CASA ESSAY COMPETITION / KVSA ESSAY-KOMPETISIE (2012)
The CASA Essay competition is held under the auspices of Akroterion: Journal of the Classics
in South Africa, housed in the Department of Ancient Studies, University of Stellenbosch.
The intention of the competition is to encourage promising undergraduate and Honours students
in Africa to pursue their interest in Classics. Essays on any aspect of Greek or Latin language or
literature, or classical history or civilization may be submitted. The idea is that students should
submit work done as part of their courses, but they may of course write specifically for the
competition if they choose. Lecturers are kindly requested to bear this competition in mind when
they consider that their students have submitted essays of suitable quality and encourage these
students to submit their work for consideration.
The essays are judged by a panel consisting of three South African scholars: Dr Martine De
Marre (UNISA), Dr Annemaré Kotzé (University of Stellenbosch) and Dr Suzanne Sharland
(University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban). The final editing and preparation of the essay for
publication are done by the Essay Editor and the members of the Akroterion Editorial
Committee.
The competition is open to undergraduates every year and to Honours students in evennumbered years only. In 2012 the competition is therefore open to undergraduate and to
Honours students. Where possible the institution should submit students’ essays. Not more than
two essays per institution will be accepted. Only one essay per candidate may be submitted per
year; a prize winner may not compete in subsequent years of the competition.
Students from any university in Africa may submit entries. Essays may be in English or
Afrikaans, and should not exceed 3 000 words in length (exceptions will only be made if space
is available and if the quality of the work warrants this).
Essays submitted for the competition need not conform to the guidelines set out in the ‘Notes for
Contributors' in Akroterion, but the author of the winning essay should be prepared to edit it, if
so requested. Work must be typed and submitted electronically. The winning entry will be
published in Akroterion. In addition, the winner as well as the runner-up will receive a cash
prize. The prizes and the cost of publishing the essay are both sponsored by the CLASSICAL
ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH AFRICA.
All entries should be e-mailed to Dr Sjarlene Thom at st@sun.ac.za, not later than
15 November 2012.
Please direct queries to Dr Sjarlene Thom at the Department of Ancient Studies, University of
Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, South Africa. Telephone: +27 (021) 808-3480
+27 (021) 808-3480 ; fax: +27 (021) 808-3480 +27 (021) 808-3480 ; e-mail: st@sun.ac.za
PAST WINNERS OF THE CASA ESSAY PRIZE
2010: Natasje van der Westhuizen, ‘Hoi Neoteroi: Everyman’s Verse or supercilious Snobbery’
2009: Sonja Gammage, ‘Herodotus and Language’
2008: D. du Plessis, 'A Comparative Study of the Dido-Aeneas Episode in Virgil's Aeneid and
Christopher Marlowe's Dido, Queene of Carthage'
2007: H. Williams, 'Cicero Pro Caelio: What was it that Most Undermined Clodia's Case -- Her
Character, the Prejudices of Roman Men, the Skills of Cicero, or . . . '
2006: M. Graf, 'Euripides se Medea'
2005: I. Scheepers, 'Fate and Divine Working in Sophocles' Oedipus Rex'
2004: K. S. Pendlebury, 'The Refinements on the Parthenon'
2003: B. S. Green, 'IsiXhoza Nostra: A Comparison of the Roman and the Xhosa Law of
Marriage'
2002: A. de Kock, 'Die Herder en die Wolf: 'n Vergelyking tussen die Karakters van Aeneas en
Turnus'