Williams College professors Sarah Olsen and Marissa Henry brought their Classics classes to the college’s coastal campus in Mystic, CT last week for an interdisciplinary field seminar exploring ancient and contemporary engagements with the sea. Drawing inspiration from the Iliad and Odyssey, the visit invited students to reflect on shipbuilding, sea travel, and the many roles of animals—companions, sources of food, and laborers—through both classical texts and coastal observations.
Marissa Henry, Visiting Assistant Professor of Classics at Williams said of the excursion, “We've spent the semester reading and thinking about how ancient peoples related to animals and the natural world around them, and this trip gives us a chance to make those questions real for ourselves: what are our responsibilities to the animals who provide us with food or entertainment? How can we exist together with them in an ecosystem?”
The day began at Mystic Seaport’s historic shipyard, where half of the group (an advanced seminar on Homer’s works) observed traditional ship restoration techniques and considered the transformation of trees into ocean-going vessels and heard from a museum shipwright about his role in preserving maritime heritage. The other half of the group (a Classics course titled Animals in Ancient Literature) visited Mystic Aquarium, where seeing live marine species offered a contemporary perspective on the roles and symbolic meanings of animals in classical texts.
In the Williams-Mystic science lab, director emeritus Dr. Jim Carlton and marine ecologist Dr. Tim Pusack introduced students to preserved specimens and fouling organisms collected from local marine habitats. Later along the Mystic River waterfront, students examined living species inhabiting the Mystic River estuary.
“As a scholar of ancient performance culture, I'm always interested in thinking about how the material practices of the past shaped the art and literature that has come down to us, and I appreciate how this trip enabled my students to explore those questions together,” said Sarah Olsen, Associate Professor of Classics at Williams.
The field seminar also highlighted coastal food systems. Students enjoyed a Roman-inspired seafood tasting prepared by James Beard Award–winning chef David Standridge of The Shipwright’s Daughter, who emphasizes sustainability and ecosystem-based eating. Standridge, who also serves on the board of Eating with the Ecosystem, spoke alongside Eating with the Ecosystem Executive Director Kate Masury about sustainable seafood, underutilized species, and the power of local food systems to support ocean health.
This immersive experience brought ancient texts into dialogue with present-day climate, ecological, and cultural challenges, deepening students’ understanding of the enduring relationship between humanity and the sea.
