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Interdisciplinary Concentration in Classical Studies

Program Planner

The Interdisciplinary Concentration in Classical Studies aims to familiarize students with the rich cultural heritage of the ancient Greeks and Romans, including their languages, material culture (e.g., art history and archaeology), history (political, social, economic, and intellectual), philosophy, science, literature, and mythology, as well as the classical tradition from the Middle Ages to the present.

Through courses in ancient languages, for example, students gain a mastery of the basic elements of grammar and syntax in Latin or Greek and read classical authors in their original languages. Through courses in classical culture, students gain skills and perspectives from analysis, criticism, and research in ancient art, history, literature, and philosophy that will enhance their ability to think clearly, to write well, and to find, analyze, evaluate, and present facts and ideas effectively.

Students of Classical Studies also learn to read ancient documents and view ancient artifacts with a critical appreciation of their history, meaning, and significance, as they develop a sensitivity to their concrete historicity (as opposed to viewing them as timeless museum pieces), to their social and political importance, and to their role in the historical development of classical traditions over time—at the same time as they interrogate the very construction of a classical idea (or ideal) by examining the reception of the classical tradition in modern society.


Faculty Sponsors

  • Sponsors: Coordinator: H. Haynes (Classical Studies); Faculty C. Chazelle (History), J. Karras (History), L. Riccardi (Art), G. Steinberg (English)

Curriculum

Ancient Language

Take one course from

  • GRE 201/Intermediate Greek (prerequisites: GRE 101, GRE 102 or placement); or,
  • LAT 201/Intermediate Latin (prerequisites: LAT 101, LAT 102, or placement) or the equivalent.

Ancient History

Take two courses from the following or equivalent

  • CLS 108/Late Antiquity
  • CLS 111/Rome and the Barbarians in the Early Middle Ages
  • CLS 301/Classical Greek Civilization
  • CLS 302/Hellenistic World
  • CLS 303/History of the Roman Republic
  • CLS 304/History of the Roman Empire
  • CLS 305/Ancient Christianity

Ancient Art, Philosophy, or Literature

Take two courses from the following or equivalent

  • CLS 221/The Art of Greece
  • CLS 222/The Art of Rome
  • CLS 404/Women in Classical Art
  • CLS 250/Introduction to Greek Mythology
  • CLS 230/Classical Traditions
  • CLS 325/Sex and Gender in Greco-Roman Antiquity
  • CLS 326/Plato to Cable TV
  • GRE 370/Special Topics in Classical Greek
  • HON 349/Cities and Sanctuaries of Greece and Rome
  • HON 351/An Odyssey in Greece
  • LAT 310/The Age of Augustus
  • LAT 315/Virgil and the Impact of Empire
  • LAT 370/Special Topics in Latin
  • CLS 201/History of Ancient Philosophy

NOTE: Students who place out of GRE 101 and GRE 102 or LAT 101 and 102 must take one additional course from list 2 or 3 above, or an approved First Seminar, or another approved course.


In addition to courses required by this concentration, a student must complete one approved course in quantitative reasoning and one approved course in laboratory science to satisfy breadth requirements in the college core. Students should consult their major or open option advisors about how best to complete other college core requirements.

Please note: The Liberal Learning Program has been renamed The College Core, and some of its components have also been renamed. Learn More
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