WHY STUDY CLASSICS?

(If you would like to hear from former students about what they have done with a Classics major or minor, go to Alumni/ae News.)

The program in Classics embraces all aspects of the ancient Mediterranean world: the civilizations of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Israel, Greece, and Rome. The major in Classical Civilization offers an opportunity for in-depth study of ancient societies which have profoundly influenced our own. The ancient Egyptians and Babylonians are noteworthy for pyramids and temples, and were also among the first to develop literature, art, astronomy and mathematics. The impact of Greek and Roman literature, art, philosophy and government is very much alive today. Our own country was founded by men who drew their ideas of democracy and freedom from Classical roots. The questions Socrates asked about beauty, truth, justice, and the ideal state and the immortality of the soul are still being asked today. The Romans gave the western world an excellent system of roads and aqueducts. Both Thomas Jefferson's Monticello and the Capitol in Washington trace their roots back to the Roman Pantheon, while the Oakland Colosseum is a transformation of the Roman Colosseum into glass and steel. Most modern languages are constantly turning to Latin and Greek roots to develop new scientific terminology. All these and many other examples show how the ancient Mediterranean world remains an active part of our lives today.

Students majoring in Classical Civilization will find their lives permanently enriched in sometimes unexpected ways. They will gain new insight into the vocabulary and structure of English as well as other ancient and modern languages. They will develop an appreciation of the more lasting thoughts on the human condition. But above all, they will develop the invaluable skill of thinking analytically about subject matter that is as challenging as it is fascinating.

Students interested in balancing a major in science with a liberal arts major that combines real intellectual rigor with flexibility of approach will find the Classical Civilization major an excellent choice. Those majoring in English or any foreign language, linguistics, comparative literature, history, philosophy, political science, or art will enhance their degrees considerably with a second major in Classical Civilization.

The program is small and the number of majors comparatively few (about 20-25), so students have no difficulty getting to know the faculty. The research interests of faculty members include Greek tragedy, Latin poetry, ancient religion, women in antiquity, and late antiquity and the early Middle Ages.