Ancient Greece: City and Society
By Dr Gillian Shepherd
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Description
This subject deals with the cultural history of the ancient Greek world through both textual sources and the material evidence of art and archaeology. The period covered runs from the Iron Age world of Archaic Greece through to the late Classical period (roughly from the 8th century to the 4th century BCE). We will concentrate mainly on Athens and mainland Greece, but we will also focus on the Greek expansion into other parts of the Mediterranean world (Sicily and South Italy) in the process of colonisation. Historical texts will be combined with literary sources and archaeology to explore the physical nature of ancient Greek cities and social issues such as the position of women, ethnicity, sexuality and slavery in the ancient Greek world.
| Name | Description | Released | Price | ||
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1 |
The Classical Legacy | Has Greek history had any impact on the modern world? Are the literature, art and architecture of the ancient Greeks still relevant centuries later? | 5/25/2014 | Free | View in iTunes |
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2 |
The Classical Legacy (handout) | Has Greek history had any impact on the modern world? Are the literature, art and architecture of the ancient Greeks still relevant centuries later? | 5/25/2014 | Free | View in iTunes |
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3 |
Aristophanes’ Frogs | Dr. Heather Sebo begins by discussing the proposal in the parabasis of Aristophanes Frogs that clemency be extended to citizens exiled for their involvement in the oligarchic coup of 411 BCE. | 5/25/2014 | Free | View in iTunes |
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4 |
Aristophanes’ Frogs (handout) | Dr. Heather Sebo begins by discussing the proposal in the parabasis of Aristophanes Frogs that clemency be extended to citizens exiled for their involvement in the oligarchic coup of 411 BCE. | 5/25/2014 | Free | View in iTunes |
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5 |
Slaves and Captives in Greek Drama | For the ancients, the consequences of defeat in war were that every man, women and child became the property of the victors, to be disposed of in whatever way they saw fit. | 5/19/2014 | Free | View in iTunes |
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6 |
Slaves and Captives in Greek Drama (handout) | For the ancients, the consequences of defeat in war were that every man, women and child became the property of the victors, to be disposed of in whatever way they saw fit. | 5/19/2014 | Free | View in iTunes |
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7 |
Slavery, Part II | Having looked at some practical issues regarding ancient Greek slavery, in this second lecture Dr Gillian Shepherd examines some of the attitudes of the ancient Greeks towards their slaves. | 5/5/2014 | Free | View in iTunes |
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8 |
Slavery, Part II (handout) | Having looked at some practical issues regarding ancient Greek slavery, in this second lecture Dr Gillian Shepherd examines some of the attitudes of the ancient Greeks towards their slaves. | 5/5/2014 | Free | View in iTunes |
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9 |
Slavery, Part I | In the first of two lectures on Ancient Greek slavery, Dr Gillian Shepherd looks at two important slave systems – chattel slavery in Athens and the helots of Sparta – and how they might have come into being. | 4/27/2014 | Free | View in iTunes |
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10 |
Slavery, Part I (handout) | In the first of two lectures on Ancient Greek slavery, Dr Gillian Shepherd looks at two important slave systems – chattel slavery in Athens and the helots of Sparta – and how they might have come into being. | 4/27/2014 | Free | View in iTunes |
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11 |
Mining, Money and Economy | In this lecture Dr Gillian Shepherd takes a closer look at the Athenian economy by examining the nature of coinage in ancient Greece and one major source of Athenian wealth – the silver mines of Laurion, which provided the famous “Owl” coins of At | 4/14/2014 | Free | View in iTunes |
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12 |
Mining, Money and Economy (handout) | In this lecture Dr Gillian Shepherd takes a closer look at the Athenian economy by examining the nature of coinage in ancient Greece and one major source of Athenian wealth – the silver mines of Laurion, which provided the famous “Owl” coins of At | 4/14/2014 | Free | View in iTunes |
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13 |
Marriage to Death: Sophocles’ Antigone | Dr Heather Sebo contrasts the traditions of women’s lament with the public orations associated with the communal burial of the war dead. | 3/27/2014 | Free | View in iTunes |
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14 |
Marriage to Death: Sophocles’ Antigone (handout) | Dr Heather Sebo contrasts the traditions of women’s lament with the public orations associated with the communal burial of the war dead. | 3/27/2014 | Free | View in iTunes |
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15 |
Death in Athens | One of the best sources of evidence for understanding an ancient society is burials. Ancient cemeteries can provide evidence for population, diet, social divisions, religious beliefs and cultural practices. | 12/11/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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16 |
Death in Athens (handout) | One of the best sources of evidence for understanding an ancient society is burials. Ancient cemeteries can provide evidence for population, diet, social divisions, religious beliefs and cultural practices. | 12/11/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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17 |
Images of Barbarians | In this lecture Dr Gillian Shepherd examines how non-Greek groups were represented visually, how they appear in relation to Greeks, and the role of such imagery in defining Greek culture and making reference to recent historical events. | 12/11/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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18 |
Images of Barbarians (handout) | In this lecture Dr Gillian Shepherd examines how non-Greek groups were represented visually, how they appear in relation to Greeks, and the role of such imagery in defining Greek culture and making reference to recent historical events. | 12/11/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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19 |
The Greeks and the Other | 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 | 12/2/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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20 |
The Greeks and the Other (handout) | 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 | 12/2/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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21 |
Sexuality and the Symposion | 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. | 11/18/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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22 |
Sexuality and the Symposion (handout) | 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. | 11/18/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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23 |
Sexuality: Plato’s Symposium | 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. | 10/29/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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24 |
Sexuality: Plato’s Symposium (handout) | 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. | 10/29/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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25 |
Lesbian Women: Sappho | 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. | 10/1/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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26 |
Lesbian Women: Sappho (handout) | 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. | 10/1/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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27 |
Women in Athenian Drama | Athenian tragedies of the 5th century BC provide an extra dimension to our impressions of women and attitudes to women in ancient Greece. | 9/23/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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28 |
Women in Athenian Drama (handout) | Athenian tragedies of the 5th century BC provide an extra dimension to our impressions of women and attitudes to women in ancient Greece. | 9/23/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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29 |
Images of Women | While texts which deal with the lives of women in ancient Greece are relatively few and limited, images of women abound, especially on Athenian red-figured pottery of the 5th century BC. | 9/16/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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30 |
Images of Women (handout) | While texts which deal with the lives of women in ancient Greece are relatively few and limited, images of women abound, especially on Athenian red-figured pottery of the 5th century BC. | 9/16/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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31 |
Women in Ancient Greece | One of the most intriguing problems in investigating ancient Greece is reconstructing the lives of women. Dr Heather Sebo explores the ideology, legislation and cultural practices surrounding and integral to the lives of women in ancient Greece. | 9/10/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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32 |
Women in Ancient Greece (handout) | One of the most intriguing problems in investigating ancient Greece is reconstructing the lives of women. Dr Heather Sebo explores the ideology, legislation and cultural practices surrounding and integral to the lives of women in ancient Greece. | 9/10/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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33 |
Athenian Heroes: Herakles and Theseus | In this lecture Dr Heather Sebo examines the role of Herakles and Theseus in Athenian thought and culture. | 9/10/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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34 |
Athenian Heroes: Herakles and Theseus (handout) | In this lecture Dr Heather Sebo examines the role of Herakles and Theseus in Athenian thought and culture. | 9/10/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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35 |
The Dionysia, Drama and Democracy | In this lecture Dr Heather Sebo looks at the structure of the festival, the nature of dramatic performances in Athens, and the links between the dramatic festival and Athenian society, democracy and politics. | 9/2/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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36 |
The Dionysia, Drama and Democracy (handout) | In this lecture Dr Heather Sebo looks at the structure of the festival, the nature of dramatic performances in Athens, and the links between the dramatic festival and Athenian society, democracy and politics. | 9/2/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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37 |
Religion and Festivals | Dr Heather Sebo looks at one of the great Athenian state festivals, the Panathenaia in honour of the city goddess Athena, and compares it with the mystery cult of Demeter, based at Eleusis. | 8/28/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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38 |
Religion and Festivals (handout) | Dr Heather Sebo looks at one of the great Athenian state festivals, the Panathenaia in honour of the city goddess Athena, and compares it with the mystery cult of Demeter, based at Eleusis. | 8/28/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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39 |
Democratic Athens II | In this lecture Dr Gillian Shepherd looks at Athenian law courts and the legal system as well as archaeological evidence for selecting the huge juries and conducting trials. | 8/28/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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40 |
Democratic Athens II (handout) | In this lecture Dr Gillian Shepherd looks at Athenian law courts and the legal system as well as archaeological evidence for selecting the huge juries and conducting trials. | 8/28/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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41 |
Democratic Athens I | In this lecture Dr Gillian Shepherd picks up from where the last left off: with the fall of the Peisistratid tyranny and the rise of democracy in Athens. | 8/20/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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42 |
Democratic Athens I (handout) | In this lecture Dr Gillian Shepherd picks up from where the last left off: with the fall of the Peisistratid tyranny and the rise of democracy in Athens. | 8/20/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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43 |
Early Athens | Over the course of the 7th and 6th centuries BC, major changes occurred in Athens which laid the foundations for the prosperous and powerful state of classical Athens. In this lecture Dr Gillian Shepherd traces some of these important developments. | 8/20/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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44 |
Early Athens (handout) | Over the course of the 7th and 6th centuries BC, major changes occurred in Athens which laid the foundations for the prosperous and powerful state of classical Athens. In this lecture Dr Gillian Shepherd traces some of these important developments. | 8/20/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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45 |
The Greek Renaissance | The period between the fall of the Mycenaean civilisation and the 8th century BC is conventionally known as the “Dark Ages” of ancient Greece because of a relative dearth of evidence. | 8/19/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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46 |
The Greek Renaissance (handout) | The period between the fall of the Mycenaean civilisation and the 8th century BC is conventionally known as the “Dark Ages” of ancient Greece because of a relative dearth of evidence. | 8/19/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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47 |
Sources and Documents: Artefacts | In this second lecture on sources for ancient Greece, Dr Gillian Shepherd looks at some of the practicalities surrounding the study of material culture (such as the dating of objects). | 8/19/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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48 |
Sources and Documents: Artefacts (handout) | In this second lecture on sources for ancient Greece, Dr Gillian Shepherd looks at some of the practicalities surrounding the study of material culture (such as the dating of objects). | 8/19/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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49 |
Sources and Documents I: Texts | Dr Gillian Shepherd takes a look at two major historical writers of the 5th century BC, Herodotus and Thucydides, and some of the methodological issues associated with the use of textual evidence in reconstructing ancient Greek history and culture. | 8/11/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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50 |
Sources and Documents I: Texts (handout) | Dr Gillian Shepherd takes a look at two major historical writers of the 5th century BC, Herodotus and Thucydides, and some of the methodological issues associated with the use of textual evidence in reconstructing ancient Greek history and culture. | 8/11/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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51 |
Introduction | Dr Gillian Shepherd describes the basic background of ancient Greece – geography, resources, main political structures, chronology and modern terminology – setting the scene for this series of lectures on city and society in the ancient Greek world. | 8/11/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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52 |
Introduction (handout) | Dr Gillian Shepherd describes the basic background of ancient Greece – geography, resources, main political structures, chronology and modern terminology – setting the scene for this series of lectures on city and society in the ancient Greek world. | 8/11/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 52 Items |
Customer Reviews
Slides don’t work
The audio is fantastic, however the slides with images no longer work, so there is a lot of imagination that has to accompany this audio.
Great Course!
Excellent material. For anyone having trouble viewing the slides, they’re available by going to the handout episode for the slides you want and then going to the episode website.
The slides really don’t work
Great podcast, and I thought it was just my iPad that didn’t show the slides. Still, I so enjoy it and the other shows by La Trobe!
