Books

Classics: A Very Short Introduction
Mary Beard and John Henderson, Oxford University Press

Classics in Translation: From Homer to Juvenal
Peter Jones, Duckworth

A Loeb Classical Library Reader
Harvard University Press

The Greeks: A Portrait of Self and Others
Paul Cartledge, Oxford University Press

The Oxford Book of Classical Verse in Translation
Adrian Poole and Jeremy Maule, Oxford University Press

The World of Athens: An introduction to classical Athenian culture
Joint Association of Classical Teachers, Cambridge University Press

Teach Yourself Roman Civilization
Paula James and Lynette Watson, Teach Yourself Books

Caesar: A Life in Western Culture
Maria Wyke, Granta

Weblinks

The Classics Pages - a guide to all things classical with excellent essays, resources and links

Classics Web - an excellent resource for those wishing to read and learn more about the classical world

Perseus Digital Library - an amazing array of resources, including numerous texts in the original language and in translation

Forum Romanum - a wide array of resources invaluable for anyone wishing to further their knowledge of the Roman world

Harvard Classics Poetry and Prose recital page - a rare opportunity to hear Greek and Latin texts read aloud

Discover Classics - events, talks and events run by Oxford University's classics faculty for students of all ages

Courses

Access Course

Making Sense of the Arts

This course introduces some of the key ideas and ways of thinking involved in studying the arts and humanities.

Level 1 Course

An Introduction to the Humanities

You will get from this course a lively and varied grounding in the eight disciplines in the Arts Faculty: art history, literature, music, philosophy, classical studies, history, religious studies, and history of science.

Level 2 Courses

Exploring the Classical World

This course will offers a broad introduction to the study of classical Greece and Rome. Topics covered include: the world of Homer; the political uses of theatre; art and rhetoric in Athens; the origins of Rome and the history of the Republican period; Latin poetry; and Roman social history. Whether you have had a long-standing interest in the classical world or are new to it, this course will give you both a fresh perspective and a firm foundation for further exploration.

Reading Classical Greek

This course teaches the basic vocabulary and grammar that will enable you to begin to read Greek authors of the fifth and fourth centuries BCE (such as the philosopher Plato, Thucydides, Sophocles and Euripides). The main emphasis is on translation of passages from Greek into English, based, as far as possible, on stories by Greek authors: no previous knowledge of Greek is required.

Reading Classical Latin

This course offers an introduction to the grammar and vocabulary of Latin, providing a basis from which you can start reading texts on your own. The emphasis is the translation of passages into English via a series of lively texts adapted from Roman comedy and oratory. No previous knowledge of Latin is required.

Level 3 Courses

Culture, Identity and Power in the Roman Empire

What did it mean to be 'Roman' in the Roman Empire? Is it possible to speak of a single 'Roman' culture imposed or maintained through imperial power? In this course you study a wide range of sources and consider how culture, identity and power were shaped in particular contexts by social factors such as religion, gender, the economy and status across the Roman Empire.

The OU also offers post-beginner’s courses in classical languages: Continuing Classical Greek and Continuing Classical Latin

Content last updated: 21/11/2007