What is "Classics"?
When we refer to the discipline of "Classics" we commonly mean
the study of the civilizations of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Dealing with the
world of the ancient Mediterranean basin--and beyond--this study is necessarily
interdisciplinary. It embraces history, archaeology, art history; investigation of
the Latin and Greek languages, of the development of literary genres and themes
and traditions; study of the evolution of philosophy, religion, science, and the
history of ideas.
The word "Classics" of course does more than simply denote a
traditional academic discipline. "Classics" is often an evaluative term: To call
something "classic" or a "classic" is to attribute to that thing a lasting or even
timeless value or excellence. Through the course of most of European or "Western"
history, just such a value has been seen in the achievements of the Greeks and Romans.
While the members of the UNL Department of Classics and Religious Studies recognize and appreciate the value that tradition has assigned to Greco-Roman culture, we are committed to a critical evaluation of that culture and of the tradition that has fostered and handed on its position as "classic." Through this critical approach we hope to reach a better understanding of the simultaneously reassuringly familiar and shockingly alien world of the ancient Romans and Greeks. But more importantly, we may learn much about our own society by examining the ways various of its parts seek justification and validation through the "eternal" standard of the classic.
The Major in Classics
The classics major offers a wide range of courses in the civilization
and culture of the ancient Mediterranean world. It is an interdisciplinary major with a
core of required courses supplemented by electives from other programs. Depending on
your chosen emphasis, this major is designed to provide you with an excellent background
to pursue graduate work in classics, classical archaeology, ancient history, religious
studies, literary scholarship, and other human disciplines. In addition, the broad
and humane education offered by the major serves as excellent preparation for careers
in law, medicine, journalism, religion, business and education. The study of classical
antiquity trains you to organize large collections of diverse empirical data. Because
the subjects of classical study are deeply informative of familiar western traditions,
yet temporally and geographically alien to the contemporary student, this major is
especially suited to sharpen your ability to recognize and respect otherness and
diversity. It will help develop your reflective powers and a sense of perspective on
the wider human condition. You will be invited to think about familiar things in
unfamiliar ways. The ability to work with ancient texts, languages and artifacts
encourages the natural development of a disciplined and rigorous attention to detail,
a respect for objectivity, and restraint from excess.
