Myths rooted in plants are very common, and Greek mythology has its fair share. Despite the Greek Underworld being a place for the dead, there are a number of plants that are associated with the place in ancient imagination. This little book explores four particular plants that are found in the Greek Underworld: pomegranate, mint, asphodel, and white poplar. In each chapter, there is some information about the plant itself, followed by the story in which the plant features.

In each case, the story is retold from the perspective of the spirit of the plant. Greek and Roman authors often wrote of nymphs, a form of nature spirit connected to a particular type of plant, or in some cases, a single plant. The characters are intended to be the voices of such nymphs. The chapter finishes with a few brief notes about sources for the stories.

You can order the book in paperback or kindle here.

"Over these centuries many dreams have flocked under my leaves".

Take a journey through ancient forests with four beautiful trees from Greek mythology: walnut, elm, holm oak, and black poplar. In each chapter, the voice of a hamadryad nymph, whose life was said to be tied to an individual tree, tells her tale, alongside vivid illustrations and botanical details. This is the second book in our 'Telling Tales in Nature' series.

In each case, the story is retold from the perspective of the spirit of the plant. Greek and Roman authors often wrote of nymphs, a form of nature spirit connected to a particular type of plant, or in some cases, a single plant. The characters are intended to be the voices of such nymphs. The chapter finishes with a few brief notes about sources for the stories.

You can order the book in paperback or kindle here.

“An apple tree!” It was the first time I heard my name, and the name of the fruit I grow and bear each year. The sound itself feels scrumptious, delicious, something you want to bite into.

This little book explores four beautiful fruit trees that are found in Greek mythology: apple, fig, grape and olive. In each chapter, there is an introduction to the plant, followed by a story in which it forms a key part. The characters in these tales are the voices of four 'hamadryad' nymph sisters, whose lives were said to be tied to an individual tree. This is the third book in our 'Telling Tales in Nature' series, and introduces the remaining four sisters to those met in 'Forest Tales'.

In each case, the story is retold from the perspective of the spirit of the plant. Greek and Roman authors often wrote of nymphs, a form of nature spirit connected to a particular type of plant, or in some cases, a single plant. The characters are intended to be the voices of such nymphs. The chapter finishes with a few brief notes about sources for the stories.

You can order the book in paperback or kindle here.

Meadow Tales is the fourth book in our Telling Tales in Nature series.

In Meadow Tales, the flowers that grow in our gardens, fields and parks, tell their stories from Greek mythology. We hear from the poppy, heliotrope, crocus and violet. As with the first three books in the series, each chapter has an introduction on the plant, with botanical drawing, followed by a retelling of the myth of the flower. It finishes with some brief notes on the sources for the myths and explanations of the retellings.

A Compendium of all four books in the Telling Tales in Nature series can be ordered in hardback and paperback here.

We are delighted to announce that "Primordial Soup: Tales of the Greek gods in Oxford", a graphic novel written by Year Eight Classics students at Cheney School between September to December 2020 is now out!

You can read the full book here (please click on the cover):

In September 2020, two Year Eight Latin classes at Cheney School took part in a project to design, write and illustrate a graphic novel which imagines the primordial Greek gods in modern day Oxford. They found out all about the different primordial gods, explored the art form of the graphic novel, and looked at how ancient characters have been imagined in different settings. They then chose characters and storylines, and worked together as a group to decide how to plan the story arc and what to call it. In the end, they settled on having a compilation of mini stories, which they called “Primordial Soup”! 

We are very fortunate to have been supported in this project by two creative artists. Ahmed Alameen, a Kuwaiti author who has created a graphic novel based on characters from the epic Gilgamesh, gave virtual workshops on how to design a graphic novel. 

We are also very lucky to have been joined in this project by Oxford Brookes University Artist Lydia Hall. Lydia worked with the students on the artwork for the story, and turned their artwork and ideas into a cohesive graphic novel. You can see her beautiful illustrations in these pages! 

We are grateful to be have been supported by a grant from Classics for All for this exciting initiative.

We hope you enjoy these stories!

Lorna Robinson, Director of the Iris Project and Classics Centre at Cheney School

We are starting a new lockdown project this Monday! Each day, we will produce a different sheet detailing a plant, its Latin name, some facts about its use by the Greeks and Romans, the myth explaining how it came into being, and some activities for children!

You will be able to download the sheets using the links below.

We hope you enjoy our Garden Tales!

The Tale of Laurus Nobilis

 The Tale of the Anemone

The Tale of the Lotus Tree

The Tale of the Hyacinth

The Tale of the Aconite

The Tale of the Asphodel

The Tale of the Fig Tree

The Tale of the Narcissus

The Tale of the Elm Tree

The Tale of the Pomegranate

The Tale of the Rose

The Tale of the Giant Fennel

The Tale of Spearmint

The Tale of the White Poplar

The Tale of Ivy

The Tale of Calamus

The Tale of the Chaste Tree

The Tale of the Poppy

The Tale of the Plane Tree

The Tale of Frankincense

The Tale of Iris

If you want to explore trees in the ancient world, you can visit this fascinating blog by Dr Andrew Fox.

We are delighted to announce the Iris Festival of Natural History, Art and More on 27th March, 2019.

This event will be a large community event to celebrate the Rumble Museum at Cheney School as it continues the process of becoming the first Arts Council Accredited museum in a state school.

There will be five main discovery zones: Natural History, Art, Archaeology, Storytelling and Anthropology. Each zone will contain activities, stalls, exhibitions, workshops, and a wide range of visiting museums with artefacts to handle and explore. There will  be shows including animatronic dinosaurs, as well as the opportunity to see birds of prey! There will also be fossils pits, an opportunity to make your own prints at a printing press, the Story Museum's Little Shop of Stories, an ancient Greek daily life museum, Roman music, artists' exhibitions, as well as a cafe serving refreshments and hot and cold drinks.

The event will include expert talks as well as a wide range of stalls, activities and exhibitions. Visitors will be able to follow an exciting new model Dragonfly Trail as they explore the site, with each discovery zone containing striking decorations, workshops, stalls,  performances and activities themed on different aspects of museum learning.

The stalls, activities and exhibitions run from 3.30 until 6pm. It is free and caters for all ages. Primary and secondary school groups are warmly welcome.

The following talks will also take place throughout the afternoon and evening:

3.30 - 4pm - Professor Richard Fortey, Natural Historian and Palaeontologist

4.15 - 4.45pm - Professor Helen King, 'Ancient Greek Magic and Medicine'

5.15 - 5.45pm - Peter Randall-Page, Artist and Sculptor, Royal Academician

6 - 6.45pm - Will Gompertz, BBC Chief Arts Correspondent

The festival itself does not require booking unless you are visiting with a school group. Talks do need to be booked, and can be done so by emailing info@irisproject.org.uk 

We are delighted to announce the publication of Distant Lands this April!

Distant Lands is a companion volume to Lorna Robinson’s Telling Tales in Latin. Also narrated by the poet Ovid, who tells the tale of his own exile, along with more well-loved tales from his Metamorphoses. Introducing readers to the history of Ovid’s life and exile, as well as an introduction to the geography of the Roman Empire, Distant Lands will engage pupils in stories such as Lycaon, the wild man who became a wolf, and Pyramus and Thisbe, the love-struck pair who whisper through a crack in their adjoining wall. These stories are woven into Ovid’s account of his last night in Rome, his dramatic journey across the seas, and the strangeness of the new world that he discovers.

Soham De’s illustrations bring Ovid’s stories alive and make learning Latin an imaginative journey of discovery while Lorna Robinson continues to build on the Latin vocabulary and grammar introduced in the first book in the series. Each story is accompanied with creative activities that update the stories around contemporary issues from history, geography, philosophy and literature.

Lorna Robinson has a doctorate in Classics from University College London and is the founder and director of The Iris Project, which promotes the study of Classics in state schools. Soham De is a graphic artist who works for an architectural firm. Evelien Bracke provided advice on the Latin text. She is senior lecturer and schools liaison officer at Swansea University.

Distant Lands costs £10 and is available to purchase in bookshops or to order online.

Praise for the previous book in the series, Telling Tales in Latin:

“Really inviting and engaging, with clear explanations and beautiful and fun illustrations by Soham De... Excellent for projects introducing... An inviting, absorbing and embracing learning experience.”

The Classics Library

Below you can download for free the Teachers Guide for the Latin course/storybook Telling Tales in Latin. The guide contains lesson ideas and activities, translations of all Latin text, running OCR Entry Level Latin vocabulary for each chapter as well as practice sheets which are based on OCR Entry Level requirements.  There is also an appendix containing the curriculum strand connections for each chapter of the book.

Telling Tales in Latin is published by Souvenir Press and available in all good bookshops. It can also be ordered on Amazon and as a Kindle edition.

 Telling Tales in Latin Teachers Guide

 Telling Tales in Latin Curriculum Strands

We're delighted to announce the publication of a new Latin course and storybook, Telling Tales in Latin!

Telling Tales in Latin infuses learning Latin with the magic of storytelling. Narrated by the chatty and imaginative Roman poet Ovid, this brand new kind of Latin course takes the reader on a journey through some of the most wonderful tales from the Metamorphoses. Along the way, readers pick up Latin words and grammar and are encouraged to explore the connections between Latin and English, and the ways in which Ovid's stories still speak to us today. Beautifully illustrated throughout, this Latin course reads like a story book, and as such, will appeal to a wide range of learners. It also contains the necessary vocabulary and grammar needed for the OCR Entry Level Latin qualification, so readers and schools can use this as the only Latin course geared towards this qualification.

Every chapter introduces the reader to a much-loved story from Ovid's poem, encouraging him/her to start reading Latin which is adapted from the original text straightaway. It leads readers through the story, encouraging connections to be made between English and Latin words, and exploring new aspects of grammar in a playful but clear way. Each chapter ends with suggestions for activities, as well as ways in which the story can be explored from literary and creative perspectives. Emphasis is placed upon thinking about the resonance and universal appeal of mythical stories, and identifying why these stories developed. The book also encourages readers to think about the many ways in which the stories connect to modern ideas and features ranging from scientific advances to climate change and caring for the planet! Alongside all these cross-curricular connections, there is a continual focus on literacy and language.

A free teacher's guide is now available.

Telling Tales in Latin is written by Dr Lorna Robinson, with illustrations by Soham De. Advice on Latin text provided by Dr Evelien Bracke.

ISBN 9780285641792        £10,  illustrated in colour throughout
Also available as an ebook

You can read a review of the book at The Classics Library.

It has also been given a five star review on Amazon by Steve Addis.

Available to order at Amazon and on Amazon Kindle.

Iota is a Classics magazine produced by The Iris Project for younger children (ages 8+). It introduces Classics and Latin in a fun, informative and engaging way, and its content is designed and written to fit in with the key stage two material on the ancient Greeks and Romans.

There are three editions published per year - one for each school term - and every issue is themed around a different Classical myth. Through five exciting sections, children can learn about the way Romans and Greeks lived, as well as being introduced to the Latin language through activities and games. There are regular competitions, and a cut-out myth match card game amongst many other fun and stimulating aspects of the magazines.

Ordering and back issue information can be found here.

Iris online is The Iris Project's outreach web presence, and the new home for Iris magazine. It contains a broad and eclectic range of material, including artwork, fiction, case studies, reviews, outreach ideas and articles on a wide variety of Classical topics and authors, presented in a fresh, modern and engaging style. It can be found here.

Iris online started life in 2006 as Iris magazine, a new Classics magazine which aimed to present Classical topics in a fun, accessible, light-hearted, modern and unusual way. The first issue featured articles such as the academic Dylan Evan's quest to re-establish Plato's Academy, a mock report on the ancient Olympian messenger system, a look at the prevalence of melting women in Ovid, amongst others. Later issues have included an article by Sarah Annes Brown on modern re-interpretations of the Classics, a piece on the more gruesome elements of ancient medicine by Professor Helen King and interviews with prominent Classicists.

As well as serious articles by enthusiasts and academics on Classical topics, the magazine set out to have a quirky and gently irreverent approach to the ancient world, and therefore included a fashion page, quizzes, a myth debunk page, advice from ancient deities and even a soap-opera inspired by the BBC's Life on Mars series.

The magazine moved to an online home in October 2011, after sixteen editions had been published. All 16 editions of the magazine can be ordered through the site, and full details of back issue content can be found here.

The editor can be contacted through this site, and welcomes all enquiries, submissions and responses; she is also happy to provide feedback at any stage for material.

An annual edition has now replaced the original termly format, details of which can be found by clicking the magazine cover image on the right side panel of this site.

The Iris Project has been running a termly magazine for secondary schools, universities and enthusiasts of Classics, Iris magazine, since 2006. It contains a broad and eclectic range of material, including artwork, fiction, case studies, reviews, outreach ideas and articles on a wide variety of Classical topics and authors, presented in a fresh, modern and engaging style. In autumn 2011 we published our last regular edition, and moved the magazine to an online home. The site is regularly updated with news, articles, reviews, cartoons, videos and more.

You can order back issues of all sixteen editions of the magazine here.

We now produce the Iris annual. The annual took the place of Iris magazine's termly editions. The new publication is a 56 page glossy magazine, with full colour throughout. It features several articles by expert classicists as well as pieces on The Iris Project's work in schools, a mix of light pieces, competitions, news, reviews, games and lesson ideas.

The annual has a new look and feel, while retaining the freshness and vibrancy which characterised its forebear Iris magazine.

The autumn 2012 annual is themed on Roman love poetry and its contents include:

An interview with Toby Young on the importance of Classics in schools

Sex Games: Power and the Birth of a Genre in Rome

Propertius: poet and soldier of love

Lover, teacher, poet: who is Ovid?

Catullus in Music: Carl Orff’s Catulli Carmina

Travelogue: Orphic honeymoon

It also includes features on Classics outreach projects across the UK, a competition to win £100 worth of books, fiction, and a variety of light, informative pieces.

You can order your copy by visiting the orders page.

The autumn 2013 edition will be themed on money and more details will be posted shortly.