William Sterling

Introducing

Achilles killing Penthesilea, queen of the Amazons by Exekias of Athens c. 560 BC. This type of pot is called Black Figure ware as the figures were filled in using the liquid or slip clay which miraculously turned black during the firing process. One of the incidents during the Trojan War not recorded by Homer was the fight between Achilles, hero of the Greeks, and Penthesilea, queen of the tribe of warrior women called the Amazons. Achilles won but at the moment he drove his spear into her neck their eyes met for the first time and they fell in love with each other. Exekias shows this ultimate Greek Tragedy by suggesting Achilles is trying to pull the spear out rather than thrust it home but all too late. Image © Trustees of the British Museum
My name is Dr William Sterling ~ welcome to my website. I have degrees in History and Geography with additional qualifications in Music and Education. I taught full-time at an Independent School in Kent for four years before joining the Civil Service. I worked for 16 years in the Department of Transport… Read more »

Look out for…

  • Upcoming Events

    1. British Museum Ancient Greek Tour

      When: August 27 @ 11:30 am - 12:10 pm

      This British Museum tour of the Greek Galleries take place every fourth Sunday.

    2. British Museum Mediaeval Tour

      When: August 27 @ 2:45 pm - 3:25 pm

      This tour of the Mediaeval Galleries at the British Museum take place every fourth Sunday.

    3. The Trojan War at the City Lit

      When: October 7 @ 11:00 am - October 28 @ 5:00 pm

      Over three Saturdays in October 2017 (7th, 21st and 28th) we shall examine the truth, myths and legends behind the Trojan War: its background, the events in the war and its consequences.  We shall use the poems of Homer, the plays of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides and the many images on pottery and sculpture from… Read more »

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Featured articles

Beethoven’s String Quartets

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Baltic Cruise Lecture 1

Lectures for Baltic and St Petersburg Cruise on the Ocean Countess July 2011 ANGLO-SAXONS AND VIKINGS – THE MAKING OF ENGLAND Lecture 1 The Germans are Coming Outline of Lecture Series The first five lectures cover the period of the history of England from the C5th to the C11th, some 600 years from the departure… Read more »

Ethel Smyth

Dame Ethel Smyth, Composer and Suffragette The remarkable life of a pioneer of women composers in Britain. All six of her operas were performed in her lifetime and her March of the Women was the battle cry of the Suffragettes. The course followed Ethel Smyth’s remarkable career from conventional middle class background through her musical… Read more »

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