What is Classics? : A Grad Student’s Perspective
What is Classics, anyway? What do classicists study? Here is my perspective as a grad student in Classics at a major research institution!
I am in my fourth year of a PhD in Classics at Harvard, and my family still has no idea what I do. Okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration. But almost everyone outside my immediate family looks at me blankly when I tell them my area of studies.
So my default is to add immediately that I study Latin and Ancient Greek. But that’s not totally accurate, either, so this post is my attempt at the age-old question: What is Classics?


I will focus on Classics the academic field, NOT “classics” in the broader sense of literature, movies, etc. that have stood the test of time.
What is Classics?
The easiest response is that Classics is the study of the ancient Mediterranean world (the lands around the Mediterranean Sea), with an emphasis on Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. When someone says “classical languages”, they usually mean Ancient Greek and Latin. “Classical literature” includes authors such as Homer, Sophocles, Vergil, Ovid, etc.


O H 237, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
But beware: the term “Classics” reveals our bias in the modern western world toward Greece and Rome as the ultimate founding civilizations. We call the study of Greece and Rome “Classics” because we see – or saw – these two cultures as the height of civilization and sophistication.
In reality, there are many other ancient traditions of equal or greater cultural and intellectual advancement (those of ancient Iraq and China, to name two). Calling the study of Greece and Rome “Classics” is rather prejudiced, because it privileges a European worldview and presents European culture as the ultimate standard. But the name has stuck and it is here to stay – for the foreseeable future, at least.
Classics vs. Classical Studies
Another area of confusion is the distinction between Classics and classical studies. To be honest, these two terms have the same basic meaning. But traditionally, Classics has been used to refer to more language-based degrees and programs. Classical studies, on the other hand, usually means the study of the literature, history, and culture of the classical world, without the emphasis on Latin and Ancient Greek.
I want to stress that this distinction is really just a convention. “Classics” and “classical studies” are two faces of the same field. And different universities call their majors different things. If you are interested in studying the ancient world, you should always check to see what your university or school calls its programs.
Okay, so far, so good. Now that we have the terminology out of the way, let’s look at what classicists actually study. What are Classics and classical studies all about?
What does a classicist study?
First of all, Classics is a very broad field and includes many different disciplines. If you look on the websites of major PhD programs (Harvard, Yale, Chicago, Toronto, etc.) you will see that there are multiple tracks or routes. At Harvard, three popular tracks are classical philology, ancient history, and classical archaeology. Let’s look a bit closer at each one!
Classical Philology
First up, classical philology – my track! Are you thinking to yourself, “What the heck is philology?” If so, don’t worry! This is a common response, since philology isn’t a word that the average person encounters in their daily life.
The term “philology” deserves a post of its own, but basically it is the study of language and literature. We philologists learn the intricacies of Ancient Greek and Latin (and sometimes other languages, too). We then use our skills to analyze texts surviving from the Ancient Mediterranean.
Philologists can have many different specialties. They can study specific authors or genres (e.g. epic poetry, tragedy, private letters, or public documents). Another option is to research themes such as the development of myth, the representation of women, or the portrayal of nature and the environment.
Philologists can also focus more on the languages themselves – for instance, on the relationship between Greek dialects, the historical phases of Latin, or the development and use of different grammatical concepts. Or they can examine how Greek and Latin literature has influenced later literary traditions in Europe and beyond.
Ancient History
Ancient historians, as you might expect, are concerned with the history of Ancient Greece, Rome, and neighboring cultures. Many historical texts survive from the Ancient Mediterranean. Men like Herodotus, Thucydides, Livy, and Tacitus have left behind fascinating accounts.
Some classical historians take a text-based route and focus on what we can learn from these ancient authors, who have varying degrees of reliability. Many other historians use literary and archaeological sources together to determine what life was like in the ancient world.
Historians, just like philologists, have different areas of interest. Some focus on political, religious, military, or cultural history, while others use the principles of economics to help understand trade patterns and urban development. For a long time scholars directed most of their attention to important figures such as kings and generals, since these are the people who show up most frequently in texts, inscriptions, and monuments. But now many historians seek to uncover the stories of less visible members of the ancient world.
How did the average Athenian live? How about the average Roman? What was life like for women and children? Ancient historians ask all of these questions and more in their quest to understand the past.
Classical Archaeology
Classical archaeologists study the material culture of the ancient Mediterranean world. Now when I say “archaeologist”, what is the first thing that pops into your mind? Harrison Ford fleeing from bad guys in an ancient temple, perhaps? If so, let’s refine that vision a bit.
First of all, archaeologists whose primary research lies in excavation are called field archaeologists. During the summer they head to Italy, Greece, Turkey, etc. for the field season. This season can last anywhere from four to ten weeks. During the rest of the year, field archaeologists occupy themselves with jobs in universities and museums. That’s why we see Indiana Jones teaching college students!
Speaking of Indiana Jones: while he always digs up gold and sacred artefacts, most archaeological discoveries are a bit tamer. Coins, nails, bone hairpins, animal bones, and pottery – so much pottery! – frequently emerge from the earth. These finds can tell us a lot about the dating of the site and about everyday life in the ancient world, from cooking to fashion to trade.
It is important to note that field archaeologists are only one kind of archaeologist, and many archaeologists do not excavate at all. Excavation is only the tip of the iceberg, after all. Archaeologists must carefully preserve, catalogue, and analyze artefacts and data. Some scholars are pottery experts, while others specialize in coins or mosaics or loom weights. Still others focus on different themes (sacred spaces, urban development, the lives of women, ancient music, etc.).
Their work is just as valuable and exciting as that of the field archaeologists and without them, we would never be able to arrive at hypotheses concerning the realities of the past. Finally, a whole host of scholars work on making archaeological knowledge and discoveries available to the general public.
Breaking the Mold
As you might imagine, the lines between these three tracks often blur. Philologists can (and should!) learn about history and archaeology. Good philologists not only pay attention to language and style, but also take into account cultural context.
After all, how can you understand a text if you have no knowledge of the time period when it was written? Likewise, archaeologists cannot ignore literary texts. It is much harder to interpret artefacts and ruins if you don’t know what their owners had to say about themselves.
I will conclude by stressing that Ancient Greece and Rome did not exist in a void. There was a vibrant world all around them. Persia, Asia Minor, the Levant, Egypt, and North Africa (among other regions) all had their roles to play.
Classicists are becoming more and more aware of the impossibility of cutting off Greece and Rome from their surroundings. As a result, we have begun to expand our research into new geographical regions. Exciting times lie ahead as we push past the traditional boundaries of Classics and venture into new territory.
I hope you now have a better idea of how classicists occupy themselves! But even this article only scratches the surface of the options, since there are many more tracks and areas of research out there. Classical philosophy, Medieval Latin, Byzantine studies . . . the list goes on and on.
YOU MAY ALSO LOVE:
- Why Should You Learn Latin?
- Best Resources for Latin Learners
- Homeric Hymns: Don’t Miss These Iconic Myths
- Apollonius’ Argonautica: 6 Reasons To Read It Right Now
- Why You Should Start With Greek Tragedy
Background photo credit: Tom Podmore on Unsplash
Thank you!! This is incredible – I feel like I understand one of my adult children so much better after reading this! She is a classicist who thinks and breathes and lives for all things ancient – the languages, the culture, and anything else she can learn. I cannot wait to read more.
I am so glad that you enjoyed the article, Mom of a Classicist! I hope this has given you ideas for some conversations with your daughter!
What a fascinating summation of something a lot of people have little knowledge about. Thank you, Livia, for explaining this so succinctly. I’ve only just found your blog and will continue to explore it thoroughly.
I don’t have a social media profile of any kind since I deleted myself from Facebook and have never done any of those other platforms, but I teach online classes on how to write your memoirs, and I’ll be sure to use this blog of yours as a resource (if you don’t mind).
Thank you for your kind comment, Fran! I am glad you enjoyed the post and I would be honored if you used my blog as a resource. Your class on writing memoirs sounds fascinating!