Gender

Most of the texts, art and architecture that survive from the ancient world were created by men. And, as several of the posts below discuss, they have sometimes been leveraged by men in the 21st century to support misogynistic, homophobic and other discriminatory viewpoints. However, the Classical world is also full of material that can help us unsettle assumptions about gender and sexuality, call out gender inequalities, explore the causes of gender-based violence, promote trans rights, champion inclusion, and celebrate diversity. To find out more, you can browse some of the ‘Applied Classics’ projects and reflections below…

Dialogues between Ancient and Modern Women

In this blog, UG student Lilliana Mitchell discusses her journey as an Applied Classicist and the podcast she designed to bring ancient and modern women into informative, supportive dialogue with each other. When I walked into the first day of “Classics for the Modern World”, I had very little idea of what to expect. Having spent… Read More

Gaming Antiquity to Critique Modern Ideologies

In this blog, UG student Isabelle Meadows-Gibb discusses what she has learnt about Applied Classics by designing an interactive RPG (role-playing game) based on ancient women’s experiences of war and designed to prompt critical reflection on contemporary political belief systems and widespread misogyny. An introduction to Applied Classics When applying to study Classical Studies, I… Read More

Mythogyny

Undergraduate students Emma Brown, Helena Chowdhury-Westlake and Lilliana Mitchell were part of the 2025 Modern Classics cohort, and designed the following Applied Classics podcast project to bring ancient and modern women’s experiences of sexual violence and misogyny into productive dialogue with each other. They describe their project below: Ancient myth is rife with narratives of… Read More

The Hippolytus Initiative

In 2022, a group of two students, Emily Speed and Duncan Tarboton, created the Hippolytus Initiative. The project aims to start conversations using ancient source material and texts to confront uncomfortable truths about society’s relationship with sex and gender, with a particular focus on using Classics to combat the radicalisation of young people by ‘incel’… Read More

Misogyny, Myth and Modern Classics

Lily Talbot is a third-year student in the School of Classics, taking our Classics for the Modern World module. In this blog, she discusses some of the ways in which ancient myths and literature have been harnessed by misogynist groups and individuals, and what ‘Applied Classics’ can do in response. Apollo and Daphne, fresco from… Read More

Antigone Rising

A tongue fat from swelling. A fine flame coursing down through your limbs. Ringing in your ears and a fuzzy darkness blinding your eyes. As an undergraduate Classics student who has studied Latin for more than half of my life, I instantly recognise these words as expressions and symptoms of ancient love. Read More