Calder Classics student, Lily Kerr, reviews Madeline Miller’s Circe. Lily explains how Miller brings a fresh perspective to an ancient story, imbuing a glossed-over character with renewed relevance.
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greek in Modern Greece—My Calder Summer
Ancient GreeceCommentby Morgan Yang
It was with slight trepidation that I embarked on my study of Ancient Greek, for unlike my fellow students, I’ve never studied any ancient language before, not even Latin, but it didn’t take long for me to realize that my fears were misplaced.
Within the warm embrace of the JV team, I started from my alpha beta gammas and slowly moved up to face the many faces of the complex beast, also known as GRAMMAR. It was surprising to see how much progress we had made, from the illiterate ‘this is all Greek to me’ phase to the ‘this is still Greek but I can translate everything I know about it’ phase. Certainly, it would be foolish to think that three weeks and seven units of Hansen and Quinn are sufficient for a beginner to fully grasp a language, but I think the vital thing that we’re learning here is how a language works and how to study it, and that in itself is singularly precious experience.
One thing I really loved was how our activities and studies were scheduled intermittently so that every day we had something to look forward to. Whether it was a shopping trip near Aristotelous Square (with grumpy Aris sulking in his chair), a class on Greek cooking, a visit to an archaeological museum or even just an afternoon hanging out by the seaside, listening to the waves lapping and feeling the sea breeze against your cheek, everything was new and exciting and quite marvelous.
So, in the end, I’d like to thank the Calder family, for making all this possible; I’d like to thank my teachers, Sarah and Collomia, for being amazing people and dealing out their wisdom and insights by the bucketful; I’d like to thank my classmates on this trip who were all awesome friends; and I’d like to thank Victoria, Stamatis and Tryfon, for looking after us and guiding us on our trip. I didn’t know what to expect when I came; I certainly did not expect these three weeks to be some of the best in my life when I left. I will definitely be back someday, Calder Classics; you sure haven’t heard the last from me yet (unsubtle wink).
A "Who's Who" of Female Characters in Ancient Greek Tragedy: Medea
Ancient GreeceCommentA "Who's Who" of Female Characters in Ancient Greek Tragedy: Alcestis
Ancient GreeceCommentBy Calder Classics Intern and high school junior Bailey Franzoi
In this second post in our series highlighting the the most significant female roles in ancient Greek tragedy and their influence through the ages, we'll meet Alcestis, the husband-saver and willing sacrifice.
A “Who’s Who” of Female Characters in Ancient Greek Tragedy: Antigone
Ancient GreeceCommentWho are the most important female characters in ancient Greek tragedy?
In this first post in a series highlighting the the most significant female roles in ancient Greek tragedy and their influence through the ages, we'll meet Antigone, Sophocles' rebel.
Q&A with the Barnard Columbia Ancient Drama Group
Ancient GreeceCommentCalder Classics recently caught up with Simone Oppen and Anna Conser, directors of the Barnard Columbia Ancient Drama Group's Choephoroi, an ancient Greek tragedy written in the late sixth / early fifth century BCE. Read more about the challenges of staging a play entirely in ancient Greek, composing an original music score, and the unique role of the chorus in this haunting tragedy about family relationships and the self/other→
“Raise the Bar”: Powerful Women in Ancient Greece
Ancient GreeceCommentCalder Classics recently attended “Raise the Bar,” an event that featured 50 different lectures in 50 different bars around New York City. All for free. At Tarallucci e Vino on the upper west side, Columbia Classics Professor Helene Foley spoke about powerful women in ancient Greek tragedy.
Check out some of the most interesting facts from the lecture here→