The Abingdonian 2019

16 The Abingdonian Classics Trip to Italy The scene of the Renaissance, the home of the Romans, the birthplace of opera - prospects that could hardly be imagined by the somewhat bewildered group of Abingdonian classicists at 3:30 am, Saturday 20 October. With the lights all too bright and the suitcases all too heavy, we were more than glad to pile into the Alitalia flight and fall asleep. By midday, we reached Hotel Portamaggiore and soon set off to explore the centre of Rome. Our first stop was the Palazzo Massimo museum, a brilliant collection of enchanting mosaics, famous statues - including Augustus as priest – and beautiful murals portraying countryside panoramas. The sofas too were a welcome treat for tired boys (as well as Mr Chase). Following this, we visited the Baths of Diocletian, or rather the church built by Michelangelo in 1563 on top of its ruins. We were met with the majesty and grandeur of immense paintings, towering marble columns and resplendent decorations. Its enormity and wealth of colour tempted Mr. Jenkins to utilise his photographic apparatus, the results of which can be seen on display in the classics department to this day. We strolled back to the hotel, enjoyed a much-anticipated dinner, and hit the hay. Sunday saw an early rise and a journey by coach to the archeological site of Ostia Antica, the harbour city of ancient Rome. ‘Os’ meaning ‘mouth’ in Latin, the city was located at the mouth of the river Tiber and served as Rome’s seaport. However, due to silting it now lies two miles from the coast. The excellent preservation of its elaborate frescoes, mosaics, and buildings formed a captivating experience. After a brief lecture inside the theatre, the Abingdonians were set free to explore. We swarmed into nearly all the passages and buildings, yet the site of exceptional attraction was the ancient bar or ‘popina,’ where Mrs McKend took up the part-time role of barista. Our next stop was the Ara Pacis or Altar of Peace; a dedication by Augustus to the goddess Pax. Commissioned by the Senate on 4 July 13 BCE, it was originally located in the northeastern corner of the Campus Martius, the flood plain of the Tiber. Gradually, the altar became buried under four metres of silt, and was reassembled in the Museum of the Ara Pacis in 1938. The Luna marble reliefs are carved to the finest details, displaying the Augustan vision of civil religion and the prosperity and profusion that comes with peace. Tristan Tonks, resembling Indiana Jones down to the finest details, provided an informative tour of the museum. From there, we invaded the city centre, passing the Pantheon, the Altare della Patria, and several alluring ice cream vendors before eventually arriving at the Capitoline Museums. Beautifully decorated ceilings of gold and dark blue surrounded us, while paintings and statues told of the stories and myths of Rome. The building itself was a work of art. Upon arriving at the Capitoline Wolf, one classicist unable to restrain his enthusiasm delighted in stroking the priceless statue. This action provoked the security guard to berate our colleague wildly, yapping in a bizarre compound of Inglese-Italiano. Naturally, the Colosseum was on the itinerary and by 8am the next day we had already assembled inside. Overwhelmed by its enormity and architectural splendour, boys jostled each other and fellow tourists in hot pursuit of the most social-media worthy picture. Indeed, this was a feature of the whole day, given the Palatine Hill’s view of the stunning skyline of Rome, the Forum Romanum’s grand temple ruins and the Pantheon’s symmetry and mathematical perfection. Abingdonians were fiercely competitive, with Dr Burnand’s promise of chocolate for the best photograph always in mind. After a brief lunch at ‘Il McDonald’s’, we split into three groups. Some of us visited a new museum which displayed the archeological findings around Trajan’s Forum. We also learnt about the Conquest of Dacia as depicted on Trajan’s Column - particularly interesting for me, as I often visit my grandparents in Romania (modern Dacia). We concluded the day with a visit to the picturesque Piazza Navona where we splashed out on ice creams and crêpes. The next day we bid goodbye to Hotel Portamaggiore and set out for Sorrento. Gradually, the landscape began to change; mountains rose up and we were soon driving along the coast. Stopping at Sperlonga and visiting the cave in which Sejanus had saved Tiberius from a rock fall, we re-enacted Odysseus killing the Cyclops. Despite