Here you'll find a selection of fantastic online resources for schools.
Many of our online resources support and reveal new perspectives on key classical topics in the A-Level syllabus. They are guaranteed to help you to explore and learn more about the ancient world of Greece and Rome.
Prof. Richard Alston on Roman history
OCR A-Level Classical Civilisation ('Love and relationships'); Ancient History (Roman history: '31 BCE-68 CE'; 'The Flavians')
Prof. Richard Alston’s website, ancientromanhistory31-14.com, is an online resource for students and teachers of Roman history, which focuses on the political and social history of the period from the battle of Actium in 31 BCE to the death of the Emperor Trajan in 117 CE. The site provides links to key visual and written sources, as well as offering core historical information and suggesting ways in which we might approach the period and its key issues. The website is a treasure-trove of information, ideas and resources, which we hope you will enjoy using. Note that it supports elements of the OCR A-Level syllabus for Classical Civilisation and Ancient History, but is designed to support anyone, at any age, engaging with Roman history.
Dr Liz Gloyn on Seneca, Stoicism and emotions
OCR A-Level Classical Civilisation ('Love and relationships')
Many of the texts and ideas addressed in the ‘Love and Relationships’ components of the OCR A-Level Classical Civilisation syllabus are part of Dr Gloyn’s research expertise, so over the last couple of years she been working on a series of blog posts on her website, lizgloyn.wordpress.com.
Dr Gloyn's blog posts are designed to support both students and teachers working on ‘Love and Relationships’. Topics covered include ‘Sources for Seneca on love and desire’, ‘The difference between the Stoic sage and the Stoic disciple’, ‘Understanding Stoic ideas about the emotions’, as well as posts on irrationality and love in Stoic thought – just look for #OCRSeneca! Dr Gloyn updates the website regularly with new blog posts and resources so we do hope you’ll have a look!
For more in-depth discussion of some of the ideas addressed on Dr Gloyn’s website, you may also like to have a look at her recently published book, The Ethics of the Family in Seneca (Cambridge, 2017).
Dr Liz Gloyn on Seneca's letters
OCR A-Level Classical Civilisation ('Love and relationships')
Dr Liz Gloyn has recorded a lecture for the MASSOLIT website on Seneca's letters, which is designed to support the 'Love and relationships' component of the OCR A-Level in Classical Civilisation. MASSOLIT is a website that works with academics around the world to produce videos on a wide range of topics that supports the GCSE, A-Level and IB syllabi. At present (May 2020), videos can be accessed for free by those who register on the website.
You can watch Dr Gloyn's video on Seneca's letters here.
Dr Liz Gloyn and Dr Zena Kamash on the 'Coffee and Circuses' podcast
Classics today
On the Coffee and Circuses podcast, presenter Dr David Walsh chats with fellow enthusiasts to find out more about their interest in the Roman world. He asks his varied range of guests questions about what sparked their interest, what projects they're working, and what might the future be for study of the Roman world. Two of our very own Classicists have been guests on the podcast: Dr Liz Gloyn and Dr Zena Kamash.
Liz chatted about her work on Classical monsters from Harryhausen to Hercules: the Legendary Journeys, her research on Seneca, and why the Sphinx is so good at defeating mansplaining! You can listen to her episode here.
Zena talked about her work on and personal connection with the heritage of the Near East, as well as her experience of Roman toilets and adventures in making Twitter more inclusive. You can listen to her episode here.
Dr Richard Hawley on the history of women in Greece and Rome
OCR A-Level Classical Civilisation ('Culture and the arts' and 'Beliefs and ideas' component groups)
Dr Hawley has designed and recorded 35 podcasts that explore the lives and representation of women in the Greek and Roman world. These podcasts were designed specifically with school pupils in mind, especially those studying the OCR A-Level in Classical Civilisation. The podcasts are available to listen to for free for members of the Historical Association and can be found here.