We’re most familiar with ghosts, vampires, witches and werewolves from gothic literature, a literary movement that emerged in Europe in the 1700s and which has developed increasingly since, placing emphasis on an atmosphere of mystery and terror.  Yet these familiar figures are not new inventions, and had their precursors in the ancient world – even if they weren’t exactly called by the names we now recognise, such as the ancient Greek Lamia and the Roman Strix, and even those souls living in Hades that Odysseus petitions using necromancy and blood sacrifice.

This 6-week online course will look at where this figures appear in ancient Greek and Roman mythology and literature, and how similar they are to the horror figures we recognise now.  As we will be looking at a range of texts and extracts, a course reader will be provided with necessary texts to study.

The class will meet on Zoom on Thursdays from 1st February 2024 at 18:00-19:30 (GMT). Dates for this course are 1st February, 8th February, 15th February, 22nd February, 29th February and 7th March 2024.

Tutor: Dr Anactoria Clarke.