Classics
The goal of the Classics Department is to offer students an inclusive view of the ancient world and its relation to contemporary society through a focus on classical languages or classical studies.
About the Major
Concentrators pursue two of the following three areas in depth: Ancient Greek, Latin, and Classical Studies. Courses go beyond the traditional study of the languages and cultures of ancient Greece and Rome to provide a broader view of the ancient world and its relation to our own time. The skills students acquire are transferable to a wide variety of contexts.
Students Will Learn To:
- Analyze sources, whether textual or material, in their social and historical contexts
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Demonstrate comprehension of texts written in the target language (Ancient Greek or Latin)
- Compose original scholarly arguments using appropriate research methods and types of evidence
- Critically engage with the discipline's history
- Productively juxtapose the classical past with modernity
A Sampling of Courses
Pompeii
Provides an interdisciplinary introduction to the field of classical studies, focused through the Roman site of Pompeii and the eruption of Vesuvius in 70 CE. Through Pompeii, its destruction, and its remarkable level of preservation, we will study the art, architecture, archaeology, literature, philosophy, religion, history, daily life, sexuality, food, and social structures of Rome, as well as the place of Rome in the modern imagination. Students will gain a comprehensive overview of the many approaches and sub-disciplines represented within classical studies.
Explore these select courses:
An introduction to the language and culture of ancient Rome. Thorough grounding in Latin grammar, syntax and vocabulary. Reading and discussion of elementary passages that cast light on the society and culture of ancient Rome and its empire. No knowledge of Latin required.
Meet Our Faculty
Greek and Roman comedy; Greek and Roman gender and sexuality; Greek archaeology
Latin poetry, emotion studies, textual transmission, Ovid, Sappho, classical reception
Roman imperial literature, the Greek and Roman novel, ancient medicine, and Greek papyrology
Latin epic poetry, didactic poetry, drama, and reception studies
Alexander Perkins
Visiting Assistant Professor of Classics and Religious Studies
Explore Hamilton Stories
Gold Contributes to New Volume in Routledge Series
“Transgender Saints: Perpetua’s Legacy,” by Barbara Gold, the Edward North Professor Classics and Greek Literature Emerita, appears as a chapter in a new addition to The Routledge Companion series.
Rabinowitz Develops Teaching Resources for LGBTQ+ Subjects
Professor of Comparative Literature and Creative Writing Emerita Nancy Sorkin Rabinowitz is the primary investigator on a new publication titled Queering the Past(s), available on the Classical Association website.
Passion for Latin, Classics Lead Hane ’22 to Yale Divinity School
When Jacob Hane ’22 began studying Latin in middle school, he never imagined it would lead him to pursue graduate studies at a divinity school. But through that love for Latin came a love for the classics, and through that, an interest in the New Testament and its cultural significance.
Careers After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who concentrated in classics are pursuing careers in a variety of fields, including:
- Latin Teacher, Wellesley Middle School
- Assistant Professor of Classics, University of Southern Maine
- Attorney
- Principal Dancer, Kansas City Ballet
- President, Breckinridge Capital Advisors
- Manager, Books & Manuscript Dept., Sotheby’s
- Marketing Director, Hewlett Packard Co.
- Veterinarian
Contact
Department Name
Classics Department
Contact Name
Anne Feltovich, Chair
Clinton, NY 13323
