Να σε κάψω Καλλίμαχε, να σ' αλείψω μέλι

Ανορθόδοξοι όντες ξεκινάμε με το μέλι

DEMONSTRATORS outside Parliament rarely wear togas and brandish placards written in classical Greek. They did this week. The reason was a decision by education bureaucrats to drop a national history exam for 18-year-olds. If the protest naught avails, ancient history will no longer be taught in English schools, for the first time since the original Dark Ages.

The decision to axe the A-level was taken hurriedly and in secret, without consulting the schools that teach ancient history or the universities that like it. And it comes at a time when the decline in classics in schools has reversed. A recent book on Latin grammar, “Amo, Amas, Amat”, became a surprise best-seller. The number of state schools offering basic Latin has risen from 200 in 2003 to 459 today. Though some of the Thucydides-loving demonstrators were from elite private schools, others were from grungy further-education colleges.

Στο σημείο αυτό παίρνουμε τον (καρα)μελωμένο Καλλίμαχο, τον τοποθετούμε στο φούρνο που έχουμε προθερμάνει, κλείνουμε την πόρτα και γυρίζουμε τον διακόπτη στους τετρακόσιους βαθμούς πάνω-κάτω και με αέρα.

As they waited for Boris Johnson, the Tory education spokesman, to address them (in Latin), the pupil-protesters chanted “Long live Athens! Down with Sparta”. Fine sentiments. But remember what happened to Athens.

From The Economist print edition, Athens v Sparta by Edward Lucas

(μήπως η αντικατασκοπεία μπορεί να ξετρυπώσει άλλες φωτογραφίες από πρακτορεία; μα πάντου οι τριτοδεσμίτισσες είναι χάρμα οφθαλμών;)