Last Friday, the Year 12 VCE Ancient History students and Mr Trevaskis (dressed in a toga!) ventured into the CBD for a day of Ancient Roman history and hands-on learning.
First, the class had a look at the University of Melbourne’s Roman Coins collection, instructed by Associate Professor of Classics and Archaeology, Gijs Tol. At the university, the students were given the privilege to examine and handle 2,000-year-old coins from the Roman Empire.
After this, the group headed to the NGV, where the students took part in a workshop about Roman coinage, learning about how coins functioned as propaganda, and had a go at drawing replicas of various coin designs (to varying degrees of accuracy).
Finally, the class entered the ROME: Empire, Power, People exhibition at the NGV. While walking through the immersive rooms depicting bathhouses and gladiator arenas filled with ancient busts and artefacts, the class gained a deeper understanding of the social, economic and political aspects of Roman society. Overall, the experience was extremely informative and memorable, giving a great send-off to the Year 12s as their final exams approach.
Alex
Year 12 student
