Temple of Apollo Epikourios and New Acropolis Museum

Years 10-13 Greek Trip October 2010

In the last 40 years I have probably visited Greece twenty times, but it never loses its magic: there is always something new, if old, to see. Sitting in the University Library at Cambridge as a young undergraduate, I have vivid memories of my first encounter with the Arcadian idyll, a line-drawing of the iconic Temple of Apollo Epikourios at Bassae, with lambs gamboling carelessly among its fallen columns. Subsequent study has revealed what an enigmatic jewel it truly is, but its relative inaccessibility has always ruled it off-limits to bored coach drivers who have pleaded landslips, earthquakes and arson as excuses not to brave the winding bye-ways into the clouds of the southern Peloponnese. Happily, Greek coach drivers have always had a weakness for a pretty face - either that or Ms Bradley’s powers of persuasion exceed my own! – so, thanks to Rachel, at about the tenth time of asking, the dream finally became a reality. The temple, situated at 4000’, is sensibly protected from the elements by a canvas of 02 proportions and some of the party must have wondered what all the fuss was about. The driver for one was not tempted to leave his seat, but Rachel, Peter, Nick and Hollie shared my delight and enthused in equal measure all the way down to Argos (not, of course, the Superstore!).

The other ‘something new’, and certainly not old, is the spectacular New Acropolis Museum. Built opposite and on the same axis as the Parthenon, it is part of a new offensive to press for the return of the Elgin Marbles from the British Museum, which the in-house video unequivocally states as ‘stolen’ by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of his Britannic Majesty to the Sublime Porte. The argument for their return is complicated, emotive and would set an explosive precedent, but there are a good many right-thinking Classical scholars who support the cause, and certainly the Duveen Gallery of the BM looks very tired by comparison. If the Greek economy is currently a few billion in debt, a goodly proportion of that must have been borrowed to pay for the New Acropolis. Money spectacularly well-spent, I say: the banking fraternity have thrown away more – and with less to show to show for it.

Students: Nadia Abulhawa, Niamh Alford, James Anderson, James Asher, Christopher Atherton, Harry Bartlett, Christian Beer, Katherine Bill, Christopher Bird, Natalie Bond, Gregory Cooper, Edward Cousins, Eleanor Daghlian, William Dev, Katina Ellis, Oscar Ellis, Jack Fantham, James Foden, Benjamin Frost, Robert Goodridge, Rory Gurdon, Harry Highfield, Lucinda How-Chung, James Jenkins, Matthew Johnston, Hugo Leach, Trudi Lister, Timothy Loach, Alexander Martin, Elizabeth McCrorie-Shand, Joshua Mellor, Jennifer Mills, Max Mowbray, Yogitha Nagam, Florence Pett, Christopher Ptaszinski-Neophytou, Charles Quinnell, Milan Radakovic, Ben Ridsdale, William Robinson, Sidharth Sagar, Rory Scrimgeour, Liberty Trusselle, Jack Warren, Julia Wessels, James Whipp, Nicholas White, Olivia Woodward and Louisa Yearley.

Staff: Dick Mowbray, Rachel Bradley, Peter Northcroft, Nick Cale, Hollie Summerfield.

RKM