College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

GPA requirements to earn minor: None

Minimum Grade requirements for courses to count toward minor: None.

Contact Information: Carlos Villacorta, Chair of MLC, 201 Little Hall, (207) 581-2075, carlos.villacorta@maine.edu

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.

A minimum of 18 credits or 6 courses is required.

The student who takes the general Classical Studies curriculum may wish to concentrate in offerings in Ancient History, Art History, Classical Philosophy, or Political Science. The student may elect to take all courses in the Classics curriculum (below) or the minimum four courses in the Classics curriculum and the remainder from the courses listed.

For more information about Classical Studies, please contact the Department of Modern Languages and Classics in 201 Little Hall, (207)581-2072.