About the Department of Classics Undergraduate Programs

When Princeton University was founded in the eighteenth century, the study of Greek and Latin formed the core of the curriculum. The first commencement, held in 1748, was conducted entirely in Latin, including "publick Disputations" by all six candidates for the bachelor's degree and "an elegant Oration in the Latin Tongue" by Aaron Burr Sr., Princeton's second President. Today the President confers all degrees in Latin, and the exercises still begin with a Latin greeting by the class salutatorian.

The study of the literature, history, philosophy, and culture of Greece and Rome remains a basic component of any humanistic education. Princeton's Department of Classics presents students with the full spectrum of classical culture and its influence through subsequent ages.

Greek and Latin form the core of the Department's offerings. Mastering them helps students understand the ancient world and gives them a new way of looking at the modern world. In addition, many courses taught in translation examine history, law, philosophy, literature, and comparative literature.

Although many students in the Classics Department eventually go into careers in teaching, law, medicine, and business, others pursue more unusual interests. A recent graduate with a special interest in rhetoric became chief speech writer for the Governor of New Jersey. Another joined the staff of the Smithsonian Institution.

A background in Classics is also of great benefit for students interested in advanced study of related disciplines, including religion, philosophy, art, archaeology, history, politics, English, comparative literature, and medieval studies. A student in the Department of Classics can often do a significant amount of work for Departmental credit in these related fields.

A student whose main interest is Greek literature might, for example, count for credit a course in comparative literature (326 Tragedy), one in art and archaeology (202 Greek Art: Ideal Realism), and one in politics (301 Ancient and Medieval Political Theory). A student interested in history might fulfill departmental requirements by taking courses related to the Classical period taught in other departments: history (211 Europe from Antiquity to 1700, 343 The Civilization of the Early Middle Ages, 344 The Civiliation of the High Middle Ages), or Near Eastern Studies (331 The Ancient Near East).

Departmental Plan of Study

Two distinctive programs of study are offered within the Classics Department. The first program, Classics, uses a knowledge of Greek and/or Latin as a gateway to the study of the literature, history, and culture of ancient Greece and Rome. The second, Classical Studies, allows for the study of different aspects of a specific period or facet of classical civilization and its impact; it does not initially require a knowledge of Greek or Latin.