An Odyssey To Athens

Oliver Wiseman — Tue, 24 Mar 2015 18:14:42 +0000

Author:Violet Hudson

The Acropolis, Athens: A place where things begin (photo: Christophe Meneboeuf)

“Are you in love? It must be a man,” people say, looking at me searchingly for signs of heartsore pining and impulsive romance. I’m not. Nor am I running away from something. Nor do I have a job waiting, nor a sudden urge to learn the language. I am moving to Greece just for the hell of it.

I’ve always wanted to live abroad, and earlier this year hit upon the idea of Athens as the perfect place. It’s cheaper than Paris or Florence, sunny, near the sea and has a cosmopolitan gritty-glamorous atmosphere that I think will suit me. It’s a melting-pot of different cultures, it’s where democracy began, and it’s full of wonderful Greeks and their delicious food.

Double Trouble In Thebes

Oliver Wiseman — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 14:58:39 +0000

Author:Anne McElvoy

Harrowing, but too histrionic: Juliette Binoche in “Antigone” (photo: Jan Versweysweld)

In a crowded field, Antigone is one of the most harrowing of the Greek tragedies. Its tensions between loyalty to family and belief in the strength of the state interested both Brecht and Anouilh. The concerns of 441 BC feel bruisingly alive as we contemplate variable allegiances to nation states and how family ties can smother, as well as bind.

Classics

An Odyssey To Athens

Double Trouble In Thebes