Wednesday 29/11/17: Thálatta! Thálatta! (‘The Sea! The Sea!’)

Perhaps you were excited to catch sight of the ocean first thing this morning?  I admit that after more than a couple of days without some saltwater over my gills I become quite irritable, so it is always with great excitement that I approach the top of the hill at Fairlight where I know I will get my first peek at the ocean on a ‘B&B day’.

(Above) A bit of fog around this morning, but it soon cleared.

If a day or two away from the ocean seems like an eternity to you too, imagine the longing that must have consumed the soldiers of the Greek mercenary army, known as the ‘Ten Thousand’, who became trapped deep in Persian territory after their failed campaign in the service of Cyrus the Younger.  The Greeks had fought successfully at Cunaxa in 401 BC, but when Cyrus was killed they found themselves stranded in Persia, their senior officers killed or captured, and the prospect of a march across barren deserts and snow-covered mountains back towards Greek settlements on the shores of the Black Sea before them.  The Greek soldier and writer Xenophon describes the moment when, finally, after more than two years of warring and marching, the first soldiers crested the top of Mt. Theches and caught a glimpse of Euxeinos Pontos (the Black Sea) beyond:

‘But as the shout kept getting louder and nearer, as the sucessive ranks that came up all began to run at full speed toward the ranks ahead that were one after another joining in the shout, and as the shout kept growing far louder as the number of men grew steadily greater, it became quite clear to Xenophon that here was something of unusual importance; so he mounted a horse, took with him Lycius and the cavalry, and pushed ahead to lend aid; and in a moment they heard the soldiers shouting, ‘The Sea! The Sea!’ and passing the word along.  Then all the troops of the rearguard likewise broke into a run, and the pack animals began racing ahead and the horses.’

    (Xen. Anab. 4.7.23-24) [trans. Brownson]

(Above): Some excited swimmers, raring to go.

I hope none the couple of hundred or so of us who swam this morning had such an arduous journey, but no doubt the excitement and relief at seeing the ocean after a period of absence (however long or short) will be familiar to you.

(Above): Jennifer and Georgina, of ‘WOW’ fame.

(Above): The not-quite-Ten-Thousand B&Bers make their way down to the big blue.

(Above): ‘Double Trouble’: some of our intrepid doublers this morning.

(Above): Inge, Ebony, and Ian post-swim. Ebony did her second swim with us this morning – she makes the trip all the way from Camden (a 2-hour drive)!

(Above): The Women of the Wall – always happy to pose for a pre- or post-swim photo.  Several people commented that Buddy (front row, right-hand side, black coat) was looking extra handsome this morning…

(Above): Have you lost this wetsuit? It was found in the ladies’ change room this morning.  If it belongs to you, please contact management.

Recommended reading (bottom of the blog): As an unashamed Classics nerd, I live in hope that one day someone will ask me, ‘Alex, I would absolutely love to immerse myself in the world of ancient Greek and Roman literature – where should I start?’  Alas, it hasn’t happened yet, so I’m taking matters into my own hands and adding a ‘recommended reading’ section to the bottom of my monthly blog post.

N.B. You can find good translations of Classical texts by most of the major publishers (the Oxford World’s Classics editions are generally pretty good, as are most Penguin editions), or online through websites like the Perseus Digital Library, or theoi.com

This month: We started with Xenophon, so we might as well finish with him too. He was a Greek soldier and writer who accompanied the Ten Thousand on their disastrous Persian campaign.  The story is told in his most famous work, the Anabasis. It is essentially a work of military history, but don’t let that dissuade you! It’s a cracking tale of adventure and human endurance, and well worth a read; you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you may just develop a liking for Classical literature…

Valete omnes (‘toodles all’),

Alexandra

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SUMMER SWIMS with Bondy

First Six km Summer Swim

Next Saturday – 2nd Dec @ 7am.

Then most 6 kms will be Saturdays Dec to Feb.
Proposed 10km swim on Sat 16th Dec at 7am.
Note: Swimmers for 10km are required to bring their own food drink requirements to be left at Manly.
ALL swims are dependent on suitable ocean/weather conditions.

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B & B Fundraising Christmas Party

Please book early for the B & B Christmas Party, which will be held on Tuesday 12th December at 6.30 pm in the Moonshine Bar (2nd Floor) at the Steyne Hotel. All swimmers and partners/friends are welcome (no under 18s unfortunately). The theme this year is “Retro Christmas”. So come dressed in your finest Christmas paraphernalia. Lots of fun and dancing are guaranteed, with music again this year by the band, “Gluteus Maximus”, who play two types of music, Rock and Roll! The cost is $15 per head, with all proceeds going to the running costs of the B&B. Book HEREnow! Don’t miss out on this fun event, numbers are limited.

Donations wanted
As usual at the Xmas Party, we will be raising money for the Royal Far West as well as for B&B. This year RFW have some amazing prizes which will be auctioned on the night, including fantastic accommodation packages. We would also be grateful to have additional prizes to be auctioned, so if you have something special that you are happy to donate for the auction, please contact Ian (ugoboyo@gmail.com).