Why Study Classics Abroad?
The study of Classical Greek, Roman, and other Ancient Civilizations will never be complete without taking time to study abroad. All students are encouraged to find a moment during their undergraduate years to travel around the Mediterranean Sea and to witness for themselves its extraordinary Classical heritage. What makes Classics so special, however, goes well beyond the ruins that still so visibly litter the Mediterranean basin. For the cultures and institutions of ancient Greece and Rome have long been formative for the traditions of politics, law, art, and thought that are central to Europe and the Americas. Indeed, virtually any of NYU’s study abroad sites in Europe will confront students with the legacy of the Greco-Roman world. Some of the largest museum collections and the fullest receptions of classical culture can be found in great cities such as Berlin, Paris, Florence, and Madrid. German, French, Italian, and Spanish, along with English, are the main scholarly languages of Classics. Today the field is also becoming more global as we recognize the parallel transmission of “classical” cultures throughout the world, many of which took shape at the same time and ought to be studied comparatively. Note also that NYU is developing courses in Abu Dhabi, Shanghai, and other sites that challenge students to think about the Western Classics in a whole new context.