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Classics explores the literature, history, art, and material culture of ancient Greece and Rome. Students can learn Latin and/or Greek at any stage of their studies.
Those advancing to Honours will have the chance to spend a minimum of three weeks (typically during the summer break after 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 archaic Greece and republican Rome. Students engage with Homer's works alongside Herodotus and Sallust's histories, Plautus's plays, and Cicero's speeches. The program also examines the literature, culture, history, and politics of democratic Athens and the peak of the Roman Empire. Readings include plays by Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes, Plato's dialogues, Thucydides and Tacitus's histories, Virgil's Aeneid, Juvenal's satires, and Petronius's remarkable novel. For added flexibility, 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 teaching, civil service, administration, library sciences, archival work, and roles in museums and galleries.