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. Life and Times of King George III

      When: March 13 @ 11:00 am - March 20 @ 1:30 pm

      Infamous for “losing” America and going mad, George III was the first English-born king for 70 years and a great patriot who supported agricultural improvements and helped advance learning in the Age of the Enlightenment. What is the course about? Infamous for “losing” America and going mad, George III was the first English-born king for… Read more »

    2. Great sea battles from the classical world – Salamis, Syracuse and Actium

      When: March 27

      Ships and sailing techniques and naval warfare in the Ancient World. What is the course about? A general look at ships and sailing techniques in the Ancient World and how vessels were used in warfare. What topics will we cover? We shall look at the strategies used by navies in the ancient world and specifically… Read more »

    3. Heroes and Gods: 19th and 20th Century Classical References in the British Museum and elsewhere

      When: April 24

      What is the course about? Delve into classical myths used in naval related items by examining some objects from various collections. What topics will we cover? Following on from the previous course we shall look at what Classical artworks were available to artists in the C19th and what literary works were studied in schools and… Read more »

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Featured articles

Roman Women

The Lives and Importance of women in Republican and Imperial Ancient Rome and Roman Britain including the importance of the worship of goddesses. This course was run at the City Lit and British Museum on Saturday 2nd March 2019. It covered the contrasting roles of women in different parts of Roman society in the Republic… Read more »

Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

This course ran at the City Lit and the British Museum on Saturday 15th October 2016.  I also ran it as a three day course between Saturday 3rd and Saturday 17th November 2018. It is also suitable for cruises especially those in the Eastern Mediterranean. The following documents refer to the 2018 course. The course outline… Read more »

Music and Art Inspired by Shakespeare 6

MUSIC AND ART INSPIRED BY SHAKESPEARE No. 6 All’s Well That Ends A Summary of the earlier talks and some examples taken from Twentieth Century Music and Art including some Popular ones. Music – Fantasia on Greensleeves by Vaughan Williams. That work is misleadingly called the “Fantasia on Greensleeves” by Vaughan Williams despite not really… Read more »

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