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 TransportRead more »

SPOTLIGHT: Anglo-Saxons and Vikings

Baltic Cruise Lecture 5

Lectures for Baltic and St Petersburg Cruise on the Ocean Countess July 2011 ANGLO-SAXONS AND VIKINGS – THE MAKING OF ENGLAND Lecture 5 Vikings 1 England 0 Summary of Lecture 4 In the last lecture we examined how the West Saxon kings took advantage of the power vacuum left by the weak kings of Mercia… Read more »

Baltic Cruise Lecture 4

Lectures for Baltic and St Petersburg Cruise on the Ocean Countess July 2011 ANGLO-SAXONS AND VIKINGS – THE MAKING OF ENGLAND Lecture 4 Alfred and the Vikings Summary of Lecture 3 During the Christianisation of Anglo-Saxon England, Northumbria had emerged as the most important kingdom but the extinction of the immediate family of Oswiu led… Read more »

Baltic Cruise Lecture 3

Lectures for Baltic and St Petersburg Cruise on the Ocean Countess July 2011 ANGLO-SAXONS AND VIKINGS – THE MAKING OF ENGLAND Lecture 3 The Vikings are Coming Summary of Lecture 2 In the first lecture we saw how Roman Britain was transformed by the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons and in Lecture 2 we examined how… Read more »

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