Classics
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Classics is the oldest and most durable form of area studies. Inherently interdisciplinary, it addresses a time span, pre-Greek to post-Roman, using the tools of the humanities, and occasionally the social sciences to examine antiquity and to explore relationships between then and now. By better understanding the ancient Greeks and Romans, we can better understand ourselves. Beloit's Classics Department offers two majors, classical civilization and classical philology (which can focus on either Greek or Latin). In addition, the department offers an interdisciplinary minor, ancient Mediterranean studies. The two majors and the minor incorporate classical languages, literature, history, and culture. |
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| THE MAJORS | ||
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Students who choose to major in classical civilization must complete two semesters of introductory Greek or Latin, four courses in classical civilization and literature, and three supporting courses from outside the department. The civilization and literature classes cover such topics as Greek, Roman, or Egyptian art and archaeology; love and sexuality in the poetry of Sappho; gender roles in ancient Greek tragedy; Ovid's Metamorphoses; and art and architecture at Pompeii. The supporting courses can come from several departments and include Roman or Greek history; classical philosophy; and art history. The classical philology major consists of two semesters of both introductory Greek and Latin, plus three additional years of either Greek or Latin, and three supporting classes from outside the department on such topics as Greek or Roman history and classical philosophy. Advanced Latin classes incorporate a wide range of authors, from Augustan poets Virgil and Ovid, to Silver Age authors Suetonius and Lucan, to medieval Christian writers. Similarly, advanced Greek classes concentrate on a variety of authors, from Homer, to Herodotus, to the tragedians. Beloit also offers courses in Egyptian language (Middle Kingdom hieroglyphs), Egyptian civilization, and Egyptian art and archaeology. These courses, too, can be counted towards the major.
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| STUDY ABROAD |
CAREERS | |
| There are several study abroad programs that classics majors are encouraged to consider. One is spending a semester at the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome. The program is administered by Duke University, but open to students from any of the participating colleges, of which Beloit is one. The semester in Rome allows students to spend an intensive semester studying Latin or Greek with other American students and faculty and to supplement this study by visiting the physical remains of Roman culture in Italy. Programs in Greece include The College Year in Athens and The Arcadia Center for Hellenic, Mediterranean, and Balkan Studies, both centered in Athens. Each of these two programs possessed unique opportunities for students (College Year in Athens is more focused on archaeology, art history, and general studies while Arcadia Center offers opportunities more custom-tailored to a student's particular interests). | One of the main fields classics majors can enter to continue their interest in classical studies is teaching, either at a secondary or collegiate level, and alumni from the department have gone on to teach classics, history, and English. However, alumni have also entered many other fields, including publishing, banking, college administration, government service, business administration, architecture, law, and museum work. Training in classical languages is invaluable, both for the skills it imparts and for the favorable response that it evokes from potential employers and directors of professional programs (especially law schools). | |