Latin Camp MMXVIII Anno Domini

The camp held from the 31st of August to the 2nd of September was the 43rd Classics Camp. There were 143 students in attendance; our seven eager young minds were in the minority but still filled with just as much enthusiasm as all those who attended. At night it could get a bit rowdy, but I think we can all agree that was probably Sydney Boys.

Schools such as Presbyterian Ladies College, Newington College, Trinity Grammar School and Sydney Boys High attended the camp, a real mix of both public and private education. Fort Street was attending for the first time in many years, after the much regretted drought of Latin at the school in recent times.

While we did not speak Latin for the whole the camp, as some may derive from the name, we did learn some exciting things about Roman culture and mythology. We were taken on a bushwalk into the ‘underworld’ through the magical land we know as the “Australian Bush” and told stories of ages long past and heroes of yore. We met the vicious Cerberus, the three headed dog who guards the underworld. We, due to our pure hearts, were sent to Elysium by Minos as we heard tales of the punishments undergone by those vile souls who had been doomed to spend eternity in Hades.

In a fantastically engaging Roman Army show we tried on armour, which truthfully was not all Roman, and learnt how the Roman Army managed to conquer half of Europe and become one of the greatest armies of all time. We met one of their greatest foes, the Greeks, who employed the mighty and fearsome Phalanx in battle to cut down enemies who charged at their imposing wall of pikes.

We participated in gladiatorial battles, fighting fiercely for our lives. Here one of the more notable battles was that between Peter and Daniel, who managed to somehow take each other out at the same time. Dead gladiators were sent to the underworld, ready to be judged by the gods.

Using some famous Latin quotes, or ones we managed to come up with ourselves (with a little help from our teachers!), we made beautiful t-shirts and badges as a reminder of how wonderful Latin is as a language. It was also a token to preserve the existence of the rich culture and language, so it can never die.

Then we marched in a Triumph, each of us playing a wide range of parts, varying from musicians to soldiers, priests to captured slaves. Our imperator, or greatest general, who was played by one of the camp teachers rode in his chariot while the common people, played by us students, shouted his name in triumph as he continued around accepting flowers and other gifts.

The Latin Camp of 2018 was a fantastic experience for all, a thrilling adventure through the culture and mythology of the Romans. We learnt about Roman armies, and got to try on their armour. We fought against each other in vicious gladiatorial battles, often resulting in some hilarious moments. We even held our own Ludi, the Roman equivalent of the Olympic games. Latin Camp was something that I think we are all glad we went on, a once in a life experience to meet others who were interested in Latin like us and have a weekend full of fun!

The Latin Class of 2019.