Oct 9, 2006

Being a Student of the Classics

It wasn't all that long ago, less than 100 years in fact, that studying the ancient languages of Latin and Greek was commonplace in schools and universities. Today, it is rarely the case. Latin classes have given way to Spanish and French in high schools and colleges. And when someone refers to "Classics", often the term is misinterpreted as studying "classic" literature, rather than the history and language of the Greeks and Romans.

When I chose my major in college, my parents and friends were puzzled. "Classics?" was their question, followed by "Why?" and "What will you do with that?" Honestly, at the time, I held lofty dreams of being a famous Classical Archaeologist, and unearthing some lost ancient culture under the scorching Mediterranean sun. But what I found, and continue to find today, is that my education in the Classics has benefitted me invaluably, professionally and beyond.

Studying the ancient languages of Latin and Greek taught me to understand and appreciate the English language. I now comprehend tenses, roots, and things like participles, where I had very little understanding before. Perhaps if the Latin language was introduced to students at an earlier age (like in grade school), they would be able to learn and understand English more fully, becoming more capable readers and fluent writers of the language.

Studying Latin and Greek is also extremely useful for students who intend to go to Law or Medical school. The knowledge of the etymological roots of certain terms will be invaluable in those fields.

Studying Latin or Greek makes learning other Western languages easier as well. With so many Latin and Greek roots in the vocabulary of languages like English, French, Spanish, and German, having a foundation in the ancient languages can be nothing but helpful for someone interested in being multilingual.

As a professional writer, I find having the foundation of the ancient languages very useful in having access to a broader vocabulary, and also have a deeper understanding of how the written English language works, in terms of clauses and tenses.

So, don't sell Classics short. Within its confines are the basis for our language, our political structure, our art, our architecture, and our literature. Knowing a little bit of Latin can be a benefit to you in your professional life. And knowing a little bit about ancient history will make you practically unbeatable at Jeopardy!