By Sophia A and Nishka P, Year 10

On Wednesday 25th February, all Classics students from Years 10 to 13 had the opportunity to attend the annual Classics Dinner. This was an amazing evening that allowed everyone to share their love for Classics whilst enjoying a Mediterranean buffet and listening to a fascinating talk by Eve Harrington, an NHEHS alumna and Classics DPhil candidate at Oxford.

We found the talk extremely engaging. It was mainly focused on her thesis on the parallels between Virgil’s beehive (and Roman literature in general) and Plato’s philosophy and particularly his work in the Republic. Luckily, she explained these complex ideas in a clear and engaging way, which helped us follow and reflect on her work. It was really inspiring to hear how her own studies had developed from the same curriculum we are currently following. This talk has definitely increased our enthusiasm for studying Aeneid Book 2, as her discussion of the Georgics deepened our understanding and provided context to the epic.

Later on in the evening, everyone split into groups to take part in a quiz which really brought out the competitive sides of many of those attending! This was extremely fun and we found that it was a great way to get to know people from other years who we may not have known otherwise. Our favourite part of the evening was being able to study Latin outside of the classroom, in a more relaxed and social way.

Overall, the Classics Dinner was a memorable and enriching experience, and we are already looking forward to next year’s event.