Ancient history competitions to inspire school children to learn about Greek and Roman pasts

A series of competitions organised by our University will inspire young people across the UK to learn about the ancient world in creative ways.

The competitions are organised by our School of Archaeology and Ancient History and will shed light on the value of historical artefacts and ancient Greek and Roman history.

The first competition is an essay-writing contest open to school students from Year 10 to Year 13 (inclusive). Pupils are invited to write an essay on how texts and objects work together to enhance our understanding of a range of topics, from Greek Tragedy and sculpture to life in Roman Britain and women in Roman society.

The second competition is an art and poetry contest in the age categories: under 11; 11-18; and over 18. Participants are encouraged to find an ancient artefact that inspires them and to create a work of visual art or a poem inspired by that artefact.

Dr Naoíse Mac Sweeney, Associate Professor of Ancient History at our School of Archaeology and Ancient History, said: “Studying ancient history is a wonderful way of exploring how different societies worked from empires to city states, and from the smallest individual household to the most bustling cosmopolitan megapolis. It is also a crucial means through which we can understand some of the key features that underpin global society today. Democracy and citizenship, law codes and atomic theory, town planning and the notion of the epic hero - we owe our ideas about all these things to the classical world.

“I hope that these competitions help to increase awareness about the University of Leicester as a centre for classical scholarship.”

The competitions are part of celebrations for the Classical Association Annual Conference, which will be held at the University of Leicester between 6 – 9 April 2018.