HERCULES:
THE LEGENDARY jOURNEYS
1998 SYMPOSIUM

What happens when a mad bunch of Hercules and Xena fans get together for a weekend?

Just about anything really, and so it did at the 1998 Hercules Symposium, held at The
Royal Holloway on the 12th and 13th September. Although I was only able to attend on the
Sunday I was told from a reliable source that Saturday was just as eventful.

From guest talks by Robert Trebor (on, of course, Hercules and Xena) and Steve Wilson (on
mythology) to signings by the afore mentioned guests to costume workshops and parties to
a trivia quiz (which the By The Gods team actually won!) everything seemed to go off without
a hitch.

Despite being a small run 'fest' this did not detract from the fact that it was pure, unadulterated,
mindless fun. The scale of the gathering helped to make it the event that it was; attendees were
split between two main locations, that of the main hall and the television lounge and then there
was the dealers room. Everybody seemed to move as one large group through the many talks and
panels.

Highlights of the weekend (and I can only speak from personal experience) included Rob's
rendition of the Salmoneus 'Quail Hunting Call', apparently a world first at the Symposium; and,
of course, the trivia quiz (in which the By The Gods team scared the living daylights out of the
other teams, the audience and the Quiz Mistress - almost costing them vital points which took
them to their victory).

All praise has to go to Cindy and Jo on this one; the girls did a fantastic job and kept their cool
through it all, as far as we could tell.

My overall opinion of the Symposium:

Get registered for 2001!!!

Review by Michaela Upton