Classics

"Classics" is a small label for a discipline that explores all the significant aspects of the ancient Mediterranean world:

• Archaeology
• Ancient Greek and Roman History
• Ancient Greek and Latin Literature and Languages
• Ancient Philosophy and the belief systems of Greek and Roman Cultures

We are a dynamic discipline, with a wide range of research in international publications and collaborative projects, yet we are small enough that we can get to know our students by name. Our teaching and our scholarship are strongly linked, enriching our students' experience of the ancient Mediterranean world. We are consistently ranked highly by student evaluations of our teaching, without compromising educational standards.

Archaeology

You can explore the origins of Rome, and the process of romanisation across the Mediterranean world, up to the 5th century AD. The earliest Greek cultures of Minoan Crete and Mycenaean Greece reveal the earliest identifiable traces of Greek religion, and were part of a thriving Mediterranean exchange of goods and ideas, with Egypt and the cultures of Cyprus and the Near East. In addition, students can attend a summer school to train in field work in the Near East, at a Roman-mediaeval site in the modern kingdom of Jordan.

It is possible to undertake Honours in Classics, by specialising in Archaeology. See our recommended choice of Classics topics for your undergraduate degree, if you want to specialise in classical archaeology. Postgraduate research in Classics can be undertaken, particularly if you are interested in any aspect of the Roman world. Having at least a basic proficiency in either Latin or Greek is essential for a classical archaeologist.

Ancient History

You can learn about the development of Greek city-states, with a focus on the political evolution of both Athens and Sparta, and explore what is known of the reality behind the myth of Alexander the Great. Or you can learn about the end of the Roman empire, and the transformation of the western provinces into the core of mediaeval Europe: invasions, Vikings, monks and murderous royal intrigue are only part of this exploration of cultural changes.

You can specialise in Ancient History in your Honours year in Classics. We strongly recommend that you follow our choice of Classics topics for your undergraduate degree in ancient history. You can also go on to do postgraduate research in Classics. For higher degree research, you will need a good proficiency in either Latin or Ancient Greek, or both.

Classical Languages and Literature

You can study at least a year of Latin with us, to achieve basic proficiency of the grammar and reading vocabulary. In future alternate years, you will also be able to do the same with Ancient Greek. We are exploring the possibilities of doing further years of either language through distance education, courtesy of UNE. Please talk to our languages co-ordinator, Dr Jacqueline Clarke, for more information.

We offer a course on poetry and how it was used to convey extreme emotional states in the ancient world, in which all texts are studied in English translations. You can also explore ancient literature in translation in our first year courses. But you will need proficiency in either or both ancient languages to specialise in Latin or Ancient Greek language and/or literature at Honours or postgraduate level in the Classics Discipline.

Classical Cultural Studies

If you have ever wondered how the ancient Greeks and Romans viewed and coped with death, you can explore this topic with us; alternatively, study how the fight to preserve life and health developed in ancient Greece, and evolved into early modern Europe. Or you can study in depth the ways in which the myths of Greece and Rome were used in their cultures for religious, political and social uses, and still resonate in popular culture today.

Find out more about constructing a pathway through your degree by specialising in Classical Studies. This can lead into Honours in Classics, and postgraduate research with us, particuarly if you are interested in ancient systems of thought.

Where to find us

The Discipline of Classics is located on Level 7 of the Hughes Building at the North Terrace campus of the University. Contact us at:

Classics DX 650 114 School of Humanities University of Adelaide South Australia 5005

voice: (+61 8) 8303 4249 fax: (+61 8) 8303 4341 email: georgina.deally@adelaide.edu.au

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