillian Shepherd looks at the basic types of sanctuary and temple design, and then focuses on one of the most famous of all Greek sanctuaries, that of Zeus Olympios at Olympia – home to the Olympic games, but also the site of lavish temples, treasuries and sculpture. Copyright 2013 Gillian Shepherd / La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for pe...
The Trojan War in Greek Art
May 31, 2013 03:46 - 53 minutes - 30.9 MBMythological scenes are common in Greek art. The Trojan War was a very popular subject for Greek artists, especially vase painters of the 6th and 5th centuries BC. In this lecture Dr Gillian Shepherd looks at range of images of the Trojan War – some of which do not in fact occur in the literary tradition. Are we missing some stories, or could ancient Greek painters and sculptors come up with their own slant on mythical characters and their antics? Copyright 2013 Gillian Shepherd / La Trobe ...
The Trojan War in Greek Art (handout)
May 31, 2013 03:45 application/pdfMythological scenes are common in Greek art. The Trojan War was a very popular subject for Greek artists, especially vase painters of the 6th and 5th centuries BC. In this lecture Dr Gillian Shepherd looks at range of images of the Trojan War – some of which do not in fact occur in the literary tradition. Are we missing some stories, or could ancient Greek painters and sculptors come up with their own slant on mythical characters and their antics? Copyright 2013 Gillian Shepherd / La Trobe ...
Vase Painting in Classical Athens
May 31, 2013 03:44 - 43 minutes - 25.1 MBPottery is the single biggest category of evidence we have from the classical world – there is nothing we have more of. Much of it is fragmentary coarseware, but other vases were decorated. Thousands of vases painted in the black and red figure techniques were made in Athens between the seventh and fourth centuries BC and exported all over the Greek world. In this lecture Dr Gillian Shepherd looks at the basics of Athenian vase painting: shapes, techniques and dating. Vases with scenes of my...
Vase Painting in Classical Athens (handout)
May 31, 2013 03:43 application/pdfPottery is the single biggest category of evidence we have from the classical world – there is nothing we have more of. Much of it is fragmentary coarseware, but other vases were decorated. Thousands of vases painted in the black and red figure techniques were made in Athens between the seventh and fourth centuries BC and exported all over the Greek world. In this lecture Dr Gillian Shepherd looks at the basics of Athenian vase painting: shapes, techniques and dating. Vases with scenes of my...
Euripides’ Trojan Women
May 17, 2013 11:44 - 46 minutes - 27.2 MBSet in the aftermath of the Trojan War, Euripides’ Trojan Women is a lament for the fallen city and the fate of its women, destined for slavery. In this lecture Dr Heather Sebo examines one of the darkest of all Greek plays, where tragedy upon tragedy is piled upon the women and children who have survived the sack of Troy – a poignant commentary on the futility of war and the plight of the weak and defenceless. Copyright 2013 Gillian Shepherd / La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Cont...
Euripides’ Trojan Women (handout)
May 17, 2013 11:43 application/pdfSet in the aftermath of the Trojan War, Euripides’ Trojan Women is a lament for the fallen city and the fate of its women, destined for slavery. In this lecture Dr Heather Sebo examines one of the darkest of all Greek plays, where tragedy upon tragedy is piled upon the women and children who have survived the sack of Troy – a poignant commentary on the futility of war and the plight of the weak and defenceless. Copyright 2013 Gillian Shepherd / La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Cont...
Aristophanes’ Lysistrata
May 16, 2013 23:46 - 47 minutes - 27.7 MBStaged not long after the disastrous defeat of the Athenians at Syracuse during the Peloponnesian War, the seriousness of Aristophanes’ Lysistrata would not have been lost on its audience, despite it being a comedy laden with sexual humour. In this lecture Dr Heather Sebo looks at the very real messages about the futility of war, the parlous state of Athens and the position of women in Athenian society in Aristophanes’ comedy of a sex strike orchestrated by women to bring their men to their ...
Aristophanes’ Lysistrata (handout)
May 16, 2013 23:45 - 27.7 MBStaged not long after the disastrous defeat of the Athenians at Syracuse during the Peloponnesian War, the seriousness of Aristophanes’ Lysistrata would not have been lost on its audience, despite it being a comedy laden with sexual humour. In this lecture Dr Heather Sebo looks at the very real messages about the futility of war, the parlous state of Athens and the position of women in Athenian society in Aristophanes’ comedy of a sex strike orchestrated by women to bring their men to their ...
Sophocles’ Ajax
May 16, 2013 06:07 - 48 minutes - 28.3 MBSophocles’ Ajax is one of our earliest surviving Greek plays, produced in c. 440 BC. In this lecture Dr Heather Sebo examines Sophocles’ treatment of the theme of a changing world which posed new challenges and required new skills for coping – an issue only too familiar to contemporary 5th century Athenians. The ability of the adherents of the old order to cope with a new environment – or their lack of ability – is explored through the tragic figure of the hero Ajax. Copyright 2013 Gillian ...
Sophocles’ Ajax (handout)
May 16, 2013 06:06 application/pdfSophocles’ Ajax is one of our earliest surviving Greek plays, produced in c. 440 BC. In this lecture Dr Heather Sebo examines Sophocles’ treatment of the theme of a changing world which posed new challenges and required new skills for coping – an issue only too familiar to contemporary 5th century Athenians. The ability of the adherents of the old order to cope with a new environment – or their lack of ability – is explored through the tragic figure of the hero Ajax. Copyright 2013 Gillian ...
Euripides’ Iphigenia in Aulis
May 16, 2013 06:02 - 49 minutes - 28.7 MBPerformed in Athens in the last years of the Peloponnesian War and when Athens had a democracy, Euripides’ Iphigenia in Aulis is appropriately a play about decision-making. In this lecture Dr Heather Sebo traces the dramatic events in Iphigenia in Aulis leading up to the departure of the Greek fleet for Troy. Although based on a myth, Euripides’ play has never ceased to be relevant in terms of its examination of the dilemmas and circumstances in which human beings become enmeshed. Copyright...
Euripides’ Iphigenia in Aulis (handout)
May 16, 2013 00:55 application/pdfPerformed in Athens in the last years of the Peloponnesian War and when Athens had a democracy, Euripides’ Iphigenia in Aulis is appropriately a play about decision-making. In this lecture Dr Heather Sebo traces the dramatic events in Iphigenia in Aulis leading up to the departure of the Greek fleet for Troy. Although based on a myth, Euripides’ play has never ceased to be relevant in terms of its examination of the dilemmas and circumstances in which human beings become enmeshed. Copyright...
Drama and Society
May 07, 2013 22:32 - 49 minutes - 28.7 MBThis lecture examines the role and status of Athenian drama in Athenian society. Picking up where the last lecture (on the Peloponnesian War) left off, Dr Gillian Shepherd looks at the finale of the Sicilian Expedition, and the event that preceded it: the Melian Dialogue, which purports to recount events which just might have influenced one of the three great 5th century Athenian tragedians, Euripides, when he wrote his play The Trojan Women. This play, as well as others by Euripides and tho...
Drama and Society (handout)
May 07, 2013 22:31 application/pdfThis lecture examines the role and status of Athenian drama in Athenian society. Picking up where the last lecture (on the Peloponnesian War) left off, Dr Gillian Shepherd looks at the finale of the Sicilian Expedition, and the event that preceded it: the Melian Dialogue, which purports to recount events which just might have influenced one of the three great 5th century Athenian tragedians, Euripides, when he wrote his play The Trojan Women. This play, as well as others by Euripides and tho...
The Peloponnesian War
May 06, 2013 07:31 - 51 minutes - 47.7 MBBetween 431 and 404 BC a bitter war known as the Peloponnesian War was fought between the two major powers of ancient Greece – Athens and Sparta – and their respective allies. In this lecture, Dr Gillian Shepherd outlines the events of the Peloponnesian War and looks at two figures critical to our understanding of Greek history in the second half of the 5th century BC: Perikles, a leading statesman of Athens; and one of his biggest fans, the 5th century historian Thucydides to whom we are in...
The Peloponnesian War (handout)
May 06, 2013 07:31 application/pdfBetween 431 and 404 BC a bitter war known as the Peloponnesian War was fought between the two major powers of ancient Greece – Athens and Sparta – and their respective allies. In this lecture, Dr Gillian Shepherd outlines the events of the Peloponnesian War and looks at two figures critical to our understanding of Greek history in the second half of the 5th century BC: Perikles, a leading statesman of Athens; and one of his biggest fans, the 5th century historian Thucydides to whom we are in...
Athens in the 5th Century BC
April 29, 2013 06:12 - 54 minutes - 31.8 MBFollowing the fall of the Peisistratid tyranny in Athens, the Athenians instituted a revolutionary new form of government: democracy. In this lecture, Dr Gillian Shepherd looks at the nature of Athenian democracy and how we think it might have functioned in the 5th century BC, including some of the structures and objects found in the Athenian agora which provide evidence for democracy at work. Copyright 2013 Gillian Shepherd / La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.
Athens in the 5th Century BC (handout)
April 29, 2013 06:11 application/pdfFollowing the fall of the Peisistratid tyranny in Athens, the Athenians instituted a revolutionary new form of government: democracy. In this lecture, Dr Gillian Shepherd looks at the nature of Athenian democracy and how we think it might have functioned in the 5th century BC, including some of the structures and objects found in the Athenian agora which provide evidence for democracy at work. Copyright 2013 Gillian Shepherd / La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.
Greece at War: The Persian Wars
April 18, 2013 23:59 - 49 minutes - 28.8 MBPeisistratos, tyrant of Athens, seems to have ruled benevolently and Athens prospered under his regime. In the course of the 6th century BC, important public buildings were erected in both the Agora (town square) of Athens and on the Acropolis. But change was afoot: in this lecture Dr Gillian Shepherd traces the events of the late sixth century and earlier 5th century BC, an action-packed period for Athens. The Peisistratid tyranny fell and was replaced by a new form of government – democrac...
Greece at War: The Persian Wars (handout)
April 18, 2013 23:58 application/pdfPeisistratos, tyrant of Athens, seems to have ruled benevolently and Athens prospered under his regime. In the course of the 6th century BC, important public buildings were erected in both the Agora (town square) of Athens and on the Acropolis. But change was afoot: in this lecture Dr Gillian Shepherd traces the events of the late sixth century and earlier 5th century BC, an action-packed period for Athens. The Peisistratid tyranny fell and was replaced by a new form of government – democrac...
Solon to Peisistratos: Athens in the 6th Century BC
April 18, 2013 23:56 - 31.4 MBAthens in the 7th century BC seems to have been a place of social and political tensions between rich and poor. At the beginning of the 6th century, Solon emerged as an enlightened reformer, who put in place measures to improve the Athenian economy and the lot of the poor, and recorded his efforts in poetry. By 560 BC, however, Athens was moving towards a political regime common in archaic Greece: tyranny. After three attempts, Peisistratos finally gained power as tyrant of Athens. In this l...
Solon to Peisistratos: Athens in the 6th Century BC (handout)
April 18, 2013 23:23 application/pdfAthens in the 7th century BC seems to have been a place of social and political tensions between rich and poor. At the beginning of the 6th century, Solon emerged as an enlightened reformer, who put in place measures to improve the Athenian economy and the lot of the poor, and recorded his efforts in poetry. By 560 BC, however, Athens was moving towards a political regime common in archaic Greece: tyranny. After three attempts, Peisistratos finally gained power as tyrant of Athens. In this l...
Homer's World: Dark Age Greece
April 12, 2013 03:57 - 53 minutes - 31.2 MBFor reasons that are still unclear to us, the Mycenaean civilisation fell around 1200 BC. After that, life was relatively grim in Greece – a lot of important skills, including literacy, were lost and Greece seems to have had less contact with the outside world. In this lecture Dr Gillian Shepherd looks at this intriguing period between the Bronze Age and the Classical period: occasionally, however, we see a glimmer of light in the Dark Age Greece, such as the extraordinary finds from Lefkand...
Homer's World: Dark Age Greece (handout)
April 12, 2013 03:56 application/pdfFor reasons that are still unclear to us, the Mycenaean civilisation fell around 1200 BC. After that, life was relatively grim in Greece – a lot of important skills, including literacy, were lost and Greece seems to have had less contact with the outside world. In this lecture Dr Gillian Shepherd looks at this intriguing period between the Bronze Age and the Classical period: occasionally, however, we see a glimmer of light in the Dark Age Greece, such as the extraordinary finds from Lefkand...
Bronze Age Greece and Troy
April 12, 2013 00:53 - 47 minutes - 27.9 MBDid the Trojan War actually happen? What evidence do we have on – or rather in – the ground for Troy and the world of heroes, magnificent cities and rich objects which Homer describes? In this lecture Dr Gillian Shepherd looks at some of the issues in identifying “Homer’s Troy” and the glories of Late Bronze Age Greece, especially Mycenae, home of Agamemnon – much of which is indeed described by Homer. Copyright 2013 Gillian Shepherd / La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for p...
Bronze Age Greece and Troy (handout)
April 12, 2013 00:52 application/pdfDid the Trojan War actually happen? What evidence do we have on – or rather in – the ground for Troy and the world of heroes, magnificent cities and rich objects which Homer describes? In this lecture Dr Gillian Shepherd looks at some of the issues in identifying “Homer’s Troy” and the glories of Late Bronze Age Greece, especially Mycenae, home of Agamemnon – much of which is indeed described by Homer. Copyright 2013 Gillian Shepherd / La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for p...
A King's Ransom: Priam and Achilles
April 04, 2013 22:07 - 40 minutes - 23.3 MBIn the final book of the Iliad, the elderly Trojan king confronts the monstrous killer Achilles. Professor Chris Mackie examines the patterns of the heroic quest, descent into the Underworld, and the moment of resolution before the final days of the life of Achilles and of Troy. Copyright 2013 Gillian Shepherd / La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.
A King's Ransom: Priam and Achilles (handout)
April 04, 2013 22:06 application/pdfIn the final book of the Iliad, the elderly Trojan king confronts the monstrous killer Achilles. Professor Chris Mackie examines the patterns of the heroic quest, descent into the Underworld, and the moment of resolution before the final days of the life of Achilles and of Troy. Copyright 2013 Gillian Shepherd / La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.
Iliad 22: The Quest of Hector
April 04, 2013 21:45 - 49 minutes - 28.7 MBIn this lecture Professor Christopher Mackie recaps the culminating events of the Iliad and looks more closely at the character of Hector, his fate and death, and the role of the goddess Athena. Copyright 2013 Gillian Shepherd / La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.
Iliad 22: The Quest of Hector (handout)
April 04, 2013 21:31 application/pdfIn this lecture Professor Christopher Mackie recaps the culminating events of the Iliad and looks more closely at the character of Hector, his fate and death, and the role of the goddess Athena. Copyright 2013 Gillian Shepherd / La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.
Rage and Resolution: The Quest of Hector
March 26, 2013 07:10 - 48 minutes - 34.8 MBIn his final moments, the Trojan defender Hector must choose to face Achilles in heroic battle or to be hunted like an animal. Professor Chris Mackie discusses sub-human or monstrous aspects of Achilles' rage, and Hector's doomed quest to save Troy. Copyright 2013 Gillian Shepherd / La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.
Rage and Resolution: The Quest of Hector (handout)
March 26, 2013 07:09 application/pdfIn his final moments, the Trojan defender Hector must choose to face Achilles in heroic battle or to be hunted like an animal. Professor Chris Mackie discusses sub-human or monstrous aspects of Achilles' rage, and Hector's doomed quest to save Troy. Copyright 2013 Gillian Shepherd / La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.
Athena, Women and War
March 21, 2013 02:34 - 44 minutes - 26 MBThe warrior goddess Athena ranges the battlefield in Homer's Iliad, but her role differs greatly from those of mortal women in the epic. Professor Chris Mackie compares and contrasts the goddess of cunning intelligence with the mortal women of the epic. Copyright 2013 Gillian Shepherd / La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.
Athena, Women and War (handout)
March 21, 2013 02:33 application/pdfThe warrior goddess Athena ranges the battlefield in Homer's Iliad, but her role differs greatly from those of mortal women in the epic. Professor Chris Mackie compares and contrasts the goddess of cunning intelligence with the mortal women of the epic. Copyright 2013 Gillian Shepherd / La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.
The Iliad and Achilles
March 15, 2013 01:28 - 49 minutes - 28.7 MBMartial, monstrous and on the boundaries of mortal and immortal, Achilles in the greatest warrior in Greek myth. In this investigation of Homer's Iliad, Professor Chris Mackie looks into the background of a hero born to a goddess, raised by a centaur and yet destined to die young. Copyright 2013 Gillian Shepherd / La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.
The Iliad and Achilles (handout)
March 15, 2013 01:27 application/pdfMartial, monstrous and on the boundaries of mortal and immortal, Achilles in the greatest warrior in Greek myth. In this investigation of Homer's Iliad, Professor Chris Mackie looks into the background of a hero born to a goddess, raised by a centaur and yet destined to die young. Copyright 2013 Gillian Shepherd / La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.
Homer and the Trojan War
March 15, 2013 01:25 - 52 minutes - 30.4 MBThis lecture outlines key aspects of the Trojan War myth, including the historical and mythological background to the war, the Judgement of Paris, the expedition to Troy and the fall of the city. It examines Homer’s treatment of gods, heroes and the city in the Iliad. Copyright 2013 Gillian Shepherd / La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.
Homer and the Trojan War (handout)
March 15, 2013 01:24 application/pdfThis lecture outlines key aspects of the Trojan War myth, including the historical and mythological background to the war, the Judgement of Paris, the expedition to Troy and the fall of the city. It examines Homer’s treatment of gods, heroes and the city in the Iliad. Copyright 2013 Gillian Shepherd / La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.
The Early Greek World and Greek Myths
March 10, 2013 21:52 - 52 minutes - 30.6 MBThis lecture introduces aspects of Classical myth, and examines the social and historical context of the 8th century BCE from which the Homeric epics emerge. It considers Homer’s poetic agenda and his creative use of the Trojan war myth. Copyright 2013 Gillian Shepherd / La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.
The Early Greek World and Greek Myths (handout)
March 10, 2013 21:51 application/pdfThis lecture introduces aspects of Classical myth, and examines the social and historical context of the 8th century BCE from which the Homeric epics emerge. It considers Homer’s poetic agenda and his creative use of the Trojan war myth. Copyright 2013 Gillian Shepherd / La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.
Introduction to Ancient Greece
March 10, 2013 21:49 - 15 minutes - 9.41 MBThis lecture provides a general introduction to this subject by providing a chronological framework and basic geography of the ancient Greek world. Copyright 2013 Gillian Shepherd / La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.
Introduction to Ancient Greece (handout)
March 10, 2013 21:48 application/pdfThis lecture provides a general introduction to this subject by providing a chronological framework and basic geography of the ancient Greek world. Copyright 2013 Gillian Shepherd / La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.
The Position of Attic Women in Democratic Athens II
May 13, 2012 22:26 - 37 minutes - 21.5 MBDr David Pritchard (University of Queensland) looks at some contrasting roles of women and attitudes to them, including their supposed wantoness, their prominent role in the practice of Greek religion, and the case of Spartan women – Sparta, as is often the case, supplies the foil for Athens. Copyright 2012 Gillian Shepherd / La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.
The Position of Attic Women in Democratic Athens I
May 13, 2012 22:24 - 50 minutes - 28.9 MBDr David Pritchard (University of Queensland) delves into the knotty issue of the study of women in classical Athens. One of the biggest obstacles to understanding more about Attic women is the paradoxical nature of the evidence: although we have both written and visual evidence pertaining to women, it was produced by males (we have no “woman’s voice”) and very often for males; moreover, it also usually depicts elite wives and daughters of citizens – what about the lower classes, foreigners ...