Decolonising the Classics Classroom: Diversity & Representation in Visual Aids

A montage of three of the Fayum mummy portraits, depicting a finely-dressed woman, a bearded man and a man in a tunic with purple stripes.

Working towards inclusivity in the Classics classroom is a combination of what we choose to teach and how we choose to teach it. In this post, Rob Hancock-Jones shares some of his experiences teaching Classical Civilisation making use of diverse and inclusive visual aids. A montage of three of the ‘Fayum’ mummy portraits discovered in Egypt and … Read more

Race Theory, Critical Race Theory, and the Classics Classroom

Three marble statue heads (two of Aphrodite and one of Apollo) face each other

In response to those who may think otherwise, Elena Giusti argues that the application of Race Theory and Critical Race Theory to the ancient world is far from a needless intellectual exercise. It enables teachers and students to connect antiquity and modernity while investigating our own biases and making us better interpreters of both societies, and of … Read more

Surviving Two Thousand Years: understanding the role of power in shaping the textual record

Four depictions of Orpheus and Eurydice: a relief, an engraving, a painting and a still from a film.

Why do some stories survive thousands of years while others are quickly lost? Many factors affect an ancient text’s chances of survival, but most important is power. If we understand how texts have survived with the aid of each generation’s most empowered, can we then predict which modern classics will survive? From the Classic to … Read more

Centring Africa in Greek and Roman Literature, while Decolonising the Classics Classroom

Line drawing map of the world according to Herodotus

Diversifying the teaching provision of Classics and Ancient History does not necessarily help us to ‘decolonise’ the discipline and engage in anti-racist pedagogical practice. Dr Elena Giusti reflects on her undergraduate module ‘Africa and the Making of Classical Literature’ at the University of Warwick. Last year, among the many articles that followed the aftermath of the racist incidents … Read more

salvēte omnēs: the importance of welcoming everyone

Four students holding certificates and prizes

Director Caroline Bristow addresses the importance of inclusion to the core mission of CSCP: ensuring that Classics flourishes in classrooms. This article also introduces the theme of race and decolonisation which will be the focus of this blog’s opening series of posts. Susan Hadaki, Kiruthiga Koneswaran, Hanifa Izzatillaeva and Nia Smith of Townley Grammar School at the … Read more