"Classical studies teachers are survivors"

The first aphorism that appears in The Wisdom of the Classics (Akiara Books), by Jordi Rincón and Núria Solsona, comes from a verse by the poet Horace: Incipere dimidium est, meaning, “to begin is half the way”. This is what this secondary school teacher thought when he was asked to write a book collecting some of the reflections he teaches in his Latin and Greek classes: thirty thoughts that, many centuries after being formulated, remain valid.

“I dedicate the book to my students, because they have always been my driving force, my inspiration. What is a teacher without students?” The book's objective, in fact, is the same as the one set in the classroom: “I try to make them understand that classical thought permeates everything, that it challenges us, especially now that we live in an absolutely overwhelming world. This is chaos. And the students are realizing that the myth of Narcissus has a lot to do with current social networks, that they can be moved by how Cicero speaks of friendship, or what Carpe diem means”.

To achieve this, he has learned to use all possible resources, and has delved into the most mainstream offerings if necessary: “I have never lacked enthusiasm, but if you enter a classroom thinking that the students will see you as the beacon that illuminates their lives, you are lost. Sometimes you have prepared a lesson that you would like to be perfect and you can't engage them. You get frustrated, of course, but you have to get back up and hold on to what you have. For years we have had a blog with the students, I look for songs and movies that they can feel close to; in September we will go to see The Odyssey to discuss it... That The Odyssey has been here for 2,800 years, eh!, but anyway, it's good that it's talked about.”

In fact, classical culture is currently experiencing a small boom through mythology, not only because of Christopher Nolan's film, but also because of children's and young adult literature like the Percy Jackson saga, a boy who discovers he is the son of Poseidon and that with his powers he experiences different adventures. “It's an easy way to get into mythology, which is a fascinating world. But not only because there are many characters and many fantastic stories, but because each myth is a prisoner of other myths, and behind each one there is a lesson,” assures Rincón, who also cites the case of the Catalan Pol Gise, a content creator specializing in the dissemination of mythology with millions of followers on social networks.

After teaching Latin and Greek for more than thirty years in a school in Gràcia, Jordi sees classical teachers as a kind of "Homeric heroes" – said with an ironic smile –: "Humanities have been socially discredited for a long time and classical teachers are survivors. Years ago, when it was time for students to choose subjects, I had a very bad time. One year there was no Greek and I cried. Over time I have freed myself from this pressure and last year I had a good group of students".

In the book, following the Greek aphorism translated as “Not only to teach, but also to educate”, it talks about the origin of various words related to his profession: from teacher (who provides knowledge) to educator (who leads): "The educator is the one who pulls a thread, who accompanies the student so that they discover what is inside them. And tell me if there is a better profession than this." A conviction that links with vocation: "It is true that without resources a vocation can burn out quickly, because today we have a lot of diversity to attend to in the classrooms, but if there is no strong vocation from the start, as often happens, there is nothing to be done".