A Carnival of Classics
Emily Small reads her poem, “A Carnival of Classics”.
A Carnival of Classics is a celebration of all things classical studies. It’s a poem for anyone unfamiliar with the discipline, anyone like 16 year-old me who saw classics on a course option form and had no idea what it was, anyone on the cusp of diving head first into a vibrant world full of exciting characters, engaging debate and breathtaking archaeology, anyone of whom, quite frankly, I’m extremely jealous – oh, to start all over again!
It’s also a poem for those of us who already call this subject home, a reminder (if we needed one) of how rich the tapestry that we live, work, play in and advocate for truly is.
I wrote it to inspire, to revel, to please. It’s a carnival. I hope you enjoy!
A Carnival of Classics
What’s this? Come now
unfurrow your brow
surely, you’ve heard of classics.
If not, take a seat
you’re in for a treat
it’s a discipline most charismatic.
There’s the Pyramids of Giza
Aesop’s fables to please ya
and gods like Ares and Zeus.
Fledgling democracies
natural catastrophes
Heraclitus the famous recluse.
You’ll learn of the Fates
and Greek city-states
Odysseus’ long journey home.
Romulus, Remus
one-eyed Polyphemus
innumerable emperors of Rome.
The musings of sages
passed down through the ages
triumphs of great pomp and splendour.
Lashings of fish sauce
a senatorial horse!
But beware the historian’s agenda.
Of charioteers
from far-flung frontiers
warrior queens, Zenobia and Boudicca.
Orators to speak
whether in Latin or Greek
and Archimedes’ revelation – eureka!
Praetorian guards
and amphorae shards
a Nabataean city carved into rock.
Turmoil, famine and strife
heroes larger than life
not to mention Priapus’ c-
-Ahem.
I wonder, did Sappho, too, suffer writer’s block?
Behind bread and circuses
note nefarious purposes
tyrants, they hide in plain sight.
See how the brothers Gracchus
stood up for the masses
and Spartacus put up a fight.
Draconian punishments
Hannibal’s elephants
the 300 that fought in the shade.
Feats of science and art
epics sung off by heart
Caesar by Brutus betrayed.
There’s the oracle at Delphi
and vineyards aplenty
the ferryboat over the Styx.
Magnificent friezes
Aristophanes’ wheezes
all this to add to the mix.
Hanging Gardens in Babylon
The Battle of Marathon
Alexander’s untimely demise.
Aqueducts, baths and roads
Hadrian’s Wall to impose
and portents seen high in the skies.
I do hope antiquity’s
no longer a mystery
and you’ve found yourself duly inspired.
Whether you love ancient history
literature, art, archaeology
of classics, you’ll never grow tired.
About the Author
Emily Small graduated with a Classical Studies degree from the University of Edinburgh back in 2017. Nowadays, she co-owns an exterior cleaning business and when she's not washing windows or emptying gutters, you can find her writing, playing various sports and being otherwise outdoorsy.