Prep V travelled back in time today when we were visited by Penelope, a lady from Ancient Greece who was trying to decide which Greek city was the best place to live – Athens or Sparta.
Firstly, we investigated some Athenian artefacts. We enjoyed trying out the theatrical masks and wigs, looking at models of Athens’ famous buildings as well as pottery, jewellery and coins from the Athenian marketplace. We also examined a wax tablet, an abacus and a papyrus scroll showing the Greek alphabet from the Academy, and the rather unpleasant looking snakes and leeches which were often a Greek doctor’s remedies.
Our next stop was the Greek theatre, where Isha was the evil, snake-haired Medusa and Austin was the fearsome Minotaur. We also visited the agora or marketplace, where Leo and Alice – a rich Athenian couple – wanted to buy some slaves. There was a promising selection in Prep Five; Carlo was chosen to work in the silver mines, while Toban was chosen to be a potter. Who knows, if they work really hard, they might even be set free some day!
Next, we looked at life in Sparta, a much more rural place with five villages each ruled by an ephor. With his grey wig and walking stick, Zulfikar played the part one of these elderly judges. Lucy was a strong Spartan woman who took her baby to Zulfikar to inspect. If the baby was weak, it would be abandoned on the mountain side to die. Fortunately, the baby was deemed to be strong enough and named Heracles. Seven years later, the baby (now played by Max), was ordered to leave home and go to the agoge, the Spartan military school for boys. Pointing to the door, Anji, a fierce Spartan mother said there was to be no whining, and Max was to return when he had a beard in ten years’ time.
Spartan school had no buildings, tents or dormitories but was just fields where the boys slept on the ground. The class was called a herd, and boys learnt to run, swim, wrestle, steal their food and most importantly, they learnt never to surrender or show pain. Disobedience was punished by a bite from the teacher; fortunately, our Spartan boy Dexter behaved like a true Spartan warrior! We also found out that Spartan soldiers were very proud of their long curly hair which they thought made then resemble a lion with a long mane. Dexter and Joe carefully combed and oiled each other’s long curly wigs prior to battle. Next it was Robyn’s turn to be a Spartan soldier and she modelled some heavy armour complete with a helmet, assisted by her faithful slave Darcy. The girls acted the part of harsh Spartan wives who sent their husbands off to battle with the words, “Come back with your shield or on your shield!” (In other words, come back victorious or dead!)
We enjoyed two Spartan games during our morning’s activities. Pattae, was rather like draughts, and we used black and white pebbles to capture our opponents’ pieces. Some of us showed great cunning and strategic skills! Next, we played an Athenian game of chance which told us our fortune. Using a dice, chance cards and a set of owls we had a series off adventures during which some of us caught Medusa, rode the winged horse Pegasus and successfully defeated the Persians.
Finally, we used our pottery skills to design clay coins. Alice decorated hers with a trident, Max put a tragedy mask on his coin, while Theo and Sam’s coins showed snakes, the symbol of Asclepius the ancient Greek god of medicine and healing, Just before Penelope departed on her long voyage back to Ancient Greece, it was time to decide if we would prefer to live in the city of Athens or Sparta. We voted, and Sparta won, although there were a few of us who favoured the more creative and academic Athenian lifestyle. Our thanks to Alison from Makers of History for such an entertaining, educational and exciting morning, as well as to all our parents for their continued support.
I enjoyed when we got to play with the owl it was so amazing
From Athena
It was very fun I liked holding the artefacts.
Overall I would live in Sparta.
Don’t forget to put your first name on your comment…
I loved when we were passing round the Greek artifacts round the room.I liked when we made Greek coins out of clay and made different things from Greek myths
Gabriel Griffiths
I loved when we did the clay coins and when I dress with Claudia and Phillipa. Claudia was a king and if you disobay the king you would have to drink poison and die like Jovi .Phillipa was the person to tell what they are building and they had to pay for the building.I was a greek night and
I let the people vote insted of me and I let them one vote and what they pick we will build. I loved the greek games they were fun to play and i liked the one with the cards its very fun.
. I like when Lucy was a mummy to a sparta child and if a baby was weak they would throw it on a hill side.
I loved it when Penelope came because we got to hold all the Ancient Greek artefact’s and the masks were fun because you could wear them either side you wanted to and when we dressed up I become a potter the king treated me well better Than the miner and it was funny when the shield was nearly as big as Darcy and how did they hold the massive swords for that long ?
I liked the day, because Penelope came in to teach us about the Ancient Greeks. It was great fun because we got to dress up and act like Greek people. Alice and Leo were dressed up as a rich people and Toban and Carlo dressed up as a Potter and a Miner. Robyn and I were dressing up like soldiers. Robyn tried on the armour and I tried on the shield. Then we played a game which was where you had to read some pink and blue cards and then we had to count how many Owls we had at the end and that would revealed what job you were. We then played another game which was like chess, but with rocks. Alice and I played together and it was whoever went first in the game that won. At the end of the workshop, we made some clay coins, and Alice and I made some mini Greek coins.
BY: Darcy Spavin
I liked the picture with the big shield .and I also liked the picture with the mask that can be worn either way
From Theo Carswell
This day was awesome when Penelope came in I was really excited that we have no work and we have fun to do my favourite bit was doing the games I lost every round but it was still really fun my favourite game was the one that was like chest Dexter won every game again tho but it’s fine and I liked it when Lucy and zulfikar dressed up and saw if The babby was strong enough luckily it was I wouldn’t like it to be dead on a cliff I felt sorry for max when he got kicked out my anti / his mum .and I liked it when Flo and Phil and me were kings and Flo gave them a decision what to do with the silver but with me I said we’re going to fight to go to the theatre at lunch time and jovi. Disobeyed me so she had to drink poison and she died right in front of everyone and I dint like when we got the medicine Because everyone said it’s human blood then Oliver said it’s pig blood? Like what? I was a bit grossed out well alot my the leaches they were minging then when we got passed the owl I was thinking why a owl and Dexter said it’s medusas pet owl and that made more sence because Medusa was a myth in the Ancient Greece 🇬🇷 I do really love learning about the Ancient Greece . Thank you very much miss sweeney for letting Penelope come into school and teach us more and show us stuff
From Claudia ❤️
I had fun dressing up like a soldier. I really enjoyed make the clay coins because I added lots of details.
Robyn
I loved playing the checkers and i am i little sad that i didnt see my other pictures but thats ok!
I had a lot of fun doing this I really enjoyed making the coins and dressing up. Making the coins were fun because we got to do our own Greek design which I thought was cool. Dressing up was so fun! and I enjoyed acting as a disobedient person not wanting to go to war. I would definitely live in Sparta because woman get respected more and get there own farms , get to take charge. Where as in Athens you don’t get a choice and have to stay in the house all day which for me is unbearable you also don’t get to be in charge and be free. As both countries have their downsides and good sides id still choose to live in Sparta. The good things in Athens are that you don’t have to pay taxes where as in Sparta you do also in Athens most people have money and good quality things. In Sparta there are also good things like they have really good quality military and surprisingly an equal amount of gender. Now the downsides of Athens only men have choices and there is no democracy for women they also had a military failure in one of the wars they had women are slaves and foreign people they were excluded from political rights. The downside of Sparta is there were a lot of people being used as slaves just like in Athens. The agoge children got forced to go there as soon as they turned seven and didn’t get a proper childhood like the boys in Athens but girls didn’t have to they got to do sporting events , races , dancing competitions and more. The citizens had little freedom or individuality.
BY : Jovi
i really liked the acting and the passing round the artifacts .
from Max.
I was an old man and it was really funny and overall it was really good because we got to dress up in a lot of costumes
I loved the experience when Penelope came in I saw my picture of dressing up as Medusa and it was so embarrassing I liked playing the game with the black and white drafts because I kept beating Leo. I also like making the coins out of clay. I liked looking at the artefacts and sorting them out at the end my favourite artefact was the owl which represented Athena the goddess of war and wisdom. Overall the experience was fun and interesting I would have rather be a Spartan woman because you get to vote and train and do athletics and gymnastics.
(by Isha)
I had such a good time and I learnt a lot and I think I would’ve chosen to live in Ancient Sparta because the women get to own property and were very tough and also get a vote but the women of Ancient Athens. I had a really great time I would love to do it again.
-Edie Redfern Prep V
I really enjoyed the Greek workshop! The games we played were really fun and according to the owl game, I am going to be a rich lady! It was really funny when everyone had to dress up as ladies or men from Athens or Sparta. I had to dress up as a rich lady from Sparta who just had a baby. The wig I had to wear made me look really funny! I also liked when Isha and Austin pretended to be actors in the oldest theatre in the whole world!(Austin looked really funny as the Minator and so did Isha as Medusa). I found the old Greek items really interesting especially the lamp that looked like a tea pot (at least I thought it looked like a tea pot).
If I had to chose I would chose to live in Sparta because in Athens women used to have to ask permission from the men to go outside. While in Sparta, women can own their own farm and go anywhere they wanted. It was interesting to learn about how the Sparta men fought with other countries and how if you were a boy when you turn 7 you’d have to go and train to be a fighter. We also learnt that women in Sparta had short hair and men had long hair to look like lions to scare their enemies.
I found the day really interesting and fun!
Lucy
I really liked the playing the game with Joe and Theo and i liked making the coins,Austin.Royle
I loved designing the clay coin with pottery and I liked dressing up in the rich woman outfit.
Alice
It was amazing it was so much fun. I would prefer to live In Sparta because they have very interesting weapons