NEW YEAR 2026 Newsletter – Travel Updates, New Archaeological Venues at home and abroad, Resources, Out and About, Travel Blogs including JORDAN PART II, Film, TV, Theatre, STEM, Contentious Topics for Discussion and as ever, so much more!
Χαίρετε! Salvete! Greetings! …
We hope you’ve comfortably settled into the New Term and New Year by now, notwithstanding storms, power cuts, ice, snow and water shortages… you may even be on an extended holiday if you fall under the aegis of SEW as schools are closed in much of Sussex and Kent!
Should, on reflection, you be ruing the fact your family gatherings fell a little short of the ideal, this apposite article from last year should raise a wry smile:
UPDATED TRAVEL NEWS
Our first School Trip of 2026 departs this weekend to Rome and we’ve already been receiving enquiries for Italy, Greece and Sicily for 2027.
As ever, changes are afoot!
i – Rome is introducing a tourist entry fee for Trevi Fountain in 2026
- Access is guaranteed to a maximum of approximately 400 people at a time. Pay and queue on the spot
- Entrance is via the central staircase; exit is at the entrance on Via dei Crociferi.
- Visits are regulated as follows:
- every day from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm (last admission at 8:30 pm);
- Mondays and Fridays from 12:00 pm to allow for coin collection; and every other Monday from 2:00 pm to 9:00 pm for emptying and cleaning the basin.
- Free admission from 9:00 pm
- At the moment there is no information for group ticketing
ii – Changes to Vatican Booking in 2026
- Booking now possible 180 days in advance of the day of visit.
- Price is €5 plus €2 booking fee per student and teachers €20 plus €2 booking fee per person.
- Whispers €1.50 per person.
- Option to have a guided tour €150.00 (max 30 pax) if over 30 pax, need to split over two slots and have two guides
iii – Pompeii Ticket price increase
- The basic ticket for Pompeii increases to €20, while the one that also includes a visit to the suburban villas (Villa of the Mysteries and Villa of Diomedes), Villa Regina in Boscoreale, and the Antiquarium will be €25.
- The price of the 3-day ticket will also be increased to €30 and the season ticket to €45.
One would have thought post Lockdown Travel Hunger would have abated by now, especially in the face of Media ‘Panic Recession’ – sadly not. Panic sells, but so do airline tickets & hotel reservations and the psychological desire for travel (so termed ‘fun-starvation’) is evidently stronger than the former!
‘Book me a Greek holiday – I want to break plates!’
Apparently, we are poised for yet another ‘Landmark Tourism Growth’ with increased passenger traffic and extended travel seasons. This obviously fuels the fear of over tourism and Italy Joins Spain, France, Greece, Netherlands, Portugal, and Others in Managing Overtourism by Implementing Strict Tourism Regulations and Restrictions across Europe, Including Rome, Barcelona, Paris, Athens, Amsterdam, Palma, and Other Key Destinations. In other words – expect an increase in Hotel Taxes (climate offset fee, sorry, cough cough).
Increased ‘Tourist Footfall’ must be difficult for lowly paid Site and Museum Guardians – hence perhaps the increased reports of Greek Guards being especially rude at the New Akropolis Museum, Delphi and Epidaurus. Italian Guards appear to have modified their behaviour… or maybe they are just exhausted.
Nevertheless, FORTITUDE!
Be a firm but exemplary example of professionalism in front of pupils when dealing with recalcitrant ‘jobsworths’.
OUT and ABOUT – Blogs and Suggestions
i – James Heath in JORDAN Part I (Attachment A) & Part II (Attachment B) – Both are a fabulous read. Whet your appetite before the soon to be released Itinerary!
ii – Deva/Chester Saturnalia 2025
Although we’ve never managed to attend, the Saturnalia Parade is something we’ve always wanted to see! The latest in December ’25 looked even more spectacular than before!
Do check out DEVA VICTRIX LEGION XX for more events and photographs
iii – PANOPLY VASE ANIMATION PROJECT BLOG: New Year 2026!
Happy New Year! It is January, the Janus month, so we look back on the old year and towards the new.
iv – January’s Monthly Postcard from Rome – by Agnes Crawford
If you’ve not yet signed up for the latter two – you are missing a treat!
THEATRE – an amazing upcoming variety on offer… a great opportunity for meeting friends and networking!
i – **The Crick Crack Club presents** • *Fairytales for Grown-ups – A DANCE WITH THE MINOTAUR’S SISTER** Folklore Hoxton Wed, 21 Jan, 7:00 pm. Over 18yrs only
ii – Warwick Drama Festival 2026
The Oresteia (Libation Bearers and Eumenides), January 29-30, 2026
iii – Helios Theatre/Arts and Something A Little Different. Islington. Friday 6th and Saturday 7th February 2026
iv – UCL Iphigenia Bloomsbury Theatre, 15 Gordon Street, WC1H 0AH
A new version of Iphigenia in Aulis by Euripides, translated and adapted by Simon Dormandy.
Performances, pre-show talks and workshops
Wednesday 11th February 7.30pm Thursday 12th February 2.30pm & 7.30pm Friday 13th February 2.30pm & 7.30pm
v – Hekate: The Play Friday 20th February (SOLD OUT)
Pigott Theatre, British Library, London
vi – The Clouds – (KCL Greek Play 2026) Greenwood Theatre, (55 Weston Street, SE1 3RA) London. Dates: 03-05 March 2026
TV / FILM
Yes, Classics still holding its own in the entertainment industry. Goodness knows what your weaker brethren will include in forthcoming exams but at least it still holds their interest and fires impassioned debate!
A – Chris Nolan’s “THE ODYSSEY“
By the time the film is actually released we’ll probably all be fed up to the back teeth with the incessant advertising! So, let’s be positive and remember………
“As much hate as the new Odyssey movie is going to get, it’s still incredible we’re telling these stories after nearly 3,000 years.” On X/Twitter
i – The New ‘Odyssey’ Poster Throws a Bone to All Those Armor Complaints
ii – Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ Costumes Raise Eyebrows Why It Matters
iii – What Nolan’s Odyssey Gets Wrong About Ancient Greece, Seen in Its New Trailer
iv – ‘The Odyssey’ Prologue Is Playing in Theaters – Here Are the 5 Biggest Reveals
v – ‘Had No Idea Ancient Greeks Used Batman Helmets’ — Debut Trailer for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey Reignites Historical Accuracy Debate How the “historical accuracy” crowd wants the odyssey to look like
vi – Odysseus the destroyer? Christopher Nolan’s new Odyssey adaptation revives an ancient moral question
vii – Did Nolan Use a Feminist ‘Woke’ Translation for Odyssey Movie?
For those who have not yet reached saturation point – why not try The Odyssey in 1000 Pieces – jigsaw
B – As a counterbalance, look out for Hugh Laurie Set to Film New Series “Dig” in Greece
The series is based on the acclaimed novel Excavations by Kate Myers
RESOURCES & RESEARCH
i – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE
a – War Crimes: Iliad 6, Infanticide, and the Mykonos Vase
supported by Brutal infanticide scenes on ‘Trojan War’ Mykonos Pithos
b – Mind Reading and Stolen Wits: The Encounter of Diomedes and Glaukos in Iliad 6
c – Give Helen Back! Trojan Politics in Iliad 7
d – Divine Plots and Human Plans: Reading Iliad 7
e – No Space for Dionysus: Story and Meaning in Iliad 6
f – Ashamed and Afraid: The Rhetoric of Kleos in Iliad 7
g – Stranded in Iliad 8 with Nestor and Diomedes: On Reading Homer and Neoanalysis
h – Talking to Horses: Characterizing Hektor in Iliad 8
i – Life, Death, and all the Words Between in Iliad 9
j – Wishing the Impossible: Hektor in Iliad 8
k – The Purpose of Speech? Dissent and Freedom of Speech in the Assembly of Iliad 9
l – Achilles Sings the Hero Within: Stories and Narrative Blends in Iliad 9
m – Homeric Redshirts and Iliad 10: Introducing Dolon
n – Dolon and Achilles | Dolon AS Achilles: Politics and Iliad 10
ii – Plancia Magna and the role of a Roman benefactress in Perge
iii – Siemens Digitalizes Pergamon Altar Users move around the altar virtually in the application and can, for example, explore the giant frieze in detail.
iv – Linguists start compiling first ever complete dictionary of ancient Celtic | Language | The Guardian (not paywalled but need to sign in)
v – A simple turn reveals a 1,500-year-old secret on Roman glass
vi – Hoplite Wars
a – Hoplite Wars, Part IIIb: A Phalanx By Any Other Name – A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry
b – Collections: Hoplite Wars, Part IIIa: An Archaic Phalanx? – A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry
c – Collections: Hoplite Wars: Part IVa, The Status of Hoplites – A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry
vii – Battle on Horseback – Liv Mariah Yarrow
vi – Reichert Media Library. Colour Schemes in Roman Architecture: Aesthetics, Semantics, and Regional Appropriation Edited by Matthias Grawehr and Johannes Lipps (Material Appropriation Processes in Antiquity Hardcover €98.
vii – How an Obscure Character in the ‘Iliad’ Gave Us the English Word ‘Pander’
CONTENTIOUS TOPICS FOR CLASS DISCUSSION
i – Dark Academia – How Universities Die a & b
ii – How republics die: creeping authoritarianism in ancient Rome and beyond
Frederik Juliaan Vervaet, David Rafferty, Christopher J. Dart, How republics die: creeping authoritarianism in ancient Rome and beyond. Studies in ancient civil war, 4. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2025. Pp. xv, 540. ISBN 9783111650272.
iii – U.S. University Against Plato
In an era of so many changes perhaps nothing should surprise us anymore.
And yet, how can one not be astonished when reading that Texas A&M University warned a philosophy professor not to teach certain chapters of Plato in order to comply “with the new policy restricting discussions on issues of race and gender”?
iv – Why Greek Studies Are Vital for Our Modern World
Within a hostile environment, small & highly specialized Greek programs are particularly vulnerable. When the University of Ottawa, for instance, suspended admissions to its Greek and Roman Studies honors degree program in 2025 due to low enrolment, a swift wave of protests from students, faculty, and community groups compelled the university to reverse its decision and reopen applications within weeks. This was an unexpected but forceful response
STEM
i – Youth Lego Challenge Puts Archaeology Professor in Demand
Archaeologists from around the world suddenly found themselves bombarded with attention. The reason for the surprising interest in archaeology? In August, the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) – an international competition for elementary and middle school students that attracts almost 700,000 kids – released its annual theme: “Unearthed.”
ii – Riddle solved: Why was Roman concrete so durable? Self-healing concrete. An unexpected ancient manufacturing strategy may hold the key to designing concrete that lasts for millennia.
iii – Minoan Architects’ Genius: Landslide Protection Found at Archanes Palace
iv – A 2,000-year-old building site reveals the raw ingredients for ancient Roman self-healing concrete
v – How a project that operated in 140 AD will quench the thirst of 8 municipalities of Attica
Essentially, the Hadrianic Aqueduct passes through 8 municipalities of the Region of Attica. The main concern of the spatial enhancement of the Hadrianic Aqueduct is the utilization of its water resources to cover the irrigation needs of the municipalities it passes through. The management of the aqueduct’s pipelines and waters falls under the jurisdiction of EYDAP
Athens marked Epiphany with the traditional blessing of the waters at Hadrian’s Aqueduct in this hidden corner of the city
vi – Divine tech? Marrying science and religion in Ancient Greece
“There was no division in antiquity between these things [science & religion]. The divide between science and humanities is such an artificial construct of the European university system”
vi – 5 lessons about misinformation from ancient Greek and Roman scientists
viii – Pliny the Elder and the Mystery of Creta Umbrica: An Ancient Material Reidentified by Modern Science
ix – Ancient Pottery Patterns Reveal Hidden Geometry in Prehistoric Art
According to new research, it appears that the world’s oldest floral pottery have patterns that are more than aesthetic designs — they are prehistoric mathematical thinking.
x – AI
b – No huge surprise to the average Classics Teacher is that AI-generated reconstructions of ancient Rome turn out to be full of errors
A number of videos and images created by artificial intelligence that claim to accurately depict ancient Rome have been circulating online. However, these images are far from historically accurate, says one historian……….. but we are convinced you can find far more excruciating examples!
WHAT ELSE HAS BEEN HAPPENING IN THE CLASSICAL WORLD?
A surprisingly huge amount considering it having been the Festive Season……….and positively masses of new site and museum openings in Rome, Naples, Athens and Hadrian’s Wall. All highlighted in red in the attached.
PLUS a new addition – “What’s happening Classics-wise in SOUTH ASIA?!”
GREECE – Attachment C – 4 New Museums
ITALY – Attachment D – Rome Basilica, Colosseum Tunnel, New Metro Museums, lazer cleaning Marcus Aurelius Column, Villa Silvestri Rivaldi, Exhibitions, Tomb of Cerberus
UK – Attachment E – Hadrian’s Wall
SWITZERLAND, GERMANY/AUSTRIA, FRANCE, SPAIN – Attachment G
TURKEY, EGYPT, ISRAEL, IRAN, IRAQ, LIBYA – Attachment H
SOUTH ASIA – Attachment I – Mumbai Unique Indo-Greco-Romano Ancient Trade Exhibition open for three years
A miscellaneous collection of diverse and eclectic articles on Greece and Rome for your whimsy – Attachment J
Including the much overlooked and not to be missed – The Politics of Breasts in Ancient Greece and Rome
Why not treat yourself to a New Year Present?
i – The New Byzantines by Sean Mathews — is Greece turning its back on the west? Part travelogue, part geopolitical survey, this entertaining book looks at how the country’s Near Eastern connections are being knitted back together
ii – Thrilling new versions of Greek myths pulse with queer desire and feminist fury
These two books interrogate the myths of the ancient world, stripping away centuries of patriarchal and heterosexual assumptions about the definition of heroism
FINALLY, as we venture further into the New Year and New Term, a slightly more introspective ending than the usual humorous sign off…….….
Return With Wisdom: An Ancient Principle for the New Year
The Greeks understood something we’ve forgotten about recurring patterns.
- Ancient Greeks distinguished between mindless repetition (kyklos) and wisdom-enriched return (epistrophe).
- A fourth Delphic maxim addresses constitutional stagnation: Return with Wisdom (Epistrophe meta Sophias).
- New Year’s isn’t failure if you’ve learned you’re not starting over, you’re starting from accumulated wisdom.
- Transform “I’m back here again” from shame into developmental opportunity by asking what you’ve learned.
Very Best Wishes,
The Hellene Team
Sarah, John, Claudia, James, Kerry, Nidhi and Vishal