One of the preoccupations of the ancient Greeks, especially in the fifth century BC, was the idea of the barbarian “other” – people who were barbaros (ie did not speak Greek) and had customs and cultures which contrasted with the practices of the Greeks. The fifth century BC historian Herodotus was particularly interested in such “ethnography” and provides detailed accounts of other groups like the Egyptians, Scythians, the Amazons and the Persians. In this lecture Dr Rhiannon Evans looks at Herodotus’ ideas of other peoples and how in fact they might shed more light on the Greeks than the “others”.

Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

One of the preoccupations of the ancient Greeks, especially in the fifth century BC, was the idea of the barbarian “other” – people who were barbaros (ie did not speak Greek) and had customs and cultures which contrasted with the practices of the Greeks. The fifth century BC historian Herodotus was particularly interested in such “ethnography” and provides detailed accounts of other groups like the Egyptians, Scythians, the Amazons and the Persians. In this lecture Dr Rhiannon Evans looks at Herodotus’ ideas of other peoples and how in fact they might shed more light on the Greeks than the “others”.

Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

In this lecture Dr Gillian Shepherd takes a closer look at the ancient Greek symposion – the ritualised, male and often elite drinking party which could also be the context for sexual encounters beyond the institution of marriage – such as with hetairai (courtesans) or pederasty, the socially condoned erotic relationship between a man and an adolescent boy. Archaeological evidence – especially in the form of recognisable dining facilities and symposion-related imagery on vases – combined with a range of ancient texts provides intriguing insight into this ancient cultural practice.

Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

In this lecture Dr Gillian Shepherd takes a closer look at the ancient Greek symposion – the ritualised, male and often elite drinking party which could also be the context for sexual encounters beyond the institution of marriage – such as with hetairai (courtesans) or pederasty, the socially condoned erotic relationship between a man and an adolescent boy. Archaeological evidence – especially in the form of recognisable dining facilities and symposion-related imagery on vases – combined with a range of ancient texts provides intriguing insight into this ancient cultural practice.

Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Greek ideas of male sexuality differed from modern Western ones; rather than defining their sexual orientation one way or another, Greek men could indulge in both hetero- and homosexual relationships, although the latter seems to have been socially condoned only in the context of the relationship between an adolescent and an older man. In this lecture Dr Rhiannon Evans explores one of the great philosophical discussions of (male) love and sexuality – Plato’s Symposium, which describes a conversation between some of the leading thinkers of late fifth century Athens.

Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Greek ideas of male sexuality differed from modern Western ones; rather than defining their sexual orientation one way or another, Greek men could indulge in both hetero- and homosexual relationships, although the latter seems to have been socially condoned only in the context of the relationship between an adolescent and an older man. In this lecture Dr Rhiannon Evans explores one of the great philosophical discussions of (male) love and sexuality – Plato’s Symposium, which describes a conversation between some of the leading thinkers of late fifth century Athens.

Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Nearly all the textual sources for ancient Greece were written by elite men – and very often Athenian men. One important exception to this is the lyric poetry of Sappho, a woman from the island of Lesbos who was born in the later 7th century BC. In this lecture Dr Rhiannon Evans analyses the poetry of Sappho, in which love for individuals of both sexes is prominent, and sets in the context of differing attitudes to sexuality in the ancient world.

Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Nearly all the textual sources for ancient Greece were written by elite men – and very often Athenian men. One important exception to this is the lyric poetry of Sappho, a woman from the island of Lesbos who was born in the later 7th century BC. In this lecture Dr Rhiannon Evans analyses the poetry of Sappho, in which love for individuals of both sexes is prominent, and sets in the context of differing attitudes to sexuality in the ancient world.

Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Athenian tragedies of the 5th century BC provide an extra dimension to our impressions of women and attitudes to women in ancient Greece. Here, women can be strong, powerful and commit (under provocation!) heinous crimes; the men, in comparison, often seem vain, weak and too ready to break important social codes. In this lecture Dr Heather Sebo looks at three tragic plays which revolve around women – Aeschylos’ Agamemnon, Sophocles’ Antigone and Euripides’ Medea – and examines their exploration of women and their place in society.

Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Athenian tragedies of the 5th century BC provide an extra dimension to our impressions of women and attitudes to women in ancient Greece. Here, women can be strong, powerful and commit (under provocation!) heinous crimes; the men, in comparison, often seem vain, weak and too ready to break important social codes. In this lecture Dr Heather Sebo looks at three tragic plays which revolve around women – Aeschylos’ Agamemnon, Sophocles’ Antigone and Euripides’ Medea – and examines their exploration of women and their place in society.

Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.