This is the first of our series on Virgil, which will run alongside our ongoing series on Homer. It is designed to help A Level students studying Latin or Classical Civilisation, but we hope it is also an accessible and interesting listen for anyone with an interest! In the episode we discuss the essential things to understand about the third great work of western civilisation: Virgil's Aeneid. It is the story of the Trojan survivors on their epic journey to found a new and powerful city: Rome. However, beneath the surface it is also an intensely political story about Rome's first emperor Augustus, the sphinx-like winner of terrible civil wars.

In this episode, Mr Burns answers two A Level students’ burning questions about the ancient world. Why was rotten fish sauce so popular? Why did empires always want to go to war? Which classical poet would be good to chat to in the pub? All these and more are answered. You can also from time to time hear the authentic sounds of KES students joyously hurrying to lessons in the background – listen out and enjoy!

In this second episode of the miniseries on Homer, Mr Burns and Mr Feeney discuss the gods. They are the terrifying, cruel, awe-inspiring, childlike, immensely powerful beings who are always intervening in the mortal drama. The discussion ranges from particular strange incidents to trying to reach an understanding of the poet's own beliefs. This is a useful discussion for any A-Level classicist as always, but you don't need to be a student or even to have read the poems to enjoy this exploration of the not so friendly real figures behind all those childhood stories!