Curriculum
Classics students enjoy opportunities to explore various methods and approaches to studying Classical antiquity. The department itself offers courses in three different areas, Latin language and literature, Greek language and literature, and ancient societies.
- Language courses focus on reading ancient works in their original Greek or Latin. A full sequence of both Greek and Latin from the beginning to the advanced level is available.
- Other courses involve the study of ancient culture in English translation. For example, "Tragedy and the Athenian Polis", "Greek Archaeology", and "Love and Politics in Ancient Rome" are accessible to all members of the Vassar community. Another ancient culture course is the Blegen Lecture Course, taught by a different visiting scholar each year. Recent Blegen courses have included, "Egyptian and Near Eastern Art", "Mycenaean Society", "Homer in the Caribbean", and "Intolerance and Persecution in the Roman world"
- Ancient History and Culture are also taught in translation. Courses cover Greek and Roman history and the history of the broader Mediterranean world in antiquity.
The department organizes its courses by subject area and level of difficulty. Not every course is offered every year, and the department often teaches special courses on a one-time-only basis.
Further information on the department's majors and correlate sequences is available on the Majors page.