Classics is an interdisciplinary field, embracing every aspect of the cultures of ancient Greece and Rome and the formidable influence of those cultures on the subsequent development of western civilization. Classics provides valuable insight into the ways in which the past has shaped the world’s present languages, literatures, religions, political and scientific thought, and artistic traditions. The first requirement of a student in Classics is a knowledge of the original language. All Classics majors, therefore, are expected to complete a five-semester sequence in one of the classical languages. Students may take ancient Greek or Latin.