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01/09

Classics Trip

More than 30 GCSE and A Level Classicists explored the historical sites of mainland Greece over the half term holiday.

The Classics Department took a group of Classical Greek, Classical Civilisation and Latin students on a whistle-stop tour of Ancient Greece’s wonders; Sophie in the Upper Sixth reports back on some of the highlights:

‘Starting with the Acropolis on day one was truly a remarkable experience. We were greeted by the theatre of Dionysus, walked up to the temple of Athena Nike, and then through the grand Propylaea to see the Parthenon itself, surrounded by breathtaking remnants at every turn. Then, after visiting the Acropolis Museum, we hopped back the coach and set off for Delphi. Arriving at night, we enjoyed a lovely dinner at a cosy local restaurant before heading to bed. Early the next morning, we visited the Delphi Archaeological Museum, where we marvelled at a whole range of relics, my favourite being the sculptures of the Argive twins, famed for their devotion to their mother. We then toured the stunning archaeological site itself, seeing the theatre and the temple of Apollo along with a breathtaking mountain view. After a hearty lunch in town, we hopped onto the coach once again to make our way to the next stop: Olympia.

We woke up to explore Olympia and its archaeological museum early the next morning. We walked along its luscious grounds and even took part in a South Hampstead race on the Olympic track, with Mr Thicknesse claiming first place! We then saw many beautifully-preserved bronze helmets along with the famous Hermes of Praxiteles. Back on the coach again, we all took part in a very entertaining (and tricky) Classical Quiz crafted for us by our teachers to pass the time on another long drive. Next came the Theatre of Epidaurus: an awe-inspiring site. We were even able to test out its renowned acoustics ourselves, with Mr Prance treating us to his renditions of the opening of the Iliad, the Aeneid and of course, a poetically spoken version of Mamma Mia!

On our last day, we visited Mycenae, my personal favourite destination. The ancient site, so marvellous that the Greeks thought that it must have been built by Cyclopses, amazed us with its immense stone structures. Standing there under a clear sky, soaking in the spectacular views felt like the perfect culmination of our journey through Ancient Greece. Each site brought the history we learn about at school so vividly to life. As we reluctantly made our way back to the airport, we carried with us unforgettable memories, which we are extremely grateful to Ms Turnor and to rest of the Classics Department for providing us with!’

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