Here is the latest instalment in a series of letters from one of our Classical Studies PhD graduates, Paul Jackson, who now lives in Provence, sharing more news on his ongoing project on ‘Classical Dumas’. We love keeping in touch with our graduates, and would welcome other letters like this from our OU Classical Studies alumni. You can email us on [email protected]

It’s been little over a year since I last wrote to you all. In my last letter, I announced the publication of the first volume of the first edition of my Classical Dumas Series, Isaac Laquedem: A Tale of the Wandering Jew (Volume I: The Wandering Jew). Well, since then, the other three volumes have been published in monthly instalments: The Son of God, The Passion of the Christ, and Apollonius of Tyana, all in paperback, hardback, and eBook formats, and all with introductory material from Professor Lisa R. Lampert-Weissig (Katzin Endowed Chair of Jewish Civilisations at the University of California San Diego) and illustrations from the Le Vasseur and Vizetelly editions as well as from Pierre Dupont’s La Légende de Juif Errant. Then, swiftly following on from these, came the second edition in the series, Acte: A Tale of Greece and Rome, in all three formats as well, and with extensive notes from Edward Forman (Professor Emeritus, University of Bristol) and illustrations from the Le Vasseur, Typois Voutyra, and Michel Lévy Frères editions. And now, as of October 1, the third edition in the series is available, initially in paperback format but with hardback and eBook versions to follow, The Memoirs of Horace: A Tale of Rome, which comes with an introduction from Marco Fucecchi (Associate Professor of Latin Language and Literature at the University of Udine) and illustrations from Bartolomeo Pinelli’s Istoria Romana.

This was a work that first came out in 1860, so, towards the end of Dumas’s life, and, as so often, en feuilleton, this time in Le Siècle. Incredibly, it only made it into book format in 2006 through Les Belles Lettres, and it has never been translated into English. Until now! This despite the fact that it was very highly regarded amongst Dumas’s peers at the time, admired by the painter Delacroix, no less. In The Memoirs of Horace, Dumas makes us imagine that he has found a long-lost manuscript in the Vatican Library, the autobiography of the Roman poet, in which way he can assume the mask of the poet and bring to life the characters and events of the first century BC: Sulla, Marius, Pompey, Julius Caesar, Catiline, Cicero, Crassus, Octavian, and Agrippa; the crossing of the Rubicon, Pharsalus, Actium, and the deaths of Antony and Cleopatra. Drawing again from a wide range of source material, the great storyteller also introduces us to daily life in Rome, the food and wine, the literature and philosophy, and the games, all in vivid detail. The paperback, including all four volumes of the original, runs to almost 700 pages, so there is plenty there to keep you going, and through it, we are once again able to come to a much deeper appreciation of the great French author.

In addition, over this past year, I have also been trying to promote the Classical Dumas Series as best I can, presenting a paper late last year for the Democritus University of Thrace as part of their EPEL / WoPoLiS: Classical Voices Now! Emerging International Research Voices series, From Homer to the Musketeers: The Reception of Greek Literature in the Works of Alexandre Dumas, and indeed, this was subsequently adapted into an article for the Ad Familiares journal, From Homer to the Musketeers; and I also presented a paper at this year’s Classical Association UK Conference held at Manchester Metropolitan University and Manchester University, From Virgil to the Musketeers: The Reception of Latin Literature in the Works of Alexandre Dumas.

The next edition in the Classical Dumas Series will be my translation of Dumas’s biography, Octavian Augustus: Another Tale of Rome, but before that, I am taking a little step away in order to complete a separate, collaborative project, an illustrated selection of translated poems from the young Provençal writer Marcel Pagnol. Do keep yourself updated about this and the Classical Dumas Series on my website, www.paultmjackson.com, but for now, as I hear a baby starting to cry,  Valete!, and Vive Dumas!

In this report, OU Classical Studies student Ryan tells us all about his recent experience on the prestigious course run by the British School at Athens.

This summer, I was accepted onto the British School at Athens Undergraduate Course, studying the archaeology and topography of Greece. I spent three weeks travelling around mainland Greece and the Peloponnese with like-minded students who shared my passion for the subject.

At the Open University, I was introduced to Classical Studies, the study of the ancient world. Before my second year, I never even knew a subject such as this existed, if only in the world of Donna Tartt. Having always had a deep love for the ancient Greek and Roman world, I was drawn towards Classical Studies, rather than studying History. Choosing it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Sometimes, not knowing is the best way we find what we have been looking for.

For my final year, my tutor was Julia Tomas. She went beyond my preconceptions of what a tutor could be. In her, I found a real passion for the subject. I was no longer simply learning; rather, we were all sharing this story, this world, together. I can firmly say that I had never experienced such engaging teaching before, where opinions were shared freely and ideas were welcomed. It was Julia who encouraged me to apply for the summer school.

This in itself was rather daunting. I had never travelled by myself, let alone had the confidence to apply for such a prestigious and highly competitive course. But, truth be told, I got in! I managed to secure a place among twenty-seven other students. I was later told that no one from the Open University had ever attended a course like this before.

I had never experienced university teaching in this way. I had studied extensively through books, articles and online materials, but suddenly found myself standing at the very sites I had previously only encountered through photographs and academic texts. Even more importantly, I was able to discuss them in depth with tutors while standing within the landscapes and monuments we were studying. I became something of a sponge, absorbing as much of the knowledge, insight and enthusiasm of our tutors as possible.

In the first week, we visited the Acropolis, seeing the Parthenon in all its grandeur. Seeing it on a screen or in a book had never done it justice. The scale of it completely blew me away. It reminded me of where I was, but most importantly, why it meant so much to me to finally see it. Because I was part of the BSA, we had special access to areas that regular tourists could not enter, including inside the Parthenon itself. It was something I never thought I would experience.

Having studied Delphi in my second year, I was already excited to visit, particularly because of my interest in Greek theatre and ancient religious and cult practices. However, nothing quite prepared me for actually walking along the Sacred Way, passing the treasuries and eventually reaching the sanctuary where the Pythia delivered her prophecies. Experiencing the landscape in person gave me a completely different understanding of the site and its importance.

Perhaps unexpectedly, one of the major highlights of the course was discovering Bronze Age Greece and the Mycenaeans, an area I previously knew very little about. Our lectures on burial practices and Tholos tombs sparked a fascination that grew when we visited Mycenae and Tiryns. We discussed Heinrich Schliemann and how preconceived ideas can influence archaeological interpretation, which encouraged me to develop ideas of my own. At Mycenae, I suggested to Rachel, one of our tutors, that the form of Mycenaean Tholos tombs could perhaps be connected to the shape of boar-tusk helmets. She described the idea as inspired and one of the best interpretations she had heard on the subject. It was an incredibly encouraging moment and gave me much greater confidence in my ability to develop and communicate archaeological ideas.

The site that fuelled my personal interests most was Mystras. An old Byzantine settlement and once the home of Constantine XI, it was particularly exciting for me. Outside of my studies, I have a deep interest in Byzantine history, and visiting Mystras made me eager to explore the subject even further.

Before this course, I never imagined I would have the opportunity to experience Greece in this way, nor that three weeks of visiting archaeological sites and discussing ideas with tutors would leave me wanting to pursue a PhD. I do not yet know what my research would focus on, but the experience has given me the confidence and desire to continue studying and, hopefully, one day undertake a PhD of my own.

This course has taught me to value opportunity. I had the pleasure of meeting so many wonderful people, some of whom I can now call friends, and tutors whom I hope to keep in contact with. I am incredibly grateful to the Hellenic Society for their generosity, which helped make this trip possible, and to the British School at Athens for choosing me to take part. And, of course, I would like to thank the Open University and more importantly my tutor, Julia Tomas, for their knowledge, encouragement and continued support throughout my studies.

Thanks to the generosity of the A.G. Leventis Foundation, we are delighted to offer three fully-funded studentships for UK students to study our MA in Classical Studies, with a start date of September 2026. These are open to candidates who meet one or both of the following criteria:

• Teachers working in state-funded schools or sixth form colleges in the UK, and who intend to introduce or develop the provision of classical subjects in their school
• Students from a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic background

Please see below for details and get in touch with us if you have any questions.

The Open University’s MA in Classical Studies

The MA in Classical Studies at the Open University provides you with the opportunity to discover what it means to do Classical Studies in the twenty-first century. You’ll investigate a range of ancient and contemporary ideas about the Greek and Roman worlds through encounters with literary texts, languages, classical mythology, historical sources and archaeological remains, and their ongoing significance for later periods, places, cultures and creative practices. By exploring the rich and dynamic scholarly perspectives and resources that are currently available, you’ll address diverse sets of questions about the ancient world. These will enable you to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to produce an independent, extended research project on a topic of your choice.

This is the ideal qualification for anyone who wants to know more about the ancient world and the ways in which we can approach it as researchers. It also offers an excellent starting point for those wishing to teach classical subjects in secondary school. It is a two-year qualification requiring approximately 25 hours of study time a week, which means that it can be completed alongside employment, and it is taught entirely online.

No specific prior knowledge is assumed, and there is no requirement to have studied Latin or Ancient Greek, but an undergraduate degree in a cognate discipline, and/or some prior knowledge of the ancient world gained through formal or informal study is recommended. By consultation other arrangements can sometimes be made if you do not hold a degree in such a discipline. This usually involves preparatory reading.

Further information about the MA is available on the OU website: https://www.open.ac.uk/postgraduate/qualifications/f59.

The Leventis studentships

The Leventis studentships consist of a grant of £9,000 to cover the full cost of the tuition fees for the MA with the remaining balance available to assist with the following:

• purchases of books or resources, or attendance at events relating to the study of the MA
• (in the case of the schoolteacher studentship holders) the acquisition of resources, including books, for teaching classical subjects in the studentship holder’s school

How to apply

To apply for a studentship, please complete the MA studentships application form and send it to [email protected] by 4pm on Monday 1 June 2026.

With the form you should also send:

• a separate curriculum vitae (CV) of no more than two pages;
• a copy of your latest degree certificate and/or transcript of results achieved to date if you have not yet received your degree;
• (if you are applying as a schoolteacher) a statement from your headteacher indicating that they are willing to support your plans to the provision of classical subjects. (This need be no more than one side of A4.)

The studentships will not be awarded to students receiving full funding from other funding bodies.

It is not necessary to register for the MA degree before making this application.

Please note that in the award of the schoolteacher studentships, preference will be given to:

• teachers (broadly defined) working in schools with a high proportion of students from backgrounds which are traditionally under-represented in the teaching of classical subjects, e.g. those from a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic background and/or where a high percentage of pupils are eligible for Free School Meals/Pupil Premium;
• individuals from backgrounds which are traditionally under-represented in the teaching of classical subjects, e.g. those from a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic background or from a working-class background.

The Open University promotes diversity in education and we welcome applications from all sections of the community. If it would help to have the application in an alternative format, please contact: [email protected].

The deadline for applications is 4pm on Monday 1 June 2026 and we intend to inform all applicants of the outcome of their application by the end of June.

Informal enquiries can be made to Dr Steph Holton ([email protected]).

Over the last few years, we’ve been publishing a series of letters from one of our Classical Studies PhD graduates, Paul Jackson, who now lives in Provence. In this latest instalment, Paul shares some exciting news about his new translation of Alexandre Dumas’ epic novel Isaac Laquedem – congratulations on the publication of Volume I, Paul! We love keeping in touch with our graduates, and would welcome other letters like this from our OU Classical Studies alumni. You can email us on [email protected]

“Of the hundreds of writers and artists who have adapted the legend of the Wandering Jew, Alexandre Dumas is among the most well-known and beloved. And yet, his Isaac Laquedem is not well known among Anglophone readers or much included in voluminous scholarship on the Wandering Jew legend. Paul Jackson’s wonderful new translation is sure to change this” (Professor Lisa R. Lampert-Weissig).

In 1852, Alexandre Dumas claimed that he had been working on his epic novel Isaac Laquedem for some twenty-five years. However, as it was being published en feuilleton, it soon fell subject to a great deal of controversy, and Dumas, stubbornly refusing to make any changes to his material, was then forced to abandon the work, and upon his death some years later, it remained unfinished—though what remains is of considerable length in itself. The novel subsequently fell into relative obscurity, and for over one hundred and sixty-three years, unlike many of Dumas’s works, it never enjoyed translation into English for an audience that continues to love the French author so very much. This is all the more remarkable because Dumas himself refers to Isaac Laquedem—and not The Count of Monte Cristo or The Three Musketeers, both of which he had published a number of years earlier—as  the “capital work of [his] life”, and unlike The Count of Monte Cristo or The Three Musketeers, it was written all in his own hand, and so represents pure Dumas.

This peculiarity has now been rectified, however, as Isaac Laquedem: A Tale of the Wandering Jew is the first edition in my new Classical Dumas Series, a project that endeavours to produce English translations of some of Dumas’s more obscure works set in or about the ancient world—of which there are many—in the hope of revealing a perhaps rather underappreciated aspect of the writer, the passionate lover of the classical world, a passion that has been the focus of several papers and articles I have produced in recent years, and indeed a post or two here as well.

However, my own project has itself experienced something of an epic too, and one not so dissimilar to Dumas’s decades of writing Isaac Laquedem, the adventures across the world therein that the eponymous Wandering Jew experiences, and the journey through time that the book has taken from then until now. For, coming out of my PhD with the Open University, which was supervised by professors Sophie Grace Chappell and Naoko Yamagata, with my topic bridging both philosophy and classics respectively, I almost immediately emigrated to France and took up this project, something that I had of course had to set to one side until my thesis had been completed. The project was then taken up relatively quickly by a literary agent in London and a publishing house in the United States, and things progressed rather nicely for a number of years, until, that is, challenges began to present themselves, challenges that ultimately could not be overcome. The arrival of COVID was a big hit, but if that were not enough, the closure of Small Press Distribution (SPD), which had operated for over fifty years until then, was just too much for my publishing house to take, and the project was set aside indefinitely. It would then be taken up by another publishing house in London, who were initially extremely excited about things too, but again, things began to unravel, with life getting ever tougher for the literary world, and so it was that I decided to take the plunge, to do what I had resisted doing for so long, and ‘go it alone’!

So much work had gone into the project, you see, and I had also faced a number of personal challenges too, challenges that I will not go into detail about here but challenges that the project had managed to survive, and I was just so eager to share what had by then remained dormant for one hundred and seventy-three years. And so it was with great pleasure—if not considerable relief—when the first volume of my translation of Isaac Laquedem was published. The other three volumes are being released successively, initially in softback and then also in hardover and ebook versions, before bundles or boxsets arrive towards the end of this year in time for Christmas.

I have many people to thank for helping me get to this point: my agent, literary houses, and editors, who had all put so much time and effort into this project over the years; the avid Dumasian Rick Volpe, who continues to push me to not give up on things; my friend Holly Hill Mangin, who helped me to ‘go it alone’; my friend Kate Collord, who meticulously proofread Isaac Laquedem; Professor Lisa R. Lampert-Weissig, who penned an introduction for it; and many others besides.

But more than anything else, the decision to ‘go it alone’ has allowed me to work more closely with my wife, Cécile Césarini-Jackson. We had originally started out on this epic adventure together all those years back, and it must be said, what with the diligence, organisation, and sacrifice required in such things, how she puts up with me, I will just never know. But now, together, we have accomplished something, something that we had perhaps suspected might never have been, and this has brought us even closer together.

Dumas’s magum opus has become ours!

Acte: A Tale of Greece of Rome will be coming out before the end of the year, and I am presently well on my way with the extremely exciting third edition in the series, which is something that has never seen the light of day even in book format, but before then, enjoy Isaac Laquedem: A Tale of the Wandering Jew, for it has been far too long in coming!

Paul T. M. Jackson

https://paultmjackson.com

We are delighted to be able to offer three fully-funded EDI scholarships for teachers in UK state schools wishing to study either of the following Open University modules:

• A229 Exploring the Classical World
• A276 Classical Latin: The Language of Ancient Rome

These scholarships, funded by the OU’s Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, will be awarded to UK schoolteachers who intend to introduce or develop the provision of Classical Civilisation or Latin in the curriculum of the non-fee-paying school or college where they work.  They are open to teachers of any discipline and at any level (primary, secondary or tertiary) looking to develop their knowledge of the ancient worlds of Greece and Rome and/or Latin language and Roman culture with this aim in mind.

In the award of these scholarships, preference will be given to:

• teachers (broadly defined) working in schools with a high proportion of students from backgrounds which are traditionally under-represented in the teaching of classical subjects, e.g. those from a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic background and/or where a high percentage of pupils are eligible for Free School Meals;
• individuals from backgrounds which are traditionally under-represented in the teaching of classical subjects, e.g. those from a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic background (including people with a mixed ethnic background) or from a working class background.

These scholarships are open to those teaching in non-fee-paying primary and secondary schools as well as sixth form colleges. Please note that applicants will normally be expected to have worked for at least two years as a teacher.

Studying with the Open University

A229 Exploring the Classical World and A276 Classical Latin: The Language of Ancient Rome are 60-credit modules, requiring regular study each week.  Students are supported by a dedicated tutor, enjoy access to regular tutorials, and study using a combination of printed and online materials. The Open University’s distance learning model gives students the flexibility to study where and when they want.  Modules run from October to May and are assessed via a series of assignments submitted throughout the year.

A229 Exploring the Classical World

This module provides an introduction to the worlds of ancient Greece and Rome. It covers a range of topics such as Homer’s poetry and the society where it was created; Athens in the fifth century BCE; republican Rome; and Roman social history. This module explores ancient poetry, prose, drama and historical texts in English translation along with art, architecture and archaeological evidence to help you build up a solid understanding of key periods of classical history and culture. The material covered provides a strong foundation for the teaching of Classical Civilisation up to GCSE level (or National 4/5 Classical Studies in Scotland).

Further information about Exploring the Classical World is available on the OU website , and on our departmental website.

A276 Classical Latin: The Language of Ancient Rome

This module combines a beginners’ course in Latin with the study of Roman culture and literature in translation. You’ll learn the core principles of the language, while also exploring a range of Latin texts in translation (including Livy, Virgil, Ovid, and Horace) from literary, cultural, and historical angles. The module focuses on the themes of Roman identity, Rome’s origins, and the use of stories from the past in Augustan Rome. The material covered provides a strong foundation for the teaching of Latin up to GCSE level (or National 4/5 in Scotland).

Further information about Classical Latin: The Language of Ancient Rome is available on the OU website, and on our departmental website.

What’s included in the scholarship

The Open University EDI scholarships consist of a grant of £3,228 to cover the full cost of the tuition fees for the module.

Successful candidates will be provided with support and advice on developing or introducing classical subjects in their school. They will also be asked to provide brief written and/or oral updates on their progress and plans during their studies and to complete a report following their completion of the module.

Developing the teaching of classical subjects in schools

There is good support available for teachers looking to introduce classical subjects into state schools provided by the charity Classics for All. For more details, go to the Classics for All website and click on ‘My school wants classics’.  The ACE project website (Advocating Classics Education) also provides useful advice for those wishing to develop Classical Civilisation (and Ancient History) in their schools.  Charities such as the Roman Society and Hellenic Society can provide grants of up to £500 for classroom resources and books.

Note that your plans to introduce or develop classical subjects in your school need not necessarily mean offering a formally examined course (such as a GCSE).  Your plans might instead involve introducing classical content into other subject areas, teaching classics-related classes or clubs off-timetable or offering Latin as a foreign language at KS2, for example.  Please outline your plans and their expected impact (e.g. in terms of student numbers) in your application.

How to apply

To apply for the scholarship, please complete the EDI-scholarship-application-form-2023  and send it to [email protected]. With the form you should also send:

• a separate curriculum vitae (CV) of no more than two pages;
• a copy of your degree certificate (or a transcript of your degree that makes clear the level of your academic achievement);
• a statement from your headteacher indicating that they are willing to support your plans to introduce or develop Classical Civilisation or Latin in your school or college. (This need be no more than one side of A4.)

The application form includes a section for a short personal statement (of no more than 800 words). You should use this section to outline:

• the nature of the school you work in and its student body (where possible, please provide information on the percentage of pupils with English as an Additional Language, Special Educational Needs and Free School Meals, plus a link to the latest Ofsted report);
• how you propose to develop the provision of classical subjects in your school;
• how the scholarship will facilitate greater access to classics for those from backgrounds which are traditionally under-represented in the field (this may apply either to you as the candidate and/or to your students);
• your teaching experience to date;
• your need for the qualification.

The successful applicants will be selected on the basis of this statement, their eligibility, and their academic and professional achievements to date, also taking into account the level of support from the school or college.

Stronger applications will normally:

• show evidence of clear, well-developed plans;
• outline how the knowledge and skills acquired by studying the module will enhance the candidate’s ability to teach classics; and
• demonstrate that the candidate’s study of the module will make a meaningful contribution to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion in classics education.

The scholarships will not be awarded to students receiving full funding from other funding bodies. It is not necessary to register for OU study before making this application.

The Open University is proud to promote diversity in education and we welcome applications from all sections of the community. If it would help to have the application in an alternative format, please contact:  [email protected]

The deadline for applications is 4pm on July 10, 2023  and we intend to inform all applicants shortly afterwards.  (Please note that successful applicants will be required to register for their chosen module by the end of July.)

Informal enquiries about these scholarships can be made to: Prof James Robson ([email protected]).

The Open University is delighted to be able to offer three fully-funded EDI scholarships for teachers in UK state schools wishing to study either of the following Open University modules:

• A229 Exploring the Classical World
• A276 Classical Latin: The Language of Ancient Rome

These scholarships, funded by the OU’s Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, will be awarded to UK schoolteachers who intend to introduce or develop the provision of Classical Civilisation or Latin in the curriculum of the non-fee-paying school or college where they work.  They are open to teachers of any discipline and at any level (primary, secondary or tertiary) looking to develop their knowledge of the ancient worlds of Greece and Rome and/or Latin language and Roman culture with this aim in mind.

In the award of these scholarships, preference will be given to:

• teachers working in schools with a high proportion of students from backgrounds which are traditionally under-represented in the teaching of classical subjects, e.g. those from a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic background and/or where a high percentage of pupils are eligible for Free School Meals;
• teachers from backgrounds which are traditionally under-represented in the teaching of classical subjects, e.g. those from a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic background (including people with a mixed ethnic background) or from a working class background.

These scholarships are open to those teaching in non-fee-paying primary and secondary schools as well as sixth form colleges. Please note that applicants will normally be expected to have worked for at least two years as a teacher.

Studying with the Open University

A229 Exploring the Classical World and A276 Classical Latin: The Language of Ancient Rome are 60-credit modules, requiring regular study each week.  Students are supported by a dedicated tutor, enjoy access to regular tutorials, and study using a combination of printed and online materials. The Open University’s distance learning model gives students the flexibility to study where and when they want.  Modules run from October to May and are assessed via a series of assignments submitted throughout the year.

A229 Exploring the Classical World

This module provides an introduction to the worlds of ancient Greece and Rome. It covers a range of topics such as Homer’s poetry and the society where it was created; Athens in the fifth century BCE; republican Rome; and Roman social history. This module explores ancient poetry, prose, drama and historical texts in English translation along with art, architecture and archaeological evidence to help you build up a solid understanding of key periods of classical history and culture. The material covered provides a strong foundation for the teaching of Classical Civilisation up to GCSE level (or National 4/5 Classical Studies in Scotland).

Further information about Exploring the Classical World is available on the OU website , and on our departmental website.

A276 Classical Latin: The Language of Ancient Rome

This module combines a beginners’ course in Latin with the study of Roman culture and literature in translation. You’ll learn the core principles of the language, while also exploring a range of Latin texts in translation (including Livy, Virgil, Ovid, and Horace) from literary, cultural, and historical angles. The module focuses on the themes of Roman identity, Rome’s origins, and the use of stories from the past in Augustan Rome. The material covered provides a strong foundation for the teaching of Latin up to GCSE level (or National 4/5 in Scotland).

Further information about Classical Latin: The Language of Ancient Rome is available on the OU website, and on our departmental website.

What’s included in the scholarship

The Open University EDI scholarships consist of a grant of £3,228 to cover the full cost of the tuition fees for the module.

Successful candidates will be provided with support and advice on developing or introducing classical subjects in their school and are asked to provide a report on their progress following their completion of the module.

Developing the teaching of classical subjects in schools

There is good support available for teachers looking to introduce classical subjects into state schools provided by the charity Classics for All. For more details, go to the Classics for All website and click on ‘My school wants classics’.  The ACE project website (Advocating Classics Education) also provides useful advice for those wishing to develop Classical Civilisation (and Ancient History) in their schools.  Charities such as the Roman Society and Hellenic Society can provide grants of up to £500 for classroom resources and books.

Applicants may be interested in the panel discussion at the Open University’s Advocating Classics Education event in 2019, in which representatives of the ACE project, Classics for All and a schoolteacher with recent experience of developing Classical Studies provision in a state secondary school shared their experiences and offered guidance and advice. The full discussion is available online here.

Note that your plans to introduce or develop classical subjects in your school need not necessarily mean offering a formally examined course (such as a GCSE).  Your plans might instead involve introducing classical content into other subject areas, teaching classics-related classes or clubs off-timetable or offering Latin as a foreign language at KS2, for example.  Please outline your plans and their expected impact (e.g. in terms of student numbers) in your application.

How to apply

To apply for the scholarship, please complete the EDI-scholarship-application-form-July-2022 and send it to [email protected]. With the form you should also send:

• a separate curriculum vitae (CV) of no more than two pages;
• a copy of your degree certificate (or a transcript of your degree that makes clear the level of your academic achievement);
• a statement from your headteacher indicating that they are willing to support your plans to introduce or develop Classical Civilisation or Latin in your school or college. (This need be no more than one side of A4.)

The application form includes a section for a short personal statement (of no more than 800 words). You should use this section to outline:

• the nature of the school you work in and its student body (where possible, please provide information on the percentage of pupils with English as an Additional Language, Special Educational Needs and Free School Meals, plus a link to the latest Ofsted report);
• how you propose to develop the provision of classical subjects in your school;
• how the scholarship will facilitate greater access to classics for those from backgrounds which are traditionally under-represented in the field (this may apply either to you as the candidate and/or to your students);
• your teaching experience to date;
• your need for the qualification;

The successful applicants will be selected on the basis of this statement, their eligibility, and their academic and professional achievements to date, also taking into account the level of support from the school or college.

The scholarships will not be awarded to students receiving full funding from other funding bodies. It is not necessary to register for the OU study before making this application.

The Open University is proud to promote diversity in education and we welcome applications from all sections of the community. If it would help to have the application in an alternative format, please contact [email protected].

The deadline for applications is 4pm on Monday July 18, 2022 and we intend to inform all applicants in August.

(Note this is deadline has been extended following an earlier call for applications to allow candidates more time to apply.)

Informal enquiries about these scholarships can be made to: Prof James Robson ([email protected]).

 

We are delighted to offer the following studentships for UK schoolteachers to study with us:

• Leventis MA Studentships
• EDI Studentships (for undergraduate modules)

Please see below for details and get in touch with us if you have any questions!

Leventis MA Studentships for Teachers:

We are delighted to be able to offer three fully-funded scholarships for teachers in state schools wishing to study our MA in Classical Studies.* These scholarships, generously funded by the A.G. Leventis Foundation, will be awarded to UK schoolteachers who intend to introduce or develop the provision of Classical Civilisation (or closely related subjects) in the curriculum of the school where they work.

The Open University’s MA in Classical Studies:

The MA in Classical Studies at the Open University focuses on the question ‘How do we know what we know about the ancient world?’ It is designed both to introduce you to key concepts and themes in Classical Studies and to allow you to explore some of these in more depth. Over the course of the two modules that make up the qualification, it gradually builds up your knowledge and the skills you need to explore ancient visual and written material, while also training you to become an independent researcher. This is the ideal qualification for anyone who wants to know more about the ancient world and the ways in which we can approach it as researchers. It also offers an excellent starting-point for those wishing to teach classical subjects in secondary school. It is a two-year qualification requiring approximately 16 hours of study time a week, which means that it can be completed alongside employment, and it is taught entirely online. No specific prior knowledge is assumed, and there is no requirement to have studied Latin or Ancient Greek, but an undergraduate degree in a cognate discipline is recommended as a basis. By consultation other arrangements can sometimes be made if you do not hold a degree in such a discipline. This usually involves preparatory reading. Further information about the MA is available on the OU website, and on our departmental website.

The Leventis scholarships consist of a grant of £8000 to cover the full cost of the tuition fees for the MA with the balance available to assist with the cost of book purchases related to the study of the MA modules and the acquisition and development of resources for teaching Classical Studies, or related subjects, in the scholarship holder’s school.

Developing Classical Studies in Schools:

Applicants may be interested in the panel discussion at the Open University’s Advocating Classics Education event in 2019, in which representatives of the ACE project, Classics for All, and a teacher with recent experience of developing Classical Studies provision in a state secondary school shared their experiences and offered guidance and advice. The full discussion is available online here.

Note that your plans to introduce or develop classical subjects in your school need not necessarily mean offering a formally examined course (such as a GCSE or National 4/5 in Scotland).  Your plans might instead involve introducing classical content into other subject areas, teaching classics-related classes or clubs off-timetable or offering Latin as a foreign language at KS2, for example.  Please outline your plans and their expected impact (e.g. in terms of student numbers) in your application.

How to apply:

To apply for the scholarship, please complete the MA-scholarship-application-form-2022 and send it to [email protected]. With the form you should also send:

• a separate curriculum vitae (CV) of no more than two pages;
• a copy of your latest degree certificate and/or transcript;
• a statement from your headteacher indicating that they are willing to support your plans to develop Classical Civilisation (Classics, Latin and/or Greek, ancient history)

The application form includes a section for a personal statement. You should use this section to outline your teaching experience to date and to provide a clear indication of the way in which you propose to develop the provision of Classical Civilisation (Classics, Latin and/or Greek, ancient history) in your school. The successful applicants will be selected on the basis of this statement, and on the level of support from their school for their development of the curriculum.

The scholarships will not be awarded to students receiving full funding from other funding bodies. It is not necessary to register for the MA degree before making this application.

The Open University promotes diversity in education and we welcome applications from all sections of the community. If it would help to have the application in an alternative format please contact [email protected].

The deadline for applications is 4pm on Monday June 6, 2022 and we intend to inform all applicants by late June.

Informal enquiries can be made to Trevor Fear ([email protected]).

*In line with the Open University’s commitment to EDI (equality, diversity and inclusion), we anticipate awarding these studentships to teachers in state/state-funded schools. We do not rule out applications from private or selective schools, but it will be particularly important in these cases to demonstrate how expansion of the curriculum in the school environment will lead to dissemination of opportunity for the wider community.

EDI Scholarships in Classical Studies for UK Schoolteachers:

We are delighted to be able to offer three fully-funded EDI scholarships for teachers in UK state schools wishing to study either of the following Open University modules:

• A229 Exploring the Classical World
• A276 Classical Latin: The Language of Ancient Rome

These scholarships, funded by the OU’s Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, will be awarded to UK schoolteachers who intend to introduce or develop the provision of Classical Civilisation or Latin in the curriculum of the non-fee-paying school or college where they work.  They are open to teachers of any discipline looking to develop their knowledge of the ancient worlds of Greece and Rome and/or Latin language and Roman culture with this aim in mind.

In the award of these scholarships, preference will be given to:

• teachers working in schools with a high proportion of students from backgrounds which are traditionally under-represented in the teaching of classical subjects, e.g. those from a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic background and/or where a high percentage of pupils are eligible for Free School Meals;
• teachers from backgrounds which are traditionally under-represented in the teaching of classical subjects, e.g. those from a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic background (including people with a mixed ethnic background) or from a working class background

These scholarships are open to those teaching in non-fee-paying primary and secondary schools as well as sixth form colleges. Please note that applicants will normally be expected to have worked for at least two years as a teacher.

Studying with the Open University

A229 Exploring the Classical World and A276 Classical Latin: The Language of Ancient Rome are 60-credit modules, requiring up to 16-18 hours of study each week.  Students are supported by a dedicated tutor, enjoy access to regular tutorials, and study using a combination of printed and online materials. The Open University’s distance learning model gives students the flexibility to study where and when they want.  Modules run from October to May and are assessed via a series of assignments submitted throughout the year.

A229 Exploring the Classical World

This module provides an introduction to the worlds of ancient Greece and Rome. It covers a range of topics such as Homer’s poetry and the society where it was created; Athens in the fifth century BCE; republican Rome; and Roman social history. This module explores ancient poetry, prose, drama and historical texts in English translation along with art, architecture and archaeological evidence to help you build up a solid understanding of key periods of classical history and culture. The material covered provides a strong foundation for the teaching of Classical Civilisation up to GCSE level (or National 4/5 Classical Studies in Scotland).

Further information about Exploring the Classical World is available on the OU website , and on our departmental website.

A276 Classical Latin: The Language of Ancient Rome

This module combines a beginners’ course in Latin with the study of Roman culture and literature in translation. You’ll learn the core principles of the language, while also exploring a range of Latin texts in translation (including Livy, Virgil, Ovid, and Horace) from literary, cultural, and historical angles. The module focuses on the themes of Roman identity, Rome’s origins, and the use of stories from the past in Augustan Rome. The material covered provides a strong foundation for the teaching of Latin up to GCSE level (or National 4/5 in Scotland).

Further information about Classical Latin: The Language of Ancient Rome is available on the OU website, and on our departmental website.

What’s included in the scholarship

The Open University EDI scholarships consist of a grant of £3,228 to cover the full cost of the tuition fees for the module.

Successful candidates will be provided with support and advice on developing or introducing classical subjects in their school and are asked to provide a report on their progress following their completion of the module.

Developing the teaching of classical subjects in schools

Applicants may be interested in the panel discussion at the Open University’s Advocating Classics Education event in 2019, in which representatives of the ACE project, Classics for All and a schoolteacher with recent experience of developing Classical Studies provision in a state secondary school shared their experiences and offered guidance and advice. The full discussion is available online here.

There is good support available for teachers looking to introduce classical subjects into state schools provided by the charity Classics for All. For more details, go to the Classics for All website and click on ‘My school wants classics’.  The ACE project website (Advocating Classics Education) also provides useful advice for those wishing to develop Classical Civilisation (and Ancient History) in their schools.  Charities such as the Roman Society and Hellenic Society can provide grants of up to £500 for classroom resources and books.

Note that your plans to introduce or develop classical subjects in your school need not necessarily mean offering a formally examined course (such as a GCSE).  Your plans might instead involve introducing classical content into other subject areas, teaching classics-related classes or clubs off-timetable or offering Latin as a foreign language at KS2, for example.  Please outline your plans and their expected impact (e.g. in terms of student numbers) in your application.

How to apply

To apply for the scholarship, please complete the EDI-scholarship-application-form-2022 and send it to [email protected]. With the form you should also send:

• a separate curriculum vitae (CV) of no more than two pages;
• a copy of your degree certificate (or a transcript of your degree that makes clear the level of your academic achievement);
• a statement from your headteacher indicating that they are willing to support your plans to introduce or develop Classical Civilisation or Latin in your school or college.

The application form includes a section for a personal statement. You should use this section to outline:

• the ways in which the scholarship will facilitate greater access to classical subjects for those from backgrounds which are traditionally under-represented in the field (this may apply either to you as the candidate and/or to your students);
• the nature of the school you work in and its student body (where possible, please provide information on the percentage of pupils with English as an Additional Language, Special Educational Needs and Free School Meals, plus a link to the latest Ofsted report);
• your teaching experience to date;
• your need for the qualification;
• the precise ways in which you propose to develop the provision of Classical Civilisation or Latin in your school.

The successful applicants will be selected on the basis of this statement, their eligibility, and their academic and professional achievements to date, also taking into account the level of support from the school or college.

The scholarships will not be awarded to students receiving full funding from other funding bodies. It is not necessary to register for the OU study before making this application.

The Open University is proud to promote diversity in education and we welcome applications from all sections of the community. If it would help to have the application in an alternative format, please contact [email protected].

The deadline for applications is 4pm on Monday June 6, 2022 and we intend to inform all applicants by late June.

Informal enquiries about these scholarships can be made to: Prof James Robson ([email protected]).

 

 

 

We’re very pleased to share another update from “our alumnus in Provence”, Paul Jackson.  Thank you Paul, and good luck with the writing! 

So, this year’s Classical Association conference has just drawn to a close, and what a conference, with papers ranging from Tolkien’s Unique Reception of Pythagorean ‘Dissonance’ in the Ainulindalë of the Silmarillion to Cyrus the Great, Caught Between Persia and Iran.

Well, I say ‘this year’s’, but Swansea was of course meant to have hosted this event two years ago, only for the pandemic to put the dampers on that. Chapeau to Swansea, then, for being able to pick things back again, and though I wasn’t able to be there en presential this time, not able to follow Wordsworth to Tintern Abbey and then tour the West Country as I had planned to, the hybrid nature of the conference did at least allow me to present an updated version of my original paper, The Other Dumas: Alexandre Dumas and the Classics, albeit en distanciel, and to speak on the classical education, passions, and varied works of the popular and famous feuilletoniste by way of Zoom.

The pandemic has unfortunately also had an effect on the Classical Dumas Series I am working on with Noumena Press, with the publication of Isaac Laquedem: A Tale of the Wandering Jew being delayed until next year, though that will at least allow Acte of Corinth: A Tale of Greece and Rome to become the first in the series when it comes out later this year. Look out for news on this here, where you will also find a link to the eBook version of the prologue to Isaac Laquedem, for those who want a little taste of that in advance.

Circumstances have also allowed me to finish a first draft of a little novella I have been working on, which I suppose comes out of my doctoral thesis, De natura deorum Epicureorum. The Last Days of Epicurus is set in Hellenistic Athens, in the arconship of Lysitheides, when an Amynomachus, veteran of Thermopylae, finds what he is looking for, himself, in Epicurus’ Garden. More on this soon.

Back to Dumas, though, before I finish, for we did follow him – and Isaac ­– recently along the Appian Way, though on electric bikes, passing the likes of the Tomb of Caecilia Metella and the Casal Rotondo along that cobbled way like his eponymous protagonist. Here are some photos:

Here too is a little poem of the day that I penned, drawing on Dumas’ descriptions and culminating in a distinctively (Horatian) Epicurean couplet:

The Via Appia

For Paul-Jean Toulet

Who else hath trodden those antique, paved ways,

Gone from distant seas to loftiest walls,

Through those sweeps of green lined with marble halls,

‘Neath shady pines, those abodes of manes.

From within they watch, from within they gaze,

And to all who pass by, they calmly call,

Hoping to hold those strange souls in their thrall,

This now their life, these now their deathless days.

But who hath heard the silence of those stones,

Ever reaching for us with wraithlike arms,

Speaking to us in epitaphic tones,

Whispering so softly oracular charms,

“Seize the moment, whilst you still have some breath,

Knowing that with this life, comes deathless death…”

—

Oh, Paul-Jean Toulet, if you haven’t heard of him, was a French poet and fellow feuilletoniste, best known for his Contrerimes ­­­– a collection of poems in a verse form of his own invention, la contrerime – some of which the great French actor and director Daniel Auteuil put to music for his album Si vous m’aviez connu, one of the songs of which is entitled Les Alyscamps, that huge Roman necropolis outside of Arles which both Gauguin and Van Gogh painted. It was this song that really inspired my own poem, thus the nod to him.

Right, I suppose that ought to be enough for now. See you soon in our next episode,

Stay safe,

Paul x