Bloomsbury Summer School

Fascinated by ancient civilisations?

Monday 12 to Friday 16 July
This is a 5-day summer course that will be held online only.

Course Director: Prof. Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones (University of Cardiff)
Guest lecturer: Mr Jack Neighbour (University of Cardiff).

This course will be delivered online via the video communication platform Zoom (details provided upon enrolment).

11:00* – 11:30**
Participants login to Zoom*; BSS Director’s Welcome Address

11:30 – 13:00
1. Locating the Persian Version

14:15 – 15:30
2. The Persians and Medes in Iran

16:00 – 17:15
3. Cyrus the Great and the Establishment of Empire

10:00 – 11:15
4. Cambyses II and the Conquest of Egypt

11:45 – 13:00
5. The Rise of Darius I: Alternative facts

14:15 – 15:30
6. Old Persian Language 1 – delivered by Jack Neighbour

16:00 – 17:15
7. The Great King’s Law

10:00 – 11:15
8. Bureaucracy, Governance, and Infrastructure

11:45 – 13:00
9. Imperial Building Projects and Slavery

14:15 – 15:30
10. Old Persian Language 2 – delivered by Jack Neighbour

16:00 – 17:15
11. Royal Women: The six wives of Darius the Great

10:00 – 11:15
12. Achaemenid Religion: A world full of gods

11:45 – 13:00
13. From Darius to Xerxes: Continuity and change

14:15 – 15:30
14. Old Persian Language 3 – delivered by Jack Neighbour

16:00 – 17:15
15. Xerxes’ Greek Campaign and its Aftermath

10:00 – 11:15
16. Artaxerxes I and Darius II: High empire

11:45 – 13:00
17. Artaxerxes II and Artaxerxes III: Imperial bloodbath

14:15 – 15:30
18. Old Persian Language 4 – delivered by Jack Neighbour

16:00 – 17:15
19. Alexander of Macedon and the Fall of the Achaemenids

17:15 – 18:30
End-of-Course Drinks and Online BSS Social (guests welcome)

* Zoom waiting room opens 15 minutes prior to the start.
** All times are GMT+1 / British Summer Time (BST).

Timetables, once published, are unlikely to change, but remain provisional until the first day of the course.