A new exhibition has recently opened at the university's Museum of Classical Archaeology.

A new exhibition has recently opened at the university's Museum of Classical Archaeology.

Called What have the Greeks and Romans ever Done for Us? it runs until 1 September 2000.

A highlight of the museum's extensive collection is the Peplos Kore - a replica of a statue originally set up on the Acropolis in Athens over 2500 years ago.

Part of the BBC's History 2000 event, the exhibition explores the impact of the Classical past upon the present, particularly its huge influence on neoclassical architecture and aesthetics, theories of democracy and war, and even how we perceive our heroes at the cinema.

Fans of the new blockbuster movie Gladiator will be pleased to note that the movie's depiction of the Roman past is based, at least in part, on accurate historical records - mainly in the form of sculptures and other stonework that have survived to show us just how the film's hero might have really looked and dressed.

The exhibition is illustrated liberally with examples of such sculptures, taken from the Museum's permanent collection. One exhibit brings the past back to particularly colourful life: a Greek statue that has been re-painted to show how the original might have looked in all its former splendour.

Overall view of the museum's airy gallery, which is housed above the Faculty of Classics.

The Museum of Classical Archaeology is located on Sidgwick Avenue, near the centre of Cambridge, and is open from 10.00am to 5.00pm Mondays to Fridays. During full term only it is also open on Saturdays from 10.00am to 1.00pm. Admission is free.

Further details:
The Museum of Classical Archaeology home page


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