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Zeus, Apollo, Athena, Dionysus, Poseidon, Pericles, the Persians, Roman Philhellenes, Lapiths, Centaurs, the glorious Aegean Sea and late-summer sun... these were all the unifying and recurring details that brought together nineteen pupils for a tour of classical sites throughout mainland Greece during half-term!

 

They visited two cities, each claiming to have been (Nafplion) or actually being (Athens) the country's capital, and walked the Sacred Way in Delphi as it wound its way up Mount Parnassus, and to a sacred site that the ancients once believed was the world's omphalos - belly button - because it was thought to be the centre of the universe.

 

The pupils learned about the terrible tragedies from the myth of Oedipus, Clytemnestra and Medea as they visited the sites of Corinth and Mycenae, and even stood on the bema - a public platform - where St Paul once preached to the pagan masses. They examined different architectural styles, the three main orders of Greek columns and enjoyed the exertion of a footrace on the original 200 metre racetrack (a stadion) at Ancient Olympia. Crossing the Corinthian Canal, they learned to say please and thank you, good morning and good evening in Greek, but more importantly, enjoyed each other's company for what was a wonderful tour of historical sites. Overall, it was a fantastic opportunity for our pupils to make memories and have their Classical learning placed within their original geographical contexts.