The study of antiquity is full of surprises. We constantly learn new things about the ancient Greek, Hellenistic, and Roman worlds, and their interactions with multiple other cultures. Our work is inherently interdisciplinary: we use historical, linguistic, literary and archaeological methods to understand ancient societies in their entirety. We celebrate opportunities for dialogue with colleagues in other fields, and with contemporary artists and writers.
Premodern cultures were very different from any in the contemporary world. They can also seem similar, often in unexpected ways. In looking to the distant past, we are challenged to ask new questions about the present. Interpretations of the ancient past have shaped, and continue to shape, modern identities. We repudiate the uses of Greek and Roman antiquity in both scholarly and popular contexts as tools for oppression and exclusion. In our teaching, research and public engagement, we work for a more equitable and inclusive study of antiquity.
We retain the word “classical” in our name because no alternative reflects the geographical and temporal reach of what we study, but we reject the implication that ancient Greece and Rome were superior to other cultures. Our choice of “Classical Studies” instead of the more traditional “Classics” signals our commitment to an open-minded interrogation of the modern formation of our discipline, and to a capacious, multi-disciplinary approach to ancient cultures and their later receptions.