Hi everyone! It’s me again, coming to you live from the comfort of my bed. I’ve missed it desperately (in particular, my mattress topper) during my recent adventures abroad — the main subject of today’s edition.
As an English major, a lot of what I study is rooted in ancient Western literary traditions. Just think of all the mythological references in Shakespeare or the use of epic form in “Paradise Lost” — almost every work in the English canon can be traced back to the OGs of Ancient Greece and Rome, if you will.
So, it’s no shocker that visiting the ruins of these ancient civilizations has been a dream of mine for a while. And with a six-week Easter vacation on my hands, I figured: What better time than now to go?
First on the itinerary was Italy — more specifically, Rome. My mom’s side of the family is Italian, so we decided to do a mother-daughter trip together back to our roots. Getting there alone was a bit stressful (especially when people spoke to me in Italian), but I made it in one piece.
And thankfully, I did, because Rome was simply amazing. The food, the streets, the architecture — I had never seen anything like it. Undoubtedly, the highlight of the trip for me was the Colosseum. At Oxford, I frequently find myself standing in the old stomping grounds of scholars from centuries past, but to stand in a structure built thousands of years ago — in particular, a structure built for violent purposes — filled me with an incomparable mix of awe and terror.
Unfortunately, I did have to leave my dream state in Rome and return to rainy England. All was not lost, however, as upon my return, I immediately started packing for my next adventure: Athens and Santorini.
Going into Greece, I was a little worried about the language barrier. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not exactly a pro at Italian. I can say basic phrases like “Buonasera!” and “Posso avere un cappuccino?” but that’s about it. However, in Greece, I knew I’d be well and truly lost. I took “How Greek and Latin Work” with Senior Lecturer Anne Mahoney during my first-year fall, but the only word I remember is the Ancient Greek salute “xaipe” (pronounced kai-ray), a piece of information that, while fun, was ultimately unhelpful.
Thankfully, communicating was not as difficult as I originally feared it would be! Almost everyone spoke English, and whenever someone spoke to me in Greek, I could simply smile and nod along (sorry if anyone was asking me something important).
Athens was arguably even more fascinating in regard to classical history due to the sheer number of ruins in the city. Of course, one of the most famous examples of ruins in Athens is the Parthenon, seated majestically atop the Acropolis.
The structure I actually preferred was right next to the Parthenon: the Erechtheion, featuring the famous Caryatids — or at least, replicas of them. Five of the real female sculptures live in the Acropolis Museum, safe from the elements, while one of the sisters lives in solitude in the British Museum.
This, of course, introduces a complicated debate regarding academia and imperialism, a debate that is not as clear-cut as right and wrong. Yes, I agree that the sisters should not be separated; however, the Acropolis Museum itself is extremely expensive for what it is (€20, on top of the recently increased price of €30 to walk around the Acropolis, and €35 if you want the accompanying audio tour). The museum itself is quite small, with it only taking an hour and a half to make a thorough walk through. In comparison, the completely free British Museum is certainly more accessible, but the artifacts are not the British’s to own.
Consequently, I’m not really sure how to feel about the whole thing. All I know is that I feel extremely fortunate to be able to afford this experience, mainly due to Tufts Global Education’s stipend.
That’s about all I have for you! Unfortunately, I have to start catching up on reading before Trinity term starts. Wish me luck!
x
Grace
