Know Your Frontinus From Your Fronto!

This is the first instalment in a series of articles by Classics Ambassador Ffion Shute introducing lesser-known Roman authors. The series will cover forgotten gems ranging from history to architecture to military tactics, whose authors deserve to be more widely known. Strictly no Cicero or Tacitus here: these articles will help you to know your … Continue reading Know Your Frontinus From Your Fronto!

From Rome to Britannia – a journey with Bronwen Riley

This November, it was a pleasure to welcome author and journalist Bronwen Riley to the Association and back to her roots on the Fylde Coast, as she led us on a fascinating ancient journey from Rome to Britannia. Classics Ambassador Caroline summarises her excellent talk: Bronwen began her lecture by setting the scene and establishing … Continue reading From Rome to Britannia – a journey with Bronwen Riley

Plato and Us: out of the Cave

On Thursday 13th October, Professor MM McCabe, Emerita Professor at King’s College London and Honorary Fellow of Jesus College Cambridge, delivered an insightful lecture on Plato and his masterpiece: The Republic. Classics Ambassador Caroline J examines the CA Honorary President's excellent talk. Having established the structure of the text, Professor McCabe discussed what is, arguably, … Continue reading Plato and Us: out of the Cave

Freedmen and Slaves in Pompeii: new discoveries

Dr Gabriel Zuchtriegel, the director of Pompeii’s archaeological park, delivered the 26th Denys Haynes Memorial Lecture at the British Museum in September 2022. Classics Ambassador Ffion Shute was there for us. Dr Zuchtriegel was appointed director of the archaeological park at Pompeii last year and is overseeing on-going excavations in several parts of the ancient … Continue reading Freedmen and Slaves in Pompeii: new discoveries

Life After Alexander

Classics Ambassador, Sophie Bassano, brilliantly recaps the opening lecture of our 2022-23 season. On Thursday 29 September, Tristan Hughes, host of ‘The Ancients’ history podcast and author of the acclaimed ‘The Perdiccas Years, 323-320 BC: Alexander’s Successors at War’, delivered an impressive lecture highlighting the turbulent and violent years succeeding Alexander the Great’s death. Although … Continue reading Life After Alexander

A Final Foray – Seamus Heaney on Virgil’s Aeneid

Tros Anchisiade, facilis descensus Averno:noctes atque dies patet atri ianua Ditis;sed revocare gradum superasque evadere ad auras,hoc opus, hic labor est. 'Trojan, son of Anchises,It is easy to descend into Avernus.Death's dark door stands open day and night.But to retrace your steps and get back to upper air,That is the task, that is the undertaking'- … Continue reading A Final Foray – Seamus Heaney on Virgil’s Aeneid