HeLDEANi CLOSEC SCHOOL CLASSICoS DEPARTMENNT MAGAZINE The Wilson Challenge Life of a Roman Slave AS Temples and Structures The Man behind the Muscle Volume 3 | Michaelmas Term 2016 Welcome WELCoME To THE THIRD EDITIon oF THE DEAn CLoSE N CLASSICS DEPARTMEnT MAGAzInE ‘HELICON’ o C i L e elcome to the third edition of the Dean Close Classics Department magazine Helicon. You will find in these pages submissions from teaching colleagues and H the final crossword puzzle from our expert cruciverbalist, Eliot Tottman, who has left us to begin his Classics degree course at Exeter University and also contributes an essay on Plato. We are also sad to say goodbye to Mr Charles Wright, who had been helping us out in his retirement, and Miss Connie Chapman, who moves on to the Classics WDepartment of St John’s, Leatherhead. For the first time, Helicon includes two Contents collections of essays: the first is a set of literary analyses written by members of last year’s GCSE Latin set on a passage from Virgil’s Aeneid; the second is a 3. The Wilson Challenge number of submissions to our annual Wilson Challenge: a competition open to The mystery of Venus de Milo’s missing arms Phidias’ Statue of Zeus at Olympia all members of the school, which at the end of the Trinity Term 2016 required Praxiteles’ Aphrodite of Knidos entrants to investigate any work of art or building from classical antiquity that Forma Urbis Romae Atlantis has been lost to us and, then, to evaluate its significance. Since Mr 9. The Life of a Roman Slave Brian Wilson finally retired in July 10. Eliot’s Cruciverbalists’ Corner - crossword this year at the spritely young age 11. Practical Class Civ – Tooke and Flaxman of 80 years old, the members of the 12. To what extent are women portrayed as victims in Virgil’s Aeneid? Department would like to dedicate 14. Reflections on AS Temples and Sculptures this edition to him, in recognition of many years of loyal and 16. Does Plato provide an Authoritative Thesis of Wisdom? outstanding service as a teacher of 17. Greek Koine: the Language of the Romans? Classics at Dean Close. 18. Heracles in Tragedy: the Man behind the Muscle 20. Literary Analyses of Virgil’s Aeneid 9:314-50 23. How Athenian is our version of The odyssey? David Evans 2 The Wilson Challenge HeLiCoN The Wilson challenge encourages students to be independent in their learning and to be able to develop an argument which is coherent, well supported and robustly defended The Wilso nChallenge Brian Wilson was appointed Head of Classics in 1995 Brian’s knowledge of both Classical and English Literature following the retirement of Brian Wilson as was impressive and his lessons always started with what he both Head of Classics and Senior Master. Brian described as “a pearl”, a quotation form Thucydides, was a much revered figure, a schoolmaster of Aristotle or Homer, for example, by which means he was extraordinary talents equally at home discussing able to introduce scholars to the literature and history of the the merits of Horace as a poet with an Classical world. His contributions to the sixth Form oxbridge student as he was talking scrums and Symposium were always eagerly anticipated as he would rucks with a member of the first XV. always choose a passage from a favourite author of his to read Persuading Brian to return to the Classics Department on a out aloud. His pronunciation, and his sensitivity to the part-time basis must rank as one of the easiest tasks that I cadences of Latin verse in particular (delivered in a lilting have fulfilled in my role as Head of Department; it also Belfast accent) made the symposium an experience that I proved to be a stroke of genius! Brian’s command of both always looked forward to. Recital was followed by exegesis – IClassical languages is superb and many of our best scholars full of insight, marked by a clarity of exposition and have benefited from his lexicon-like knowledge of delivered with a quite brilliant economy of expression. I vocabulary, his ability to find just the right word in Latin and remember vividly Brian’s recital of Catullus LI (ille mi par in Greek. In fact, the Greek lexicon was never far away from esse deo videtur…) in which he Brian who appeared to be umbilically attached to it! Brian’s dissected the poem with surgical skill approach to language was rigorous, with the acquisition of and brought out the longing and grammatical and syntactical knowledge a key ingredient in urgency communicated by Catullus’ his teaching; principal parts, paradigms, conjugations and use of the Sapphic metre. declensions - they all had to be learnt so thoroughly that The Wilson challenge encourages they became part of one’s DnA. Brian carried out much of students to be independent in their his teaching in the Classics resources room which was learning and to be able to develop an renamed Plato’s Cave in recognition of the learning that was argument which is coherent, well generated within it. In his refusal to bow before the high supported and robustly defended – a altar of political correctness, his Juvenal-like scorn for fitting tribute to BKW, magister modern day preoccupations and his terse and witty magnus, homo universalis. pronouncements on everyday life, Brian ensured that there was never a dull moment when working alongside him. Jon Allen 3 The Wilson Challenge Phidias’ Statue of Zeus at Olympia he olympic Games were implemented during each olympics, founded in 776 BC. forbidding armies from entering olympia, Although for the first 200 suspending disputes, and outlawing the death years, these games only penalty. This had a very practical element, had regional importance, allowing athletes and spectators to travel to the with athletes coming games unimpeded, but perhaps more from nearby mountains, they expanded to importantly, provided a time of peace, in include all of the Greek cities, as well as Syria, which diplomacy and negotiations could take TAsia Minor and Egypt. Therefore, the original place, away from the arenas of war. shrine to zeus was no longer sufficient, so a much larger temple began construction in This helped to de-escalate conflicts and defuse 470 BC, designed by Libon of Elis. However, tensions, as both sides could meet in a peaceful when the temple finished construction in 456 context. The statue itself played a very BC, it was still deemed unworthy, as after all, important role, uniting the Greeks around the the very function of the olympics was to one thing they all shared – their poly-theistic worship the king of the gods. Consequently, a religion. opposing sides both used to sacrifice statue was commissioned – the Statue of zeus to the Statue of zeus, re-affirming their at olympia, which would become one of the similarities during conflict. Even during the seven ancient wonders of the world. The Peloponnesian War, a conflict between Athens sculptor Phidias was chosen for this and Sparta which in reality dragged in every monumental task, as he had already proven his Greek city, the olympics continued, and skill by erecting a 40 foot statue of the Sparta guaranteed safe passage through the goddess Athena in Athens. territory they held, into olympia. Although none of the statue remains, the geographer Pausanias and historian But how is this relevant today? During the London 2012 olympics, the idea Strabo give us detailed accounts of the statue. There are numerous theories as of an olympic truce was re-captured. In 2011, a United nations resolution to how the statue was destroyed; some believe the emperor Caligula was passed to “build a peaceful and better world through sport and the demanded the statue to be taken to Rome, during a recall of all statues, so that olympic ideal”. Despite this, at least 30 wars raged during this olympic zeus’ head could be replaced with his. However, Caligula was assassinated period, whereas only twice was the truce broken in ancient times. It is shortly afterwards, so this may not have been carried out. The statue was 40 inconceivable that in modern times such a truce would be effective, due to the feet tall and 22 feet wide, and had a highly ornate throne with gold, ebony, and huge cultural, religious and ideological rifts that exist between most warring ivory, inlaid with precious stones. zeus held a sceptre in his left hand, and a countries, and the all-encompassing, geopolitical nature of modern warfare. statue of the goddess nike in his right, symbolising the victory that athletes However, surely it is not implausible to suggest that, occasionally, countries pursued in the games. could learn from the ancients, putting their differences aside, working to create a more peaceful, co-operative world. To appreciate the significance of the statue, we first need to understand the geography of Greece at this time. Greece was not as we know it today, but a I end with a quotation from the President of the International olympic collection of small city states, most notably Athens and Sparta. City states were Committee during the height of the cold war, where it seemed that the games constantly competing for limited resources, so wars were frequent, making the would be cancelled: “In the Golden Age there was an olympic truce and all region very unstable. warfare stopped during the period of the games, after two thousand years of civilization, we stop the games and continue our wars.” The olympics originally only functioned to worship zeus, but began to gain political significance, unifying the Greek states.