The Warwick Classics Network A. G. Leventis Ancient Worlds Day 2023 took place on Wednesday 28th June with the general theme of 'Epic Worlds'. This enjoyable and educational event took topics covered in the Classical Civilisation and Ancient History GCSE and A-level curricula and expanded upon these in new directions, looking especially at links to ancient Greek and Roman epic, and the world of the heroes, drawing on our lecturers' specialities and interests. The talks aimed to expand the horizons of the attendees, rather than repeat what they had already learnt on their curriculum, further deepening their appreciation of the ancient world.

Resources

Prof Michael Scott – '‘We can be heroes’ The development of hero cult in ancient Greece'

Prof Michael Scott outlines the development of hero cult in ancient Greece and how it was linked to epic. You can download the PowerPoint of the talk here.

Prof Emmanuela Bakola – 'Greek Epic in Tragedy'

Prof Emmanuela Bakola talks about Achilles and themes of anger and grief in Homer and Aeschylus. You can download the PowerPoint of the talk here.

Prof Zahra Newby – 'Epic in Greek and Roman Art: the Trojan War'

Prof Zahra Newby examines the use of epic in a broad range of examples from Greek and Roman art. You can download the PowerPoint of the talk here.

Dr Nicolas Liney – 'Achilles at the edge of epic: Statius' Achilleid'

Dr Nicolas Liney here examines the perhaps unfamiliar work Statius Achilleid, looking particularly at questions of gender, genre, and the education of Achilles. You can download the PowerPoint of the talk here.

Dr Joe Watson – 'Transforming Epic: Ovid’s Metamorphoses and the Epic Tradition'

Dr Joe Watson here examines the question of what epic actually is and what Ovid does with epic in his Metamorphoses. You can download the PowerPoint of the talk here.