These bronze statuettes of runners dating from about 430BC were part of the Ancient Greeks: Athletes, Warriors and Heroes exhibition in Auckland last year. They belong to the British Museum. Photo / Jason Oxenham
August is an august month, especially this year as Massey University celebrates 50 years of classical studies.
In 1973, the university hired Dr Stuart Lawrence as the first permanent staff member to teach classical studies.
As part of the celebrations, Palmerston North City Library is running Classics Week starting on August 7.
Jumping Jellybeans, Baby Bob and Lib Lab will have a classics focus.
On Saturday, August 12, from 1pm to 3.30pm, there will be a family fun afternoon at Central Library.
Activities include rock painting with classical designs, tabletop games from the ancient world, a Greek and Roman quiz, and a treasure hunt. Students at the Greek and Roman School can have a go at Latin cursive writing and Greek letters.
There will be ancient and modern Greek dancing on Sunday, August 13, from 2pm to 3pm, at Youth Space.
On the same day and at the same venue, there will be a free Greek cooking demonstration for adults, from 4pm to 7pm, using ingredients from ancient times. Registrations are essential: email genny.vella@pncc.govt.nz.
Throughout the week, there will be a display of reproductions of antiquities from the classical studies programme and books about the classical world at Central Library.
Massey classical studies programme co-ordinator Associate Professor Gina Salapata is organising the celebrations.
They start on Friday, August 4, with an ancient Greek banquet at Wharerata.
The menu, designed by the resident Greek chef, uses only ingredients that were available in ancient times.
“It’s quite a feat considering that popular items like tomatoes, potatoes, lemons, rice and pasta were not yet introduced during that era,” Salapata says.
“There will be no Greek salad, I’m afraid.”
To see the menu and to book, email wharerata@massey.co.nz.
The celebrations conclude on Saturday, August 26, with a performance by Michael Hurst, based on the Roman novel The Golden Ass.
Salapata says the ancient Greeks and Romans asked many meaningful questions about life we are still concerned with today: what it means to be human, what is justice, rationalism versus religion.
Many things we take for granted have their origins in ancient times, such as theatre, Olympic Games, science, medicine, philosophy and law.
“They gave us our ideas of democracy and even explored what happiness is.”
Knowledge of ancient Greece and Rome is essential for understanding modern civilisation.
Salapata has been interested in the classics since she was young. She grew up in Argos in Greece. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, and the oldest in Europe.
Holidays and day trips included visits to archeological sites. Her uncle lived next door and he would find objects from ancient times in their yard.
She knew she wanted to be an archeologist from a young age and considers herself lucky her profession is also her hobby.
She is interested in how the average person lived and thought and says we can learn a lot from the material remains that have survived from ancient times.
The ancients dealt with similar issues and problems we still face today, such as ethnic identity, multiculturalism and colonialism.
“Studying the way they responded to these complex challenges can help us find solutions to our problems.”
Salapata started at Massey in 1995.
She chose August for the celebrations as the month is named after Augustus Caesar, the first Roman emperor.
The Australasian Society for Classical Studies is financially supporting the celebrations.
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