Classical wisdom should illuminate humanity’s path forward and address key questions of our time, including how to keep our world in peace and order, according to an initiative announced at the closing ceremony of the Second World Conference of Classics in Athens, Greece, on 10 June.

Surrounded by stunning frescoes depicting Prometheus stealing the fire to enlighten the human world at the Academy of Athens, over 200 scholars from Asia, Europe, America and Africa engaged in in-depth discussions to reach the consensus regarding the role of classical studies in safeguarding the future of humanity.

“Only by knowing where we come from can we understand where we stand today and where we are heading,” said the initiative.

It urged “harnessing the power of virtues in classical wisdom” to remain steadfast on the right course of civilisation, “promoting friendship and coexistence” to build a home for our shared future of humanity, “safeguarding peace and order” to strengthen the foundations of future security, and “cultivating humanistic values in the digital age” to guide technological progress.

“We are confident that classical studies will provide an inexhaustible source of wisdom and strength for humanity’s peace, development and shared future,” it said.

The conference, under the theme “Dialogue between Ancient and Modern: Contemporary Inspirations from Classical Wisdom”, was jointly organised by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Greek Ministry of Culture and the Academy of Athens. The inaugural World Conference of Classics was held in Beijing in 2024.

Scholars said that it was the right time for Chinese and Greek academies to co-host the conference in Athens, which is also a symbolic city of dialogue in ancient history, as the world experiences fundamental changes and rising conflicts of interests and ideologies.

“What China has been doing for the last 20 years is promoting a civilisational dialogue where we talk not about money and military power, but about family, values, shared histories, and what we want for our grandchildren,” said Roger Ames, humanities chair professor at Peking University and vice-president of the International Confucian Association.

Amphilochios Papathomas, a professor of ancient Greek literature and papyrology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, said the escalation of conflicts can be avoided through dialogue.

“What we have learned from classical authors, like Thucydides, is that we have to be very cautious to avoid a military and political escalation.

Hu Yujuan, a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ Institute of World History, said that war cannot be ended by war but by love and benevolence.

She noted that the ancient Roman Empire once revered Mars, the god of war, and achieved only a temporary form of “peace through war”. However, after turning to worship Venus, the goddess of love, it entered a period of lasting stability known as the “Pax Romana”, a roughly 200-year era of peace and stability.

“Classical wisdom tells us that violence cannot resolve all conflicts,” Hu said. “Only the power of love can eliminate conflict and lead to harmony.”