Dossier 1: Greek Culture
The Romantics and Classical Greece:
Notes on this source from the British Library: https://www.bl.uk/romantics-and-
victorians/articles/the-romantics-and-classical-greece
The classical worlds of ancient Greece and Rome were one of the foundations of
Western culture in the Romantic period. They were the standard basis/working
points in all areas of life, from architecture, philosophy, and science. All the Romantic
poets, including Wordsworth, Keats and Shelly had studied either/both Latin and
Greek and this was important preparation for their future literary careers.
The inspiration they took manifested themselves in their work via subject matter and
verse forms, of which there are a wide variety. “Hellenism” is what the fascination
with Ancient Greek culture is called, and this was sparked by publications and more
importantly Greek art which could be seen first-hand in museums, eg the British
Museum. Greece is also one of the few countries from the Napoleonic wars that can
be visited, and the splendid ruins drew many a crowd, and played an important part
in increasing the public’s awareness and knowledge of the ancient Greek civilisation.
Ancient Greek literature and visual arts were admired for their nuanced way of
exploring complex life truths in a simplistic manner, and there was a sense of purity
that really appealed to the Romantics.
Despite this, some writers such as Coleridge and Wordsworth considered this
interest in Greek culture as an inappropriate substitution for Pagan mythology over
Christianity. Keats especially received a lot of criticism for his rudimental
understanding of Greek and his relatively low level of education.
“What we now consider the most original aspects of the Romantics’ use of the
classical heritage were, at the time, often the most controversial and derided.”
The Pantheon Sculptures
Notes on this source from the British Library:
https://www.britishmuseum.org/about-us/british-museum-story/objects-
news/parthenon-sculptures
The Pantheon Sculptures are a collection of different types of marble architectural
decoration from the Parthenon (temple of Athena) on the Acropolis in Athens. They
were made between 447BC and 432BC and consist of series of images. The British
museum houses 75m of the original frieze.
The Parthenon has a complex history and has been a temple, a church, a mosque,
and is now an archaeological site. It has sustained significant damage throughout it’s
The Romantics and Classical Greece:
Notes on this source from the British Library: https://www.bl.uk/romantics-and-
victorians/articles/the-romantics-and-classical-greece
The classical worlds of ancient Greece and Rome were one of the foundations of
Western culture in the Romantic period. They were the standard basis/working
points in all areas of life, from architecture, philosophy, and science. All the Romantic
poets, including Wordsworth, Keats and Shelly had studied either/both Latin and
Greek and this was important preparation for their future literary careers.
The inspiration they took manifested themselves in their work via subject matter and
verse forms, of which there are a wide variety. “Hellenism” is what the fascination
with Ancient Greek culture is called, and this was sparked by publications and more
importantly Greek art which could be seen first-hand in museums, eg the British
Museum. Greece is also one of the few countries from the Napoleonic wars that can
be visited, and the splendid ruins drew many a crowd, and played an important part
in increasing the public’s awareness and knowledge of the ancient Greek civilisation.
Ancient Greek literature and visual arts were admired for their nuanced way of
exploring complex life truths in a simplistic manner, and there was a sense of purity
that really appealed to the Romantics.
Despite this, some writers such as Coleridge and Wordsworth considered this
interest in Greek culture as an inappropriate substitution for Pagan mythology over
Christianity. Keats especially received a lot of criticism for his rudimental
understanding of Greek and his relatively low level of education.
“What we now consider the most original aspects of the Romantics’ use of the
classical heritage were, at the time, often the most controversial and derided.”
The Pantheon Sculptures
Notes on this source from the British Library:
https://www.britishmuseum.org/about-us/british-museum-story/objects-
news/parthenon-sculptures
The Pantheon Sculptures are a collection of different types of marble architectural
decoration from the Parthenon (temple of Athena) on the Acropolis in Athens. They
were made between 447BC and 432BC and consist of series of images. The British
museum houses 75m of the original frieze.
The Parthenon has a complex history and has been a temple, a church, a mosque,
and is now an archaeological site. It has sustained significant damage throughout it’s
