“To study the ancients is to understand ourselves, our law, our politics, even our dreams.”
— Mary Beard
What is the
International Classics Olympiad?
The International Classics Olympiad was created to inspire high school students to study the enduring legacies of the ancient world. The Olympiad is divided into two stages, regional and international.
Studying classical civilizations fosters:
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critical thinking
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a sense of intellectual heritage
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allows students to understand the roots of world culture
Exploring the Classics gives an individual a profound appreciation of all realms of study including:
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History
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Literature
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Philosophy
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Astronomy
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Anthropology
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Government
to name a few.
Offering students the chance to showcase their scholarship on an international platform, the Olympiad consists of two rounds of an essay competition: regional and international, where regional finalists will be invited to compete in the international round.
All essays must be independently written in English and submitted as PDFs with a 1000-word limit for the regional round and 1500-word limit for the international round. See our Guidelines and Rules for more details.
Submissions are reviewed by our academic judging panel.
"Olympiads give students opportunities to show depth in their academic interest outside of the classroom and help admissions officers recognize the applicant’s passion for their area of study.
At highly selective universities, it is increasingly common for the top admitted applicants to boast multiple international and national honors which can be harder to find for humanities students. "
— Ria Jagasia, Former Johns Hopkins Admissions Officer
Meet Our Judges
Our judging panel features professors and researchers in Classical Literature, Ancient Philosophy, Egyptology, Latin and Greek Languages, and Mediterranean Archaeology.
Our judges have been extensively published and continue to teach the Classics in leading institutions across the globe.
Dr. Marcus Whitfield
PhD, Classics – Princeton University
PhD Minor, Ancient Philosophy – Princeton University
MA, Classical Languages – University of Chicago
BA, Classics – Harvard University
Dr. Marcus Whitfield is a professor of Classics whose scholarship spans Greco-Roman literature, ancient philosophy, and the intellectual history of the classical world. His research explores the intersection of classical texts with political theory, rhetoric, and early modern reception. Dr. Whitfield currently serves as Chair of the Department of Classics at the University of Chicago and lectures as a visiting professor at Stanford University.