My fascination with the classics lies in the profound ways in which Greco-Roman antiquity established the foundations for modern political structures, literature, art, and philosophical thought. This passion of mine recently culminated in my High Honours award in the Lumiere Essay Competition, where I interrogated modern democracy which I contrasted with the democratic thought of Athenian antiquity.
Analysing primary sources in my research, such as Aristotle’s Politics, reignited questions within me regarding the role of linguistics and oratory in archaic political systems, for example, Cicero’s oratory, Augustan Rome, and Periclean Athens. Although I have experience in the field of Greco-Roman linguistics, I lack the formal guidance to conduct rigorous, scholarly research into the field.
I have independently studied both Latin and Ancient Greek outside my school curriculum; what started as a curiosity for epic literature evolved into a deeper intellectual fascination with the relationship between language, rhetoric, and power. Reading ancient texts in their original languages revealed to me the extent to which translations can obscure the nuance, command, and power that words hold. There are philosophical and political concepts that cannot be fully conveyed through an English moral equivalent, and this has made me increasingly interested in the role of language in civic identity and persuasion within ancient societies.
Classics is an inherently interdisciplinary field: it requires exploration of history, philosophy, archaeology, literary criticism, and even theology. I find the synthesis of these disciplines deeply rewarding, especially in the context of ancient oratory and politics. Therefore, through this program I aim to strengthen my academic methodology, refine my ability to analyse primary sources critically, form clearer lines of argument, and engage in scholarly discourse which is currently not available to me within secondary education.