Classical Languages
Major
Graduates with a major in Classical Languages learn to read the ancient Greek and/or Latin languages, become acquainted with the major works of Greek and/or Roman literature, and acquire knowledge of the history of ancient Greece of the eighth through the fourth centuries B.C.E., where most of the modern Western notions of political, artistic, and social life are rooted, and an understanding of the Roman Republic and Empire when Rome established its hegemony over the Mediterranean basin, laid the foundation of law for the Western world, and transmitted the culture of Greece to the West.
For a B.A. with a major in Classical Languages, students must earn a minimum of 36 semester hours of credit in the major. Transfer credit is evaluated on an individual basis. The following courses and course distributions are required.
- Intermediate or Advanced Greek and/or Latin courses (20G:011-20G:199, 20L:011-20L:199) 18 s.h.
- Greek or Latin prose composition (20G:176 or 20L:171) 3 s.h.
- Additional Classics courses (20E, 20L, 20G) at any level, of which no more than 9 s.h. may be courses in English (20E) 15 s.h.
Assuming that you begin your study of Classical Languages at The University of Iowa, you may fulfill these requirements by taking either:
- Four years of Latin and the Latin composition course (i.e., the former Latin major), plus at least 7 more s.h. You can get these additional hours by taking any other courses in the department: ancient Greek, courses in English about the ancient world, the reading courses for an honors thesis, etc. or
- Four years of Greek and the Greek composition courses (i.e., the former Greek major), plus at least 7 more s.h. Again, you can get these additional hours by taking any other courses in the department: Latin, courses in English about the ancient world, the reading courses for an honors thesis, etc. or
- Three years of one Classical Language and two years of the other, plus one of the composition courses (i.e., the former Classics major).
To comply with the Regents' Policy on Student Outcomes Assessment, the Department of Classics has established the following method of assessing the level of achievement of students completing our two departmental majors. Every student will maintain a portfolio to account for progress in attaining the objectives of the major. The required portfolio is submitted to the undergraduate advisor by midterm of the semester in which he/she intends to graduate. Formal approval of the portfolio is required for graduation. The portfolio for majors in Classical Languages will include the required coversheet, a short paper in English on some aspect of the ancient world, a translation into English of a passage of Greek or Latin prose or poetry (either a Lowden Prize passage or a passage from an exam in an advanced-language class), and a translation of a passage of English into either Latin or Greek. The collection of documents in the portfolio should demonstrate the student’s ability to analyze some aspect of the ancient world in English, produce an accurate and attractive translation of an ancient text, and recast a modern English text into the style and idiom of an ancient one. Download the coversheet here: Microsoft Word file or pdf. The portfolios will be filed, so please simply clip all the documents together, rather than putting them into any sort of binder.
Minor
The sequences 20G:011-20G:012 Second-Year Greek I-II and 20L:011-20L:012 Second-Year Latin I-II, are considered advanced for the minor, as are all Classics courses numbered 100 and above. A minor may be fulfilled by completion of the intermediate-level courses plus two 100-level courses, one of which may be a relevant course in Greek or Roman history, culture, or literature offered by the Department of Classics and taught in English.
For more information on the Classical Languages major or minor, please contact the Department.