Great interest in the Ancient Languages Day for school pupils
07/21/2026War, heroism and conflict in the visual culture of antiquity: these were the topics explored by the participants at the Classical Languages Students’ Day at the University of Würzburg. The response was unexpectedly high.
More than 60 pupils from grammar schools across Lower Franconia took part in the Classical Languages Pupils’ Day at the Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg. The event centred on the theme ‘Bellum iustum – Just War in Antiquity’, which was examined from historical, philosophical and literary perspectives.
The event was organised by the Institute of Classical Philology at the University of Würzburg in collaboration with the Friedrich-Koenig-Gymnasium in Würzburg (FKG) and with the support of the German Association of Classical Philologists. The participants were welcomed by the organisers, Professor Thomas Baier and Dr Peter Günzel. Baier heads the Chair of Classical Philology II (Latin) at the University of Würzburg, whilst Günzel is a teacher at the FKG and teaches Latin and German.
Topics that remain relevant today
In specialist lectures and workshops, the pupils examined ancient texts that address questions concerning the conditions under which military force is permissible and its justification. “The authors of these texts were Herodotus, Livy, Caesar, Tacitus and, of course, Cicero, the founder of the theory of the ‘bellum iustum’,” explains Thomas Baier. What these texts have in common is that they all reflect Roman or Greek conceptions of war as governed by rules, and contrast these with non-Roman or non-Greek perspectives. In addition, relevant artefacts were presented at the Martin von Wagner Museum and their connection to the overarching theme was explored.
“When is a war justified? Are there such things as just wars at all? And is the answer to these questions culturally determined?” These questions formed the starting point of Thomas Baier’s introductory lecture. For if different peoples were to answer the question of justice differently, could there then be a universally valid law of war? “These questions, which are highly topical in the world’s trouble spots, should be examined in dialogue with the pupils from the perspective of history and assessed in terms of their historical context,” said the Latin teacher.
The pupils learnt that even Greek and Roman authors had already engaged intensively with topics that remain highly relevant to society and politics today.
The programme was complemented by a guided tour of the Picture Gallery and the antiquities collection at the Martin von Wagner Museum. There, the participants were able to explore depictions of war, heroism and conflict in the visual culture of antiquity and relate them to the texts discussed. The guided tour was led by Maria Schabel, a PhD student in art history, and the Director of the antiquities collection, Professor Jochen Griesbach-Scriba.
Repeat event planned for the autumn
The response to the event exceeded all expectations. Even in the run-up to the event, the number of registrations was so high that not everyone who was interested could be accommodated. To meet the high demand, the Students’ Day will be offered again in the autumn with the same theme.
With this Students’ Day, the Institute of Classical Philology at the University of Würzburg and the Friedrich-Koenig-Gymnasium are underlining their long-standing collaboration in promoting the next generation of students of classical languages. The event combines academic content with school-based practice and offers pupils the opportunity to gain first-hand experience of university-level study.
