Classical Languages

The ancient Greeks and Romans left a legacy of values and ideas that continue to inform the way we view the changing world around us. The Classical Languages department enables students to go beyond the translations and engage directly with the extant Greek and Roman texts, while at the same time acquiring knowledge about their context. In this way, students can attain a clearer understanding of the Greco-Roman component in modern-day world views as they continue to reflect on the universal human condition.

Whether you major in Classics or not, the linguistic approaches and strategies you will develop with us are highly transferable. Familiarity with the etymology of the Greek and Latin roots in English makes the study of science much more effective. There is no better preparation for the pitfalls of legalese than the meticulous, logical approach to Greek and Latin texts. Students who plan to enter graduate studies in Classics, philosophy, art history, theology and archaeology will be able to satisfy one or more of the language requirements in those programs. No matter what career you choose, students tell us, the overall cultural enrichment you get along the way is one of the great benefits of Classical Studies.

Classical Languages majors write a Senior Thesis based on one of their upper division courses on a major author.

Faculty

Michael Riley, PhD, Professor, Chair

Learning Outcomes

Our focus is on your learning. We actively communicate with you in the course of your studies. We rely on your input as you progress toward linguistic proficiency in Greek and/or Latin.

• PARSE and TRANSLATE sacred and poetic texts.
• GRASP the forms and rules of composition.
• DEMONSTRATE basic understanding of linguistics and language (word roots).
• UNDERSTAND rules of morphology and syntax of English and Latin and Greek.
• INVESTIGATE technical and critical points of analysis in original texts and standard reference works.
• EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE ideas about the Latin, Greek, and English morphology and syntax.
• SIGHT-TRANSLATE and RECITE Latin and Greek texts.

Major Requirements

The Classical Languages major consists of a combined total of 8 upper-division courses in the Latin and Greek languages. A Senior thesis is required. 

Classical Studies Minor Requirements

The Classical Studies minor is an interdisciplinary approach to the study of the literature, history, and art of the ancient Greeks and Romans and their influence from antiquity up to the present. The minor is open to all undergraduates. The minor is rooted in the study of the texts, ranging from the Homeric poems of the archaic Greek period to the works of St. Augustine in the fourth century C.E. Offered by the Classical Languages Department, the Minor provides students opportunities to be part of a large and thriving classics community, to conduct collaborative research, and study abroad through the College’s programs in Rome.

Learning Outcomes

1. Understanding the basic cultural, historical, political, philosophical and mythological backgrounds of ancient literature
2. Capacity for disciplined examination and discussion of fundamental ideas and questions, as treated or suggested by some of the great written texts
3. Proficiency in analyzing the hidden dimensions of any text-English or ancient-will increase dramatically, along with expanded vocabulary and interpretive sophistication.
4. Ability for close reading and listening, for precise verbal formulations of questions, distinctions, concepts, arguments, and judgments, and facility at addressing and responding to classmates’ like contributions; and
5. Well-developed competence in written formulation of questions, distinctions, concepts, arguments, and judgments.

Requirements

Students must complete 6 courses which may be double-counted towards core curriculum requirements. The lower-division entry course, a comprehensive introduction to the Greek and Roman civilization is required. At least five courses must be upper-division. Students may elect in any order five of these courses. Upper-division Greek and Latin courses can also to meet the minor requirements. Upper-division RILA courses can also be used to fulfill the requirement. Some listed courses have a prerequisite or require instructor’s permission. January Term courses do not count towards the minor requirements.

Prerequisite Grade

Any course listed in this department with a prerequisite assumes a grade of C- or better in the prerequisite course.

Programs

• Classical Languages, BA
• Classical Languages, Greek, BA
• Classical Languages, Latin, BA

• Classical Studies Minor
• Greek Minor
• Latin Minor

Courses

 See Greek and Latin language courses listed under GREEK and LATIN.

• CLSL 100 - Etymology
• CLSL 101 - Greece & Rome: Golden Times

• CLSL 300 - Classical Mythology
• CLSL 301 - Empires of Greece and Rome
• CLSL 497 - Independent Study

• GREEK 101 - Elementary Ancient Greek 1
• GREEK 102 - Elementary Ancient Greek 2
• GREEK 201 - Intermediate Ancient Greek 1
• GREEK 202 - Intermediate Ancient Greek 2

• GREEK 303 - Greek Historians
• GREEK 304 - Greek Orators
• GREEK 306 - Greek Dramatists
• GREEK 308 - Greek Lyric Poets
• GREEK 309 - Aristotle
• GREEK 310 - New Testament Greek
• GREEK 401 - Plato
• GREEK 402 - Homer
• GREEK 497 - Special Study

• LATIN 101 - Elementary Latin 1
• LATIN 102 - Elementary Latin 2
• LATIN 201 - Intermediate Latin 1
• LATIN 202 - Intermediate Latin 2

• LATIN 302 - Roman Historians
• LATIN 303 - Patristic Latin
• LATIN 304 - Roman Comedy
• LATIN 307 - Roman Law
• LATIN 308 - Horace
• LATIN 401 - Cicero
• LATIN 410 - Virgil