Welcome to Classical Studies

‘For long ago, the Greeks and those of the barbarians who lived at the coast or on islands, as soon as they became sea-faring, turned to piracy; for being not powerless men, they were led by a desire of booty and to support their dependents… There was no shame in this work; on the contrary it brought a certain fame. One can see this even now among certain land-lubbers who admire piracy when it is done well; and in the ancient poets we see that those who sailed up to shore were always greeted with the question, ‘Are you pirates?’ (Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 1.5)

Curious about Classical Studies? Watch our orientation video!

At East Carolina University, Classics satisfies:

The Foreign Language Requirement for the BA

Ancient Greek and Latin 1001-2004, offered through the Department of Foreign Languages & Literatures, fulfill this requirement. Classes are in English and do not have oral exams, though correct pronunciation is taught. GRK and LATN 1001-1002 cover the grammar; in 2003-2004, we read works by Cicero, Plato, Vergil, and the Greek tragedians.

General Education Requirements

Classical Humanities courses.
GenEd:HU. The Western world’s foundational literature in English translation and ancient Greek and Roman cultures are offered under the CLAS prefix. Whether you want to study Greek tragedy, classical mythology or epics such as the Iliad, Odyssey and Aeneid, the Classical Studies program has the class for you. There are also Classical Humanities courses under the ENGL, PHIL, and RELI prefixes.

Classical History and Archeology
GenEd:SO. Courses in the Department of History cover the ancient world from 800 B.C. to A.D. 476 and on to the Middle Ages, with a primary focus on military history and political development. Archaeology courses offered in the Department of Anthropology treat the material culture of the ancient Near East from the Old Testament to the Byzantine period.

Minor in Classical Studies

The 18 s.h. minor begins with a cognate requirement for BA students to take ancient Greek or Latin as their foreign language. The minor itself consists of a survey of Greek or Roman Literature (CLAS 2220 or 2230), a course on Greek or Roman history (HIST 3405 or 3410), the Classics Senior Seminar (CLAS 4000), and 9 s.h. Classics electives (BS students who do not have a foreign language requirement can count GRK or LATN 2003-2004 toward electives). A complete list of Classics foundation courses and electives is available in the catalog entry for the Minor (see the “Academics” menu above).

BA in FLL: Classical Studies Concentration

See the BA in FLL Concentration in Classical Studies page for more information, or contact the Coordinator of Classical Studies, Prof. John Stevens (stevensj@ecu.edu / 252-328-6056).