Congratulations to Daisy in Year 12 who has won a national competition, organised by the Archaeology and Ancient History Department at the University of Leicester. 

The competition asked students to create a new piece of art, either a poem or visual art, connected to an original ancient artefact.  

Inspired by the classical myth of Andromeda, Perseus and the sea monster, Daisy created her winning piece of digital art on her iPad. It shows Princess Andromeda being tied to the cliff as a sacrifice to appease the gods. 

Mabel in Year 8 also received recognition as she achieved 2nd place in the age 11 to 14 category with her poem about the three-headed dog Cerberus, who guards the gates of the Underworld.

Cerberus

Head One:

The water laps at the cold stone floor,

I lie there, waiting for him to return,

But he never will.

I close my eyes and the soft lapping of the water envelopes me,

The rhythmic waves flow and swirl and a melody begins to play.

The dust dances through the surging darkness, mimicking the alluring tempo.

Once more I am overtaken by his sweet music,

Orpheus has enchanted me,

He has shown me the beauty of the world.

 

Head Two:

I am awake.

I am always awake.

I am always on guard,

Ready for the next visitor.

And when the next one comes,

I will not be overpowered.

He came and he went,

He battered me and bruised me,

He choked me and chained me,

Heracles the hateful,

Heracles the heinous,

We’d heard such stories of this great man,

But he was no hero.

 

Head Three:

I sit there all day,

They moan and they mumble,

They gripe and they groan,

Their voices, like prison bells,

Echo in my mind.

If only she would return,

With that sweet honey-cake,

Warm and heavenly,

it soothes my soul,

I long to swallow it’s remedy of hope.

I wish she would take me,

Into the world of joy.

I wish to be free,

As free as the bees

That made the divine nectar.