Many students, upon hearing about the major called “Classics,” assume the topic to be Classical English Literature or Classical Music.  When they learn that Classics majors actually study Greek and Roman language and culture, they are surprised there is such an area of study.  They are unaware that in the not-so-distant past, learning the Classics was required, no matter what a person majored in.  If they know of the Classics department at all, they know it only as it exists now: a small group of scholars that teach a few classes every semester.  My project will show why people used to find the study of the Classics so important and why that study has been replaced with other curriculum.

This site provides a digital presentation of the early history of the Classics Department and its influence on our university that is user-friendly and available to any person interested in our department.  The more people that understand the true appeal to studying the Classics, the more people might take a Classics course, or at least respect the field for what it really is.