St John’s College, Oxford
Classics and Ancient History Essay Competition 2026
Deadline for entries: 22 February 2026 (4pm)
The competition is open to all UK students currently studying in Year 12 (Lower Sixth) or equivalent, whether or not they are currently studying a Classical or Ancient subject. All entrants are invited to apply for our Classics and Ancient History Subject Exploration Day at St John’s College, Oxford on Wednesday 22nd April 2026; see here for details.
Each student may submit one essay (only) of up to 2,000 words on any of the following four questions:
1 Literature: ‘Does ancient literature ever treat the natural world as any more than a supply of resources? ‘
2 History: ‘What was the biggest impact of the natural world on the course of Greek and/or Roman history?’
3 Art and Archaeology: ‘Discuss the role of natural landscapes in the production and experience of ancient art.’
4 Philosophy: ‘What, if anything, can we learn about ethics from the study of nature? ’
Prizes Awarded
A £100 book token will be awarded to the best essay in each category and an additional £75 book token to the overall winner. A further £75 book token will be awarded to the best essay submitted by a pupil who has not previously studied a Classical or Ancient subject. All applicants will receive a certificate of entry.
Advice and Guidance
The competition gives students currently studying any subjects at a UK School or College, in Year 12 or equivalent, an opportunity to write an essay on the classical world. The organizers are interested in providing an occasion for independent research, to encourage curiosity and reflection in those who have studied the ancient world before and those who have not.
The essay titles have been chosen to take account of research interests of our tutors and to encourage the widest possible approach to investigation of the ancient world.
All primary texts can be considered in translation or in the original language. Where either primary or secondary sources have been used they should be acknowledged with full references given.
All essays should:
- Be word-processed with double-spaced lines, and saved in a PDF format.
- Include ONLY your initials and date of birth in your header or footer (to allow anonymous marking).
- Be no more than 2000 words in length. The word limit includes footnotes, but not the bibliography.
- All primary texts can be considered in translation or in the original language.
- Where either primary or secondary sources have been used they should be acknowledged with full references given.
Please see here for more details, reports on previous exhibitions, helpful resources, and virtual cover sheet.