On Tuesday, 17 March, Mr Mackey took a group of Cokethorpe pupils to the Classics Faculty at Oxford University to take part in the annual Classical Association Reading Competition. This prestigious event brings together schools from across Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire that teach Classics, with pupils of all ages preparing and reciting passages of Latin and Greek in the original before a panel of expert judges.
Our pupils performed exceptionally well, demonstrating both confidence and a deep engagement with the texts. Reuben (Fourth Form, Gascoigne) undertook the challenging task of reading a passage from the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, recounting the tale of Hippocleides, who famously danced away his chances of marriage to Agariste, the princess of Sicyon, after overindulging at a banquet and dancing upon a table.
William (Second Form, Harcourt) and Jolyon (Second Form, Gascoigne) delivered a memorised passage from Book II of Virgil’s epic poem, The Aeneid. Their selection described the dramatic moment when the Trojan priest Laocoön attempts to warn his fellow Trojans against bringing the Greeks’ wooden horse within the walls of Troy. Both pupils recited with impressive accuracy, clarity, and expression, earning high praise from the judges from Oxford’s Classics Faculty.
We were delighted when it was announced that William had been awarded first prize – an outstanding achievement and a testament to his dedication and skill. Huge congratulations to all our pupils for their incredible performances.
