Main navigation
- Programs
- Subjects
- Universities
- Destinations
- Advice
Classics explores the literature, history, art, and material culture of ancient Greece and Rome. Students can study Latin and/or Greek at any stage of their academic journey.
Those advancing to Honours will have the chance to spend a minimum of three weeks (typically during the summer break after third year) exploring archaeological sites and museums in Italy and Greece. Single Honours students receive financial assistance for this trip. Additionally, third-year study abroad options include universities in North America, Australia, New Zealand, or Europe. The curriculum focuses on classical civilization, examining the history, literature, and culture of archaic Greece and republican Rome. Students engage with Homer's works alongside historical texts by Herodotus and Sallust, the comedies of Plautus, and Cicero's orations. The program also covers the literature, culture, history, and politics of democratic Athens and the peak of the Roman Empire. Key readings include plays by Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes, Plato's dialogues, historical accounts by Thucydides and Tacitus, Virgil's Aeneid, Juvenal's satires, and Petronius' remarkable novel. For increased flexibility, all pre-Honours Classical Civilisation courses (1A, 1B, 2A, 2B) are now available online as an alternative to traditional in-person classes.
Recent graduates have pursued careers in education, civil service, administration, library sciences, archival work, and museum/gallery specialist roles.