Meet Our Advising Team
Overview
Classics is the study of the diverse cultures and histories of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds. It is an interdisciplinary field, encompassing archaeology, art history, history, history of science, language, linguistics, literature, philosophy, reception studies, and religion. A concentration in Classics equips students with all the tools necessary for understanding the forms of expression and ways of life of the cultures of antiquity, and for understanding the development of those cultures over time. Concentrators learn skills that are broadly applicable to the analysis of any complex cultural system or artifact. They also acquire fluency in a tradition of art, literature, and philosophy that has been vitally relevant in many periods and contexts and remains highly influential today.
Learning Objectives
Classics concentrators gain familiarity with Latin or Greek (or both), learn how to handle complex evidence and how to write persuasively, and acquire a critical understanding of key aspects of the cultural legacy of two of the civilizations that have most shaped the modern world.
Gateway Courses
- CLS-STDY 97A: Introduction to the Ancient Greek World
- CLS-STDY 97B: Introduction to the Ancient Roman World
- All introductory courses in Greek and Latin, e.g., LATIN 1; GREEK 1; MODGRK Aa.
- All CLS-STDY courses, except CLS-STDY 112
- GENED 1074: The Ancient Greek Hero
- GENED 1131: Loss
- CLASARCH 11: Roman Archaeology
- CLASARCH 120: Fake News! Archaeological Fictions and Frauds
Quick Links
For undergraduate program inquiries, please email classicsDUS@fas.harvard.edu.
David Elmer
Director of Undergraduate Studies, Eliot Professor of Greek Literature, Faculty Dean of Eliot House.
Office hours will be Wednesdays 3-4:30 or by appointment. Students can sign up here: calendly.com/davidelmer or email for appointment.
Emmi Farrell
