British Museum Trip - Student Report

One of the things I enjoyed the most about the fantastic visit to the British Museum this year was seeing the magnificent Parthenon Frieze, ­which depicts a significant religious festival held in honour of the goddess Athena, the Panathenaiac festival. In addition to this, one of the things which caught my attention the most was definitely the Bassae frieze, which portrays the Amazonomachy, a mythological battle between the ancient Greeks and an army of female warriors, the Amazons. Having the outstanding opportunity to see both the Bassae frieze and the Parthenon frieze, was an invaluable experience as it effectively enables us to widen our understanding on the lives of the broad culture and traditions of the Ancient Greeks, as well as contributing greatly to our studies of Women in the Ancient World.

Moreover, as we were going around the museum one of my favourite things I saw was certainly the statues of different deities, in particular the statue of the god Dionysus, god of wine, festivity, religious ecstasy, and theatre. Additionally, I saw an imposing statue of a maenad, a female follower of Dionysus. I am hugely grateful for having the opportunity to see these two spectacular statues, as it will greatly enhance my knowledge on the religion topic we cover as part of our studies while also reinforcing my knowledge on the role of women in the ‘Worship of Dionysus’ festival in Ancient Greece. Furthermore, I believe that the most valuable artefact I saw at the British museum was certainly one of the six Caryatids, which play the significant role of supporting the Erechtheion temple in the Acropolis in Athens. This was a very meaningful and worthwhile experience for me, as the Caryatids are the embodiment of youth, piety and feminine strength, and are a prominent part of understanding the history of my culture in more depth.

Subsequently, I saw the marble tombstone of Timarete, a notable part of our visit, which represents a woman who passed away, leaving her infant to the care of a nurse. This was a very heart-warming artefact, linking closely to our study of the Stele of Ampharete, a similar artefact, displaying a woman embracing her grandchild in her arms. Seeing the Stele of Timarete, gave me an insight into the maternal and nurturing nature of the women in Ancient Greece and evidently conveying their true love and devotion to their children.

Overall, this year’s visit to the British museum was an experience I will be forever grateful for, as it is certainly unforgettable. It was a day which I will treasure for a long time and always remember in the future. I would also like to thank our incredible teachers for taking us on this trip, and for giving all of us the amazing opportunity to see the all the most magnificent and impressive artefacts of the most diverse cultures in history.

Panagiota - Year 10