The Study of Latin and Greek — The Classics Scholar
The Classics program offers Latin studies from Level I through an Advanced Latin Seminar for seniors. Students typically take the AP Latin course as juniors. Latinists acquire the ability to read major Latin authors (including Caesar, Cicero, Sallust, Ovid, Virgil, and Livy) with competence and appreciation. The Classics program also offers three years of Classical Greek. The first year focuses on the acquisition of grammar basics, and the translation of simple passages from Herodotus and Xenophon. The second year continues with the acquisition of grammar fundamentals, and then moves into the translation of passages from Xenophon’s Hieron or on Tyranny, Plato’s Crito, and the first book of the Republic. The final year surveys Homer’s epic poems. Classics scholars who complete at least two years of Greek and take the AP Latin Course are awarded Brunswick’s prestigious “Classics Diploma” upon graduation. Classics courses strengthen students’ understanding of the social and political history of ancient Rome and Greece. Related topics in Graeco-Roman mythology, religion, literature, and culture are also explored. Classes promote the additional benefits gained from the study of Latin and Greek, such as sharper insight into the grammar of other modern languages; the acquisition of English vocabulary; and a deeper understanding of the cultural and historical roots of Western civilization.
A highlight of the Classics program is the Latin Carol Service, which gives students the opportunity to read Latin in a public setting. This service, which includes classical choral compositions, takes place each December.