the department of classics is devoted to the study of the ancient mediterranean civilizations of greece and rome which stand at the beginning of the history and culture of the whole of western civilization. a wide variety of subjects and methods of investigation come within the experience of students who pursue the study of the classical world, including (among others) ancient history, archaeology, art history, the latin and ancient greek languages, linguistics, modern word origins, mythology, literature and drama, religion, and the origins of western thought. in the bachelor of arts - classics - latin program, students study  latin to a high level of fluency, but most courses in the department do not require knowledge of these languages.