The Classics Podcast

Classics and Careers is BACK! We're kicking off a new season where the Classics Podcast host Katrina Kelly meets guests from all walks of life, from anthropologists to actuaries, producers to policy advisers, fascinating people whose connection to the ancient world has influenced their diverse careers. Episode 1 features trained classicist Dr Sam Akbar, author of the Odyssey Mindset, and an ex...

Part 2 is here! The Prima Porta is an exceptional piece of Roman Imperial imagery and we unpack its key features and symbolism with Dr Hannah Cornwell (University of Birmingham) in this two-part mini series, hosted by James Renshaw, perfect for those studying Ancient History or Classical Civilisation. Timestamps: 1:00: where was Parthia and what is the historical context? 2:55: losing the Parthian...

We're going back to school! The Prima Porta is an exceptional piece of Roman Imperial imagery and we unpack its key features and symbolism with Dr Hannah Cornwell (University of Birmingham) in this two-part mini series, hosted by James Renshaw, perfect for those studying Ancient History or Classical Civilisation. Give us a follow or subscribe to listen when part 2 is released. Timestamps: 1:00...

Academic, writer and director Dr David Bullen answers your questions - how to remember what happens in the different Electra plays, are there plays without a plot, his four favourite adaptations, dispelling myths, understanding the Dionysian, evaluating Peter Hall's Oresteia , and more... Show Notes ⁠The APGRD⁠ - feat. Gilbert Murray's typewriter Actors of Dionysus Follow us on Instagram t...

Our new Resident Expert Dr David Bullen (Royal Holloway University of London) is a theatre director, writer, and dramaturg. He has been co-artistic director of Theatre of the Gentle Furies since 2011 and his adaptations of plays by Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes have been performed in the UK and the US. Listen now to discover his beef with Aristotle, his unconventional academic...

Creator, linguist and tutor Harry Donoghue (@ harryspoetryy ) joins Katrina to discuss his love for ancient literature, to preview Christopher Nolan's Odyssey film, to highlight the pervading humour and relatability of Roman poets, and share whom he thinks was the best salesman in the ancient world... Please note that the views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker(s)...

That's right, we couldn't conclude Season 3 without a bonus episode! It was a privilege to speak to eminent sculptor Eleanor Crook about her Classics degree, a life-changing experience at Hadrian's Wall, forging an unconventional career, immortalising the Queen's Lying in State, and backwards engineering the Riace Bronzes. Read our obituary for Tony Harrison here and do get in touc...

For the final episode of this season of Classics & Careers, Katrina meets Sarah Rowley, Head of Communications at YouTube in the UK, and discovers her love for Latin (join in with 'guess the song'), how she turned a lockdown project into a brilliant book, and how ancient rhetoric plays an influential role in modern comms. Follow Sarah on LinkedIn Read Sarah’s blog about Latin Rocks On...

Tracy-Ann Oberman, perhaps best known for playing Chrissie Watts in EastEnders, as well as her many stage and TV roles including Monroe, Doctor Who, New Tricks, It's A Sin and more, is a self-proclaimed Classics geek! Winner of 2021 Celebrity Mastermind, her chosen topic was the Women of Imperial Rome. In this episode, Katrina discovers Tracy-Ann's passion for Roman history and literature,...

We're back with Richard for part 2 in our Expert in Residence interview series - he answers your questions on Georgian caves, steppe nomads, ancient homelessness, lost heritage, the Scythians, Olbian pottery and gives some excellent PhD advice. ⁠David Braund book mentioned⁠ ⁠⁠Enjoy Richard's Special Lecture for us this May⁠⁠ Browse the CA Speaker List Dr Richard Kendall is a Lecturer in Cl...

From Basildon to the Black Sea, explore Richard's classics journey, and, having listened to this episode, ask him a question to answer in Part 2! Dr Richard Kendall is a Lecturer in Classics and Ancient History at the  University of Exeter . He completed his doctorate, ‘Strategies of Cooperation’, at the University of Edinburgh in 2024, focusing on the meeting of Greeks, Romans and steppe noma...

This week we're swapping A Level exams for something very different - the fiendish exams you have to take if you want to become a 'Master of Wine', which is exactly what James Simpson (Managing Director at Pol Roger ) did after his Classics degree! In this episode, find out what ancient wine might have tasted like, the origins of champagne, what links Plato and Churchill and some secre...

Cosi is an ancient historian, presenter and digital communicator - her engaging content and events have built a classics community and in this episode, we explore her proudest achievements, what she's learned on her journey through academia and her current PhD research, and her love for hot yoga and squashing tomatoes (not necessarily at the same time!)... Follow Cosi's Odyssey Follow Cosi...

Scott Handcock is a TV and audio producer, writer, and director. Having recently worked as Assistant Producer on the BBC's 'The War Between the Land and the Sea', he has been Script Editor for Doctor Who and Head Writer on spin-off Torchwood. He discusses how his Classics degree at the University of Birmingham has influenced his writing and his career in drama, his favourite chocolate,...

In this episode, Katrina is joined by Kamila Shamsie , Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and award-winning novelist, including of Home Fire , for which she won the Women’s Prize for Fiction and was long listed for the Booker Prize.  Enjoy a deep-dive into this modern adaptation of the story of Antigone and Ismene, where we discuss translations by Anne Carson and Seamus Heaney, the ancient...

Meet David Harry, aka 'The London Spy' and 'The Delusionist', a former Vice President of Deutsche Bank who went from photocopy-boy to member of the Magic Circle and social media star via ancient trade guilds and a love for Latin. This is an episode not to be missed! We talk flatulence, London's secrets, Fishbourne Roman Palace, the joys of Classics and forging your own path. Fo...

Joining Dr Chella Ward this week are Dr Marcus Bell and Ronnais Lloyd to explore how dyslexia and learning difference has influenced their studies of the ancient past. This UK Disability History Month, we're exploring experiences of disability and the study of the ancient world - follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠ and TikTok to enjoy clips and find all our episodes. Ronnais' profile at the Universit...

Joining Dr Chella Ward this week are Annis Wiltshire and Dr Ellie Mackin-Roberts for an episode of Talking Disability on autism and neurodivergence. They discuss ancient sensory experiences, retrospective diagnoses and the reliability of accessible adjustments. This UK Disability History Month, we're exploring experiences of disability and the study of the ancient world - follow us on Instagra...

Join Dr Chella Ward and her two guests, Alexandra and Danny, in this first episode of our Talking Disability mini-series, launching this UK Disability History Month, exploring experiences of disability and the study of the ancient world. Dr Alexandra F Morris (Queen’s University Belfast): https://alexandrafmorris.wordpress.com/ Dr Danny Pucknell (Cardiff and Vale College) Chair of the Cardiff and...

We lied - there's one final episode of the series and it's a special one with Oxford don and Virgil super expert, Prof. Morgan. Find out what he thinks about our traitor theories and Aeneas' character arc, his favourite passages, the importance of Hercules and enjoy the quick fire round! Llewelyn's music picks: Joan Armatrading (Down to Zero), Vaughan Williams (Fantasia on a theme...

Our final episode has a summary of the series to date and then jumps into Book 3 as Katrina explains why 'The Wanderings' is a bit of a misnomer, and Caroline takes us through the smellscape of Aeneas' voyage from Troy to Carthage. We meet Helenus and Achates, two 'fidus' (faithful) sidekick companions and rate Aeneas' powers of storytelling. Thanks so much for joining us o...

Virgil's Purple Prose? No, definitely not, but the Aeneid is replete with interesting uses of the word 'purpureus' and in this episode we look at purple as a colour of beauty, death, danger and eroticism - as well as shades of gold and the mystery of Lavinia's blush! 💜 Did you know that the colour purple in ancient Rome was a symbol of power and decadence but its origins are Phoen...

Is the Aeneid fundamentally a melancholy poem? We revisit the Optimists and Pessimists whilst looking at examples of 'tears' and weeping, learning about the scholar Adam Parry, exploring Virgil’s use of apostrophes and brilliant half-lines, and taking a proper look at the closing scene of book 12, when Aeneas is enraged by sorrow to commit a terrible act... Enter our Verse and Voice Compet...

In this episode, politics come to the forefront as Katrina explains the historical context to Augustus' principate and the grizzly proscriptions (cw: violence) and Caroline explains two different schools of thought about Virgil's poetic intentions: the Optimists and the Pessimists. To listen to our bonus content, become a CA member today and head to our member area: ⁠⁠⁠https://classicalassociation...

Was Aeneas a pious Faithful or a deceptive Traitor? Caroline and Katrina explore the importance of 'pietas' in the Aeneid , spill the tea on the latest episodes of Celebrity Traitors and discuss morality and heroism - is Aeneas perhaps more like Odysseus than we think? To listen to our bonus content, become a CA member today and head to our member area: ⁠⁠https://classicalassociation.org/j...