Welcome, prospective, accepted, and new students

About classics
What is classics? Archaeology: material culture. Art history: visual aesthetics. History: study of the past. Language: complex systems of communication. Literature: prose and poetry. Anthropology: what it is to be human. Economics: production, distribution, and consumption of goods. Engineering: invention of machines, including the world's first steam engine. Philosophy: love of wisdom. Religion: beliefs that explain the universe. Technology: knowledge of methods to facilitate creativity, including the world's first computer. All of these fields of inquiry have one thing in common in classics: the study of ancient Greek and Roman civilizations. Pursue classics, and you explore all of these fields.

While learning more about Skidmore classics, do not miss "You're Majoring in What?," an essay on the value of a classical education by David Porter, professor emeritus of classics. 

Interesting classes I might take 

• All levels of ancient Greek and Latin
• Gender and Sexuality in Antiquity
• Greek and Roman Comedy
• Ancient Warfare
• Murdering Mothers
• Greek History: Athens, Alexander, Cleopatra
• Roman Art and Archaeology
• Reading & Writing Rome (including a travel-study program in Italy)
• Parthenon (including a travel-study program in Greece)
• Classics on Film

Check out our current course listings and the complete list of Skidmore Classics courses.

Recommended courses for first-year students
Ready to plan your first semester at Skidmore? Check out our Fall 2015 schedule.

In particular, don't miss our Scribner Seminar:

SSP 100 Myth Conceptions: From Harry Potter to Batman to Avatar: The Last Airbender, myth is everywhere!

We recommend you take one or more of these courses in Fall. Visit us at Classic Language webpage, if you have any questions about language placement for Latin or Greek.

CL 110 Elementary Latin: Veni, vidi, vici! Come to Latin… See what it is all about … Conquer Latin and the foundation of English. If you've never taken Latin, or only had 1–2 years before Skidmore, this is the course for you.

CL 311 Petronius' Satyricon: You are formally invited to attend the Dinner of Trimalchio, but be warned: we may encounter witches, werewolves, and a mock funeral along the way. New Skidmore students with four years or more of Latin might enroll in this course. Please check with Professor Dan Curley, department chair, to see if this is the right level of Latin for you.

CC 220 Classical Mythology: If you like tales of murder, sex, and mayhem, this is the course for you.

HI 205 Rise of Rome: From Romulus to Augustus, Rome's history is populated by both the insanely talented and the criminally insane. Become part of Roman history through the role-playing game Beware the Ides of March, set in the wake of Julius Caesar's assassination.

PH 203 History of Greek Philosophy: What is the origin of philosophy? What is the nature of the cosmos? What is the nature of human beings? Come find out!

Look forward to these courses in the spring semester!

CL 210 Intermediate Latin: Raring to read the works of Virgil, Caesar, and Cicero? Cement your language skills here! Please check with Professor Dan Curley, department chair, to see if this is the right level of Latin for you.

CL 310 Catullus: "I hate and I love..." Follow the poet Gaius Valerius Catullus as he chronicles a blazing love affair, Roman politics, myth, gender, and sexuality. Please check with Professor Dan Curley, department chair, to see if this is the right level of Latin for you.

CG 110 Elementary Greek: Maybe you've read the Odyssey in English, but we promise, it's a thousand times better in Ancient Greek! If you've never taken Greek, or only had 1–2 years before Skidmore, this is the course for you.

CC 200 Classical World: Homer and Pericles, Cicero and Augustus, and a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC. Looking to major or minor in classics? Don't miss our gateway to classics.

CC 223 Society on the Stage: Greek and Roman Comedy: Don't just read ancient comedies, write and perform one as well!

HI 206 Fall of Rome: You may have heard of a certain Roman emperor who fiddled while Rome burned. But did you know another emperor elected his horse to the senate?

AH 222 Roman Art and Archaeology: From the Seven Hills of Rome to gladiators battling in the Colosseum, take a tour of Rome's artistic majesty!

Beyond the classroom

Activities and Events: In addition to class work, Skidmore classics hosts a variety of events for majors, minors and the Skidmore community every semester. Check out our past and upcoming events. 

Thesis and capstone work: Classics students have reinterpreted the sculpture on the majestic Athenian Parthenon through the lens of gender, explored forgeries in antiquity, researched the black market in ancient artifacts, crafted their own original Greek tragedy, and provided guided tours at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Students in classics learn to read, think, write, and argue critically, and prepare themselves for virtually any career after Skidmore. See more information on writing a thesis in Classics at Skidmore.

Popular study abroad programs: Advanced Studies in England, including Greek and Latin tutorials with Oxford dons; Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome, Italy; and College Year in Athens. Check out our Skidmore Classics study abroad information.

Success after Skidmore

Graduate Schools: In addition to pursuing degrees in Classics, our alumni have continued their studies at a wide range of programs and institutions, earning degrees in classics, history, business, social work, and engineering among many other disciplines. Here's a sampler of where our alumni have continued their study.

Careers: Our alumni have pursued careers as writers, journalists, financial analysts, screenwriters, entrepreneurs, librarians, programmers, researchers, scientists, and corporate vice presidents, just to name a few fields.