Classics is an interdisciplinary field, encompassing the languages, literature, art, archaeology, history, philosophy, mythology, and religious lives of the Greeks and Romans in the broader ancient Mediterranean world. At John Carroll, we teach Latin and ancient Greek languages from the introductory to advanced levels. In the introductory sequence, you’ll build vocabulary and language skills (in English, too!) and explore ancient cultures. In the upper-level Latin and Greek classes you’ll read literature by many authors, from Homer to St. Perpetua.
In addition to Latin and Greek, we also offer classes about the ancient world that require no knowledge of the ancient languages. Classics courses examine the Athenian democratic experiment, the Roman Republic, Greek art, ancient drama, mythology, and even barbarians.
By helping you build strong thinking, writing, and speaking skills, a degree in classics will prepare you for any career: law, medicine, teaching, politics, business, and more.
We focus on how to use words, how to look at art, and how to think about cultural contexts. You will interpret ancient myths that are foreign and yet very relevant to our own times. You will study religions, philosophies, and politics, all within the context of the ancient Mediterranean world.
Dr. Kris Ehrhardt, Associate Professor of Classics, takes learning beyond books and lectures. Encouraging her students to build their own mini catapults is one way she fosters a maker mindset. Dr. Ehrhardt is creative in more than just the classroom activities that contributed to her receiving the 2018 Culicchia Excellence in Teaching Award. She is a multi-skilled maker in her own right. Dr. Ehrhardt is currently featured in Medium's Idle Musings column. Read about her adventures in Classical ceramics here, Classicists Build Things.
Dr. Emily Butler took Latin 375 students from the classroom to the museum for some practical experience. The students transcribed text from medieval Books of Hours on display at the Cleveland Museum of Art.