Kes Publica

In this episode we answer the big questions: are games like Rome Total War realistic? What was it actually like to be on the frontline of an ancient battle? What is it that almost all historical writing about warfare misses out? Enjoy!

In this episode we look at a strange, unsettling, forbidden area of Classics: Late Antiquity. We admit our ignorance and prejudice regarding this neglected and haunted land. Mr Burns makes the case that perhaps we should take another look. We give a broad overview of what happens and why, and what Classicists think of it. We discuss questions such as: what counts as better or worse art? What count...

This episode is aimed at pupils who are studying slavery in the ancient world in their Latin lessons at KES. However, it is also appropriate for anyone interested in the subject. Mr Burns and Mr Feeney go into depth about the distinctive characteristics of ancient slavery, exploring what it was like and how it was viewed. KES pupils, parents, and indeed anyone else are most welcome to listen in an...

In this episode Mr Burns and Mr Feeney deal with the second half of Book 8. Expect Lord of the Rings comparisons, psychedelic passages about lightning bolts, divine comedy, and of course the inimitable shield of Aeneas. Enjoy!

The next episode in our Aeneid series for A Level and GCSE students (and anyone else!). Here we tackle the first half of Book 8. Expect fantastic similes, nerdy tangents on guest-friendship and the nature of religious experience, and of course the monster Cacus. We unpick all the different layers of the omens and myths that Virgil throws at the reader, and dispute whether one 'rows' or 'sails' up...

In this episode Mr Burns and Mr Feeney continue with the Aeneid in an episode designed for our A Level students. Of course all are welcome to listen! Mr Burns hogs the mic with his many thoughts about the sophistication of divine causation in the Aeneid while Mr Feeney displays the patience of a saint and scepticism of a scholar. Expect a lot of focus on the most terrifying character in the whole...

In this episode Mr Feeney and Mr Burns give their wise advice to those starting either GCSE or A-Level in Latin or Greek. Who flunked their GCSE Latin mock? What's the best way to get a top grade? Listen to find out.

In this episode, Mr Feeney and Mr Burns discuss Roman education. Was school so much better in the old days? Did the Romans have much more sensible ideas about discipline and learning? Will Mr Feeney and Mr Burns in fact have children together as they imagine in this podcast? There's only one way to find out!

This week Mrs Greenbury, Head of Classics at KES, asks the tough questions. Who would win in a fight between Caesar, Alexander, and Hannibal? Which hero would you want your sister to date? If you want to know the answer to crucial questions like these, then join us in this episode.

In this special episode of KES Publica, we interview Professor Denis Feeney about Roman Religion. Professor Feeney is a renowned Classicist and a global staple of university reading lists. He is also Mr Feeney's father! He is currently Professor Emeritus at Princeton, and has worked in top global institutions throughout his career. We get his thoughts on what was distinctive about Roman religion,...

Mr Feeney and Mr Burns finally get to the end of their katabasis. The crescendo of Book VI is reached! Not to be missed if you're studying the Aeneid in any subject.

Most people think they know about Sparta: shining and brave defenders of Greek liberty against the ranks of despotism; the heroic self-sacrificing defenders of Thermopylae, with noble bearing and massive muscles. In this episode Mr Burns contends that this is all, utterly wrong (apart from possibly the muscles). The Spartans were utterly detestable ethnic supremacists who built a society of brutal...

In this episode, Mr Burns and Mr Feeney are joined by two sixth form Classics students who pick their teachers' brains about the most pressing issues of the ancient world. Was Caligula actually mad? What was all the gossip about the women of the imperial palace during the reigns of the Julio-Claudians? What would the best drink order in an ancient bar be? Listen to find out!

This is the second part of our deep dive into book six of the Aeneid. Listen for the shock return of none other than Dido! What does she have to say to the man who abandoned her in the name of destiny? What does the rest of the department have to say to Mr Burns after he defends Aeneas (again)? This is the place to find out.

In this episode we start our marathon analysis of Book 6 of Virgil's Aeneid. While the conceptual and ideological heart of the poem, it is also deeply weird. Expect dark magic, Golden Boughs, the dead mixing with the yet to be born, and in the centre of it all the shadow of Augustus. While designed for our A Level students, we hope this episode might appeal to those with a general interest in the...

In this episode we explain why you might pick Latin, Greek, or Classical Civilisation. We explain what we personally chose and why as students, and then talk about what these subjects can offer. We explain why they are appealing to admissions tutors and employers, and why they are personally enriching. If you want to hear all this alongside some surprising truths about Mr Burns and Mr Feeney as sc...

Mr Burns is joined by Mr Feeney and Mrs Greenbury for a Christmas treat of an episode. Everything is Classical including Christmas, who knew?! We explore the links between the Saturnalia and Christmas (spoiler alert: there are many) and campaign for the reinstatement of the ‘Lord of Misrule’.

This is the long anticipated second part of our close reading of book four of the Aeneid. A torrid love affair reaches its tragic denouement, and we are treated to witchcraft, death, and some Virgilian deep cuts. The ultimate question must be answered: whose side are you on?

We're back! In this episode Mr Burns and Mrs Greenbury discuss the power of the first Roman emperor's propaganda, and how it won him control of the world. We compare it to modern political propaganda, with an emphasis on the recent US elections. The parallels are uncanny...

Welcome to the best book of poetry by the best (literate) poet. Here Mr Burns and Mr Feeney go completely mad for Virgil in everyone's favourite: Aeneid Book 4. This is the book that's made more people love Classics than any other. It's so great that we will have to do it in two parts. Enjoy.

Mr Feeney is joined by Mrs Greenbury, in her first ever appearance on the podcast, to talk all things Roman Britain: from Julius Caesar's raid to requests from legionaries serving on Hadrian's Wall for woolly socks, this episode unpacks what arriving in Britannia must have felt like for Roman legionaries, and how their arrival affected the woad-covered Celts with their spiky hair and impressive mo...

In this episode we discuss what the consequences of crossing the Rubicon were for Caesar. We look at what led to possibly one of the most dramatic political events in European history - the Ides of March.

In this episode Nick and Peter discuss Rome's journey from monarchy to republic to empire. Brutus, Julius Caesar, Hannibal, Pompey, Crassus, Marius and Sulla...the illustrious names from Rome's history are at the forefront of Rome's fascinating, and often brutal, journey to supremacy.

In this episode Mr Burns and Mr Feeney discuss book 2 of the Aeneid in an episode aimed at A Level students studying the poem. We discuss the subtleties of Virgil's characterisation of Trojans and Greeks, as well as the subtleties of some of Virgil's Latin. Battle lines are drawn over the character of Aeneas himself - is he a hero we can admire? Have a listen to find out.

In this second part of our films epic Mr Bull returns with more opinions! We discuss 300 and its links to the Vietnam War, and the much anticipated Gladiator 2. Which features of classical films make classics teachers dissolve into a pile of rage? Have a listen to find out.