Prof. Stafford has been to the West End again! This piece on the new Paddington musical came out in The Conversation yesterday. You can also read a longer version, with more pictures, on the CAWCRS research blog (leedscawcrs.wordpress.com/2025/12/11/t...). theconversation.com/paddington-t...

Our research seminars will resume in Semester 2. See thread below for a sneak peak of the schedule... 19 Feb.: Travanti Tate (Leeds PhD Candidate) - title TBC 26 Feb.: Dr Sara De Martin (Université de Lille, ICS). "Maxims and the Masses in the Empire: Some Intellectual Perspectives." [online]

Looking for an MA in Classics and Ancient History? Look no further! We are very excited about the launch of our new MA in Classics and Ancient History, now open for applications for a September 2026 start. For more information and to apply, please visit: courses.leeds.ac.uk/k149/classic...

We're delighted to be welcoming back our former colleague Dr Emilio Zucchetti today for our final research seminar of 2025! All very welcome to attend in person or online - full details below...

The JACT Latin Summer School 2026 (Harrogate, 19 July - 1 August) is open for applications from anyone interested in starting or improving their Latin. Leeds students have thoroughly enjoyed the experience in previous years! For more information and to apply: www.latincamp.co.uk

Our final Centre for Ancient World & Classical Reception Studies seminar of 2025 is this Thursday! All very welcome to attend in person or online. Details below.

For our next seminar Dr Emilio Zucchetti (Royal Holloway) will speak to us on "‘As Gramsci Said’: Latin, Hegemony, and the Politics of Classical Education in Contemporary Italy." Thurs 4 December, 17:15-18:30 UK time, in-person in Michael Sadler 1.01, and online via Teams. All welcome to attend!

A blog post by my excellent PhD supervisee @irvlewis.bsky.social!

Myths & Legends: A Classics Competition 2026 has officially opened! Entries close on 2 March 2026. This is a FREE outreach competition aimed at Key Stage 3 students, which has run for over 70 years at Leeds! Find more information on the competition website: artsoutreach.leeds.ac.uk/our-subjects...

Next week, PGR Shakeel Ahmed will be in Verona giving a paper on 'Mr Inferior: “What’s a big deal if they call you faggot?” Do the fictitious, bold, and unashamed characters and vulgar language of Old Comedy offer a glimpse of a queer reality?'. Check out the full conference programme below!

A week today - Dr David Lewis (Edinburgh) will join us to speak on 'Reconstructing the Ancient Greek Slave Trade', Thursday 20 November, 17:15-18:30 UK time (online and on campus - details in the thread below). All welcome to attend!

TODAY: 'Writing the Past with Caroline Lawrence: how images shaped Pantheon.' All are very welcome to our first Centre for Ancient World and Classical Reception Studies Roundtable of 2025/26! Please see the thread below for details.

'Writing the Past with Caroline Lawrence: how images shaped Pantheon.' All are very welcome to our first Centre for Ancient World and Classical Reception Studies Roundtable of 2025/26! Details and registration links below.

Find out more about Postgraduate Study at Leeds at the Virtual Open Day on 29 November. Great timing, given the recent launch of our new MA in Classics and Ancient History! courses.leeds.ac.uk/k149/classic...

Today! - Dr Elaine Sanderson (Liverpool) will be speaking to us about 'Re-Making Memories: Reading Trauma and Recovery in Cicero’s Civil War Letters', 17:15-18:30 UK time. The talk will be hybrid (online joining instructions below). All very welcome to attend!

Would you like to see coins with hundreds of years form the University of Leeds Special Collections? This talk on coins, power and languages, by Dr Sam Gartland from Classics, is for you! Very limited spaces. Book here: leedscityoflanguages.leeds.ac.uk/events/talk-... #leedscityoflanguages

This is a @leedscitylanguages.bsky.social event not to be missed! Very limited places so that you get the chance to have a close look at the artefacts! Book before it's too late! @leedsclassics.bsky.social

New MA in Classics and Ancient History at Leeds - we are thrilled to announce the launch of our new MA in Classics and Ancient History, *now recruiting* for September 2026! For more information and to apply, please visit: courses.leeds.ac.uk/k149/classic...

A week today! On 30 October, we will welcome Dr Elaine Sanderson (Liverpool) for our second research seminar of the year on 'Re-Making Memories: Reading Trauma and Recovery in Cicero’s Civil War Letters', 17:15-18:30 UK time. The talk will be hybrid (online joining instructions below). All welcome!

🚨 Calling all Latin, Greek & ClassCiv enthusiasts🚨 Please help us to spread the word & let people know that registration for the 32nd @jactdurham.bsky.social is open! We have residential & non-residential options available. We also offer bursaries for those who need them! www.durhamglss.org

Missed out October Open Days? Find out more about our Classics and Ancient History undergraduate courses: youtu.be/WEXe-BJxgyw?...

Today - our first research seminar of the academic year under the aegis of the Leeds Centre for Ancient World & Classical Reception Studies with Dr Simon Glenn. All very welcome! Details in the thread below...

Call for Papers: RAC/TRAC 2026 - Water Cultures Beyond Roman Italy Our own Dr Henry Clarke and Dr Giacomo Savani are organising a panel on Water Cultures Beyond Roman Italy at the next joined Roman Archaeology and Theoretical Roman Archaeology Conference in Aarhus, Denmark, in May 2026...

This Thursday! - Our first research seminar of the year with Dr Simon Glenn on ‘The Bactrian Mirage: coins and history in Hellenistic Central Asia’ on 16 October, 17:15-18:30 UK time. More details in the thread below. All very welcome to attend online or in person!

On 20 November, we will welcome Dr David Lewis (Edinburgh), who will be speaking on 'Reconstructing the Ancient Greek Slave Trade'. Join us on Thursday 20 November, 17:15-18:30 UK time for this hybrid seminar (online joining instructions in the thread). All very welcome to attend!

A week today! - Our first research seminar of the year with Dr Simon Glenn on ‘The Bactrian Mirage: coins and history in Hellenistic Central Asia’ on 16 October, 17:15-18:30 UK time. More details in the thread below. Please note the change of on campus venue to Michael Sadler 1.01. All welcome!

Roundtable: 'Writing the Past' with author Caroline Lawrence, Thursday 6 November, 17:15-18:30 (UK time) - all very welcome to attend this hybrid event (details in thread) Listen to Caroline's new podcast on the Aeneid here: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/v...

On 30 October will be welcoming Dr Elaine Sanderson @elainam42.bsky.social (Liverpool) for a research seminar on 'Re-Making Memories: Reading Trauma and Recovery in Cicero’s Civil War Letters', 17:15-18:30 UK time. The talk will be hybrid (details in the thread). All very welcome to attend!

It may be stormy but the Leeds Open Day is still on! Chat to our staff and students in Michael Sadler LG 10 throughout the day, and check out our Classics and Ancient History talks at 10.00 in Roger Stevens Building Lecture Theatre 22 and 13.00 in Lecture Theatre 19 www.leeds.ac.uk/homepage/137...

Call for Papers! Symposium in honour of our much-missed colleague Prof. Malcolm Heath, Leeds, 21-2 May 2026. Paper proposals of no more than 500 words to be sent by 1 December to Prof. Emma Stafford ([email protected]) ahc.leeds.ac.uk/dir-record/r... fb.me/e/3B3AY9ZZZ

All are welcome to our first research seminar of the academic year with Dr Simon Glenn on ‘The Bactrian Mirage: coins and history in Hellenistic Central Asia’ on 16 October, 17:15-18:30 UK time. More details in the thread below. Please note the change of on campus venue to Michael Sadler 1.01

The Ancient Love Letters network (coorganised by @owenhodkinson.bsky.social, AT Drago and RJ Gallé Cejudo) has its second conference this week in Bari, tracing the genre from antiquity to Renaissance Humanism. Online attendance is possible. Details: tinyurl.com/mv3vadky.

We're delighted to announce that we're going to be joined for 2025-26 by Dr Ellie Mackin Roberts. She's an expert in Greek History, especially accessed via material and visual culture, with a particular interest in the rituals and beliefs of ancient religion! www.elliemackinroberts.net

Our research seminars resume soon with a talk from Dr Simon Glenn (British Museum/ Leeds) on ‘The Bactrian Mirage: coins and history in Hellenistic Central Asia’ on Thursday 16 October, 17:15-18:30 UK time (venue and online joining instructions below). All very welcome to attend!

Registration for our October Open Days is now open 📣 Join us on Saturday 4 and 18 October to explore our beautiful campus and find out more about your course. Our Open Days are the perfect chance to see what Leeds is all about. Book your place 👉 bit.ly/47E17Pj

Dr Henry Clarke is in Portugal this week revisiting the site of Tongobriga. Today he was invited to give a paper on local identity, connectivity and culture change at Tongobriga in the context of the Durius Valley at an event celebrating 45 years since excavations began there

Had the best day at Tongobriga! Fascinating and funny stories about excavations there in the 80s, a brilliant Roman themed lunch, my paper on Tongobriga in context in the Durius Valley was well received, some musical interpretations and stimulating conversations

Check out the Call for Papers for the 2026 Roman Archaeology / Theoretical Roman Archaeology Conference (Aarhus, Denmark), featuring a panel co-organised by our own Dr Henry Clarke and Dr Giacomo Savani on "Water Cultures Beyond Roman Italy": www.romansocietyrac.ac.uk/ractra.../ca...

We're hiring - Teaching Fellow in Ancient Greek History! Please see below for details of a half-time post, starting as soon as possible in September, ending 31 August 2026, covering for temporary staff absences. Deadline for applications: 22 August. jobs.leeds.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx...

Huge congratulations to all Classics at Leeds students graduating today from all of us! We hope you have a fantastic day and enjoy celebrating your achievements

Shakeel Ahmed, one of our postgraduate researchers, has just completed a Turing Scheme placement in Athens. Shakeel was supervised there by Professor R. Hatzilambrou of Athens University working on the final chapter of his PhD thesis (1/2)

Excited to find out that our panel on 'water cultures beyond Roman Italy', co-organised with Dr Giacomo Savani, has been accepted for #RACTRAC2026 in Aarhus! CfP to follow soon...

By popular request (!) Prof. Stafford has posted a longer version of her review of Disney's new musical on the CAWCRS Research Blog: leedscawcrs.wordpress.com/2025/07/01/5...

Prof. Stafford's review of the new Disney Hercules musical is out - complete with some great photos and video-links... Enjoy! theconversation.com/with-fresh-s...

Prof. Stafford has just been to a preview of the new Disney Hercules musical, which is officially opening next week at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane! Watch this space for further reflections in up-coming reviews in The Conversation and on local radio...

Our fabulous student ambassadors have had a busy Friday-Saturday helping out with our June Open Days. Thanks very much to them, and to the Classics staff involved, for promoting our courses so effectively!

And just when you thought the Leeds Hercules Project had come to an end with the publication of its 4th volume, Hercules Performed, Prof. Stafford has tickets (courtesy of Disney) for a preview of the new Hercules On Stage musical, just before it opens on 24 June www.herculesthemusical.co.uk

The first review of Prof. Stafford's 2024 edited volume "Hercules Performed" is in, and it's very complimentary, concluding: "Hercules Performed provides a comprehensive and compelling analysis of Hercules’ representation in theatrical performance..." shorturl.at/2DkDt

Another great day in Portugal! I've been to three archaeological sites: Citânia de Sanfins, Castro do Monte Padrão and Castro de Alvarelhos, as well as several museums in the area... pretty exhausted but worth it. Absolutely loved Sanfins (seen in all four photos)