Welcome to Unlocking Ancient Athens. My name is Freya and I love all things to do with the Classical world!

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For as long as I can remember, I have always been passionate about history. Like many people my age, I grew up watching Horrible Histories and reading their books. As much as I loved learning about Terrible Tudors and Vile Victorians, I slowly started to find myself being drawn to their segments on the ancient world, namely Rotten Romans and Groovy Greeks.  I soon realised that my historical passion was anything and everything to do with the ancient world.

 

When I had the opportunity to study Classical Civilisation at GCSE, I jumped at the chance, and it increased my fascination even further. I loved learning about what life was like thousands of years ago; how people made a living, what they ate, and how they ultimately have guided the way we function in the present day.

 

I continued my studies at A-level and quickly decided I wanted to pursue my passion for the ancient world at university. After my unsuccessful attempt at a gap year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I packed up my life and began my undergraduate degree in Classical Literature and Civilisation at the University of Birmingham.

 

My time there was amazing, I had finally found people who shared my love of the ancient world and was reminded with every single lecture why I had picked this course. During those three years, I found myself drawn to the world of ancient Greece and quickly realised that if I had to have a niche, then it would be that.

 

Fast forward to today, and I am currently studying for my MA Public History degree at Royal Holloway. Although definitely not the same as Classical Literature and Civilisation, I found many ways I could implement my love of antiquity into the various assessments, and it has allowed me to explore new and innovative ways to make this fascinating subject accessible to a wider audience.