THE PRINCETON CLASSICS DEPARTMENT investigates the history, language, literature, and thought of ancient Greece and Rome. We use the perspectives of multiple disciplines to understand and imagine the diversity of these civilizations over almost two thousand years and to reflect on what the classical past has meant to later ages, and to our own.
"Classics As Crime Fiction. A Conversation with Caesar, Labienus, and Polybius"
Julius Caesar did not conquer Gaul all by himself. Bertold Brecht, in the 1930s and not without reason, saucily observed: “Caesar beat the Gauls. But did he not at least bring a cook along?” …
We are delighted to pass on the good news that our colleague Harriet Flower has won a Goodwin Award from the Society for Classical Studies for her book The Dancing Lares and the Serpent in the Garden: Religion at the Roman Street Corner. Only three of these awards are given annually, and they are recognized as the highest honor for books published in our field. Congratulations too to our alumna Amy Richlin (Class of ’73, and last year’s Faber Lecturer) who received the same prize.
Interested in speaking Latin or ancient Greek? Speaking is an excellent way to solidify your grasp of grammar and vocabulary and to learn how to understand Latin and Greek as what they are — languages and not puzzles. It’s also great fun! The Latin table meets at 7pm on Thursdays in Whitman dining hall, and the Greek table meets at 5pm on Mondays. All are welcome. If you have any questions, please contact Kevin Duraiswamy ’19.
Professor Barbara Graziosi recently discussed The Iliad with host Melvyn Bragg and other panelists on the iconic BBC Radio 4 program In Our Time. A recording of the broadcast, along with lists of related recordings and readings, is now available online.
This prize is awarded each year to juniors in recognition of exceptional academic achievement. Sommers is a physics major and is also pursuing certificates in applications of computing and Roman language and culture. She has a passion for tutoring and mentorship and worked as a physics tutor in the McGraw Center, was an undergraduate grader for Computer Science, and volunteered at Princeton’s climbing wall to help children with special needs.
The Bodleian Library in Oxford is one of the few libraries outside Germany with a substantial number of medieval manuscripts from the German-speaking lands. These manuscripts, most of which were acquired by Archbishop Laud in the 1630s, during the Thirty Years’ War, mainly consist of major groups of codices from ecclesiastical houses in the Rhine-Main area, that is Würzburg, Mainz…
The Department of Classics is offering a one-year, fully funded pre-doctoral Fellowship. Members of groups that have been historically and are presently underrepresented in the academy (e.g., racial and ethnic minorities and individuals from low income backgrounds), and those who have made active contributions to enhancing access, diversity, and inclusion in the field of Classics are especially encouraged to apply.
