Ancient/Classical Greek Language and Literature
Epic, lyric, pastoral poetry, tragic and comedic play, prose history, philosophy, and novels have origins in ancient Greek literature and were even termed by the Greeks. Greeks achieved this despite not adopting a writing system suitable for capturing these literary forms until late in their culture's development. Along with Latin, ancient Greek - also known as "Classical Greek" - is one of the most useful languages for the professional Classicist in their search for and analysis of historically and culturally significant writings, events, objects, and ideas. The Hippocratic Oath, the works of Plato, the original versions of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, and Sophocles' Oedipus the King, as well as Aristotle's treatises on ethics, politics, and physics, were all written in Greek more than two thousand years ago. Learning the Greek language and its many dialects has helped our scholars and students get a deeper appreciation for and comprehension of these seminal works and the ancient world that produced them. While the Greek we teach in our introductory course focuses on works that have survived to the present day and are either of intrinsic literary importance or have had a significant impact on later literature, it is vital to remember that the body of ancient Greek literature is continually expanding. New inscriptions, papyrus scraps, and shards of shattered pottery are found yearly, filling in hitherto unknown facets of Greek history and daily life.