The Imperial Camel Corp were formed in 1916 in order to deal with the revolt of pro-Turkish Senussi tribesmen in Egypt's Western Desert. Dr Janet Butler (History, La Trobe University) talks about Australian involvement in these ranks. Copyright 2014 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

The Parthenon Frieze is a constant source of fascination for all admirers of ancient Greek culture. As a representation of a major festival procession, it gives a unique insight into the way that democratic Athens saw itself. Wrapped around all four sides of the building, it is the product of careful planning on the part of the anonymous designer. Its episodic structure can be explained through the metaphor of the movements of a symphony. Dr Ian Jenkins (Senior Curator in the Department of...

How did friendship function between nurses and soldiers in World War I, and how does it work beyond the concept of Mateship? Dr Janet Butler (History, La Trobe University) on how important friendship was it in shaping the experience of World War I. Copyright 2014 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

For someone who had power for a short amount of time, Caesar’s impact is undeniable. Dr Rhiannon Evans (Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University) examines the actions of those that came after him – the veneration, the public works in his name, and the attempts of emperors to style themselves in his image. Copyright 2014 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Caesar's great downfall. Between winning the civil war and holding power, Caesar's won the support of the people of Rome, but gains more than one enemy in the Roman Senate. Copyright 2014 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

With Gaul now conquered, Julius Caesar turns his eyes on a greater prize - the Roman Empire itself. Dr Rhiannon Evans on Caesar’s civil war, and the resistance within the Senate. Copyright 2014 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

The Paris zone – a military no-man's land appropriated for a variety of unofficial purposes – provided writers and artists of the interwar period with a context for articulating their experiences or views of the Great War. Dr James Cannon is a lecturer in French Studies at La Trobe University. Copyright 2014 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Now that Caesar has expanded the borders of the Roman Empire, Dr Rhiannon Evans and Sarah Midford discuss his triumphant return to Rome. Copyright 2014 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Caesar eyes the territory to the east, inhabited by hoards of Gauls, and sees a chance to push forward his military career. Dr Rhiannon Evans (Ancient Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University) covers Caesar's conquest of Gaul, and his use of writing to push his agenda. Copyright 2014 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Caesar reaches the age where he can enter politics, but quickly finds that the rules don’t suit him. Dr Rhiannon Evans (Ancient Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University) covers his time as a politician, and a tenuous alliance called the Triumvir. Copyright 2014 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

How do Caesar’s formative years shape his decisions in years to come and impact on the Roman Empire? Dr Rhiannon Evans (Ancient Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University) discusses what we know about Caesar’s early life, his entry into the military and his encounter with pirates. Copyright 2014 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

The Roman love poet Catullus wrote passionate poems about his tempestuous relationship with 'Lesbia', as well as obscene diatribes about high profile contemporaries like Julius Caesar. In this vodcast Dr Rhiannon Evans (Lecturer, Ancient Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University) and Dr Sonya Wurster discuss Catullus' apparent rejection of traditional Roman values and why the conservative politician Cicero strongly disapproved of poets like Catullus. Copyright 2014 La Trobe University,...

Dr Gillian Shepherd (Director of the A.D. Trendall Centre for Ancient Mediterranean Studies and Lecturer at La Trobe University) speaks to Matt Smith about many of the fascinating details in everyday Pompeii. Pompeii was both devastated and preserved by a dramatic volcanic eruption in 79 CE, and its fame rests on the extensive remains of the ancient town which continues to attract huge numbers of visitors. But Pompeii was not a major city with the impressive public monuments found at Rome;...

Professor Christopher Mackie (Head of the School of Humanties, La Trobe University) and Sarah Midford (Research Associate, La Trobe University) discuss the location, literature and legacy of the Trojan War. Starting with the location of the ancient mythical city of Troy, the discussion then moves on to ancient epic poetry; Homer’s Iliad and Virgil’s Aeneid. The historical evidence for the Trojan War is discussed as is Heinrich Schliemann’s famous archaeological excavation of Hissarlik in...

Dr Ingrid Sykes (History, La Trobe University) examines the major contribution played by blind musicians to French eighteenth-century culture and examine the ways in which they negotiated the dramatic political and social changes that occurred between 1750 and 1830. Sonic regeneration was considered pivotal to French society both before and after the Terror of Revolution. Blind musicians exploited their abilities in the sonic sensory arts by brilliantly adapting their musical styles to late...

Dr Emma Robertson (History, La Trobe University) on music in the workplace, and singing cultures in pre-industrial occupations. Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

In 415 BC, in the middle of the Peloponnesian War, the Athenians launched an expedition to gain control of Sicily. This disastrous venture - known as the Sicilian Expedition - ended in the catastrophic defeat of the Athenians and their navy at Syracuse in 413 BC. The Athenians suffered enormous losses; those who survived were imprisoned in the limestone quarries at Syracuse, where they died or were sold into slavery. How influenced was Thucydides by Homer? Despite his criticisms of Homer and...

In 415 BC, in the middle of the Peloponnesian War, the Athenians launched an expedition to gain control of Sicily. This disastrous venture - known as the Sicilian Expedition - ended in the catastrophic defeat of the Athenians and their navy at Syracuse in 413 BC. The Athenians suffered enormous losses; those who survived were imprisoned in the limestone quarries at Syracuse, where they died or were sold into slavery. How influenced was Thucydides by Homer? Despite his criticisms of Homer and...

Dr Emma Robertson (History, La Trobe University) talks about the social history of chocolate, the culture that has grown around it and how it has changed. Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

What can we still learn from old maps, and how can we transfer their information to current platforms? The Digital Roman Campagna Mapping Project aims to produce a layered digital map of the Roman Campagna (the countryside around Rome), using a template like Google Earth to establish key co-ordinates. Featuring Dr Lisa Beaven (Art historian, La Trobe University, Professor Christopher Smith (Director, British School at Rome), Valerie Scott (Librarian, British School at Rome) and Chris Myers...

Dr Ian Coller (Historical and European Studies, La Trobe University) explores the Arab presence in France in the early 19th Century, through a group that migrated when Napoleon's troops left Egypt. Copyright 2012 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Dr Gillian Shepherd (Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University) on the Tomb of the Diver. The Tomb of the Diver is an important 5th century BC grave found near the ancient Greek city of Poseidonia (Paestum) in southern Italy. It is a grave made of five painted slabs forming the four walls and the roof of the tomb. All five slabs were painted on the interior sides. The cover slab shows a man diving into a pool of water and it is from this scene that the tomb gets its name. The paintings on...

Dr Rhiannon Evans (Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University) on Pliny the Elder, the knowledge he contributed to society, and what his writings show of Roman attitudes. Copyright 2012 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Dr Rhiannon Evans (Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University) on the attitude of ancient Romans towards the people they saw as 'outsiders'. Copyright 2012 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Dr Lisa Beaven (Art History, La Trobe University) on how the city of Venice developed, and influenced the Renaissance. Copyright 2012 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.