7 minute read
Classics
Getting to know... Mrs Robertson, Head of Classics
1. What’s your favourite thing about Notting Hill?
Notting Hill the film, or the school?! If the film, then definitely Hugh Grant’s failed attempts to be a “Horse and Hound” interviewer! If the school, my favourite things have been the University Challenge, the delicious gluten-free pasta on Mondays, and the lunchtime atrium music concerts.
2. What’s your favourite piece of classical literature?
Probably “The Iliad Book 6”, when Hector and Andromache meet in Troy shortly before he dies. It’s such a beautiful scene, and was my A Level text, so it is probably one of the reasons I ended up studying Classics at university.
3. What’s the strangest Ancient Greek or Roman custom you’ve heard of?
It’s not that strange, but the custom of ‘xenia’ (hospitality) is probably my favourite one. I love the idea that once you’ve given hospitality to someone you are bound as friends for life. It’s a good reminder of how important it is to take round some chocolates when you go to someone’s house – after all, you never know when you might be facing each other in battle and need to call on your ancient hospitality ties.
4. Which Hogwarts house would you belong in?
I think Ravenclaw, although I’m not sure I could deal with the riddle password to the common room everyday. Whichever house, I’d obviously have studied Ancient Runes – that sounds like the nearest thing to Latin and Greek they offer at Hogwarts.
Why Classics is NOT dead
Here are four reasons why you should ignore everyone who says that Classics is dead.
1. The English Language
Classics plays a huge part in our everyday language, with 60% of the English language originating from Latin and Greek. On the Law side,Classics will help you impress. Most of the words used in Law originate from Latin; for example, “alibi” means “elsewhere”.
2. Romance Languages
If you want to learn a Romance language, Classics will really help, with 70% of the Spanish language deriving from Latin, and 86% of French.
3. Film and Literature
“Percy Jackson” is based on Greek myths, “Harry Potter” spells have Latin influences, and Disney’s “Hercules” is based on, well, Hercules. Shakespeare’s “Romeo & Juliet” is based on the myth of “Pyramus & Thisbe” and has a similar storyline.
4. Politics
The Greeks are famous for introducing democracy, with δῆμος (demos) meaning people and κρατία (kratia) meaning power. Although their system was not necessarily the most democratic, it certainly influenced politics today.
Anya, Jasvir, Elizabeth, Ishika and Rachel, Year 12
Classics Trip to Sicily
Year 10 and Year 12 went to Sicily to delve into Classical culture. Zareen has written a poem influenced by the trip.
THEY WILL RISE AGAIN
I saw the past once, In a temple’s grave. Where it had once been Where it had once stood How it had once fallen.
I saw the past once, Through the eyes Of an awful foe Watched the fire sear Across the horizon And right across my Heart.
I saw the past once, The time where Emperors ruled and Belief was the Key to the entire World.
Everywhere I look Everywhere I see The ashes falling, it Is the end Or perhaps it Is the beginning. The start that Led to today.
I saw the past once, As vivid as a memory Beautiful, horrible Surreal A film I couldn’t Stop watching.
I saw the past once, In a temple’s grave So many dead, So many.
But they are all gone now And there is nothing left To remember them by, Except this Because as long as we See the past, Remember the things That once happened The people That once lived Once again they will stand Once again they will live And once again they will fall.
At the end of term, both the Year 12 Latin and Greek students started a research project. This involved choosing a title; past titles have included ‘’How is the great fire of Rome depicted in Roman art and literature?” and “What effect did drunkenness have on Roman life?”. The research dossier comprises eight sources with annotations, which are divided into sub-headings in accordance with the title. The sources could include written texts, such as Euclid’s “Elements”, along with inscriptions, artworks and archaeological objects. We covered topics like whether or not Socrates’ death was justified, mathematical inventors of Ancient Greece, Augustinian law, how people regarded Pompey the Great, as well as whether modern-day racism stemmed from the Greeks. This research project has been an enjoyable opportunity to explore Classical sources outside of the syllabus, and also to incorporate other subjects of interest into aspects of the Ancient World.
Rachel Pearson, Year 12
Write your name in Ancient Greek!
a b g d e z e th i c/k l m n
α β γ δ ε ζ η θ ι κ λ μ ν Every year, NHEHS enters the “Minimus” competition where Year 11-13 teach Year 5 of NHEHS and North Ealing school some basic Latin. At the end of the scheme, the Year 5s perform a play which the Year 12s have written. This year the play was “Pyramus and Thisbe”, a play about two ill-fated lovers which inspired Shakespeare’s “Romeo & Juliet”. Below is an extract of the script from this year. Can you figure out what it means with the vocabulary below?
THISBE: (sedet et susurrat) Pyrame? Pyrame? ubi es?
LEAENA: (post arborem) esurio. (fremit)
THISBE: eheu! leaenam! fugere debeo! (stat)
LEAENA: (saltat) dentibus acribus te consumam!
susurrat - she whispers esurio - i am hungry dentibus - with my teeth acribus - sharp te - you consumam - i will eat fremit - she roars fugere - to flee debeo - i must stat - she stands saltat - she jumps
x o p r s t u ph ch ps o ξ ο π ρ σ/ς τ υ φ χ ψ ω
NB. Use ε for a short ‘e’ e.g. ‘set’ Use η for a long ‘eh’ sound e.g. ‘hair’ Use σ if in the middle of the word Use ς if at the end of the word Use ο for a short ‘o’ e.g. ‘pot’ Use ω for a long ‘aw’ sound e.g. ‘saw’
Latin Student Problems
#1 Following the plotlines of the Cambridge Latin Course textbook like it’s a soap opera.
#2 Knowing how to say “death” in thousands of different ways, yet not knowing basic conversational vocabulary.
#3 The struggle of not being able to put your phone in Latin.
#4 Growing way too attached to Caecilius & co. and refusing to speak about THAT event.
Classical Jokes
What are Greek houses made out of?
Greeks and con-Crete!
Julius Caesar asked Brutus to go and buy him a dozen apples. Brutus returned and handed the apples to Caesar who counted them, and discovered there were only ten. So he asked:
“Et tu, Brute?”
What is a Roman farmer’s favorite soda?
Agri Cola.
A perfect, pluperfect and future perfect verb walked into a bar.
The situation was tense.
#5 Libros? Liberi? Book? Or children?
#6 The constant struggle of being told that Latin is a dead language.
Year 8s recreating the Parthenon west pediment in the British Museum!
Year 8 immersed in everything Classics
For Year 8’s first Classics trip, we went to the British Museum. We saw an eclectic mix of objects, including a terracotta rattle for a child in the shape of a pig! My group took particular interest in a bronze statue of a goose, which we said would be perfect for any Roman’s atrium, and a bronze statue of a “dancing” baby (as we interpreted it) as it would be ideal garden decor for when Caecilius est in horto.
After entertaining ourselves more than intended with our interior design choices, we went to see the Parthenon exhibit. We especially enjoyed it when Miss Patel suggested we recreate the west pediment, since there were five figures and five in our group, realising that life apparently does imitate art!
In the National Gallery, we viewed three paintings in particular. “Bacchus and Ariadne” depicted Ariadne’s heartache after Theseus left her on the Island of Naxos. “The Marquise de Seignelay and Two of her Sons” was the equivalent of a modern dating profile, and displays the Marquise as the water deity Thetis and her children as Achilles and Cupid. “The Judgement of Paris” portrayed the competition between the three goddesses Athena, Aphrodite and Hera to see who was most beautiful.
Thank you to the Classics department for a very interesting and fun trip that our whole year thoroughly enjoyed!
