Two classics minors are offered at Canisius. Both minors require the completion of six courses and allow the student some choice in course selection depending on interest and educational objectives.
- The classics minor consists of courses in classical language, history and literature, and is offered through the classics department.
- The classics interdepartmental minor combines courses from classics, art history, philosophy, political science, and religious studies and theology.
What is Classics?
Classics, the study of the civilizations of the ancient Greeks and Romans, includes components such as classical art, literature, mythology, religion, philosophy, history, archaeology, and the Greek and Latin languages.
The intrinsic interest, timeless value, and immense influence of its subject matter, together with the precision of thought and clarity of expression fostered through the study of Greek and Latin, have earned international respect for classics. The acceptance rate of classics students into a variety of graduate programs and into schools of law and medicine consistently ranks very high. Many professions also prize the combination of intelligence and discipline identified with classics. These considerations make classics courses worthwhile electives and the classics minor an ideal complement to any academic major.
For a complete listing of classics curriculum and courses from the most current Canisius College catalog, click here.
Department Mission Statement
Prepared by Dr. Thomas Banchich, Department Chairperson
The Greek word paideia has a range of meaning encompassing culture, education, and literature. When the Romans translated this complex Greek term into Latin, they chose their word humanitas. The Classics Department at Canisius College strives to make accessible to as many of our students as possible all the manifestations of the paideia and humanitas of ancient Greece and Rome.
The Classics Department attempts to realize this goal while maintaining the high level of intellectual integrity and pedagogical rigor traditionally associated with the discipline of classics. Because Christianity and, to a lesser but still important degree, Islam and Judaism are products of classical antiquity, and because this is no less true of much of contemporary philosophy, political thought and action, and artistic and literary theory and practice, the Classics Department considers this mission as one vital to the achievement of the values-oriented tenets of the mission statement of Canisius College itself.
Links
Electronic Resources for Classicists: An excellent place to begin your exploration of Classics on the Internet; this site includes links for a wide range of topics, including bibliographies, e-publications, course materials, and fonts and software.
De Imperatoribus Romanis: An on-line encyclopedia of the Roman emperors, now complete with maps on demand.
Diotima: A site devoted to the study of women and gender in the Ancient World.
The Perseus Project: A multi-media database of text, images, and information on Ancient Greece.
Classics Collections Page: A substantial list of links on a variety of topics, including on-line archives of Classical texts.
Study Guide to Wheelock's Latin: A tutorial, keyed to Wheelock's Latin, which allows students to review the material at their own pace, chapter by chapter.