Χαίρετε! Salve! Greetings!
As Study Leave begins across the UK, John and I should be ensconced in an AirB’n’B in Chalkida/Chalkis overlooking the straights of Euripus.
It’s been many decades since our regular visits to Karystos in the south so we are expecting changes (not least tarmacked roads!) but also a wealth of early Iron Age to Roman archaeology in Aulis, Eretria, Lefkandi, Amarynthos, Katakalou, Cape Artemision……. and with luck, maybe even a Dragon House or two.
I can’t guarantee daily posts (@Sarah404BC) but hope to get a half decent Blog out of it plus an interesting Itinerary for schools with the time and inclination to explore ‘the road less travelled’.
OUT and ABOUT – Blogs and Suggestions
i – A Classical Road ‘less travelled’ by Schools is Spain. Abingdon School visited last year (see The Joys of Roman Spain) and had a marvellous time. This year Emanuel visited the Andalusia and Extremadura regions. We hope you enjoy reading about it as much as they did visiting! Appendix A
“Thank you so much to Hellene for organising the trip. One of the best ever, and tangible proof of the ‘imperium sine fine’ of the Roman Empire.”
ii – Jamie accompanied a Group to Sicily last Autumn to catch up on various archaeological sites and Hotels as we hadn’t managed to visit since before lockdown. You can read about his jam-packed trip in Appendix B
Figure 1: The view from my hotel room
iii – Two great sources of information for planning breaks in Greece and Italy The Greek Vibe and RomeWise are soon to be joined by Naples Wise, so sign up!
iv – Should you find yourself in Ghent between now and the end of June, you are in for a treat! Between 1 May to 23 June the Flemish city is being transformed into the buzzing cultural metropolis of ancient Greece, with a total of 32 Greek tragedies being performed across town.
WHAT ELSE HAS BEEN HAPPENING IN THE CLASSICAL WORLD?
Rather a lot, actually – so for the moment we are just keeping it to GREECE – Appendix C, ITALY – Appendix D and the UK–Appendix E for the time being!
Film, Videos, TV and Games
In between prepping for Exams (and marking them!), writing Reports, preparing displays for Garden Parties and Open Days, Summer Term classes can be fractured, disrupted by extramural incursions. If you are looking for a little light relief, the following might just hit the spot.
i – “Heroes of Bronze: The Memory” background of Short Film Brings Ancient Greece to Life set in the early fifth century BC and covers two of the most famous battles in the Greco-Persian Wars + the film itself “Heroes of Bronze”
iii – A new trailer for Peacock’s upcoming Roman drama Those About to Die helps ease the wait for viewers eager for Gladiator 2’s violent return to the arena. Set to star Anthony Hopkins as the Roman Emperor Vespasian, the 10-episode historical drama was created by Saving Private Ryan screenwriter Robert Rodat, based on the 1958 book of the same name by Daniel P. Mannix. Directed by Roland Emmerich and Marco Kreuzpaintner, the series is slated to make its streaming debut on July 18, 2024
iv – Kids Learn About Ancient Greece With The Help Of Video Game Assassin’s Creed In This Teacher’s Class
v – How well do you know the ancient cities and sites of Campania, including Pompeii and Herculaneum? We’ve put together a playlist of our favorite Ancient Rome Live videos (and some from Darius Arya directly!) about these incredible sites for you to enjoy today – watch free here
vi – SPQR: Ancient Rome quiz game launches in Italy
vii – As a History Professor, This Is How I (Sarah Bond) Use AI in Class. Instead of assigning my routine Gladiator review, I asked students to query ChatGPT about the film’s historical inaccuracies
ix – Soar over ancient Rome’s temples, brothels and baths in epic new 3D reconstruction
x – Fox Series ‘Krapopolis’ Set in Ancient Greece Upsets Modern Greeks
xi – Walking around ancient Athens is possible in games. But how historically accurate is it?
xiii – The Return starting Ralph Fiennes as Odysseus is due for release September 27, 2024
xiv – Megalopolis is competing for the Palme d’Or at Cannes where it is set to premiere on May 17, 2024.
RESOURCES AND TEACHING MATERIALS
In your free time (!) and with any remaining energy (!) should you contemplate updating Schemes of Work and Lesson Plans………don’t forget to peruse the BSA Video Archive Lectures and Seminars which are available online. Several new recordings of their hybrid lectures have been added. Similarly, Warwick Classics Network has a stupendous collection of resources on offer.
If you are not quite at that stage, you may yet find one or two items of interest in Appendix F – a miscellaneous collection of diverse and eclectic articles for your whimsy.
It’s almost Half Term!
Very Best Wishes,
The Hellene Team
Sarah, John, Claudia, James, Kerry, Nidhi and Vishal