One of our Sixth Form Classics students, Isabel reflects on a memorable evening of classical discussion, wonderful food and fun at LEH’s annual Classics Evening with Hampton School. Bringing together students and staff, the event combined insightful lectures, student-led presentations, lively debate, and socialising offering a rich exploration of the ancient world and its relevance today.
“On Thursday 19th March, LEH hosted its annual Classics Evening with Hampton. Students and staff were delighted to attend a lecture on the purpose and contemporary reception of Virgil’s Aeneid and Augustan Rome from Cambridge professor, Ingo Gildenhard. This included a fascinating commentary on identity, geopolitics and autocratic values in the Aeneid, which students found extremely engaging and complementary to class learning.
During dinner, Hampton students gave a humorous and inventive presentation on Hercules and his victories. They considered a unique perspective on the morality of his conquests, which students found incredibly thought-provoking. The interactive nature of this talk allowed all students to contemplate different viewpoints, resulting in a lively debate.
The evening also featured a talk on the identity of Ovid from fellow Sixth Form student, Claudia. She gave a thoughtful insight into whether Ovid’s poetry was autobiographical, evaluating the messages in his poetry and the historical context in which it was written. This was a fascinating presentation which students and staff thoroughly enjoyed.
The whole evening was a great opportunity for students and staff to dress up, enjoy delicious catering and talk to like-minded people.
