BSA Course Day 10 - Chaeroneia, Orchomenos & Thebes

Weather: Hot & sunny, 34 degrees

Step count: 9225

In complete contrast to the myriad of monuments at Delphi, our first stop at the halfway point of the course focused on just one - the Lion of Chaeroneia. This immense statue was placed to commemorate the Battle of Chaeroneia which took place in 338 BCE, where the forces of Macedon under Philip II defeated the alliance of city-states led by Athens and Thebes. One of the most decisive clashes in ancient history, it destroyed the opposition of the city-states and paved the way for Philip's son, Alexander the Great, to take centre stage after Philip was later assassinated.

It is hard to get a sense of just how big it is from photographs, but our group picture shows how tiny we looked - and felt - standing below. Our tutors re-enacted the battle which helped us to visualise how the natural defence features of the river and the surrounding hills initially assisted the Athenian-Theban alliance before they were eventually outsmarted by Philip's tactics.

Photo credit: British School at Athens

Pausanias tells us that the lion was erected by Thebes to commemorate their war dead, guarding the grave of the Theban Sacred Band - an elite group of warriors comprised of 300 homosexual couples - and gazing back towards the city they once protected. Archaeological evidence supports the location, as 254 skeletons bearing marks of horrific injuries were found in the mound where the pedestal is now placed. However, there is another argument for the origins of the statue, one which continues the tradition of storytelling through monumentalisation seen so clearly at Delphi and other panhellenic sanctuaries. It has been suggested that it was erected by Cassander of Macedon after the death of Alexander the Great, as a means of resurrecting the memory of the battle and a visual reminder that the lion of Thebes was tamed, rendered docile and powerless by the might of Macedon. And rather than looking towards Thebes, the lion's gaze may instead fall on the mound where the Macedonian casualties were cremated and buried, forming a link between the two mass graves.

It seemed a little strange seeing this incredible monument commemorating a key turning point in classical history sitting alongside a roadway, and contemplating it whilst cars passed by, perhaps oblivious of its significance or not even noticing it at all. But in the brief moments of silence, broken only by the chirp of a single cricket, we were all too aware that we were standing close to the spot where so many who fought in such a significant and bloody battle were laid to rest. I will never forget the short time we spent there.

Moving to Orchomenos, a short walk from the coach led us past the picturesque Monastery of the Koimesis Skripou to the Bronze Age tomb we had come to see.

Tutor Laura introduced us to the tholos, a beehive-shaped structure with a circular base and an entrance corridor leading to a central burial chamber. These tombs would have been used for burials of elite members of society as their size and the construction methods involved, as well as the richness of the decoration, would have come at considerable cost. Taking us inside, Laura gave us another opportunity to practice using our archaeological skills by reading the remains of the structure to imagine a little of what those who accompanied the dead on their last journey would have experienced.

The tomb would have been fully enclosed and shrouded in darkness, with only the light from torches held by those in the funerary procession piercing the gloom and illuminating the gilded rosettes placed in the holes lining the walls. The deceased may have been placed on the central altar whilst the rituals of burial were performed, before the company left the chamber, sealing the great door behind them to preserve the space between the living and the dead. There was little room for our group of just over 30 to move around comfortably in the main chamber, and we were forced to stay close as we entered and left via the narrow corridor. Despite the brightness of daylight it wasn't difficult to envisage how claustrophobic the space may have seemed, especially with the smoke of the torches and the emotions felt by those saying a final farewell.

We ended the day at the museum of Thebes, which seemed fitting after our early morning encounter with the Lion. The first room showcases Thebes' role in mythology, as the city is renowned as the setting for tragic stories such as Oedipus and Antigone. But for me the real joy of this museum is the wonderful collection of objects housed in the space beyond, which illustrate diverse aspects of life in Boeotia, the region in which Thebes lies, dating as far back as the Neolithic period.

So many interesting displays showed things we hadn't seen before, such as inscriptions showing that alphabets changed according to region, and kouroi from the temple of Apollo Ptoos which looked very different to the canonical archaic statues we were familiar with.

After a day dominated by thoughts of death and burial, I was drawn to the beautiful larnaces, clay coffins used mainly in the Minoan civilisation of Crete. Rarely found in Mycenaean culture despite the close connections between the two civilisations, they were intricately painted with scenes of funerary practices, such as processions of female lamenters, and representations of animals.

Just before we left the museum, I spotted a familiar figurine amongst a display of ornaments depicting aspects of daily life, one I had read about some time ago in an excellent blog from the classics department at Warwick University. For a fascinating look at what this little cheese-grater tells us about life in Boeotia, head on over to the article on Material Musings.

I had assumed that nothing else would come close to our longed-for day at Delphi which more than lived up to the anticipation. But I have found this blog the hardest to write so far, as there was so much packed into what turned out to be, for me, an unexpected highlight of this trip. I am now looking forward more than ever to what the rest of the course brings, as I know there will be plenty more surprises.