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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]

            GRK 231-232. Intermediate Greek[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]

            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

 

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