About

Acta Diurna Classics was founded by Maira Zaidi, a student at Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C., with a deep passion for ancient languages and classical civilizations — and a firm belief that the wisdom of the ancient world should be accessible to all students, not just those who have the opportunity to study Latin and Greek in school.

Growing up as a first-generation Pakistani-American, Maira did not often see students from her own or other diverse backgrounds represented in the field of Classics. She also noticed that enrollment in Latin at her school was lower than in other language courses. Rather than viewing this as discouraging, she chose to see it as an opportunity — to build bridges and help make Latin and Ancient Studies more accessible to a wider demographic.

Inspired by Julius Caesar's original Acta Diurna, considered one of the first daily newspapers in history, Maira set out to create a modern digital platform that captures the spirit of sharing knowledge and connecting communities, just as those ancient public records did over two thousand years ago.

Acta Diurna Classics was created as an educational outreach initiative dedicated to keeping the Classics engaging, accessible, and inclusive.

Through the Teaching Literacy in Latin Aequora Grant from the Paideia Institute, along with Grants from Ascanius and the Classical Association of the Atlantic States, Maira has organized free Latin Literacy Camps for young students in both her local and South Asian communities. These camps introduce students to Latin and Greco-Roman history who might not otherwise encounter them.

What began as a personal passion project has grown into a multi-platform initiative that includes a blog, a gazette, a podcast, and Latin Literacy camps — all dedicated to keeping Classics alive and accessible for a new generation.