The Classics curriculum is a complete education in Classics using online materials.
Note: When there are courses or books that don't fit into the curriculum but are otherwise of high quality, they belong in extras/courses, extras/readings or extras/other_curricula.
Process. Students can work through the curriculum alone or in groups, in order or out of order.
- We recommend doing all courses in Core, only skipping a course when you are certain that you've already learned the material previously.
- For simplicity, we recommend working through courses (especially Core) in order from top to bottom. Some students choose to study multiple courses at a time in order to vary the material they are working on in a day/week.
- The courses in the Advanced section are electives. Choose one track to specialize in and complete all the courses listed under it.
- Forums:
- Subreddits:
- You can also interact through GitHub issues. If there is a problem with a course, or a change needs to be made to the curriculum, this is the place to start the conversation. Read more here.
Foundations of the Classical World
| Subject | Why study? | Book | Videos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Introduction to Classics | Understand the scope, methodologies, and subfields of classical studies; learn how scholars reconstruct antiquity from fragmentary evidence. | Classics: A Very Short Introduction by Mary Beard and John Henderson | Introduction to Ancient Greek History (Open Yale Courses) |
| Ancient Greek I | Begin foundational training in Ancient Greek grammar, vocabulary, and reading strategies—essential for accessing original texts. | Athenaze: An Introduction to Ancient Greek (Vol. I) by Maurice Balme & James Morwood | Introduction to Ancient Greek (Harvard Center for Hellenic Studies) |
| Latin I | Begin foundational training in Latin grammar, vocabulary, and syntax—critical for historical, literary, and philosophical sources. | Lingua Latina per se Illustrata, Pars I: Familia Romana by Hans Ørberg | Cambridge Latin Course Unit 1 (Stages 1-12) |
| Survey of Greek & Roman History | Gain chronological and geographical fluency in major political, military, and social developments from Bronze Age Greece to Late Antiquity. | The Western Heritage by Donald Kagan et al. | The Ancient World: Greece (MIT OCW) |
| Classical Mythology & Religion | Explore core mythological narratives and religious practices as frameworks for understanding literature, art, and identity in antiquity. | The Greek Myths by Robert Graves (for narrative); Greek Religion by Walter Burkert (scholarly) | The Ancient Greek Hero (HarvardX/edX) |
| Subject | Why study? | Book | Videos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ancient Greek II | Advance to reading unadapted prose (e.g., Herodotus, Plato) and poetic texts (e.g., Homer) with grammatical precision and interpretive awareness. | Reading Greek (2nd ed.) by Joint Association of Classical Teachers | |
| Latin II | Read authentic Latin texts (e.g., Caesar, Cicero, Virgil) with fluency, focusing on syntax, style, and rhetorical devices. | Wheelock’s Latin (7th ed.) by Frederic M. Wheelock | Latin Reading Practice (Latintutorial YouTube channel) |
| Textual Criticism & Philology | Learn how classical texts are edited, transmitted, and interpreted; understand manuscript traditions and editorial conventions. | Textual Criticism and Editorial Technique by G. Thomas Tanselle | Introduction to New Testament Textual Criticism (Daniel Wallace lecture series) |
| Subject | Why study? | Book | Videos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greek Literature | Analyze major genres (epic, tragedy, comedy, historiography, philosophy) and their socio-political contexts. | A Handbook to Literature by William Harmon (for literary theory); primary texts via Loeb or Perseus | The Ancient Greek Hero in 24 Hours (HarvardX on edX) |
| Latin Literature | Study canonical Roman authors across genres, examining themes of empire, identity, and morality. | Latin Literature: A History by Gian Biagio Conte | Roman Art and Archaeology (Coursera) |
| Ancient Philosophy | Engage with key philosophical schools (Pre-Socratics, Plato, Aristotle, Stoicism, Epicureanism, Skepticism) and their ethical, metaphysical, and epistemological arguments. | Ancient Philosophy: A New History of Western Philosophy, Vol. 1 by Anthony Kenny | Ancient Philosophy: Plato & His Predecessors (Coursera) |
| Subject | Why study? | Book | Videos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greek History (Archaic to Hellenistic) | Examine the development of the polis, democracy, warfare, colonization, and cultural exchange. | A Brief History of Ancient Greece by Sarah B. Pomeroy et al. | Introduction to Ancient Greek History (Open Yale Courses) |
| Roman History (Republic to Empire) | Trace Rome’s transformation from city-state to empire, analyzing institutions, social structures, and imperial ideology. | The Romans: From Village to Empire by Mary T. Boatwright et al. | The Ancient World: Rome (MIT OCW) |
| Classical Archaeology & Art | Interpret material remains (architecture, sculpture, pottery, urban planning) as primary evidence for daily life, ritual, and power. | The Archaeology of Greece by William R. Biers | Roman Architecture (Coursera) |
| Subject | Why study? | Book | Videos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Epic Poetry | Study Homer’s Iliad/Odyssey and Virgil’s Aeneid in depth: structure, intertextuality, heroism, and cultural memory. | The Cambridge Companion to Homer (ed. Robert Fowler) | The Ancient Greek Hero (HarvardX) |
| Greek Tragedy & Comedy | Analyze dramatic form, performance context, and philosophical themes in Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes. | Greek Tragedy by John Gould; The Cambridge Companion to Greek Comedy (ed. Martin Revermann) | Reading Greek Tragedy Online (Center for Hellenic Studies YouTube playlist) |
| Roman Elegy & Satire | Explore personal and political voice in poets like Ovid, Propertius, Horace, and Juvenal. | Latin Love Elegy by Niklas Holzberg | |
| Reception Studies | Examine how classical texts have been interpreted, adapted, and contested from Late Antiquity to the modern era. | A Companion to Classical Receptions by Lorna Hardwick & Christopher Stray |
| Subject | Why study? | Book | Videos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ancient Economy & Daily Life | Investigate trade, labor, slavery, gender roles, family structures, and urban/rural dynamics. | The Ancient Economy by Moses Finley | Roman Art and Archaeology (Coursera) |
| Law & Political Thought | Study Roman law, Greek political theory (e.g., Plato’s Republic, Aristotle’s Politics), and governance models. | Roman Law: An Historical Introduction by Hans Julius Wolff | History of Roman Law (edX/FedericaX) |
| Late Antiquity | Analyze the transformation of the classical world under Christianity, migration, and imperial decline (3rd–7th c. CE). | The Mediterranean World in Late Antiquity by Averil Cameron | |
| Numismatics & Epigraphy | Learn to interpret coins, inscriptions, and papyri as historical sources. | Latin Epigraphy: An Introduction to the Study of Latin Inscriptions by J. E. Sandys (public domain) |
| Subject | Why study? | Book | Videos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plato & the Dialogues | Close reading of major dialogues; explore Socratic method, theory of forms, and political philosophy. | Plato: Complete Works (ed. J. M. Cooper) | Ancient Philosophy: Plato & His Predecessors (Coursera) |
| Aristotle’s System | Study logic, ethics, metaphysics, and natural philosophy in Aristotle’s corpus. | The Cambridge Companion to Aristotle (ed. Jonathan Barnes) | Ancient Philosophy: Aristotle and His Successors (Coursera) |
| Hellenistic Philosophy | Compare Stoic, Epicurean, and Skeptical responses to ethics, knowledge, and the good life. | Hellenistic Philosophy by A. A. Long | Same as Aristotle MOOC (covers successors) |
| Neoplatonism & Early Christian Thought | Trace philosophical synthesis in figures like Plotinus and Augustine. | Plotinus: Enneads (trans. A. H. Armstrong); Augustine: Confessions | Philosophy and History of Christian Thought |
| Subject | Why study? | Book | Videos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capstone Project | Produce a research thesis, annotated translation, or multimedia project using primary sources and scholarly methods. | The Chicago Manual of Style (for formatting); Writing for Classicists by Gillian Clark | Research Methods in Classics (MIT OCW) (use general humanities research guides) |
Note: Free primary texts are available via:
After completing the requirements of the curriculum above, you will have completed the equivalent of a full bachelor's degree in Classics. Congratulations!