Major Requirements

Classics

The classics major---Twelve courses are required, and students must earn a grade of at least C- in each. The requirements include:

  • At least two classics courses at the 300 level in one language and two classics courses at or above the 200 level in the other
  • At least one course in ancient Greek and/or Roman history
  • Elective courses in Latin, Greek, art and archaeology, classical civilization, ancient history (HIST 115, 116, 334, and 374), ancient philosophy (PHIL 101, 102, 232, 281, 307, 308, and 334), anthropology (ANTH 201), language and culture studies (LING 101 and HISP 355); political science (POLS 219 and 334), or religion (RELG 103, 104, 203, 211, 212, 215, 229, 281, 311, 319, and 319)
  • CLAS 401-402. Senior Seminar
  • The Writing Intensive Part II requirement is fulfilled by CLAS 401-402. Senior Seminar

The classical civilization major---The major in classical civilization, while reducing the linguistic requirements of the classics major, allows students to explore the corpus of Greek and Roman literature through texts in translation, and provides the same range of courses in history, philosophy, literary criticism, and art and archaeology.

Thirteen courses are required, and students must earn a grade of at least C- in each. The requirements include:

  • At least two years of one language, i.e., four courses in Latin or Greek
  • At least two courses in classical art, architecture, and/or archaeology
  • One course in classical religion or society, e.g., CLCV 203. Mythology, CLCV 208. Men, Women, and Society in Ancient Greece and Rome: Myth and Reality, or CLCV 224. Sex and Sexualities in Ancient Greece and Rome
  • One literature in translation course, e.g., CLCV 211. Age of Augustus, CLCV 212. Golden Age of Classical Athens, CLCV 228. Spectacles of Power, CLCV 231. Ancient Greek Literature, or CLCV 299. Journey and Identities
  • At least one course in ancient Greek and/or Roman history
  • Three elective courses in Latin, Greek, art and archaeology, classical civilization, ancient history (HIST 115, 116, 334, and 374), ancient philosophy (PHIL 101, 102, 232, 281, 307, 308, and 334), anthropology (ANTH 201), language and culture studies (LING 101 and HISP 355), political science (POLS 219 and 334), or religion (RELG 103, 104, 203, 211, 212, 215, 229, 281, 311, 319, and 319)
  • CLAS 401-402. Senior Seminar
  • The Writing Intensive Part II requirement is fulfilled by CLAS 401-402. Senior Seminar

The Plan B major---Under this plan, students may combine ancient Greek or Latin with any of the languages taught in the Department of Language and Culture Studies. A minimum of seven courses in a primary language and five in a secondary language is required, as well as two courses in a cognate field or fields (e.g., ancient art, ancient history, archaeology). A paper integrating the three fields of study must be completed in one of the primary language upper-level courses. Except under exceptional circumstances, this project will be undertaken in the primary language section's senior seminar and must be done at Trinity College.

The award of honors is determined by the excellence of the candidate's work in courses and performance in the senior seminar.

Majors who intend to proceed to a higher degree are urged to acquire a reading knowledge of French and German as soon as possible. For courses in Biblical Hebrew, see the offerings of the Religion Department; for Arabic, see the Department of Language and Culture Studies.

For special programs at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies at Rome, Trinity College's Rome Campus, or the summer excavations at AKKO, Israel, see "Special Curricular Opportunities." The department also recommends programs in classics and ancient history offered by universities in the United Kingdom under the auspices of Arcadia University. For departmental prizes, see the section on prizes.

Minors---Four minors are housed in the Classics Department.

Ancient Greek---For students who wish to minor in ancient Greek, this is a sequence of six courses designed to develop linguistic skills to read ancient Greek literature in its original language. In addition, the minor will include either a .5-credit Language Across the Curriculum unit or a .5-credit integrating paper, typically written in conjunction with the last course taken for the minor. No more than one transfer credit may be applied to the minor.

Latin---For students who wish to minor in Latin, this is a sequence of six courses designed to develop linguistic skills to read ancient, and possibly medieval, Latin literature in its original language. In addition, the minor will include either a .5-credit Language Across the Curriculum unit or a .5-credit integrating paper, typically written in conjunction with the last course taken for the minor. No more than one transfer credit may be applied to the minor.

Classical Antiquity---The purpose of the minor is to allow students to acquire a general knowledge of the achievements of ancient Greece and Rome, which traditionally have constituted, along with the Judeo-Christian tradition, the chief ingredients of Western civilization. Despite the advance of technology, shifts in educational and societal priorities, and an increasing awareness of other civilizations in the 20th century, Homer, Plato, Cicero, and Caesar remain lively figures, and the classical tradition still pervades our poetry and prose, our philosophy and law, our ideas of history, our conceptions of education, and our art and architecture. The student electing this minor will have the opportunity to become acquainted with the classical achievements in each of these areas and to shape that knowledge into an integrated view of antiquity. Students take three core courses, three electives, and an essay exam.

Classical tradition---The minor in the classical tradition will establish a basic acquaintance with the history and cultural landmarks of ancient Greece and Rome, and promote a contextual understanding of later achievements significantly influenced by them, especially in literature and history, the arts, and philosophy. The minor is based on two groups of courses: the first comprises courses in the civilization of classical Greece and Rome, the second courses in subjects in which the presence of the Greek and Roman experience is felt.

The Classics Department also contributes courses to minors in architectural studies, Jewish studies, literature and psychology, mythology, and women, gender, and sexuality.