Bringing the Ancient World to Africa: An Interview with C on Classics, Culture, and Education

From studying Latin and Greek at Kamuzu Academy to teaching in refugee camps, C has made it his mission to show how the ancient world can still speak to modern Africa. In this interview, he discusses his journey through the classics, his work in Malawi’s education system, and his vision for the future of classical studies across the continent.

Q: How did you first become interested in studying classics, and what drew you to the discipline within the context of your country?

A: Before I went to Kamuzu Academy, I had no idea what the classics even were. The Academy introduced me to Latin and Greek, and I found I had a natural talent for languages. By the fourth year, most students dropped the subjects, but I decided to continue – and ended up being the first student to take both Latin and Greek all the way through.

That early exposure changed everything for me. My teachers, like Mr. H, really encouraged me. They showed me that classics isn’t just about the past – it’s about how we think, how we live, and how we make sense of who we are.

Q: In what ways has your study of classics connected with your own cultural background or the contemporary issues facing your country?

A: What really caught my interest was reading The Iliad. The world of ancient Greece—the war culture, the sense of honour—felt surprisingly familiar. I’m from a tribe that’s part of the Zulu cultural tradition, and there were strong similarities between what I read in Homer and what I knew from my own heritage.

That connection helped me see that classics isn’t a foreign thing—it’s human. Later, I got deeply interested in ethics and philosophy, especially Plato’s Republic. I’ve also started comparing Stoic ideas of happiness with positive psychology, to see how ancient thought can contribute to modern wellbeing.

Q: What are some unique challenges and opportunities you’ve encountered as a classics student in Malawi?

A: The biggest challenge is that people don’t always understand why someone would study classics in Africa. There’s disbelief—“Why study something so tied to colonialism when we were colonized ourselves?”

But that’s exactly why I study it. Classics gives us tools to understand the structures of power, language, and thought that shaped colonialism in the first place. It also helps us reclaim those ideas, reshape them, and use them to strengthen our own intellectual traditions.

On the positive side, I’ve had amazing mentors—Mr G, Mr. H—and friends from all over the world. They helped me refine my worldview and find confidence in pursuing scholarship seriously.

Q: How do you see the role of classics evolving in education systems in Malawi and across Africa?

A: Right now, classics is very limited here. At the secondary level, it’s mainly taught at Kamuzu Academy and a few seminaries, and even then, it’s often superficial. But I think it could become something much greater.

When done properly, classics isn’t just about Latin or Greek grammar—it’s about engaging with ideas. It teaches critical thinking, ethics, and character. My goal is to make that side of classics visible, so it becomes part of how we educate—not as a colonial subject, but as a human one.

Q: Can you tell us about your current projects or collaborations to expand classics beyond traditional borders?

A: Right now, I’m working with the African Village Project, an organization building a learning centre inside the Zaleka refugee camp. It’s a preschool and literacy centre, but I’m introducing classics for young people—ages 10 to 14.

The idea is to start small, teaching Latin and introducing ancient philosophy, and eventually prepare talented students to study abroad, maybe at the Academia Vivarium Novum in Italy. Before that, I taught at the University of Malawi from 2019 to 2022 and volunteered to teach Greek at a Catholic seminary in Zomba.

The dream is to make classics part of everyday life in Africa—to let it grow in community settings, not just universities.

Q: You mentioned studying at the Academia Vivarium Novum in Italy. What was that experience like?

A: Unique—and very hard at first! The rule is that you can only speak Latin (or classical Greek). You arrive and suddenly can’t use your native language. The first few weeks are brutal. You struggle to say simple things.

But if you keep at it, something amazing happens: by the third month, you’re thinking in Latin. Life there was simple—cleaning, studying, communal meals, debates—and friendships grew out of that shared discipline. Students came from all over the world, and we learned to live and think together.

It wasn’t easy. I missed home, especially because we had no communication with family. But the experience taught me resilience and broadened my mind.

Q: How does studying classics help youth in your country develop valuable skills or perspectives?

A: It builds critical thinking and empathy. When you study ancient texts, you’re constantly comparing ideas, values, and systems. That kind of reflection helps young people question their assumptions and understand cultural diversity.

It also teaches patience and intellectual discipline. You can’t rush through Latin grammar or philosophical argument—you have to slow down and think deeply, which is something modern education sometimes forgets to teach.

Q: What’s your response to people who question the relevance of classics in modern Africa?

A: I tell them that classics isn’t about glorifying Europe—it’s about understanding humanity. Every civilization has its “classics.” The Greeks and Romans just happen to be the ones whose works we have in abundance.

We can study them critically, in dialogue with African thought. That’s what makes it powerful. We’re not adopting their worldview; we’re expanding ours.

Q: How can youth in Africa—and beyond—get more involved in the classics?

A: It starts with teachers who know how to make the subject come alive. At Kamuzu Academy, my teacher Mr. H used to organize evening discussions and creative activities—connecting ancient ideas to modern issues. That’s what kept students engaged.

Outside the classroom, I’d love to see youth groups dedicated to classical learning—combining reading with community service inspired by ancient ethics.

And internationally, collaboration is key. Students from Europe, the Americas, and Africa can share experiences, exchange readings, and build projects together. Classics should be a global conversation, not a Western club.

Q: Finally, what’s your vision for the future of classics in Africa?

A: I want to see classics decolonised—not erased, but transformed into something that belongs to us too. Imagine a Malawian student studying Plato alongside traditional African philosophy, or comparing Homer with Zulu oral poetry.

That’s where the field should go. We’re not just inheriting the ancient world; we’re expanding it.