Major: Bachelor of Arts
MajorOverview
The mission of the undergraduate program in Classics is to provide students with a broad background centered on the textual and material culture of ancient Greece and Rome, including Greek and Latin language, literature, philosophy, history, art, and archaeology. At Stanford, students in the Classics program also explore the connections between ancient cultures and the modern world, as well as specialized fields such as ancient economics, law, textual criticism, and science. The program’s faculty approaches Classics from an interdisciplinary perspective that crosses geographical, temporal, and thematic territories. The program is concerned not only with Greek and Roman civilization but also with the interaction of cultures and societies that influenced the ancient Mediterranean basin and continue to influence human society across the globe.
Requirements
Writing in the Major (WIM)
Writing in the Major (WIM)
CLASSICS 150
Majors Seminar
Capstone
Course Requirement
CLASSICS 150- Majors Seminar also satisfies WIM.
CLASSICS 150
Majors Seminar
Subplans
RequiredClassical Studies Subplan
Latin or Greek Courses
At least two courses in Latin or Greek at the intermediate-level or higher OR the complete beginning series of either Latin or Greek.
Intermediate-level or higher
CLASSICS 11L
Intermediate Latin
CLASSICS 12L
Intermediate Latin
CLASSICS 13L
Intermediate Latin
CLASSICS 101L
Advanced Latin
CLASSICS 102L
Advanced Latin
CLASSICS 103L
Advanced Latin
CLASSICS 11G
Intermediate Greek
CLASSICS 12G
Intermediate Greek
CLASSICS 13G
Intermediate Greek
CLASSICS 101G
Advanced Greek
CLASSICS 102G
Advanced Greek
CLASSICS 103G
Advanced Greek
Beginning Series
Complete one of the following entire beginning series of either Latin or Greek.
Beginning Latin Series
Beginning Greek Series
Language courses may be repeated for credit toward the degree only with advance written permission from the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
Electives
Remaining units from your choice of CLASSICS courses.
Ancient History Subplan
Core Requirement
Complete at least three of the following courses for a total of 15 units. Two of the three courses must be Classics 83 (The Greeks) and Classics 84 (The Romans).
CLASSICS 81
Ancient Empires: Near East
CLASSICS 83
The Greeks
CLASSICS 84
The Romans
Depth Requirement
Complete anywhere from 20-24 units of ancient history and civilization courses.
Suggested courses can be found below. Additional courses, including Latin, Ancient Greek, and Sanskrit (SNSKTLNG1-3) language courses, and IntroSems courses may count toward this requirement if approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
CLASSICS 31
Greek Mythology
CLASSICS 37
Great Books, Big Ideas from Ancient Greece and Rome
CLASSICS 40
The History of Ancient Greek Philosophy
CLASSICS 42
Philosophy and Literature
CLASSICS 47
Ancient Knowledge, New Frontiers: How the Greek Legacy Became Islamic Science
CLASSICS 67
Madness in Greek and Latin Literature
CLASSICS 76
Global History: The World's Foundations
CLASSICS 106
Theories of The State, Violence, Nationalism, and Social Order
CLASSICS 112
Introduction to Greek Tragedy: Gods, Heroes, Fate, and Justice
CLASSICS 118
Slavery, human trafficking, and the moral order: ancient and modern
CLASSICS 120
Alexander the Great
CLASSICS 123
Ancient Medicine
CLASSICS 127
Dialogues with the Dead
CLASSICS 134
The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius
CLASSICS 141
Ancient Greek Religion
CLASSICS 156
Design of Cities
CLASSICS 164
Roman Gladiators
CLASSICS 179
Dancing in Ancient Greece and Rome
CLASSICS 181
Classical Seminar: Origins of Political Thought
CLASSICS 184
Laughing At History: A (Selective) History of Comedy from Antiquity to the Present
CLASSICS 187
Societal Collapse
CLASSICS 189
Et in Arcadia Ego: The Pastoral Ideal, from Antiquity to the Present
CLASSICS 193
Archaeology and Environmental Aesthetics
CLASSICS 262
Sex and the Early Church
CLASSICS 16N
Sappho: Erotic Poetess of Lesbos
CLASSICS 17SC
Classical California
CLASSICS 21Q
Eight Great Archaeological Sites in Europe
CLASSICS 26N
The Roman Empire: Its Grandeur and Fall
Breadth Requirements
Complete at least 4 units in the areas “Greek and Roman Archaeology and art” and “Historical and social theory”, and at least 8 units in the area “Comparative ancient civilizations” as described below, so as to reach a total of 16-20 units.
Other courses may count toward this requirement with approval from the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
Greek and Roman Archaeology and art
CLASSICS 11N
Roman Portraits and Persons
CLASSICS 30
Greek Archaeology: The Worlds the Greeks Made
CLASSICS 151
Ten Things: An Archaeology of Design
CLASSICS 153
Ancient Urbanism
CLASSICS 154
Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea: Maritime Archaeology of the Ancient Mediterranean
CLASSICS 161
Introduction to Greek Art I: The Archaic Period
CLASSICS 162
Introduction to Greek Art II: From the Parthenon to Scopas
CLASSICS 163
Artists, Athletes, Courtesans and Crooks
CLASSICS 168
Engineering the Roman Empire
Historical and social theory
Comparative ancient civilizations
Complete at least two courses and 8 units on the ancient world beyond the traditional scope of Classics.
Required Course
HISTORY 1A
Global History: The World's Foundations
Required Course Options
ANTHRO 108
Discovering the World of Indus
ARTHIST 1A
What is Art: Introduction to Early Global Art and Architecture
CHINA 23N
Heroes and Heroism
CHINA 176
Emergence of Chinese Civilization from Caves to Palaces
CLASSICS 186
African Archive Beyond Colonization
JEWISHST 116
The Hebrew Bible: Readings in religion and culture
RELIGST 4
What Didn't Make the Bible
RELIGST 86
Exploring the New Testament
Greek Subplan
Ancient Greek at the intermediate-level or higher
CLASSICS 2G
Beginning Greek
CLASSICS 3G
Beginning Greek
CLASSICS 11G
Intermediate Greek
CLASSICS 12G
Intermediate Greek
CLASSICS 13G
Intermediate Greek
CLASSICS 101G
Advanced Greek
CLASSICS 102G
Advanced Greek
CLASSICS 103G
Advanced Greek
CLASSICS 105A
Greek Syntax: Prose Composition
CLASSICS105A – Greek Syntax should not be taken until students complete the advanced sequence of Greek.
Intermediate and Advanced Language courses (with the exception of Classics 11G) may be repeated for credit toward the degree only with advance written permission from the Director of Undergraduate Studies. If a student completes the Advanced Language sequence or otherwise demonstrates the ability to proceed to graduate level language courses, they may do so with the approval of the Director of Undergraduate studies and the specific graduate course instructor.
CLASSICS6G Biblical Greek and CLASSICS 7G Byzantine Greek may be taken in satisfaction of the majorʼs language requirement.
Additional Courses
CLASSICS 30
Greek Archaeology: The Worlds the Greeks Made
CLASSICS 30N
Making fun of History: Insults, Mockery and Abuse Language in Antiquity
CLASSICS 31
Greek Mythology
CLASSICS 31N
Heroes and Heroism
CLASSICS 36
Gender and Power in Ancient Rome
CLASSICS 37
Great Books, Big Ideas from Ancient Greece and Rome
CLASSICS 40
The History of Ancient Greek Philosophy
CLASSICS 42
Philosophy and Literature
CLASSICS 43
Exploring the New Testament
CLASSICS 44
Epic! Life, Death, and Glory in the Iliad and Odyssey
CLASSICS 45
Ancients and Moderns: Africa and South Asia in World Literature
CLASSICS 47
Ancient Knowledge, New Frontiers: How the Greek Legacy Became Islamic Science
CLASSICS 48
The Life and Legends of Cleopatra VII
CLASSICS 49A
Classical Texts and Traditions I: "It's All Greek to Me": Ancient Greek Classics
CLASSICS 49B
Classical Texts and Traditions II - Across Oceans of Time: Classical Roman Texts
CLASSICS 49C
Classical Texts and Traditions III - The Classical Age: Europe and Antiquity
CLASSICS 50N
Pixels from the Past: Ancient Greece and Rome in Digital Media
CLASSICS 52
Introduction to Roman Archaeology
CLASSICS 53
Pompeii
CLASSICS 56
What is Art: Introduction to Early Global Art and Architecture
CLASSICS 59
The Archaeological Imagination
CLASSICS 67
Madness in Greek and Latin Literature
CLASSICS 76
Global History: The World's Foundations
CLASSICS 77
What is Platonic Love?
CLASSICS 81
Ancient Empires: Near East
CLASSICS 83
The Greeks
CLASSICS 84
The Romans
CLASSICS 112
Introduction to Greek Tragedy: Gods, Heroes, Fate, and Justice
CLASSICS 113
Enchanted Images: Medieval Art and Its Sonic Dimension
CLASSICS 115
Virtual Italy
CLASSICS 116
Human Rights in Comparative and Historical Perspective
CLASSICS 117
The Archaeology of Frontiers, Borderlands, and Boundaries
CLASSICS 118
Slavery, human trafficking, and the moral order: ancient and modern
CLASSICS 119
The Dome as an All-Seeing Eye: Theatre of Judgment in Byzantine Art
CLASSICS 120
Alexander the Great
CLASSICS 122
Undergraduate Teaching Apprenticeship
CLASSICS 123
Ancient Medicine
CLASSICS 125
The Hindu Epics and the Ethics of Dharma
CLASSICS 127
Dialogues with the Dead
CLASSICS 129
Human Rights in an Age of Great Power Rivalry, War, and Political Transformation
CLASSICS 132
Whose Classics? Race and Classical Antiquity in the U.S.
CLASSICS 133
Socrates and Social Justice
CLASSICS 134
The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius
CLASSICS 135A
Authorship and its Limits from Homer to Generative AI
CLASSICS 136
The Greek Invention of Mathematics
CLASSICS 140
Byzantine Greek
CLASSICS 141
Ancient Greek Religion
CLASSICS 141C
"Erotic" Roman Art from Pompeii and Herculaneum
CLASSICS 142
Reading Greek and Roman Slavery
CLASSICS 143
The Use of Classical Antiquity in Modern China
CLASSICS 143A
Beyond Latin and Greek - The Fragmentary Languages of Ancient Italy
CLASSICS 145
Narratives of Enslavement
CLASSICS 146
'Romanizing' the Empire
CLASSICS 147C
Classical Leadership
CLASSICS 147R
Building Heaven and Hell
CLASSICS 149
Democracy Ancient and Modern: From Politics to Political Theory
CLASSICS 150
Majors Seminar
CLASSICS 151
Ten Things: An Archaeology of Design
CLASSICS 153
Ancient Urbanism
CLASSICS 154
Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea: Maritime Archaeology of the Ancient Mediterranean
CLASSICS 155
Mediterranean Islands
CLASSICS 156
Design of Cities
CLASSICS 158
Medieval Image Theory
CLASSICS 161
Introduction to Greek Art I: The Archaic Period
CLASSICS 162
Introduction to Greek Art II: From the Parthenon to Scopas
CLASSICS 163
Artists, Athletes, Courtesans and Crooks
CLASSICS 164
Roman Gladiators
CLASSICS 168
Engineering the Roman Empire
CLASSICS 170
History of Archaeological Thought
CLASSICS 171
Byzantine Art and Architecture, 300-1453 C.E.
CLASSICS 173
Hagia Sophia
CLASSICS 179
Dancing in Ancient Greece and Rome
CLASSICS 181
Classical Seminar: Origins of Political Thought
CLASSICS 184
Laughing At History: A (Selective) History of Comedy from Antiquity to the Present
CLASSICS 184A
Barbarians at the Gate: Race and Ethnicity in Ancient Rome
CLASSICS 185
Reading the Archimedes Palimpsest
CLASSICS 186
African Archive Beyond Colonization
CLASSICS 187
Societal Collapse
CLASSICS 189
Et in Arcadia Ego: The Pastoral Ideal, from Antiquity to the Present
CLASSICS 192
Latin (and Its Speakers) in Time and Space
CLASSICS 193
Archaeology and Environmental Aesthetics
Electives
Remaining units from your choice of CLASSICS courses (Latin, Biblical Greek, Sanskrit, or ancient history recommended).
Latin Subplan
Latin at the intermediate-level or higher
Complete at least 35 units from the following Latin courses
CLASSICS 2L
Beginning Latin
CLASSICS 3L
Beginning Latin
CLASSICS 11L
Intermediate Latin
CLASSICS 12L
Intermediate Latin
CLASSICS 13L
Intermediate Latin
CLASSICS 101L
Advanced Latin
CLASSICS 102L
Advanced Latin
CLASSICS 103L
Advanced Latin
CLASSICS104A Latin Syntax should not be taken until students complete the advanced sequence of Latin.
Intermediate and Advanced Language courses (with the exception of Classics 11L) may be repeated for credit toward the degree only with advance written permission from the Director of Undergraduate Studies. If a student completes the Advanced Language sequence or otherwise demonstrates the ability to proceed to graduate level language courses, they may do so with the approval of the Director of Undergraduate studies and the specific graduate course instructor.
CLASSICS6L opens in a new tab Latin 400-1700 CE may count toward the Latin intermediate-level language requirement. May be repeated for credit toward the degree with advance written permission from the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
Additional Courses
CLASSICS 30
Greek Archaeology: The Worlds the Greeks Made
CLASSICS 30N
Making fun of History: Insults, Mockery and Abuse Language in Antiquity
CLASSICS 31
Greek Mythology
CLASSICS 31N
Heroes and Heroism
CLASSICS 36
Gender and Power in Ancient Rome
CLASSICS 37
Great Books, Big Ideas from Ancient Greece and Rome
CLASSICS 40
The History of Ancient Greek Philosophy
CLASSICS 42
Philosophy and Literature
CLASSICS 43
Exploring the New Testament
CLASSICS 44
Epic! Life, Death, and Glory in the Iliad and Odyssey
CLASSICS 45
Ancients and Moderns: Africa and South Asia in World Literature
CLASSICS 47
Ancient Knowledge, New Frontiers: How the Greek Legacy Became Islamic Science
CLASSICS 48
The Life and Legends of Cleopatra VII
CLASSICS 49A
Classical Texts and Traditions I: "It's All Greek to Me": Ancient Greek Classics
CLASSICS 49B
Classical Texts and Traditions II - Across Oceans of Time: Classical Roman Texts
CLASSICS 49C
Classical Texts and Traditions III - The Classical Age: Europe and Antiquity
CLASSICS 50N
Pixels from the Past: Ancient Greece and Rome in Digital Media
CLASSICS 52
Introduction to Roman Archaeology
CLASSICS 53
Pompeii
CLASSICS 56
What is Art: Introduction to Early Global Art and Architecture
CLASSICS 59
The Archaeological Imagination
CLASSICS 67
Madness in Greek and Latin Literature
CLASSICS 76
Global History: The World's Foundations
CLASSICS 77
What is Platonic Love?
CLASSICS 81
Ancient Empires: Near East
CLASSICS 83
The Greeks
CLASSICS 84
The Romans
CLASSICS 112
Introduction to Greek Tragedy: Gods, Heroes, Fate, and Justice
CLASSICS 113
Enchanted Images: Medieval Art and Its Sonic Dimension
CLASSICS 115
Virtual Italy
CLASSICS 116
Human Rights in Comparative and Historical Perspective
CLASSICS 117
The Archaeology of Frontiers, Borderlands, and Boundaries
CLASSICS 118
Slavery, human trafficking, and the moral order: ancient and modern
CLASSICS 119
The Dome as an All-Seeing Eye: Theatre of Judgment in Byzantine Art
CLASSICS 120
Alexander the Great
CLASSICS 122
Undergraduate Teaching Apprenticeship
CLASSICS 123
Ancient Medicine
CLASSICS 125
The Hindu Epics and the Ethics of Dharma
CLASSICS 127
Dialogues with the Dead
CLASSICS 129
Human Rights in an Age of Great Power Rivalry, War, and Political Transformation
CLASSICS 132
Whose Classics? Race and Classical Antiquity in the U.S.
CLASSICS 133
Socrates and Social Justice
CLASSICS 134
The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius
CLASSICS 135A
Authorship and its Limits from Homer to Generative AI
CLASSICS 136
The Greek Invention of Mathematics
CLASSICS 140
Byzantine Greek
CLASSICS 141
Ancient Greek Religion
CLASSICS 141C
"Erotic" Roman Art from Pompeii and Herculaneum
CLASSICS 142
Reading Greek and Roman Slavery
CLASSICS 143
The Use of Classical Antiquity in Modern China
CLASSICS 143A
Beyond Latin and Greek - The Fragmentary Languages of Ancient Italy
CLASSICS 145
Narratives of Enslavement
CLASSICS 146
'Romanizing' the Empire
CLASSICS 147C
Classical Leadership
CLASSICS 147R
Building Heaven and Hell
CLASSICS 149
Democracy Ancient and Modern: From Politics to Political Theory
CLASSICS 150
Majors Seminar
CLASSICS 151
Ten Things: An Archaeology of Design
CLASSICS 153
Ancient Urbanism
CLASSICS 154
Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea: Maritime Archaeology of the Ancient Mediterranean
CLASSICS 155
Mediterranean Islands
CLASSICS 156
Design of Cities
CLASSICS 158
Medieval Image Theory
CLASSICS 161
Introduction to Greek Art I: The Archaic Period
CLASSICS 162
Introduction to Greek Art II: From the Parthenon to Scopas
CLASSICS 163
Artists, Athletes, Courtesans and Crooks
CLASSICS 164
Roman Gladiators
CLASSICS 168
Engineering the Roman Empire
CLASSICS 170
History of Archaeological Thought
CLASSICS 171
Byzantine Art and Architecture, 300-1453 C.E.
CLASSICS 173
Hagia Sophia
CLASSICS 179
Dancing in Ancient Greece and Rome
CLASSICS 181
Classical Seminar: Origins of Political Thought
CLASSICS 184
Laughing At History: A (Selective) History of Comedy from Antiquity to the Present
CLASSICS 184A
Barbarians at the Gate: Race and Ethnicity in Ancient Rome
CLASSICS 185
Reading the Archimedes Palimpsest
CLASSICS 186
African Archive Beyond Colonization
CLASSICS 187
Societal Collapse
CLASSICS 189
Et in Arcadia Ego: The Pastoral Ideal, from Antiquity to the Present
CLASSICS 192
Latin (and Its Speakers) in Time and Space
CLASSICS 193
Archaeology and Environmental Aesthetics
Electives
Remaining units from your choice of CLASSICS courses (Ancient Greek, Biblical Greek or ancient history recommended)
Greek and Latin Subplan
Latin
CLASSICS 2L
Beginning Latin
CLASSICS 3L
Beginning Latin
CLASSICS 11L
Intermediate Latin
CLASSICS 12L
Intermediate Latin
CLASSICS 13L
Intermediate Latin
CLASSICS 101L
Advanced Latin
CLASSICS 102L
Advanced Latin
CLASSICS 103L
Advanced Latin
CLASSICS 104
Latin Syntax
CLASSICS 210
Latin Prose Composition
CLASSICS 1L Beginning Latin may count toward the above 30 units as long as Greek is begun at the intermediate level or higher. See Additional Comments.
Greek
CLASSICS 2G
Beginning Greek
CLASSICS 3G
Beginning Greek
CLASSICS 11G
Intermediate Greek
CLASSICS 12G
Intermediate Greek
CLASSICS 13G
Intermediate Greek
CLASSICS 101G
Advanced Greek
CLASSICS 102G
Advanced Greek
CLASSICS 103G
Advanced Greek
CLASSICS 205
Greek Syntax: Prose Composition
CLASSICS 211G
Greek Prose Composition
CLASSICS 1G Beginning Greek may count toward the above 30 units as long as Latin is begun at the intermediate level or higher. See Additional Comments.
Recommended additional coursework in Biblical Greek, Sanskrit, or Ancient History - CLASSICS 6G Biblical Greek and CLASSICS 7G Byzantine Greek and CLASSICS 6L Latin 400-1700 CE may count as intermediate language levels. Sanskrit may be counted toward the degree only if Greek and Latin requirements are fulfilled with coursework at the intermediate level and above.
Intermediate and Advanced Language courses (with the exception of Classics 11G and 11L) may be repeated for credit toward the degree only with advance written permission from the Director of Undergraduate Studies. If a student completes the Advanced Language sequence or otherwise demonstrates the ability to proceed to graduate level language courses, they may do so with the approval of the Director of Undergraduate studies and the specific graduate course instructor.
It is recommended that this include CLASSICS104 Latin Syntax and CLASSICS210 Prose Composition (for Latin) and CLASSICS205 Greek Syntax: Prose Composition and CLASSICS211G Greek Prose Composition (for Greek). But this series should not be taken until the advanced-level coursework in the relevant language is completed.
Greek and Latin subplan: 65 total units required.
Honors
OptionalHonors
Honors (optional)
The Honors Degree in Classics is designed for students who demonstrate exceptional academic performance and a commitment to scholarly research within the field. To qualify for this prestigious designation, students must fulfill the following criteria:
GPA Requirement: A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.6 within the major is required to ensure a strong foundation in Classics.
Course Requirement: Upon approval of the final proposal, students may enroll in CLASSICS199
Undergraduate Thesis: Senior Research during their senior year. Participants can earn up to 6 units per term, with a total maximum of 10 units, which may contribute toward fulfilling major requirements. Candidates must complete an honors thesis, which serves as a capstone of their scholarly work.
Supervisor Selection: Students are required to select a tenure-track Classics professor or the Director of Undergraduate Studies to supervise their thesis.
Additional information, including the proposal submission deadlines, can be found on the Classics webpage opens in a new tab.
CLASSICS 199
Undergraduate Thesis: Senior Research

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