Classical
Studies
Ancient Greece and Rome are known as the "Classical
World," and Classical Studies is the academic study of the history,
art, literature, philosophy, and religion of Greece and Rome. It
has this name because the European Renaissance viewed Greco-Roman
period as a golden past that provided ideal, "classical" models
that inspired the great cultural movements of the Renaissance.
The roots of western culture and civilization lie
in the classical world. The Minor in Classical Studies promotes
university-level cultivation of the tradition of classical
antiquity, as well as reflection upon the importance of this
tradition to contemporary literary, historical, artistic,
philosophical, political, and moral inquiry. Students participating
in the Minor will develop knowledge of the history, thought,
religions, and culture of Greco-Roman civilization, and will be
able to draw connections between that knowledge and contemporary
spheres of inquiry.
To authentically fulfill its mission, a university
needs to cultivate the tradition of classical humanism which has
nourished our cultural heritage, contributed to the rise of the
university itself, and continues to speak to contemporary issues
and areas of inquiry. The thought of James Madison was profoundly
influenced by the tradition of classical antiquity, and he would be
pleased that it is being taught in the university that bears his
name.
Faculty
The Minor in Classical Studies fosters
inter-disciplinary cooperation among scholars in participating
departments. The faculty involved in the Minor are drawn from the
departments of Art and Art History, History, Philosophy and
Religion, Foreign Languages and Literature, Political Science, and
English. Besides love of the Classical world, what they all have in
common is expertise in a particular area of Greek and Roman
culture.
This makes it possible for students to study ancient philosophers
such as Plato and Aristotle, the gods and goddesses of Greece and
Rome, the fine arts, the Greek theatre, the history of the Roman
Empire, the wars between the Greeks and the Persians, the conquests
of Alexander the Great, Athenian democracy, Greek and Roman
mythology, ancient Judaism, and the beginnings of Christianity.
Currently, it is also possible to study Latin to an intermediate
level.
Advisors
Dr. Alan Kirk, Coordinator
Phone: (540) 568-3509
Email: kirkak@jmu.edu
Dr. Ann Wiles, Coordinator
Phone: (540) 568-6304
Email: wilesam@jmu.edu
Requirements
The requirement is successful completion of 24
credits chosen from the following courses offered by participating
departments. Students who take Latin or Greek can apply up to 12
credit hours to the minor.
Choose one of the following:
GHUM 250. Foundations of Western Culture: The Greek Experience
GHUM 250. Foundations of Western Culture: The Roman Experience
Choose seven of the following:
GRK 101-102. Elementary Greek[1][1]
GRK 231-232. Intermediate Greek[2][2]
LAT 101-102. Elementary Latin
LAT 231-232. Intermediate Latin
GARTH 205. Survey of World Art I: Prehistoric to Renaissance
ARTH 420. Ancient Art
ARTH 424. Arts of Ancient Egypt
ARTH 440. Early Medieval Art
CLAS 265. The Individual and Society in Ancient Greece and Rome
CLAS 266. Greek and Roman Classics in Translation
CLAS 337. Human Values: The Classical Tradition
GHIST 101. World Culture to 1650
HIST 391. Travel Studies Seminar[3][3]
HIST 455. World Political and Social Thought to Early Modern
Times
HIST 472. Greece and Rome
HIST 474. The Byzantine Empire
HIST 476. Ancient History
PHIL 340. Ancient Greek Philosophy
PHIL 460. Topics in Classical Philosophy
POSC 310. Political Theory Ancient to Early Modern
REL 202. Introduction to the New Testament
REL 240. Jesus and the Moral Life
REL 342. Historical Jesus and the Roman Imperial World
REL 344. Christianity in the Roman Empire
REL 346. Religions of Greece and Rome
REL 360. History of Western Religious Thought
REL 460. Studies in Ancient Jewish and Early Christian
Literature
