Classical Languages

Degree Options: Major, Minor
Locations: Lincoln Center, Rose Hill
Visit the Classics Department

For 2,500 years, ancient Greece and Rome have influenced the world.

Stock photo of latin inscription - LG“It is not living that matters, but living rightly.” So said Socrates 2,400 years ago. But he could’ve said it today on the campus of Fordham, where we value knowledge and ethics. In the classics department at Fordham, you explore ideas born in ancient Greece and Rome that have profoundly shaped human history.

The classical languages major delves into Greek and Roman literature, history, mythology, art, philosophy, religion, and other areas—in Greek and Latin. (Per aspera ad astra!) How did Athenian democracy operate—and how was it criticized? What was the role of drama in ancient Rome? How do you conjugate learn in classical Greek?

But you’ll learn more than the classics. You’ll also study theology, mathematics, languages, and the performing arts through Fordham’s common core curriculum, the centerpiece of our liberal arts education.

We want you to excel in your field—and as a human being.

To paraphrase Plutarch, education is about the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.

  • You take 10 courses in the classical languages major—a mix of:

    • Greek or Latin
    • literature
    • art
    • philosophy
    • archaeology

    Higher level classes are conducted in Greek or Latin.

    Facilities

    The Fordham Museum of Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Art houses 260 sublime objects, from funerary vases to the emperor Hadrian’s head (in sculpture form).

    Study Abroad

    Peruse Poetics in the Parthenon. Contemplate Caesar in the Coliseum. Fordham is a contributing member of the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome. Fordham’s International and Study Abroad Program has many other opportunities in Athens, Rome, and many Mediterranean locales.

    Professional Associations

    Students in Latin & Greek courses who maintain an average of B or above are encouraged to join Fordham's chapter, Epsilon Mu, of the National Classics Honors Society, Eta Sigma Phi.

    The Department also hosts an undergraduate club for students interested in classical antiquity, the Classics Club.

    Members of the Department are also active in the Society for Classical Studies (SCS) and the Classical Association of the Atlantic States (CAAS).

  • Introduction to Greek I and II
    Advance Readings in Classical Greek
    Socratic Dialogues
    Greek Historians
    Introduction to Latin I and II
    Drama in Ancient Rome
    Horace: Odes
    Roman Comedy
    Christian Latin

Learn More About the Classical Languages Degree

Visit the Classics Department