Classics

NYU is one of the country's leading centers for the study of Mediterranean antiquity. The Department of Classics explores the ancient Greek and Roman worlds, including their languages and literature, art and archaeology, history, philosophy, politics, economics, and law. This broad interdisciplinary approach to a society and culture that has had a formative influence in shaping western values and thought provides an unparalleled undergraduate education in the liberal arts. The distinguished faculty includes working archaeologists, historians, and philologists, all of whom are skilled teachers. The Department has a small seminar library with holdings in both Greek and Latin, as well as collections of coins, inscriptions, and papyri. The renowned Alexander S. Onassis Center for Hellenic Studies, housed in a beautiful townhouse, offers students a variety of cultural and academic programs as well as courses in Greek culture from antiquity up to the present day. Finally, the Department's offerings are enriched by the presence of numerous museums in the city with superb collections of antiquities and by other departments at NYU where faculty and students work on the past and its reception, such as Anthropology, the Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies, Near Eastern Languages and Literatures, Fine Arts, the Institute of Fine Arts, English, and Comparative Literature.

Academic Programs

The Department offers five distinct majors: Latin and Greek; Classical Civilization; Classics and Fine Arts (with an emphasis on archaeology); Classical Civilization and Anthropology; and Classical Civilization and Hellenic Studies. The requirements for these majors are set forth in the College of Arts and Science Bulletin. Highly motivated students, especially those considering graduate studies in Classics, are encouraged to write an honors thesis during their senior year under faculty supervision. For students with an interest in museum work, internships at the advanced level provide practical experience. In the past, students have completed internships at the Brooklyn Museum and the American Numismatic Society. Opportunities exist for undergraduates to participate in excavations or to study abroad through the Onassis Center, the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome, NYU in Florence at La Pietra, and special exchange programs that NYU has with other universities around the world.

Activities and Awards

All students interested in Classics are invited to join the Classics Club, which offers lectures, readings, field trips to museums, and the opportunity to attend or participate in the performance of a Greek play. The Bluma L. Trell Prize is awarded to a senior who has made an outstanding contribution to the field. The Josiah Marshall Favill Prize is awarded for the best examination in either Greek or Latin. The Lionel Casson Prize is given to a student who has demonstrated not only noteworthy scholarship but also service to fellow students and the Department. Students pursuing their own inquiries are encoraged to apply for the Hugh and Geraldine Fryer Research Scholarship in Classics.

Career Options

The study of classical antiquity is properly perceived by both graduate and professional school admissions committees and employers as superb training, preparing individuals to do detailed work, to integrate many different areas of inquiry, to reason and think logically, and to communicate with clarity and style. Graduates of the department have gone on to careers in medicine, law, business, publishing, acting, and education.

Faculty

Larissa Bonfante
Etruscan civilization; ancient dress and culture; early Rome

Lionel I. Casson (Emeritus)
Ancient seafaring;comedy

Mervin R. Dilts (Emeritus)
Ancient religion; Greek oratory

Holly Haynes
Greek and Roman historiography; critical theory; Roman history and literature of the Empire; theory of history and historiography

Michèle Lowrie (Acting Chair)
Latin literature; Greek poetry; literary theory

John Marincola (Director of Undergraduate Studies)
Greek and Roman historiography; Greek history; ancient rehtoric

Philp Mayerson(Emeritus)
Classical mythology and archaeology

Phillip Triantafylos Mitsis (Director, Alexander S. Onassis Program in Hellenic Studies)
History of ancient Greek and Roman philosophy and its later reception; Greek drama; modern Greek poetry; history of ethics

Christopher Ratté (Director of Graduate Studies)
Classical archaeology; Greek and Roman art

Michael Peachin
Roman imperial history; Roman law; Latin epigraphy

Matthew S. Santirocco (Dean of the College of Arts and Science and Angelo J. Raneri Director of Ancient Studies)
Latin literature; Greek poetry; comparative literature

Gregory M. Sifakis
Greek drama; comparative literature

Admission and Financial Aid

Students seeking admission should apply to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, New York University, 22 Washington Square North, New York, NY 10011. The University sponsors and administers a wide variety of financial aid programs. Awards are based on the student's record of academic achievement and test scores as well as on financial need.

More Information

New York University
Department of Classics
Director of Undergraduate Studies
25 Waverly Place
New York, NY 10003

(212) 998-8597

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