Classical Studies

Faculty: Faculty of Arts
Degree options:  

• Bachelor of Arts, honours or major
• Any degree, minor

Classical studies examines the history and culture of ancient Greece and Rome and their contributions to western civilization.

Classics is unique among modern academic disciplines in the breadth of its approach to its subject – it is a field in which you must be simultaneously linguist, literary critic, anthropologist, sociologist, and historian of politics, religion and art.

In classics, you will study all aspects of the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations, including: 

• history
• mythology
• art
• archaeology
• language
• literature

Introductory courses focus on classical civilization, mythology, and archaeology, while upper year studies specialize in topics like Greek democracy, the Roman emperors, health and medicine, and Greek and Roman drama, poetry, and art.

You also have the opportunity to study classical languages – and even minor in: ancient Greek and Latin.

Find a list of classics courses in the academic calendar – classics.

Not sure about the difference between a major, a minor, and an honours?

Popular career paths for classics graduates include:

• heritage researcher/interpreter
• lawyer
• curator/museum education
• teacher
• librarian
• archivist
• cultural resource manager
• archaeologist
• tour organizer/guide
• human resources manager
• art dealer/administrator
• conference/event planner
• publisher
• tourism development officer
• exhibit designer/marketer
• journalist
• conservation officer
• historic buildings inspector

“The thing I love most about studying classics is the character behind the studies. There are few faculties in which you can completely immerse yourself in another time period and learn new ways to experience the material for yourself. I quickly found myself completing the optional readings and finding new ways to apply the material to some of my other interests, mainly computers and technology.”

Christine Davidson
Honours classics, minor in Latin (’14)
Lakefield, ON

“My advice for a student interested in the program is to give it a try. One of the best things about Mount Allison is that because of distribution requirements you can never 
‘waste’ a class. If you’re in first year take Latin or a classical history course and let the department prove to you that it’s worth sticking with.”

Liam Coughlan
Honours classics, minors in history and Latin (’14)
Halifax, NS

J.E.A. Crake Foundation
The classical studies program benefits from the support of the J.E.A. Crake Foundation. The foundation funds a number of initiatives for the department, including:

• Crake Travelling Scholarship for Summer Study in Greece or Italy – awarded to a second or third-year student in classics
• Annual Crake Lectures, bringing leading international scholars to Mount Allison
• J.E.A. Crake Reading Room – a departmental reading room that includes a complete collection of Loeb Classical Texts and the Cambridge Ancient History
• Audio visual resources

Archaeological Excavation in Pompeii Summer Field School
The classics department offers a summer learning program in southern Italy that gives you the opportunity to learn archeological techniques as part of a research team on a working excavation. You will learn to assist in the excavation, collection, and recording of artifacts, as well as in the processing and study of the finds.

Special events
The classics department aims to involve all members of the Mount Allison community, and over the years has organized events like an authentic Roman banquet, Greek dinners, dramatic readings of classical texts, screenings of films and television series, and field trips to Ottawa, Toronto, Boston, London, Rome, and Athens.

Faculty spotlight

Dr. Ilaria Battiloro
Associate professor, classics

Co-director of the Venus Pompeiana Project, providing an opportunity for Mount Allison students to take part in excavations at Pompeii

» 5 questions with classics professor, Dr. Ilaria Battiloro