Classics

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Ancient History (CLAS) - Classical Literature and Civilization (CLAS) - Greek (GREK) - Latin (LATN)

Courses and programs in Classics are offered by the Department of Modern Languages and Classics

Note that Classics courses (CLAS) satisfy the BA humanities requirement 3(c), but courses in Latin and Greek do not. One of the language courses may be used to satisfy the 3(b) requirement of the Faculty of Arts, while the other courses in Classics may be used to satisfy the 3(c) requirement.

Programs in Classics

The Classics Program encompasses ancient languages, literature, history and culture in Greek, Roman, and Near Eastern societies and, as such, is a central, foundational element of an Arts education.  The department offers a range of courses leading to a major (either Ancient Languages or Classical Civilization stream) or minor in Classics that encompass ancient Latin and Greek, as well as the history, archaeology, art, and literature of ancient Greece, Rome, and the Near East. The program at Saint mary’s presents students with the core concepts, texts, and material culture of the Ancient Greeks and Romans, including courses on ancient history, literature in translation, women and gender, and archaeology. The core of the program, however, is distinctive in that it reflects a developing trend in the study of the ancient Mediterranean which positions the ancient civilizations of the Greeks and the Romans within the context of wider trends in Mediterranean cultural, intellectual, religious, artistic, and historical change and development. Top this end, the program also includes courses on the ancient Near East, Egypt, the Iron Age, the Bronze Age, archaeological theory, the tradition of ancient imperialism, and the fruitful interaction among the various peoples of the ancient Mediterranean, the Near East, and Europe.  Many of our courses are cross-listed with other disciplines, including History and Women and Gender Studies, and our upper-level courses present to students the latest in current theory and method with respect to the study of archaeology, history, and the history of art.. As such, there is some overlap with disciplines such as History, Anthropology, Geography, Geology, and Environmental Studies, and many of our students pursue double-majors in Classic and these other subject areas.

Students majoring in Classics must study at least one of the ancient languages.  Entry to a graduate program in Classics normally means the successful completion of at least eighteen (18) credit hours at the undergraduate level in one ancient language (Latin or Greek) and twelve (12) credit hours in the other.  Latin is a valuable asset for students majoring in French, German or Spanish.

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) is a well-established, foundational degree and requires the requirements listed below alongside general graduation requirements.

Major in Classics

A major in Classics comprises forty-two (42) credit hours, eighteen (18) credit hours of which must be at the 3000 level or higher. There are two recommended tracks for our Classics majors:

1. Ancient Languages: Classics with the ancient languages
2. Classical Civilizations: Classics without the ancient languages

Ancient Languages Track

The Ancient Languages track is recommended for students interested in pursuing a career in some aspect of Classical Studies (e.g. Literature, History, Archaeology). Entry into a graduate program in Classics normally means the successful completion of at least eighteen (18) credit hours at the undergraduate level in one ancient language (Latin or Greek) and twelve (12) credit hours in the other. Latin is a valuable asset for students majoring in French, German or Spanish. Both Latin and Greek are useful to students interested in entering a seminary, studying theology, philosophy, medicine, European history, or linguistics.

Recommended credit hours to complete this track:

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Select six credit hours in at least one Ancient Language		6
Select six credit hours in Classics at the 1000 level		6
Select 12 credit hours at the 2000 level		12
Select 15 credit hours at the 3000 level		15
Select three credit hours at the 4000 level		3
Total Credit Hours		42

Classics Civilizations Track

The Classics Civilizations track is recommended for students interested in acquiring a Liberal Arts style BA as a foundation degree for careers in law, law enforcement, education (Classics is recognized as a ‘teachable’ program by the Nova Scotia School Board), business, museum studies, cultural resource management, architecture, politics, among many other career possibilities.

Recommended credit hours to complete this track:

CLAS courses only

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Select six credit hours at the 1000 level		6
Select 12-15 credit hours at the 2000 level		12-15
Select 18-21 credit hours at the 3000 level		18-21
Select three credit hours at the 4000 level		3
Total Credit Hours		39-45

Concentration in Classics

To obtain a concentration in Classics in partial fulfillment of the B.A. General Degree (i.e. one with a Double Arts Concentration and a minimum of ninety (90) credit hours), a minimum of twenty-four (24) credit hours Classics is required. At most 6 credit hours can be at the 1000 level. Also, the minimum grade point average is 2.00.

Thematic Course Clusters

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Ancient Languages
GREK 1100	Introduction to Ancient Greek	6
LATN 1100	Introduction to Latin	6
GREK 2200	Intermediate Ancient Greek	6
LATN 2201	Intermediate Latin	6
Ancient Mediterranean Archaeology
CLAS 1003	Material Culture from Prehistory to the Middle Ages	3
CLAS 1004	Introduction to Archaeological Method and Theory	3
CLAS 2000	Legacies: The Archaeology of Ancient Greece	3
CLAS 2100	Secrets of the Dead: Roman Archaeology	3
CLAS 3000	Topics in Greek Art and Archaeology	3
CLAS 3100	Topics in Roman Archaeology	3
CLAS 3317	Greek Sanctuaries	3
CLAS 3318	Classical Archaeology	3
CLAS 3319	Pompeii	3
CLAS 3320	Hellenistic Art and Culture	3
CLAS 3610	Field Study in Roman Archaeology	3
CLAS 3611	Laboratory Methods in Roman Archaeology	3
CLAS 3612	Ancient Cities and Sanctuaries	3
CLAS 4600	Artifacts and Artifice in Classical Archaeology	3
CLAS 4610	Advanced Field Study in Roman Archaeology	3
CLAS 4611	Advanced Laboratory Methods in Roman Archaeology	3
Classical Cultures
CLAS 1001	Ancient Civilizations of the Near East and Egypt	3
CLAS 1002	The Ancient Civilizations of Greece and Rome	3
CLAS 2451	Greek History I: From Minos to the Medes	3
CLAS 2452	Greek History II: The Golden Age of Greece	3
CLAS 2500	War and Society in the Ancient Mediterranean	3
CLAS 3311	Art in Greece/Near East	3
CLAS 3317	Greek Sanctuaries	3
CLAS 3321	Swords and Sandals: The Classical World Through Film	3
CLAS 3352	Women and Family in Ancient Greece	6
CLAS 3354	Love and Sexuality in the Ancient World	3
Ancient History
CLAS 2450	The ‘Cradle of Civilization’: The Ancient Near East	3
CLAS 2451	Greek History I: From Minos to the Medes	3
CLAS 2452	Greek History II: The Golden Age of Greece	3
CLAS 2453	Republic and Revolution: Roman History I	3
CLAS 2454	Bloody Caesars: Roman History II	3
CLAS 2455	Ancient Empires	3
CLAS 3400	Rome’s Eternal Glory: The Age of Augustus	3
CLAS 3410
CLAS 4407	Greek Art, Life and Politics	3
Literature in Translation and Mythology
CLAS 2201	The Mythology of Greece and Rome I: Gods and Heros	3
CLAS 3310	Classical Literature	6
CLAS 3321	Swords and Sandals: The Classical World Through Film	3
Women and Gender Studies
CLAS 3352	Women and Family in Ancient Greece	6
CLAS 3354	Love and Sexuality in the Ancient World	3

Minor in Classics

A minor in Classics consists of at least twenty-four (24) credit hours, twelve (12) of which must be at the 3000 level or above. To obtain a minor students much achieve a minimum grade point average of 2.00 (an average grade of C or better) in the courses of the minor.