At Gettysburg College, Ancient Greek and Roman Studies opens a window to the ancient world and equips students with the knowledge and skills to navigate today’s complex global society as well as the insight to lead meaningful lives. The curriculum explores the languages, literature, history, philosophy, and material culture of ancient Greece and Rome. Whether you are delving into Homeric epics, studying ancient pottery, or analyzing Roman political and legal rhetoric, the program offers a rich and multidisciplinary foundation that fosters critical thinking, analytical precision, and cultural awareness.
Gettysburg College’s Ancient Greek and Roman Studies curriculum immerses students in ancient cultures through multiple avenues. For example, “Classical Mythology” introduces students to key Greek and Roman myths in ancient literature and art, while “Roman Civilization” provides an overview of Roman history, society, and politics. On a more advanced level, "The Ancient Mediterranean: Trade, Art, and Colonial Encounters" delves into the material culture of the ancient Mediterranean, examining artifacts to understand past societies and their interrelationships, while "Ancient Philosophy" offers an in-depth exploration of Greek and Roman philosophical traditions. The program’s focus on interpreting complex texts and objects and on understanding diverse cultural perspectives provides a strong foundation for careers in a variety of fields.
100-Level Introductory Courses
Classical Studies courses at this level provide introductory surveys of broad subject areas within Ancient Greek and Roman Studies, such as classical mythology, Greek and Latin literature, and Roman civilization. Students will interact with a variety of ancient primary sources. Learning is demonstrated through class participation, analytical, creative, and reflective writing assignments, presentations, quizzes, and exams. All readings are in English translation.
Ancient Greek and Latin courses at this level introduce students to the fundamentals of the chosen language. In the year-long beginning sequence, students not only learn the basic grammar and vocabulary of the ancient language but also how to read and translate short historical, cultural, and mythological narratives or adapted/edited passages from ancient texts. Greek 101 and Latin 101 are for students with little or no prior experience with the language. Completion of the sequence prepares students to read and study un-adapted ancient texts.
200-Level Analysis Courses
Classical Studies courses at this level provide more in-depth and focused coverage of important topics, subfields, and conceptual frameworks within Ancient Greek and Roman Studies, including Greek history, gender and sexuality in ancient Greece, Roman imperialism, ancient Mediterranean archaeology, ancient Greek and Roman art, ancient tragedy, and ancient philosophy. Students learn to analyze ancient primary sources and engage with modern secondary scholarship and theory. For their final projects, they will generally complete guided research and produce significant pieces of analytical or creative writing and/or take part in performances. All readings are in English translation.
Ancient Greek and Latin courses as this level are focused on reading ancient literature (either poetry or prose) in the original language, while reinforcing grammatical forms and concepts and expanding vocabulary. Students not only build their reading proficiency, but also study and analyze the chosen texts and authors in their historical and cultural contexts and become acquainted with scholarly approaches to the texts. They learn to use dictionaries and commentaries, and engage with selected works of secondary scholarship. In addition to demonstrating their learning through quizzes and exams, students will give an in-class presentation or performance, and write a short essay and/or creative translation that engages analytically with a course text.
300-400 Level Advanced Seminars
Classical Studies courses at this level emphasize students’ independent and profound engagement with a variety of ancient texts and/or material culture in a critical manner, as well as significant consideration and evaluation of modern scholarly work concerning such texts and/or remains. Students will complete a substantial research and writing assignment outside of class that combines analysis of primary sources with synthesis of secondary sources, and they will present their work to their peers.
Greek and Latin courses at this advanced level are generally taught in conjunction with intermediate 200-level language courses, but require students to complete additional supervised independent reading and research. They will present their outside work to the entire class and will produce a final analytical paper that engages extensively both with the Greek or Latin text(s) and with modern scholarship.
First Year Advising and Registration recommendations
Ancient Greek and Roman Studies is a multi-disciplinary field that includes History, Archaeology, and Literature as well as ancient Greek and Latin language studies. At Gettysburg, while the study of Latin and Greek are not required for the Ancient Greek and Roman Studies major and minor, any Latin and Greek courses starting at elementary level 102 count toward the major; and both 101 and 102 count for the Ancient Greek and Roman Studies minor. Students can also minor in Greek or Latin. Any student interested in exploring Ancient Greek and Roman Studies or thinking about a major or minor should enroll in one or two 100 or 200-level CLA, Latin, or Greek courses during their first year. ANTH 106 also counts for the CLA major. Note: 200-level CLA courses have no pre-requisites and are open to any student. Some CLA courses are cross-listed with Anthropology, History, or Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and also count toward majors and minors in those fields. Classical Studies courses meet the Humanities Requirement, and some also meet the Identities and Cultures and Race, Power, and Equity requirements.
Because Ancient Greek & Roman Studies is multidisciplinary, the major includes a number of courses cross listed with History, Anthropology, Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Art History, and Philosophy in addition to Greek and Latin language, literature, and culture courses.
Students may complete the major with or without Greek or Latin study. Students who learn ancient Greek and/or Latin can include in the major Greek 102 and Latin 102, and any Greek (GRK) or Latin (LAT) literature courses focused on reading authors in their original languages, or add a Latin or Greek minor to their program (with approval from the department). Students who choose language study other than Latin or Greek can also major in Ancient Greek & Roman Studies.
Requirements:
9 Classical Studies (CLA), Latin (LAT), or Greek (GRK) courses:
Any CLA 100-level courses and ANTH 106; students may count up to 2
LAT 102 and GRK 102: students may count both (not required)
CLA, LAT, or GRK courses at the 200 or 300 level and above; at least 1 must be at the 300-level
1 Extra-disciplinary Approach Course:
ANTH 221, 227, 300
ENG 299, 210, 211, 212, 213, 214, 221, 223, 310, 312, 315, 316, 317 ES 230
HIST 208, 300 POL 102
REL 204, 205
THA 203
or other course approved by the Department.
Capstone Seminar or approved CLA 464 or other approved 400-level course.
Ancient Greek and Roman Studies Minor
Six courses in Classical Studies (CLA), Greek (GRK), and/or Latin (LAT). Up to two 100-level CLA courses or ANTH 106 as well as all upper-level CLA courses count toward the minor. Greek and Latin courses at any level count toward the minor.
Greek Minor
Any six courses in Greek (GRK) at any level OR any five courses in Greek (GRK) at any level, plus one course in Classical Studies (CLA) at any level. (See course offerings under “Greek.”)
Latin Minor
Any six courses in Latin (LAT) at any level OR any five courses in Latin (LAT) at any level, plus one course in Classical Studies (CLA) at any level. (See course offerings under “Latin.”)
Exploration of great works of ancient Greek and Latin literature, including epic, lyric poetry, drama, philosophical dialogue, and literary criticism. Through analysis of these texts in discussion and writing, we consider what it means to be human, the shape of justice and morality, the power of rhetoric, social and political dynamics of gender, race, and class, and strategies of representation. Authors read may include Homer, Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes, Plato, Aristotle, Virgil, Ovid, Cicero, Lucretius, Seneca, and others.
Survey of history, literature, art, architecture, etc. of Rome from its founding to the Council of Nicaea, with emphasis on the material culture of an empire encompassing the whole Mediterranean world. Normally offered every year.
Survey of classical mythology, with attention to the process of myth-making, the development of religion and various critical approaches to mythology.
Introductory survey of the art and architecture of Ancient Greece and Rome, beginning with the Bronze Age in the Aegean to the reign of emperor Constantine. The course covers the history, culture and social context of major works produced by these civilizations and analyzes developments in style, taste and use of materials. Recommended ARTH 125. Offered once a year. ARTH 201 and CLA 201 are cross-listed.
Study of philosophers and philosophies of ancient Greece and Rome. Emphasis is on the Pre-Socratics, Plato, Aristotle, Stoicism, and Skepticism. PHIL 205 and CLA 205 are cross-listed.
Investigation of the impact that the Roman Empire had on the indigenous Celts and other peoples of Western Europe. The course takes a critical look at the idea that the spread of Roman "civilization" was ultimately beneficial to the supposed "barbarians" brought under imperial rule. The course also compares Roman colonialism with modern empires and imperial projects, and analyzes how examples of modern colonialism used the Roman Empire as a model and ideological justification for European colonial expansion and domination. ANTH 210 and CLA 210 are cross-listed.
Survey of the ancient peoples of Europe during the first millennium B.C. and their relation to the seven modern Celtic nations of the Atlantic fringe. Through an examination of archaeology, ancient history, mythology, and anthropology, this course investigates the relation between ancient and modern Celtic cultures, and the ways in which the archaeology of the ancient Celts has been used to construct modern Celtic identities. ANTH 214 and CLA 214 are cross-listed.
What determines our sex and gender? What sorts of romantic and sexual relationships are acceptable, and why? Who and what define the binaries of male and female, gay and straight, and can individuals move fluidly between them? How do people’s gender and/or sexuality relate to their social and economic positions? This course investigates ancient Greece as a case-study for the way that gender and sexuality works, providing new perspective on our own world. WGS 240 and CLA 240 are cross-listed.
Survey of Hellenic civilization from the Bronze Age to the Hellenistic period. CLA 251 and HIST 251 are cross-listed. Offered every other year.
Survey of various sites and material cultures of the Mediterranean world, from c. 1500 BCE through 500 CE, including some discussion of the goals, methods, and cultural/ legal issues involved in archaeological research. Normally offered every other year. ANTH 255 and CLA 255 are cross-listed.
In this course, we will study a selection of Ancient Greek tragedies by Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, and Roman tragedies by Seneca. We will consider the following questions: what defines tragedy as a genre, how and in what context were ancient tragedies performed, what do tragedies tell us about Greek and Roman values and beliefs, what were the social and political functions of tragedy in the ancient world, and what meanings and uses can re-performance of these tragedies have in diverse contexts in the modern world? Course activities may include performance and/or adaptation of ancient tragedy, and attending a live production of a tragedy.
This course investigates constructions of “race” in the ancient Greek and Roman worlds and the ways in which constructions of “race” and “otherness” were implicated in power relations in the broader ancient Mediterranean, including systems of conquest, enslavement, and social differentiation. In addition, this course uses a critical understanding of these notions of “race” in the ancient world to contextualize modern ideas about race and systems of racism. This will include identifying similarities and differences between ancient and modern ideas about “race” and their implications for power relations, as well as considering the ways in which modern racist ideologies have drawn upon Greco-Roman antiquity as a justification for enslavement and racial hierarchies. Course units include: racial theories in the modern world and in the ancient Mediterranean, Greco-Roman perceptions of Blackness, ancient and modern Orientalism, the formation of Greek and Roman identity in opposition to the “other,” imperialism and notions of the “barbarian”, links between Greco-Roman antiquity and modern White Supremacy, and connections between slavery and race in the ancient Mediterranean and their legacy for American slavery.
Survey of the ancient peoples of Europe during the first millennium B.C. and their relation to the seven modern Celtic nations of the Atlantic fringe. Through an examination of archaeology, ancient history, mythology, and anthropology, this course investigates the relation between ancient and modern Celtic cultures, and the ways in which the archaeology of the ancient Celts has been used to construct modern Celtic identities. Prerequisite: ANTH 103 or ANTH 106
What determines our sex and gender? What sorts of romantic and sexual relationships are acceptable, and why? Who and what define the binaries of male and female, gay and straight, and can individuals move fluidly between them? How do people’s gender and/or sexuality relate to their social and economic positions? This course investigates ancient Greece as a case-study for the way that gender and sexuality works, providing new perspective on our own world.
Study from both a theoretical and methodological level of the various forms of social inequality that emerged in the ancient world, as well as the forms of egalitarianism that have persisted throughout the world to the present day. The course emphasizes in particular a critical understanding of the ways in which ancient forms of inequality compare and contrast to what we see today in the modern world. ANTH 345 and CLA 345 are cross-listed.
The Senior Seminar is offered periodically and meets the Capstone requirement for the major. Using appropriate analytical frameworks, students explore a topic selected by the instructor in a collaborative seminar format.
Study of plans and monuments of Greek and Roman cities as well as writings of classical authors about cities and urban life. A combined archaeological, historical, and literary approach is used, with an emphasis on how the growth of cities depended on the development of technology for the construction of fortifications, large buildings, aqueducts, and other urban necessities. The course begins with the Mycenaean period in Greece and concludes with Roman cities of the 6th century AD. Prerequisite: One 100 or 200 level Classics course or permission of the instructor.
Individualized tutorial counting toward the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded A-F
Individualized research counting toward the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded A-F
Individualized research for half credit (0.50 units), graded A-F
Introduction to ancient Greek in preparation for reading Attic and New Testament texts, with emphasis on vocabulary, pronunciation, morphology, and syntax.
Continuation of Greek I, introduction to ancient Greek in preparation for reading Attic and New Testament texts, with emphasis on vocabulary, pronunciation, morphology, and syntax. Offered every spring. Prerequisite: Greek 101 or placement.
Designed to increase the student's skill in reading texts. Selections chosen at the discretion of the instructor. Offered every other fall. Prerequisite: Greek 102 or placement.
Individualized tutorial counting toward the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded A-F
Introduction to reading and pronunciation of Latin, with emphasis on vocabulary, morphology, syntax. Juniors and Seniors need permission of Department Chair.
Continuation of Latin I, introduction to reading and pronunciation of Latin, with emphasis on vocabulary, morphology, syntax.
The purposes of this course are to develop students’ Latin reading skills and to familiarize them with the distinguishing features of various genres and authors of Latin prose. In addition to developing students’ command of Latin grammar and vocabulary acquired in prior study, the course will focus on central questions involved in the interpretation of Latin prose and the significance of particular authors and their works in the broader context of Roman literary history and culture. Authors and texts studied will vary from semester to semester. With departmental permission, students may repeat the course. Students who enroll in this course at the 303 level will have additional/special assignments as set by the instructor. Pre-requisite for Latin 203: Latin 102 or by departmental permission or placement.
The purposes of this course are to develop students’ ability to read Latin verse, familiarizing them with various meters, genres, and authors of Latin poetry. In addition to developing students’ command of Latin grammar and vocabulary acquired in prior study, the course will focus on central questions involved in the interpretation of Latin poetry and the significance of particular poets and their works in the broader context of Roman literary history and culture. Poets and texts studied will vary from semester to semester. With departmental permission, students may repeat the course. Students who enroll in this course at the 304 level will have additional/special assignments as set by the instructor.
Pre-requisite for Latin 204: Latin 102 or by departmental permission or placement.
The purposes of this course are to develop students’ Latin reading skills and to familiarize them with the distinguishing features of various genres and authors of Latin prose. In addition to developing students’ command of Latin grammar and vocabulary acquired in prior study, the course will focus on central questions involved in the interpretation of Latin prose and the significance of particular authors and their works in the broader context of Roman literary history and culture. Authors and texts studied will vary from semester to semester. With departmental permission, students may repeat the course. Students who enroll in this course at the 303 level will have additional/special assignments as set by the instructor. Pre-requisite: At least one Latin course at the 200 or above, or by departmental permission or placement
The purposes of this course are to develop students’ ability to read Latin verse, familiarizing them with various meters, genres, and authors of Latin poetry. In addition to developing students’ command of Latin grammar and vocabulary acquired in prior study, the course will focus on central questions involved in the interpretation of Latin poetry and the significance of particular poets and their works in the broader context of Roman literary history and culture. Poets and texts studied will vary from semester to semester. With departmental permission, students may repeat the course. Students who enroll in this course at the 304 level will have additional/special assignments as set by the instructor. Pre-requisite: At least one Latin course at the 200-level or above, or by departmental permission or placement.
In-depth exploration of a unifying topic in Classics, using original Latin texts and appropriate historical, literary, philosophical or other analytical frameworks. Topics vary with the interest and expertise of the instructor. Prerequisite: 300-level course in Latin or permission of the instructor.