Classical Studies
Classical Studies encompasses all the social, material, and intellectual culture of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds, as they can be studied both in the original languages and in English.
The department offers courses under three headings, including (1) elementary and intermediate courses in Latin and Greek, designed to teach a student to read the languages; (2) courses in Greek and Roman literature, history, art and archaeology, society, and culture, including Core (Literature, History I, and Fine Arts) courses, taught in English and designed to acquaint a student broadly with the world of classical antiquity; (3) advanced reading courses in ancient authors and genres taught in the original languages and advanced cultures courses in English. Courses related to antiquity are also available in other departments.
Major Requirements
The major includes courses in Latin and/or Greek language and literature, from the elementary to the advanced level, and courses in ancient civilization and culture. Readings in the latter courses are in English. There are two tracks within the major: Classical Language and Classical Cultures. The former emphasizes the study of the ancient world through Latin and Greek while the latter foregrounds the interdisciplinarity of Classical Studies, drawing on the study of ancient literature, art, performance, science, and more. The program is designed to be flexible in response to the interests and prior experience of individual students. Requirements, totaling a minimum of ten courses (or 30 credits), fall under three headings:
- Two courses or 6 credits (minimum) from the following foundational courses: Classical Mythology, Greek Civilization, Greek History, Roman History, and City of Rome.
- Three courses or 9 credits (minimum) of advanced courses. For the Language track, these are courses in Latin and/or Greek at the 3000 level. For the Cultures track, these are courses in English at the 4000 level.
- Five courses or 15 credits (minimum) consisting of any course the department offers or any of the approved electives from other departments.
- All seniors must participate in the Senior Colloquium
Notes
- Students who may think of going on in Classics are strongly advised to study both languages and to take as many advanced courses as possible. They should also discuss their interest with a faculty member at the earliest opportunity.
The Minor in Ancient Civilization
The interdisciplinary minor in Ancient Civilization is designed to make the study of the ancient world available to students without the requirement of learning Latin or Greek. Students learn about the history, literature, art, and culture of antiquity in courses that emphasize the study of primary texts in English translation. As a minor, it naturally looks to students whose main interests lie in other areas, but who are curious about the ancient world and who seek a program that is at once structured and interdisciplinary. It makes a good complement in particular to majors in English, History, Art, Art History, and Film, Philosophy, and Theology but is available to everyone regardless of major. A list of the courses that are available each semester from the various departments and that count for the minor will be available at registration time. A program consists of six courses under three headings:
- One course in Greek History (CLAS2205) or Greek Civilization (CLAS1186). As a rule, one or the other of these courses will be taught each year.
- One course in Roman History (CLAS2206) or Roman Civilization (CLAS2262). Again, as a rule, one or the other of these courses will be taught each year.
- Four electives taught in Classics and other departments, chosen from various offerings in ancient culture, for instance, in the areas of literature, philosophy, religion, history, art, and archaeology.
Latin Minor
The Latin minor consists of six courses/18 credits:
- Four courses (12 credits) in Latin above the elementary level
- One of the following courses on Roman culture: City of Rome (CLAS2262) or Roman History (CLAS2206)
- One elective: either Latin (intermediate or above) or a course on Roman civilization
Courses for the Latin Minor
I. Four courses (12 credits) in Latin above the elementary level
- CLAS1056 Intermediate Latin I
- CLAS1057 Intermediate Latin II
- CLAS1058 Advanced Intermediate Latin
- CLAS3312 Roman Love Elegy
- CLAS3320 Roman Civil War Literature
- CLAS3325 Lucretius
- CLAS3329 Ovid, Metamorphoses
- CLAS3333 Apuleius
- CLAS3334 Senecan Tragedy
- CLAS3335 Ovid
- CLAS3336 Horace
- CLAS3337 Lucan
- CLAS3340 Latin Pastoral Poetry
- CLAS3342 Livy
- CLAS3338 Cicero and Sallust: Catiline
- CLAS3350 Catullus
- CLAS3356 Tacitus
- CLAS3358 Petronius
- CLAS3360 Martial and Juvenal
- CLAS3370 Roman Comedy
- CLAS3375 Vergil
II. One course on Roman culture: City of Rome (CLAS2262) or Roman History (CLAS2206)
III. One elective: either Latin (intermediate or above) or a course on Roman civilization
- Any of the Latin courses above
- Electives:
- CLAS1702 Rome: Art, Regime, and Resistance
- CLAS1706 The Self and its Limits: Greco-Roman Slavery
- CLAS2210/HIST2207 Roman Spectacles
- CLAS2206/HIST2205 Roman History
- CLAS2225/HIST2225, Ancient Medicine
- CLAS2230/ENGL2200 Classical Mythology
- CLAS2236/HIST2206 Roman Law and Family
- CLAS2240/ENGL2204 Dangerous Women in Classical Literature
- CLAS2242/THEO2241/HIST4211 Roman Religion
- CLAS2250/HIST2837 Multiculturalism in the Roman Empire
- CLAS2262/ARTH2262 City of Rome
- CLAS2270 Gender and Sexuality in Ancient Rome
- CLAS2285/THTR2286 The Chorus, Ancient and Modern
- CLAS2286/LING3205 History and Structure of Latin
- CLAS2294/HIST2203 Greco-Roman Egypt
- CLAS2295/ENGL2295 Ancient Comedy
- CLAS2384/LING 2384/THEO2384 Church Latin
- CLAS/HIST Everyday Aphrodite: Classics and the History of Sexuality
- CLAS42280/ENGL2202 Beast Literature
- THEO5448 Patristics: Latin and English
Ancient Greek Minor
The ancient Greek minor consists of six courses/18 credits:
- Four courses (12 credits) in ancient Greek above the Elementary level
- One of the following courses on Greek culture: Greek Civilization (CLAS1186) or Greek History (CLAS2205)
- One elective: Either ancient Greek (intermediate or above) or a course on Greek civilization
Courses for the Ancient Greek Minor
I. Four courses (12 credits) in ancient Greek above the Elementary level
- CLAS1052 Intermediate Greek I
- CLAS1053 Intermediate Greek II
- CLAS3301 Greek Tragedy
- CLAS3302 Greek Rhetoric
- CLAS3315 Homer
- CLAS3330 Aphrodite
- CLAS3331 Sophocles and Aristophanes
- CLAS3345 Sophocles
- CLAS3373 Euripides
- CLAS3382 Herodotus
- CLAS3387 Thucydides
- CLAS3388 Sophocles Philoktetes
- THEO7803 Graeca
II. One course on Greek culture: Greek Civilization (CLAS1186) or Greek History (CLAS2205)
III. One elective: either Greek (intermediate or above) or a course on Greek civilization
- Any of the ancient Greek courses above
- CLAS1186 Greek Civilization
- CLAS1701 Death in Ancient Greece, Achilles to Alexander
- CLAS1706 The Self and its Limits: Greco-Roman Slavery
- CLAS2205/HIST2201 Greek History
- CLAS2207/HIST2202 Greeks and Barbarians
- CLAS2208/ARTH2206 Art and Myth in Ancient Greece
- CLAS2216/ARTH2216 Art and Archaeology of Homer and Troy
- CLAS2225/HIST2225 Ancient Medicine
- CLAS2230/ENGL2200 Classical Mythology
- CLAS2240/ENGL2204 Dangerous Women in Classical Literature
- CLAS2285/THTR2286 The Chorus, Ancient and Modern
- CLAS4203/HIST4203 Everyday Aphrodite: Classics and the History of Sexuality
- CLAS4252 Sex/Power/Gods: Ancient Wisdom Literature
- CLAS2254/HIST4202 Culture of Athenian Democracy
- CLAS2280/ENGL2202 Beast Literature
- CLAS4212/HIST4212 Ancient Sicily
- CLAS2285/THTR2286 The Chorus, Ancient and Modern
- CLAS2294/HIST2203 Greco-Roman Egypt
- CLAS2295/ENGL2295 Ancient Comedy
- ARTH3311 Greek Art and Archaeology
- PHIL3332 Political Thought of the Greeks
- PHIL4405 Greek Philosophy
- PHIL5505 The Aristotelian Ethics
- PHIL5528 Skepticism/Stoicism/Neoplatonism
- THEO5425 Patristic Seminar: Intermediate Greek and English
Information for First-Year Majors and Non-majors
“Classics” as outlined above is a broad, interdisciplinary field of study. For a first-year student, courses of two types are likely to be of most immediate interest: (1) Core Literature, History, and Fine Arts courses, in which the reading is entirely in English, and (2) elementary and intermediate language courses in Latin and Greek.
If you would like to begin a language now or have had only one or two years of a language in high school, you should choose an elementary course: CLAS1010 Elementary Latin I or CLAS1020 Elementary Greek I. If you have studied a language for three or four years in high school, you may want to choose an intermediate course: CLAS1056 Intermediate Latin I or CLAS1052 Intermediate Ancient Greek I.
Completion of the second semester of Latin or Greek at the intermediate level will fulfill the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences and Carroll School of Management language proficiency requirement (beginning with the class of 2022, the Carroll School will no longer have a language requirement). In addition, the Department offers elective courses in ancient civilization and on Greek and Roman authors. Those in ancient civilization are taught entirely in English. They make excellent choices for freshmen interested in antiquity. Those on Greek and Roman authors require a background in the appropriate language. If you have studied Latin or Greek for four or more years in high school, you may wish to try courses in Greek and Roman authors. For further information, consult the Chair of the Department.
Information for Study Abroad
The Classics Department does not have a general set of requirements for study abroad. Students are advised individually, and recommendations are made based on their academic records and the specific program. Students should arrange to meet with the Chair of the Department when planning to study abroad.
Core Offerings
The Department offers several courses that satisfy Core requirements. CLAS2206 Roman History will be offered in fall 2024. CLAS2205 Greek History and CLAS2208 Art and Myth in Ancient Greece will be offered in spring 2025. CLAS1706 The Self and its Limits: Greco-Roman Slavery, an Enduring Question Core course, and CLAS2207 Greeks and Barbarians, a cultural diversity course, will be offered in fall 2024.
Licensure for Teachers
The Undergraduate Initial License as Teacher of Latin and Classical Humanities 5–12 may be gained by pursuing a Classics major in addition to the Secondary Education major or minor. For further information, contact the Chair of the Department.