It was held yesterday, at the Hall of Events of the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth (MESY), the Award Ceremony of the 7th Pancyprian Competition of Ancient Greek Language and Writing for students of Secondary School, on the theme of the work of Plutarch Pericles.
The competition was organized by the Curriculum Team of the Ancient Greek course of the Directorate of Secondary General Education of the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth with the kind support of the European Parliament Office in Cyprus. The competition was held on 9 March 2023 and 66 students from 15 high schools in Cyprus took part in it.
The aim of the Contest is to enhance the students' interest in the Greek language throughout the ages and to introduce them to the various literary genres of the Ancient Greek Literature, the study of ancient texts as carriers of timeless values and the understanding of the influence of classical civilisation on European civilisation and, more generally, on contemporary Western civilisation, as reflected in political thought, institutions, law, religion, art and literature.
On behalf of the Minister of Education, Sports and Youth Dr Athena Michailidou, the First Minister of Education Dr Irene Rhodosthenous delivered a welcome address. In her address, the Minister of Education said that this year the theme of the competition was chosen to be the work of Plutarch Pericles on the grounds that Pericles is one of the greatest leaders of all times and is the embodiment of the democratic constitution. He noted that his qualities and work had been unique and that this made him a lasting model for the European peoples, who were the direct heirs of his values. He stressed that this work contributes to the all-round cultivation of our young people and to the formation of free and democratic citizens, noting that the author of the work, Plutarch, sought to teach virtue by encouraging imitation of Pericles' way of life. He stressed that in our time, which is characterised by a crisis of values, the study of Plutarch's work Pericles is considered imperative. The Minister congratulated all the students who participated in the competition as well as the philologists who assisted in their preparation. In particular, she congratulated the students who excelled. He also expressed many thanks to the Office of the European Parliament in Cyprus, which is the sponsor of the Competition and its Head, Mr. Andreas Kettis. Finally, he congratulated the members of the Organizing Committee for the excellent organization and for their contribution to the effective implementation of both the Competition and the Award Ceremony. Andreas Kettis [/B]in his address, after expressing his thanks to the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth for the uninterrupted, uninterrupted and close cooperation, he congratulated all the students who participated in the competition and especially those students who excelled. He then stressed the timeless value of ancient Greek, which founded the intellectual culture of Europe, and referred to the necessity of teaching ancient Greek in schools. He noted that the Office of the European Parliament in Cyprus and he personally is convinced that the future of our society is based on the children who have excelled and the efforts they make, because in the maelstrom of stimuli offered, these children resist and seek knowledge. In closing, he used the words of the former President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker: "Europe without Greece and Greek culture would be like a child without a birth certificate".
Dr. Kalliopi Christoforou Pouyirou, Supervisor of Literature Courses and Coordinator of the Working Group of the Ancient Greek Course, referred in her presentation to the speech delivered in Athens in 2016 by the outgoing President of the United States, Barack Obama, who, among other things, expressed everyone's gratitude for what Greece has given to humanity. An admirer of Athenian democracy, citizenship and egalitarianism, the then US President wanted (although it was not possible) to deliver his speech from the Pnyx, following the example of the leading politician, Pericles. The iconic figure of Pericles, who continues to inspire modern leaders, said Pujuru, was showcased through this Competition. The students who took part in the competition studied the relevant work of Plutarch as well as the basic literature around it, and were asked to critically relate what they studied to contemporary European reality. Finally, he expressed his thanks to Mr Andreas Kettis, whose office is the competition's sponsor. He also thanked Mrs Anita Epaminondas and Mr Antonis Tsakonas, who designed and edited the brochures for the Award Ceremony, as well as the Ancient Greek consultants Mrs Konstantina Loutsiou and Dr Fotini Theodoulou, who bore the heavy burden of this activity. She congratulated the students and the Philologists who participated in the Competition and, above all, the eight students who excelled.
The first student Christina Christofidou of the Lyceum Archiepiskopos Makarios III, Dasoupoli said in her presentation that the students penetrated into the heart of the classical era by studying its most important personality, Pericles. She noted that they learned about the values of the great Greek politician, his modus vivendi, his political program, his goals, principles and values, such as beauty, harmony, moderation, rational thinking and the realization of democracy. He stressed that by reading the life of Pericles, one understands the value of Greek culture and the necessity of its promotion for the benefit of society as a whole. In conclusion, he stressed that Pericles' legacy survives to this day and inspires us to defend his values and serve democracy.
A short video on Pericles of Plutarch was shown during the ceremony. The event concluded with the awarding of prizes to the students who excelled and the awarding of honorary diplomas to the Literature teachers who guided them.
It should be noted that the first eight students with the highest scores will participate in the Euroscola Programme, offered by the sponsor of the competition, the European Parliament's Office in Cyprus.
The event was organised by the Ancient Greek Working Group of the Directorate of Secondary General Education.
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