About

The classical period in Western history, defined as the period from the Bronze Age to the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century CE, comprises the “roots” of modern society. In order to understand where we are and where we are going, it is necessary to know where we have been. European and American literature, philosophy, law, religion, politics, language, and art have all been either directly or indirectly formed in reaction to Classical culture. By examination and study of classical civilization, the student will develop a sense of how the ancients responded to the universal questions of human experience. Through an implicit comparison of the cultures of ancient Greece and Rome to our own, the student will also come to have a fuller understanding of the humanist and cultural impulses which have formed and which continue to form our own experience. This curriculum is particularly useful to the student with interests in ancient history, philosophy, art history, anthropology, literature and political science. It will also prove useful to the student preparing for a career in law.