They say the classics are dead. Well, try telling that to the Alexandrian Society at the University of Glasgow — a group of students keeping ancient culture alive with a heady mix of wit, wine, and well-placed references to Euripides. If that’s death, it’s looking suspiciously like a good time.
Founded in 1887 and named after the ancient famed city of Alexandria, the society blends deep-rooted tradition with an irreverent modern twist. Their calendar is packed with everything from theatre to murder mystery nights, and the ever-popular wine and cheese social, a tradition as old as the society itself.
The Alexandrians may deal in ancient texts, but their mission is thoroughly modern: to make the past relevant, accessible, and fun — and maybe, just maybe, keep the spirit of that great Alexandrian library burning a little while longer (too soon? iykyk).
Society events
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Despite its ancient roots, the Alexandrian Society is anything but exclusive. “You don’t have to study Latin or Ancient Greek to get involved,” says Georgie Bevan, the society’s secretary. “It’s open to anyone who’s interested.”
Membership gets you access to a tight-knit calendar of events: Games evenings, Christmas pantos, and a sub crawl that, I’m told, does not involve any “cult activities” (sure it doesn’t). I plan on joining them next year — and yes, I fully expect everyone to show up in bedsheet-fashioned togas.
Some events are newer: The City Dionysia festival, a nod to ancient Athenian drama competitions, gives budding writers the chance to stage short plays without the Herculean burden (excuse the pun) of writing an epic from scratch. Last year, performances were even judged by classics professors, and there are hopes to expand the festival through collaborations with other dramatic societies.
But this mix of innovation and irreverence doesn’t come at the cost of tradition. The Alexandrians maintain strong ties with the university’s academic staff — some of whom give bonus lectures on niche topics just for fun. Alumni reunions take place, naturally fuelled by yet more wine.
Perhaps the most unhinged of these socials are the debate nights, where members dive headfirst into the kind of philosophical quandaries that would make Plato spill his wine. Who is the modern Helen of Troy? (Prince Harry, obviously) Or: Would the modern man survive in Ancient Rome? (Maybe – As long as he could bring a Pint of Fun and strawberry lemonade-flavoured ELFBAR).
The Oracle
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So when they’re not playing pin the dagger on Caesar or playing the lyre, what exactly are the Alexandrians up to?
At the heart of their latest endeavours is The Oracle — a brand-new annual journal launching this September. But don’t expect a dry academic read in 12pt Times New Roman. Hilary Ewing-Mackey, who heads the project, puts it best: “The Alexandrians have always been about widening interest in the classics. When the thought of creating our own publication came about, we didn’t want to limit ourselves to academic papers. A massive part of classical study is its writers — Homer, Sappho, Euripides — all of whom have inspired generations of classicists. So, we believe that allowing all genres of entry will heighten engagement and allow as many people as possible to submit their work.”
And they mean it. Already, submissions include essays linking ancient wisdom to modern medicine, deep dives into the shiny world of Roman coins, and creative retellings that cast a suspicious eye on Dido’s victim narrative. It’s all designed to get people curious — even if their only knowledge of Greek mythology comes from Percy Jackson – Which, for the record, is a completely valid gateway drug.
Underlying all this is a bigger philosophical stance: That the classics don’t need to be preserved in formaldehyde. The Alexandrians want them alive, argued over, and made relevant again — not just hoarded by the Oxbridge boys’ club types who run for office and then misquote Plato. Their view is that modern interpretations don’t necessarily distort the ancient world; they revitalise it. That it’s not the stories that are timeless in and of themselves, but rather the way we continue to interpret them.
The way we engage with classics has changed again and again. For example, contemporary reimaginings of myths — from Madeline Miller to Stephen Fry — don’t just make the classics more digestible; they actively challenge the canon. Yes, some modern versions tie things up a little too neatly. Some are guilty of sanding off the jagged edges to fit neatly into modern ideological boxes. But they also open doors. They start to undo centuries of mistranslation, whitewashing, and moralising — like Helen being recast as the original home wrecker (empire-wrecker?) just for being fit. Maybe it’s time she got a better PR team.
From the Alexandrians’ perspective, the constant reinvention of how we interact with the classics isn’t a flaw — it’s a tradition. Yes, it’s important to pay homage to the originals. But through plays like Oi Moi! (Ancient Greek for Mamma Mia!, where all the characters were Olympians) and other creative forms of engagement, we’re just doing what every generation has done: Reshaping these stories and breathing new life into them.
And if the result is that more people feel empowered to engage with these stories — even if it’s through a queer reimagining of Achilles or a crush on the Irish actor who played Orpheus in Hadestown — the Alexandrians would count that as a win.
So in the spirit of all that, if you, dear reader, want to submit to The Oracle, join the society, or simply enjoy some wine and cheese, you can follow the Alexandrian Society on Instagram. Please note that the deadline for Oracle submissions is July 15th, so get your dark academia quills and ink and get creative!
Now’s the perfect time to get involved—and perhaps even make a bit of history yourself.
Featured image via GU Alexandrian Society on Instagram
