Classics: Greece 2023
Mrs Hanif, Teacher of Classics, shares the highlights of a memorable trip to Greece for Years 10 to 13
Classicists from Years 10 to 13 enjoyed a fabulous and inspiring trip to Greece this Half Term. After a very early morning flight to Athens, we headed straight to see the sights: the oldest surviving known theatre in the world at Thorikos, where Mrs Hyde treated us to a dramatic performance of the opening of Oedipus Turannos. Next, we visited the stunning temple to Poseidon at Cape Sounion, where we spotted some native tortoises taking shade in the undergrowth and looked in vain for Lord Byron’s graffiti on one of the temple pillars.
The next day was spent exploring the majestic Acropolis and the remains of the Agora, as well as a visit to the superb Acropolis Museum. That night we had a guided coach tour of Athens, including a stop at the modern Olympic stadium. For students of GCSE Classical Civilisation, our visit to the National Archaeological Museum was a huge moment, as we 
finally got to see the treasures we had studied, such as the Mask of Agamemnon and the Lion Hunt Dagger. Our visit to the Bronze Age sites of Mycenae and Tiryns were similarly significant as we measured ourselves against the huge boulders of those Cyclopean Walls and posed at the famous Lion Gate entry to Mycenae.
Other highlights included the awe-inspiring sanctuary of Apollo in Delphi, experiencing the other-worldly atmosphere of this mountain retreat, where the ancient Greeks and Romans would journey to consult the oracle of Apollo; we also visited the sanctuary of Asklepios, Greek god of healing and medicine, at Epidaurus and marvelled at the architecture and design of the theatre there, testing out its world-famous acoustics!
These are just a few of the places we visited on our hugely memorable and action-packed tour of some of Greece’s most important and inspiring sites!
