Short Course: Introduction to Ancient Greek History

Learn the dramatic story of the Minoan and Mycenaean Ages, Europe’s first complex civilisations. Uncover the truth behind the story of Leonidas and the 300 Spartan warriors who held back the might of Persia and discover more about the golden age of Classical Greece as theatre, philosophy, and democracy developed in the bustling metropolis of Athens. Finally we'll look at how Greek culture spread throughout the eastern Mediterranean and beyond as vast empires were won and fought over.

This short course will take you on a journey of over 3000 years and introduce you to some of the most important characters from Ancient Greece, some mythological, some real, all legendary!

Sessions will take place on four consecutive Friday afternoons on 5, 12, 19, 26 September from 1-3pm. Tickets cost £80.

Week One – The Early Aegean

In this session we will explore Europe’s oldest cultures, the Minoans, the Cycladic Culture, and the Mycenaeans. We will learn how the fundamentals of Greek Culture were laid in smoky palaces and how the memory of this ancient time would inspire mythological heroes like Agamemnon and the epic Trojan War.

Week Two – The Road to Themopylae

This week we will find out more about the development of a more recognisable ‘Ancient Greece’ and how Greek states developed and functioned in the wake of increasing Persian domination of the Aegean World.

Week Three – Classical Greece

Here we pick up with the legendary battle of Thermopylae and the inspiring tale of the 300 Spartan warriors who stood against unimaginable odds as the might of Persia sought to consume all of Greece. We will look at the rise of Athens and explore how the Greek World descended into chaos as Athens and Sparta vied for ultimate control.

Week Four – The Hellenistic World

We finish our time together exploring the extra-ordinary short life of Alexander the Great who forged an empire that stretched from the Balkans to the Indus. We’ll see how his generals tore this empire apart within hours of his death, founding rival dynasties that gave us characters like Cleopatra and spread Greek influence as far afield as India and beyond.

If there are any barriers to you participating in this short course please email course facilitator Matt Exley on matt.exley@liverpoolmuseums.org.uk to discuss how we can make this accessible to you.