Classical Studies

Dickinson offers a full range of courses in Latin and Greek, as well as courses in ancient history, archaeology, classical philosophy, and classical literature in translation. An active student community fosters the classics on campus through various events, a Latin club for school students, the Classics House, the annual Classics Festival, and the Eta Sigma Phi honor society. Almost all majors spend time overseas, usually in Rome or Athens. The department sponsors the annual Roberts Lectures, a series of digital projects created collaboratively by faculty and students, and a series of workshops for teachers, the Dickinson Latin Workshops and the Conventiculum Dickinsoniense, a spoken Latin immersion.

Classical Studies Blog

Nero’s Forgiveness: The depiction of a Tragic Emperor in Nero (2004)

Luke Nicosia (’21) discusses the surprisingly sympathetic portrait of the Roman emperor Nero that emerges from a 2004 film by British Director Paul Cohen released on television in the Imperium series. Nero is the second installation in the Imperium series; originally planned as a six-film series based on the history of the Roman empire, only […]

Cleopatra (1963)

The sexualization of Cleopatra in Joseph Mankiewicz’s 1963 screen epic does scant justice to Cleopatra’s political stature and acumen, argues Isabella Jurcisin (’20) Plot Outline The film opens with Julius Caesar, played by the esteemed Rex Harrison, looking down upon the lifeless bodies of soldiers after the bloody Battle of Pharsalus. This battle had […]

Faith and Spectacle: Examining Quo Vadis (1951)

Claire Jeantheau (’21) argues that Quo Vadis is part well-intentioned message on religious devotion, part reflection of an era of global conflict, and part entirely empty spectacle. PLOT OUTLINE It is 64 AD, and Rome’s 14th Legion is returning home on the Appian Way after fighting against an uprising in Britain, led by commander Marcus Vinicius […]

Dickinson College Commentaries Blog

Dickinson Ancient Greek Workshop 2019: The Sale of Lives

Dickinson Ancient Greek Workshop: Lucian, The Sale of Lives July 12–18, 2019 The Dickinson Workshops are mainly intended for teachers of Latin and Greek, to refresh the mind through study of an extended text, and to share experiences and ideas. Sometimes those who are not currently engaged in teaching have participated as well, including students, […]

Conventiculum Dickinsoniense 2019

CONVENTICULUM DICKINSONIENSE July 5-11, 2019 ” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″] The Conventiculum Dickinsoniense is an immersion seminar designed for those who want to acquire some ability at ex-tempore expression in Latin. A wide range of people can benefit from the seminar: professors in universities, teachers in secondary schools, graduate students, undergraduates, and other lovers of […]

Expansion of Caesar Gallic War Commentary

Thanks to the excellent work of several contributors, the DCC edition of selections from Caesar’s Gallic War has roughly doubled in size. New features include: Text and notes for forty-six new chapters, BG 1.8–54, making Book 1 complete Accurate vocabulary lists with specific Caesarian definitions from the Caesarian lexicon of A.L. Hodges 200+ newly digitized […]