What is Classical Languages?
The study of Classical Languages is concerned with the language, literature and thought of either Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome. You will choose to study either Greek or Latin. Through the reading of literature in the original language and the examination of key aspects of ancient history, you will develop a thorough knowledge of the classical world and a critical approach to textual and material culture.
Classical Languages: The course for you?
If you are interested in studying the language, the poetic imagination, the depth of thought and the historical value of one of the civilisations that shaped the Western world, you will enjoy this course.
Classical Languages @ Trinity
Greek and Latin have been taught in Trinity since its foundation just over 400 years ago, and Trinity is unique in having professorships in both Greek and Latin. To study Greek and Roman civilisation is to study the roots of western civilisation, the origins of our political and cultural institutions, and to understand how the classical past has profoundly affected ideas and values in the contemporary world.
The Department of Classics has a world-renowned reputation. Its courses are taught by academics at the top of their fields. The course is taught through a mixture of lectures, practical classes and small-group seminars, which encourage lively discussion and the development of independent thinking. It is also possible to study abroad for a semester or a whole year.
Graduate skills and career opportunities
Study of the ancient world develops skills of interpretation and communication that go far beyond a knowledge of books, dates and events; these skills offer positive advantages in the hunt for a job. Recent graduates are working in many fields including the diplomatic service, the civil service, banking and accountancy, business, computers, journalism and broadcasting, law, librarianship, publishing, teaching and theatre. Some graduates opt to pursue an academic career with postgraduate study in Ireland and abroad.
Your degree and what you’ll study
Over the four years you will read texts in a wide variety of genres, including epic, tragedy, comedy, philosophy, oratory and historiography. Whether you are continuing your language studies or taking Greek/Latin as a beginner, you will engage with ancient texts both as literature and as a gateway into the culture and thought of ancient Greece/Rome. Through the critical study of ancient history, myth and religion, you will acquire a comprehensive and interdisciplinary perspective on classical culture. For all of your language-based courses the groups will be small, stimulating lively discussion, analytic skills, and the development of independent thinking.