Ancient Greek Jewellery: Symbols, Stories & Cultural Influence

What you'll learn

Learn ancient Greek jewellery symbolism with our history and culture short courses in Sydney.

Across the Mediterranean—and today in the great museums of the world—ancient Greek jewellery continues to enchant travellers with its elegance, craftsmanship, and layered symbolism. From the gleaming gold wreaths of the Benaki Museum to the finely worked filigree earrings in the British Museum, these pieces do far more than decorate: they tell stories of identity, belief, and the values of a civilisation that helped shape the Western world.

Join this two-and-a-half-hour workshop to trace the cultural meaning behind these extraordinary objects. You will explore the materials and symbols used to convey ideas about power, devotion, protection plus social standing. Whether you’ve admired museum collections abroad or hope to travel to them in the future, this session offers a deeper lens through which to appreciate these timeless treasures.

Through engaging discussion and visual examples drawn from archaeological discoveries and global institutions, you’ll discover how jewellery functioned as both art and language in the ancient Greek world—and why these masterpieces remain compelling to modern curators, scholars, and travelling enthusiasts alike.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this ancient Greek jewellery course, you should be able to:

Identify common symbols found in ancient Greek jewellery.
Explain the cultural and religious significance behind selected adornments.
Describe how jewellery reflected social status, identity, and belief systems.
Recognise the legacy of ancient Greek jewellery across today’s museums.
Interpret archaeological finds within their historical context.

Course content

This ancient Greek jewellery course covers:

Jewellery in ancient Greek society: functions, forms, and materials.
Symbolism in personal adornment, including mythological motifs and protective imagery.
How jewellery communicated social status, identity, and cultural values.
Case studies from museum collections and archaeological sites.
Group discussion and guided visual analysis of selected artefacts.

If you’d like to continue building your knowledge, you might also enjoy enrolling in a related next-level course.

This course has no current classes. Please join our waitlist and we will notify you when we have places available. Join waitlist for Ancient Greek Jewellery: Symbols, Stories & Cultural Influence