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Classics focuses on exploring the literary works, historical events, artistic achievements, and physical artifacts of ancient Greek and Roman civilizations. Students can learn Latin and/or Greek at any stage of their studies.
Those advancing to Honours programs can spend a minimum of three weeks (typically during the summer break following year 3) exploring archaeological sites and museums in Italy and Greece. Single Honours students receive financial assistance for this trip. Additionally, year 3 can be spent studying at institutions in North America, Australia, New Zealand, or Europe. The curriculum covers classical civilization, including the history, literature, and culture of ancient Greece and republican Rome. Students engage with Homer's epics, Herodotus's and Sallust's historical accounts, Plautus's comedies, and Cicero's orations. The program also examines the literature, culture, history, and politics of democratic Athens and the peak of the Roman Empire. Works studied include tragedies by Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, comedies by Aristophanes, Plato's dialogues, historical texts by Thucydides and Tacitus, Virgil's Aeneid, Juvenal's satires, and Petronius's groundbreaking novel. For increased flexibility, pre-Honours Classical Civilisation courses (1A, 1B, 2A, 2B) are now available online alongside traditional in-person options.
Recent graduates have pursued careers in education, government, administration, library sciences, archival work, and museum/gallery curation.