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Open Educational Resources

Steve Kershaw

Resources

Displaying 1 - 20 of 71
Type Title Description Keywords Full details
Image collection Statue of a Roman Emperor, Messene Museum, Greece

Statue of a Roman Emperor, Messene Museum, Greece. Dating from the 2nd half of the 4th century CE, this Emperor holds a globe in his left hand. The statue is the work of a local workshop that has recycled a Hellenistic female statue. There are...

Ancient rome, Emperors, Messene, Late Roman, Roman art, Roman empire view
Video Actium: A turning point in world history

The Battle of Actium, where the forces of Octavian and Agrippa defeated those of Antony and Cleopatra in 31 BCE, proved to be one of the turning points in world history. Taking in characters such as Julius Caesar, Brutus and Cassius, Octavian,...

Classics, Egypt, Emperors, Rome view
Image collection Saite official, c. 570-526 BCE, Saite official, c. 570-526 BCE

[Plato, Timaeus 21e] Critias replied, ‘In Egypt, at the apex of the Delta, where the stream of the River Nile divides, there is an administrative district called the Saïtic. The biggest city of the district, from which King Amasis...

Atlantis, Plato, Sais, Egypt, Solon, Herodotus, Critias, Timaeus, Archaeology, Pseudoarchaeology, Pseudoscience view
Image collection This clay map of Babylon shows the Tuba area of the city, two gateways, a section of the inner wall of the city, and a waterway fed by the River Euphrates. c. 600-500 BCE, probably from Babylon, modern Iraq. Cat. ME 35385, A clay tablet fragment giving detailed measurements of Babylon's the inner city wall, called Imgur-Enlil, at the start of Nebuchadnezzar's reign (ruled 605-572 BCE, making him contemporary with Solon, who, according to Plato's story, received the Atlantis tale from Egyptian priests). It names the Zababa and Urash Gates. From Sippur or Babylons, modern Iraq. Cat. ME 54634abylon, This clay tablet fragment dating from c.700-500 BCE records traditions from much earlier times, and refers to the Babylonian Flood Myth. The Babylonian world is shown in bird's-eye view asa disc surruonded by a ring labelled 'Bitter River' (not unlike the Greek Oceanus). The City of Babylon straddles the River Euphrates, which flows southwards through marshes into the sea. Inscribed circles indicate cities and areas within Mesopotamia in loosely accurate geographical locations., Beyond the outer edges of the known world are 8 triangular regions, which are tghe homes of strange/legendary beings. One id identified as the mountain where the Babylonian 'Ark' landed after the Great Flood. This lies across the water, far beyond the Mountain of Urartu (Ararat in the Bible) on the very rim of the world. There is no hint of Atlantis here. c.700-500 BCE, probably from Sippar, modern Irag. Cat. ME 92687, Lion from the Ishtar Gate of Babylon (the eighth gate to the inner city), c.BCE on the orders of King Nebuchadnezzar II. Pergamon Museum, Berlin, The Ishtar Gate of Babylon (the eighth gate to the inner city), c.BCE on the orders of King Nebuchadnezzar II. . These details do not appear in Herodotus' account of Babylon. Pergamon Museum, Berlin

Herodotus' History includes a memorable description of the city of Babylon, which may have had a considerable influence on Plato's description of Atlantis in the Critias.These photographs, of tablets in the British Museum, show...

Atlantis, Plato, Babylon, Cuneiform, Historical Maps, Greek culture, Flood myths, Iraq, Ishtar Gate, Herodotus, Nebuchadnezzar II view
Image collection Babylon city map, George Smith, Ashurbanipal's Flood Tablet

Having left Egypt, assuming he really went there, Herodotus probably travelled via Tyre to the River Euphrates and down to Babylon, from where he produced a memorable description of the city. This may well have been inflential in the way that...

Plato, Atlantis, Babylon, Flood myths, Ashurbanipal view
Audio BREAD & CIRCUSES (PART 1)

The poet Juvenal famously wrote:

The public has long since cast off its cares; the people that once bestowed commands, consulships, legions and all else, now meddles no more and longs eagerly for just two things: bread and circuses.

...
Rome, Gladiators, Bread and Circuses, Venationes, Colosseum view
Image collection Victorious charioteer, Hunting scene, El Djem Amphitheatre, El Djem Amphitheatre, Damnatio ad bestias, Damnatio ad bestias, 'Riot in the Amphitheatre', Paestum tomb painting, Paestum tomb painting, Bread handouts, Gladiatorial 'stats', Pompeii Amphitheatre, Colosseum and Ludus Magnus, Colosseum, Gladiators, Damnatio ad bestias, Damnatio ad bestias, Beast hunt

These images illustrate the venues and activities associated with 'Bread and Circuses'.

Bread and Circuses, Roman architecture, Roman art, Amphitheatre, Gladiators, Venationes, Mosiac, Wall painting, Colosseum, Pompeii view
Audio BREAD AND CIRCUSES (PART 2)

This podcast is the second of two that give some information about 'Bread and Circuses' at Rome. In Part 2 we talk about what happened during the shows, with a focus on gladiators, beast hunts, and chariot racing. The text is taken from S....

Rome, Bread and Circuses, Gladiators, Venationes, Colosseum, Chariot racing view
Audio CAESAR v POMPEY: THE OUTBREAK OF THE CIVIL WAR

This podcast is Part 3 of a 3-part Introduction to Section 6B - 49: Cicero, Caelius and the Approach of Civil War. It describes the events leading up to the outbreak of the Civil War between Pompey and Caesar in 49 BCE. The text is taken mainly...

Roman, Cicero, Caesar, Pompey, Crassus, Civil War view
Audio Caesar's Invasions of Britain

Caesar's Invasions of Britain. Written and voiced by Steve Kershaw.

Rome, Latin, British history view
Document Caligula:mad, bad or just danerous to know

A document to help you diagnose Caligula.

Rome, Latin, Caligula view
Audio CICERO, CATILINE AND CLODIUS

This podcast is Part 2 of a 3-part Introduction to Section 6B - 49: Cicero, Caelius and the Approach of Civil War. It describes Cicero's dealings with Catiline and Clodius in the 60s BCE. The text is taken mainly from S. Kershaw, A Brief...

Roman, Cicero, Catiline, Clodius view
Audio Civil Wars, Dictatorship and the ‘Egyptian Woman’

Civil Wars, Dictatorship and the ‘Egyptian Woman’. Text from Kershaw, S., A Brief Guide to Classical Civilization, London: Robinson, 2010, 279-281.

Rome, Latin view
Image collection Bronze statue of Claudius from Herculaneum, Inscription from the Arch of Claudius, Rome, Illustration of the conquest of Britain from Aphrodisias , Illustration of the conquest of Britain from Aphrodisias , Illustration of the conquest of Britain from Aphrodisias , Illustration of the conquest of Britain from Aphrodisias

CLAUDIUS Larger than life size bronze statue of Claudius found in situ in 1741 in the Augusteum at Herculaneum, now in the Naples Archaeological Museum. The Augusteum was the area dedicated to the imperial cult, and occupied a porticoed square in...

Rome, Latin, Claudius view
Image collection Coin of the Emperor Titus

Coin with an image of the Emperor Titus (ruled 79 - 81 CE)

Museo Nazionale Romano: Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, Rome.

© S.P. Kershaw

Ancient history, Classics, Emperors, History, Numismatics, Roman coins, Titus view
Image collection Nero, Nero

Here we have Nero's official image. Suetonius lists the physical characteristics of Nero as follows: Height: average; Body: pustular and malodorous; Hair: light blond; Features: pretty, rather than handsome; Eyes: dullish blue; Neck: squat; Belly...

Ancient history, Nero, Classics, Numismatics, Emperors, Latin, Roman, Roman coins view
Image collection Constantine, Constantine, Constantine, Constantine, Constantine

These over-life-size statues of Constantine are currently displayed in the Capitoline Museum, Rome.

Constantine, Late Roman, Roman art, Ancient rome, Portraiture, Early Christian, Christianity, Emperors view
Audio From the Ides of March to Actium

Text from Kershaw, S., A Brief Guide to Classical Civilization, London: Robinson, 2010, 281-286. © S. Kershaw

Ancient history, Rome view
Image collection Apollo and Herakles fight over the Delphic Tripod, Apollo and Herakles fight over the Delphic Tripod. Mid-sixth century BCE Metope from the Heraion at Foce del Sele

These photographs show the tussle between Apollo and Herakles for the Delphic Tripod.

Delphi, Herakles, Apollo, Greek art, myth, paestum view
Image collection CLEOPATRA VII, Queen of Egypt, CLEOPATRA VII, Queen of Egypt, The Forum Romanum at Rome, The Forum of Julius Caesar, Rome

Click on each of the images to see a full size version.

CLEOPATRA VII, QUEEN OF EGYPT 2 Photos © S.P. Kershaw
Portrait of Cleopatra now in the Pergamon Museum, Berlin.
‘Her own beauty . . . was not of that incomparable kind...

Rome, Latin, Egypt view

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