Paideia High School Essay Contest

1. Introduction

The Paideia Institute for Humanistic Study, a nonprofit educational organization, is committed to fostering the exploration and appreciation of classical humanities, with a particular emphasis on the languages and literature of Latin and Ancient Greek. Annually, they host a high school essay contest, providing an opportunity for students who share a passion for these subjects to showcase their proficiency and understanding of ancient Greek. Moreover, the competition encourages participants to delve into their motivations for studying Greek and to reflect on the broader significance of learning the language and culture of ancient Greece.

2. Prompt

The prompt for this year’s contest is:

Why does The Odyssey, and the story of the return home, still matter? We invite you to offer your own interpretations of either The Odyssey itself, specific episodes from The Odyssey, or themes that the poem introduces (the structure of the family/oikos, nostalgia, fidelity, disguise, lying, masks, to name a few). You should also feel free to write about Odyssean themes in other cultural works, both ancient and modern. The best essays, however, will ground themselves in the thoughts of Homer and the ancient Greeks. Think of your essay as an advertisement for why knowing this fundamental work of Greco-Roman culture is still worth our time.

3. Word Limit

Essay submissions should not exceed 800 words. 

4. Prizes

The winner will have their essay published in In Medias Res, and they will receive a full scholarship to the Living Greek in Greece High School summer program.