William Sterling
Upcoming Events
December 2021
The Etruscans
Discover the mysterious people who lived in Central Italy and ended up being enveloped by the Romans. The Etruscans are one of the more mysterious civilisations of Ancient Europe. The Greeks and Romans are well known but the influence of the Etruscans on them is less well known. The course will look at the history of Etruria and the 12 Etruscans city states from the eighth century to the first century BC. This history is difficult to piece together as…
Find out more »February 2022
England’s Earliest Kings: 3 Alfred the Great and the Vikings
After the Mercian supremacy Wessex became the dominant kingdom in the C9th. One reason was the kings managed to have capable sons to follow them thus avoiding the succession struggles of the Mercians. Another was the remoteness from the Viking attacks which concentrated on the North Sea coast targeting Northumbria and East Anglia and pushing on through Mercia. Alfred’s grandfather, Egbert, had been forced into exile when Offa dominated the country but returned in triumph to make Wessex the most…
Find out more »March 2022
England’s Earliest Kings: 4 Athelstan King of All Britain
Athelstan called himself “Rex Totius Britanniae” and should be better known as the first king to truly be king of the whole of England and was also recognised as overlord in Wales and Scotland. We will examine how Athelstan’s father and aunt went a long way to expelling the Danes from England and how he managed to take power after his father’s death despite possibly being illegitimate. We will look at his achievements and international reputation attracting royal and other…
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