For centuries the study of Ancient Greek (an aspect of the Classics along with Latin and Ancient Civilization) has been central to any well-rounded humanistic education. The Greek philosophers, dramatists, poets, legislators, historians, geographers, scientists, physicians, biologists, mathematicians, provide the foundation for many of the values and intellectual ideas that we take for granted in Western civilization. Incredibly sophisticated notions of justice, equality, democracy, mutual respect, and freedom were hammered out amid the stone and struggle for survival and have become our inheritance. In Classics, we study that inheritance through the literary and material remains. The concentration in Greek focuses mainly on the Greek contributions, with an emphasis on the advanced reading of Greek literature and the New Testament from 800 BC through Early Christianity.
Degree Options
The study of Greek requires that the students take a minimum of 33 hours in Classics with a heavy emphasis on Greek. Students will reach the highest level of Greek (GR 490), which they may repeat with a different reading selection or author. Typically, students who major in Greek learn a modern language as well, whether Italian, French, or German. They often choose a second major that relates directly to their future career choice, such as biology, premedical studies, psychology, philosophy, history, archaeology, anthropology, art history, theater, English, education, advertising and public relations, religious studies, international studies, journalism, and political science. Most of them also belong in the University’s most prestigious programs, the Blount Scholars Program and/or the University Honors Program.
What follows is a typical curriculum for students majoring in Greek. Please refer to the UA Undergraduate Catalog for a more precise and detailed outline.
| Course(s) | Notes | Hours |
| GR 201 and 202 | Intermediate Greek; students will have completed or placed out of beginning Greek; GR 201 normally includes Koine (New Testament) Greek | 6 |
| GR 301 and 302 | Advanced reading in Greek authors and genres; the selections change year to year according to the needs of the students as determined by the professor | 6 |
| GR 490 | Often taught in conjunction with GR 301 or 302; can be retaken as selections change for additional credit | 3 or more |
| CL 222 | Greek & Roman Mythology | 3 |
| CL 385 | Greek History | 3 |
| UH 300 or CL 350 | Alexander the Great (requires admission into the Honors program) or Roman Religion | 3 |
| LA 101 and 102 | Beginning Latin; students planning to enter the field of Classics by going to graduate school are encouraged to take Latin into the intermediate or higher levels | 6 |
| CL 380 | A “special topics” course whose content changes from semester to semester and can be taken more than once for credit. Past topics include Roman Art, The Ancient World in Film, Women’s Lives in Antiquity | 3 or more |
Note: Students are encouraged to participate in the Summer Abroad in Greece program, where they can earn 6 hrs. credit toward their major (CL 380: Greek Civilization and CL 385: Greek History). Students in the Honors Program will also find courses that can count towards the classics major, such as Alexander the Great. Other courses related to classics can be found in the departments of philosophy and art history.