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.

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

Growing up as a first-generation Pakistani-American, Maira did not often see students from her own or other diverse cultural backgrounds represented in the field of Classics. Rather than viewing that absence as discouragement, she embraced it as an opportunity to build bridges. Acta Diurna Classics was created as an educational outreach initiative dedicated to keeping Latin and the ancient world accessible and inclusive — especially for students from underrepresented communities with limited access to classical education.

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 her local South Asian community. These camps introduce Latin language and Greco-Roman history to students who might not otherwise encounter the classical world.

What began as a personal passion project has grown into a multi-platform educational initiative that includes a blog, an Instagram gazette, Latin literacy camps, and an upcoming podcast — all dedicated to making the Classics accessible, inclusive, engaging and relevant for a new generation.