Departmental Brochure

Classical Studies

The program offers courses in Greek and Latin language and literature and other courses, taught in English, on the history, culture, and civilization of classical antiquity. You may choose to complete a minor program in classical studies by taking five courses dealing with the Greco-Roman world from the program's offerings or others found in philosophy, politics, English, and visual and performing arts. You can also earn the bachelor of arts with classics degree by completing two years of Greek and Latin, which can fulfill the core educational requirements for foreign language.

Among the courses offered in the program are:

• Athenian Democracy (in English)
• Elementary Attic Greek
• Intermediate Greek Readings
• Basic Latin
• Readings in Latin Prose and Poetry
• Greek Civilization (in English)
• Mythology in Classical Literature (in English)
• Masterpieces of Greek Literature (in English)
• Masterpieces of Roman Literature (in English)
• Roman Civilization (in English)
• Roman Revolution (in English)

Some examples of courses offered in other departments include:

• Philosophy
• Plato
• Aristotle
• Tragedy and Philosophy
• Ancient Medicine and Philosophy

Visual and Performing Arts:

• Ancient Near East, Egypt, Aegean Bronze Age
• Greek Art and Archaeology
• Etruscan and Roman Art and Archaeology
• Myth in Classical Art

Research and Internships

Because of faculty activity in research, opportunities for student involvement are ample. In almost every semester, one or more students are engaged in independent research. The museums and resources available in Boston, New York, and New Haven, all readily accessible to students of classics, are unmatched elsewhere in the country. Student projects have included an independent study of Plato's dialogues in the original Greek, a thesis on Roman wall painting, and a new translation of the poet Sappho. The University maintains on campus a cast collection of Greek and Roman sculpture on long-term loan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and offers research internships as part of that program.

The Faculty

Faculty members who participate in classical studies and their research interests are:

Sara A. Brill
Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State University
Ancient philosophy and ethics

Vincent J. Rosivach
Ph.D., Fordham University
Greek and Roman literature, Greek and Roman social history

Katherine A. Schwab
Ph.D., New York University
Greek and Roman art and archaeology, Periclean Athens, Aegean Bronze Age, Greek influence in Central Asia

Special Resources

The program in classical studies uses computer programs as part of its courses in language and literature. Students also have access to research databases from the library, computer centers, or from their own rooms.

Two study abroad programs may be of interest to you. Fairfield is a cooperating institution in the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, Greece, and its students are eligible for summer excavation experience and summer study in the Athenian Agora. Fairfield also has its own credit-granting program at the Lorenzo de'Medici Institute in Florence, Italy. Students from Fairfield and other institutions may study there in fall, spring, or summer semesters.

Life After Fairfield

The minor program in classical studies is not a direct preparation for most careers. However, it is an important asset for those who plan advanced study and it can be an absorbing lifetime interest. Combined with a major in philosophy, politics, history, art, or literature, it provides a key to further learning that is difficult to duplicate at later stages of life. Recent graduates of the program have attained admission to the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University, the Yale University School of Medicine, and the Graduate Program in Philosophy at Fordham University.

The Classical Studies Program at Fairfield

At Fairfield University, no matter what major you choose, you will have the opportunity to broaden and develop your understanding of western culture through the program in classical studies. The minor program can help you to attain proficiency in the languages essential to serious scholarship in classics and will also give you an introduction to the literature, history, art, and philosophy that lie at the root of Western ideas and civilization.

You will have the benefit of small classes, an excellent library collection in classics, and easy access to faculty members who are actively engaged in research and publication. You may also take advantage of opportunities for study abroad. The minor in classical studies provides a special opportunity to add a significant dimension to the general education program that is a foundation for all Fairfield students.

Profile

Joseph Carroll
Classical studies

"I began taking Latin in high school and it's blossomed into a love of all things ancient. Here, I've been able to design a major in classical studies by putting together interdisciplinary classes – history, philosophy, and language, for example. Right now, I'm studying ancient medicine and philosophy, which has some fascinating material in it about the ancients' views of the human body. Not a lot of answers but it fosters a lot of questions. I'm also taking a course in Latin prose, which is a one-on-one class with Dr. Rosivach. The professors are incredibly intelligent and are always available to help their students. The opportunities for internships are ample. I'd like to continue on to grad school and get my doctorate, then teach classics someday. I'd consider that a real privilege."

For further information, please contact:
Dr. Vincent Rosivach, program director
Donnarumma Hall 126
Fairfield University
Fairfield, CT 06824-5195
Tel.: (203) 254-4000, ext. 2337
E-mail: rosivach@mail.fairfield.edu