Classics

Ombretta Frau, Chair

Geoffrey Sumi, Professor of Classics

Denise Falk, Academic Department Coordinator


112 Ciruti Center
413-538-2885
https://www.mtholyoke.edu/academics/find-your-program/classics

Overview and Contact Information

The discipline of classics comprises the study of the language, literature, history, culture, and society of the Greeks and Romans and of the ancient Mediterranean world from about the eighth century BCE to the fifth century of our own era. Literary genres (such as epic poetry, drama, and historiography), political institutions and ideals (such as democracy and free speech), as well as principles of philosophy and science are all part of the rich legacy that the ancient Greeks and Romans bequeathed to western Europe. Many of their ideas and institutions were consciously revived in the Renaissance and Enlightenment and remain with us today.

Classics combines the study of both ancient Greek and Latin with courses in ancient history, art, philosophy, politics, and religion. The department therefore offers courses in the ancient languages at all levels as well as a wide array of courses (taught in English) approaching the culture and history of Greek and Roman antiquity from a variety of perspectives.

The Classics major and minor are available only to students who entered the College before fall 2024. Students entering fall 2024 or later should instead refer to Classical Studies. Students who entered before fall 2024 and who will graduate in May 2025 or later are eligible to choose either Classics or Classical Studies after consulting with the chair of the Classical Studies department.

Study Abroad

The department encourages study abroad. In recent years a number of students in the department have spent part of their junior year at the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies (ICCS) in Rome. Some have pursued their studies at Oxford, Saint Andrews, and other institutions in United Kingdom. College Year in Athens also offers one-semester programs in Greece. Students who anticipate taking an advanced degree in archaeology, ancient art history, ancient history, or classics can apply to summer sessions of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens.

See Also

Learning Goals

Learning goals for students of classics and ancient studies are:

  • To analyze critically ancient Greek and Roman texts, in their original languages and in translation, within their literary, philosophical, and historical contexts.

  • To understand major monuments and artifacts within their historical and cultural settings; to develop a visual literacy of ancient art and sharpen the ability to see and express what one sees.

  • To imagine fully and creatively ancient cultural communities when relying on limited written and material remains.

  • To deepen the understanding of current problems by studying the responses of ancient Greeks and Romans to questions about the human condition, including, how to live well, and how to govern. 

  • To write and speak more confidently and effectively, and to develop well-reasoned arguments using primary evidence and/or secondary material, including print and digital resources.

  • To expand intellectual breadth through studying the ancient Greek and Roman worlds through different disciplines and modes of inquiry.

Faculty

This area of study is administered by the Department of Classics and Italian. Classics faculty include:

Geoffrey Sumi, Professor of Classics

Bruce Arnold, Associate Professor of Classics, Teaching Fall Only

Catherine Baker, Visiting Assistant Professor of Classics

Requirements for the Major

A minimum of 40 credits:

At least 8 credits in Greek at the 200 level or above8
At least 8 credits in Latin at the 200 level or above8
12 credits at the 300 level in Greek or Latin12
At least 8 additional credits at the 300 level in approved coursework 18
At least 4 additional credits at the 200 level or above in approved coursework 14
Total Credits40
1

After consulting with the student's advisor, a major may choose from a variety of related courses in art history, Asian studies, classics (in English), history, politics, or religion at the 200 level or above. Courses at the 100 level do not count toward the major.

Additional Specifications

  • The Classics major and minor are available only to students who entered the College before fall 2024. Students entering fall 2024 or later should instead refer to Classical Studies.
  • Students anticipating graduate work in classics should begin the study of both Greek and Latin as soon as possible.

  • Students who declare a classics major automatically fulfill the College’s “outside the major” requirement.

Requirements for the Minor

A minimum of 16 credits:

4 credits from Greek or Latin at the 100 or 200 level4
8 credits from Greek or Latin at the 200 or 300 level8
4 credits from Greek or Latin at the 300 level4
Total Credits16

Additional Specifications

  • The Classics major and minor are available only to students who entered the College before fall 2024. Students entering fall 2024 or later should instead refer to Classical Studies.
  • The minor must include courses in both Greek and Latin.

Teacher Licensure

Students interested in pursuing licensure in the fields of Latin and classics can combine their course work in Latin and classics with a minor in education. In some instances course work in the major coincides with course work required for licensure; in other cases, it does not. For specific course requirements for licensure within the majors of Latin and classics, please consult your advisor or the chair of the classics department. Further information about the minor in education and the Teacher Licensure program is available in other sections of the catalog, or consult Sarah Frenette in the psychology and education department.

Licensure also requires a formal application as well as passing scores on the Massachusetts Test of Educator Licensure (MTEL) in both the literacy component and the subject matter component. Copies of the test objectives for the MTEL are available in the classics department and in the Department of Psychology and Education.

Additional information about the Licensure Program, including application materials, can be found on the Teacher Licensure Program website.

Courses Counting Toward the Major and Minor in Classics

Art History
ARTH-290GRIssues in Art History: 'Greek Art and Archaeology'4
ARTH-290PEIssues in Art History: 'Pompeii and the Archaeology of Daily Life in the Roman World'4
ARTH-290RAIssues in Art History: 'Roman Art and Archaeology'4
ARTH-290VAIssues in Art History: 'Ancient Greek Vases and Vase Painting'4
Classical Studies
CLAS-101Elementary Latin I4
CLAS-102Elementary Latin II4
CLAS-111Elementary Greek: Homer's Iliad4
CLAS-112Elementary Greek: Homer's Iliad4
CLAS-201Intermediate Latin I4
CLAS-202CEIntermediate Latin II Topics: 'Cicero and the Enemies of the Roman Republic'4
CLAS-202RCIntermediate Latin II Topics: 'Roma Ludens: Comedy and Satire in Ancient Rome'4
CLAS-202VAIntermediate Latin II Topics: 'Vergil: Aeneid'4
CLAS-202WRIntermediate Latin II Topics: 'Myth, Memory, and History: Writing the Past in the Roman Republic'4
CLAS-216Ancient Rome4
CLAS-218Gods and Mortals: Classical Mythology4
CLAS-219Cleopatra: The Not Humble Woman4
CLAS-226Bread and Circuses: The Politics of Public Entertainment in Ancient Rome4
CLAS-227Ancient Greece4
CLAS-231Greek Tragedy, American Drama, and Film4
CLAS-242Kingdoms Human and Divine4
CLAS-247Knowing God4
CLAS-250ECIntermediate Topics in Classical Studies: 'Ecology, Crisis, and Renewal in Ancient Near Eastern Mythology'4
CLAS-250PEIntermediate Topics in Classical Studies: 'Pompeii and the Archaeology of Daily Life in the Roman World'4
CLAS-250PVIntermediate Topics in Classical Studies: 'The Prophetic Voice from the Bible to the Present'4
CLAS-250RAIntermediate Topics in Classical Studies: 'Roman Art and Archaeology'4
CLAS-250VAIntermediate Topics in Classical Studies: 'Ancient Greek Vases and Vase Painting'4
CLAS-295Independent Study1-4
CLAS-302Cicero and the Enemies of the Roman Republic4
CLAS-307The Slender Muse4
CLAS-309Vergil: Aeneid4
CLAS-312Roma Ludens: Comedy and Satire in Ancient Rome4
CLAS-313Myth, Memory, and History: Writing the Past in the Roman Republic4
CLAS-316Ovid: Metamorphoses4
CLAS-318Petronius' Satyricon and the Roman Novel4
CLAS-320Bad Roman Emperors4
CLAS-395Independent Study1-8
History
HIST-226Bread and Circuses: The Politics of Public Entertainment in Ancient Rome4
HIST-227Ancient Greece4
HIST-228Ancient Rome4
HIST-320Bad Roman Emperors4
Philosophy
PHIL-201Philosophical Foundations of Western Thought: The Greek Period4
Politics
POLIT-211Classical Political Thought4
Religion
RELIG-225KGTopics in Religion: 'Knowing God'4
RELIG-225KHTopics in Religion: 'Kingdoms Human and Divine'4