They dealt with Zeus, Apollo and Achilles in warrior-like fashion, despatching them with ease and flair during yesterday's Junior Cert Greek exam, which was described as fair. Up to 30 students sat the paper.
The questions requiring cultural knowledge were straight-forward, while the set texts were reasonable, said Mr Daniel O'Connor, head of classics at John Scottus School, in Ballsbridge, Dublin.
"It would be good to see more students taking up this fundamental subject," he said. "Despite its age, it is still an excellent preparation for precise, ordered thought which is so essential in our changing world."