Classical Studies Support

People are always asking me where they can find short Classics courses, to add to their current studies or fill in a gap between modules, or to introduce them to a completely new topic. The Open University doesn’t do much of this at the moment – the trend now is for big modules with lots of people, rather than bite-sized ones with lower enrollment.

That’s why I thought I’d mention the online courses being run by my esteemed colleague, Dr. Gina May. Gina is a fantastic teacher – and she’s the person I always go to for advice, so I’m well placed to recommend her!

Gina is currently running a whole range of different courses, from one-day single topic sessions to six-week language courses – and she offers a discount to OU students signing up for two courses or more (just text or email her for the promotional code).

The next course that she’s running is this Saturday, on Asclepius (and it looks like it could be useful to OU MA students, as well as people on A330). Here’s what she says about it:

Aspects of Asclepius in Numismatics and Literature – ONLINE

One Session – £35

The winding serpent of Asclepius has been the recognised emblem of medicine for over two thousand years.  It can be seen in a variety of mediums, from the inscriptions of Ancient Greece to the logo of the World Medical Association in the twenty-first century.  The snake is a symbol of regeneration and is a prominent feature in the cult of Asclepius.  The practices surrounding the cult have been well documented so this course takes a different approach and concentrates on numismatic representations of Asclepius and the ancient texts they reflect.

We will start with the birth of Asclepius and look at what we can find out about his life up to the time when he was invited to go to Rome from Epidaurus. We will look at some of the images of Asclepius and compare them with the motifs that were placed on coins from Greece and Rome and see what can be understood about the rationale for these images in the written word.  The texts we will consider will be both Greek and Roman, ranging from Homer in the eighth century BC to Pausanias in the second century AD.

Gina offers introductory and follow-on Greek and Latin courses (the next Latin course starts at the end of October, and the Greek course starts a week later), sessions on ancient witchcraft and magic, art history – all kinds of fascinating stuff! And she’s adding more all the time. I’m not quite sure how she does it all!

So do take a look at her website – it might open up some new possibilities!

For more information and to book go to: www.ginamay.co.uk/tickets, email events@ginamay.co.uk, or call Gina on 07828199547.