Traditions, arts, politics and customs of ancient Greece and Rome are woven throughout our lives in countless ways –
from what we stream to political strategies.
Our biennial Classics Day event brings people from all over the nation to honor and celebrate the ancient world with food, fashion and fun.
Classics in class. Welcome to your academic journey into Greek and Roman culture.
Study abroad? Absolutely! Our department leads short-term trips abroad every other year to places such as Greece and Italy.
From putting together the biennial Classics Day to throwing javelins in his "Ancient Roman Sports" class, Bob Simmons is your new favorite professor.
Be part of a vibrant and supportive community that pursues understanding of the civilizations and languages of the ancient Mediterranean world. To study classics is to understand how human civilization evolved and where it might go.
A personalized program
Our students are guided through an intellectually and physically active approach to the diverse aspects of the field. They learn to read and analyze original texts from antiquity in Latin and Ancient Greek and get outside for ancient sports class.
Whether a course’s focus is language, mythology, history, archaeology or other areas, our students apply critical analysis to a variety of evidence. Each of our classes is an intellectual excursion to a distant time, place, and way of thinking.
The structures of the Latin and ancient Greek languages allow students to step outside of familiar assumptions and see language in a new way. The study of cultures gives students a chance to view the world through radically different lenses for a more thorough understanding of their own culture and lives.
<blockquote class="callout-quote"><div class="callout-quote-text"><p> “Everyone in the Classics Department wants to see you succeed. They will challenge you to think much deeper than you ever thought you could.”</p></div><footer class="callout-quote-footer">Aaron Kimzey ’19</footer></blockquote>
<blockquote class="callout-quote"><div class="callout-quote-text"><p> “With a rich local history of authentic artifacts paired with dedicated instructors who value hands-on learning, Classics left a lasting impact on how I see and interact with the world – past, present and future.”</p></div><footer class="callout-quote-footer">Isaac Jacobs ’19</footer></blockquote>
<blockquote class="callout-quote"><div class="callout-quote-text"><p> “There was something about sharing time and laughter with my Classics peers and faculty members that truly made me feel welcomed and appreciated.”</p></div><footer class="callout-quote-footer">Kayla Beadles ’17</footer></blockquote>
<blockquote class="callout-quote"><div class="callout-quote-text"><p> “In the <span style="font-weight: 400;">‘</span>Classics Day Leadership<span style="font-weight: 400;">’</span> class, I managed the logistics of an outdoor fair…That gave me a business mindset that helped me build the foundation for what will hopefully be a fruitful career in public service.”</p></div><footer class="callout-quote-footer">John Cotter ’19</footer></blockquote>
<blockquote class="callout-quote"><div class="callout-quote-text"><p> “The faculty are wholeheartedly invested in their students’ growth and knowledge. I never walk past them without hearing a ‘<em>Salve</em>, Hannah’ or a ‘<em>Khaire</em>, Hannah.’”</p></div><footer class="callout-quote-footer">Hannah Hofmann ’21</footer></blockquote>
<blockquote class="callout-quote"><div class="callout-quote-text"><p> “The Classics Department is a tight-knit, warm and welcoming community where I found myself flourishing and becoming the best possible student, leader, thinker and even human that I could be.”</p></div><footer class="callout-quote-footer">Maddie Baker ’19</footer></blockquote>
<blockquote class="callout-quote"><div class="callout-quote-text"><p> “A Classics degree challenged me to think and learn in ways that I never had before, developing skills that I use every day.”</p></div><footer class="callout-quote-footer">Daniel Jones ’18</footer></blockquote>
<blockquote class="callout-quote"><div class="callout-quote-text"><p> “I was able to travel and get a visual perspective of the whole wide world with this major. I learned to think outside the box.”</p></div><footer class="callout-quote-footer">Myles Olson ’19</footer></blockquote>
<blockquote class="callout-quote"><div class="callout-quote-text"><p> “Department BBQs, classically accurate dinners and world travel are just some of the ways the department helped me expand my love of Classics and connect with others who share that love.”</p></div><footer class="callout-quote-footer">Alexandra Barrett ’19</footer></blockquote>
<blockquote class="callout-quote"><div class="callout-quote-text"><p> “The activities we did in every class would never happen at bigger schools. They are unique to this College because of our professors<span style="font-weight: 400;">’</span> expertise.”</p></div><footer class="callout-quote-footer">River Laing ’20</footer></blockquote>
<blockquote class="callout-quote"><div class="callout-quote-text"><p> “The Classics Department provided me with so many opportunities– teaching a demonstration on the Macedonian battle technique at Classics Day, presenting a paper at a conference, and emceeing the Black Classicists Exhibition.”</p></div><footer class="callout-quote-footer">Kasha Appleton ’20</footer></blockquote>
Classics is for everyone
Courses are not only for students who major or minor in classics or classical languages, but they are also open to all students who seek intellectual enrichment or a broader perspective of the world. (Hello, double major!) Students who have an interest in politics, art, religion, philosophy, literature, drama, gender relations, class relations, intercultural dynamics and social institutions will find all of that in our program.
We get hands-on
Our campus archaeology lab and the Shields Collection of Antiquities hold authentic ancient artifacts. Our department also houses an expansive collection of historic reproductions and clothing relevant to the ancient world. These materials are used to illustrate a range of topics, including ancient sports, warfare, textile and food production, art, and other practices of life in the ancient world.
Students in Prof. Newman's Egyptian Archaeology course make faience, a type of ceramic ware produced in ancient EgyptStudents also enhance their knowledge and build cross-disciplinary connections by engaging with faculty from the arts and sciences and with physical resources such as the ceramics studio, LeSuer Nature Preserve, the Educational Garden & Farm, and the local Warren County History Museum.
The best way to learn another culture is to experience it.
Our Monmouth in Mérida program immerses students in a Spanish-speaking culture for a full semester at the same cost as staying on campus.
In addition to regular courses – which include two taught in Spanish – students have an optional service-learning opportunity and stay with host families. Students can also explore local villages and add stamps to their passports by traveling to other countries.
We empower you as an individual. And to do that, we offer experiences you won’t find anywhere else.
What sets us apart? Good question! We’ve got a few answers.
Research Opportunities: You don’t have to wait until your junior year – we have research opportunities starting three weeks before your first year.
Farm + Garden: Students study sustainability by getting hands-in-the-dirt experiences on campus, where your Educational Studies professor also doubles as a beekeeper.
DIII Dominates: Student-athletes? Nah, we call our Fighting Scots scholar-athletes because that’s what they are – the perfect balance between academics and athletics.
Global Health Minor: We prepare our students to work for lives committed to asking and solving the world’s biggest problems by focusing on improving physical and mental health around the world.
Alpha Chapters: The Monmouth Duo – two of the first national women’s fraternities – were founded at Monmouth. Pi Beta Phi in 1867, and then Kappa Kappa Gamma in 1870. They were trailblazers the for sororities across the nation.
Peace Corps Prep: The certified program gives graduates interested in the Peace Corps a leg up in the application process.
