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Classics Department Newsletter

Intensive dedication to the study of the ancient Mediterranean world—its languages, history, and cultures—defines Stanford Classics. One of the largest and most diverse programs in the country, we are an intellectually vibrant community of 19 full-time faculty members, 5 lecturers, 28 graduate students, and nearly 50 undergraduate majors and minors.

As a Stanford undergraduate, how can you attend this great university and not at some point study the ancient world? Disciplines from philosophy, literary criticism, musicology and history to linguistics, political theory, and rhetoric arose in ancient Greece and were developed at Rome. The sciences trace their origins largely to Greek precedents in physics, mechanics, mathematics and biology. The very idea of a university and organized research into the human condition are rooted in Greco-Roman culture. Every student who enters Stanford deserves—and needs—to become familiar with this tradition.

Our graduate students join a world-class scholarly community with diverse specialties and wide-ranging interests. We are committed to the innovative and theoretically informed exploration of the ancient Mediterranean world. Graduate work here mixes rigorous training in the materials and skills of specific disciplines with openness to new approaches and dialogue across media, genres, time periods, and specialties. We are actively seeking Ph.D. students who will contribute to this distinctive intellectual atmosphere and who will thrive in its particular strengths and opportunities.