Students from the Department of Classics went on a fully funded five-day visit to Greece, made possible by the generosity of the Jamie Rumble Memorial Fund.

In late June 2023, 14 students from the Classics Department travelled to Greece, exploring ancient and modern highlights of Athens. Koraes Professor Gonda Van Steen led the field trip, which was part of the undergraduate module, Adventures in Ancient Greek Drama.

Students visited a range of museums and sites with a focus on drama, art and architecture. In addition to the must-see sites of Athens, such as the Theatre of Dionysus, Acropolis and Acropolis Museum), the students also explored the Basil and Elise Goulandris Foundation Museum, where they enjoyed a guided tour of major works of art in the collection. Professor Van Steen also took students on walking tours that included visits to the Panathenaic Stadium, the National Gardens, the Arch of Hadrian, the temple of Olympian Zeus, the Roman Forum and Agora, the Plaka area and Tower of the Winds, and the riverbed of the llisos River.

Participants enjoyed their stay in the modern student apartments provided by The Athens Centre, which added to their living experience of a residential neighbourhood in downtown Athens. They spent time in the colourful Friday farmers’ market in the Pangrati neighbourhood, shopping for fresh fruits and vegetables and interacting with the local traders. As the weather was perfect for swimming, several students even managed to fit in some late-afternoon beach visits.

The Department of Classics is grateful to the generous sponsor for making the 2023 Rumble trip possible. ‘I so appreciate the efforts made by others to open up the Greek world to our students, in the most democratic and diverse ways possible’, said Professor Van Steen. ‘I myself see Athens with new eyes each time I take a group of newcomers to the city. We are very grateful for the steady sponsorship that the Rumble Fund has provided’.

The Jamie Rumble Memorial Fund was established in 2013 to support teaching in Graeco-Roman art and its legacy at King’s. It was created thanks to a major donation by a former student in Classical Archaeology. The fund enables undergraduate and postgraduate students to visit the sites and objects explored in lectures. Specially designed trips, guided by departmental experts, are provided without cost to King’s students, complementing and expanding the Department’s extensive provision in Classical Art and Archaeology.

More information about the Rumble Trip can be found here. For further information about the Jamie Rumble Travel Fund in King’s Department of Classics and the activities it supports in the fields of Art and Archaeology, please contact Professor Gonda Van Steen and Dr Will Wootton.