The civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome are the foundations of Western culture. Artists, playwrights, and authors working today continue to draw their inspiration from classical literature. Neil Bernstein, visiting assistant professor of classical studies at The College of Wooster, discusses some of the many benefits of studying classical literature and classical civilization.

Q. How would you define classical studies?

A. The central focus of classical studies is the investigation of the cultures of the ancient Mediterranean, particularly ancient Greece and Rome. The span of time that classicists are most interested in stretches from roughly the beginning of the first millenium BC to roughly the middle of the first millenium AD. Study of the classics, which began long before the foundation of the modern academy, has always been an interdisciplinary pursuit. Where appropriate, classicists use research methods developed in anthropology, archaeology, art history, comparative literature, economics, history, philosophy, religious studies, sociology, theater studies, and many other disciplines. Many of the students who take classical studies courses at The College of Wooster are double majors, and they find that approaching the study of a culture from multiple perspectives extremely exciting.

Q. What can we learn by reading and studying classical literature?

A. In studying works of classical literature, we gain a valuable perspective on the central questions of our own culture. One of my main research interests as a classicist is the poetry of the Roman empire, particularly the epic poems (narrative poems thousands of lines long) written in Latin during the first centuries BC and AD. While the novel and the film are the dominant genres of today’s world, epic poems such as Homer’s Odyssey and Vergil’s Aeneid were the centerpieces of European literature for more than 2000 years. I am fascinated by these complex and beautiful artifacts – beautiful even though they represent a very different kind of aesthetic from our own. The questions that these poems pose still resonate today. We still have a need for heroes. We still want to know where we came from and what we are meant to do. We are still trying to understand the nature of justice, the causes of war, and why there is evil in the world. These are some (by no means all) of the questions that the poets of Roman epic posed to their society, and that we are still trying to answer thousands of years later.

Q. How do we use classical mythology in today’s world?

A. Classical myths form the basis of much of our literature and art. Sometimes we use classical stories as the inspiration for new works of art, and sometimes we directly adapt and retell ancient stories. For example, the Cincinnati Playhouse just put on Mary Zimmerman’s Metamorphoses, a series of tales adapted from an epic of the same name written by the Roman poet Ovid in the first century AD. Closer to home, Antigone: The Rock Musical, written and directed by Ansley Valentine, recently played in The College’s Freedlander Theatre. Sophocles’ tragedy, first presented in the fifth century BC, is about a woman, Antigone, who defies the laws of the state in order to bury her brother, who had led an army against his own city. When King Creon catches her attempting to bury her brother, he declares Antigone an enemy of the state and condemns her to death. However, many people in the city, including the king’s own son, feel the king has gone too far in attempting to preserve national security. By using a modern setting, modern music, and creating a major role for the TV media, Antigone: The Rock Musical compels its audience to reflect on recent changes in American life. This is a time when we are thinking a great deal about how much we are willing to change in our lives in the name of national security.

Q. How can a degree in classical studies contribute to a student’s life?

A. A liberal arts degree is intended to train the mind through critical inquiry and to enrich the student’s entire life through the study of culture. It should never be confused with specific technical training. However, study of the classics does give students a variety of skills that they can use in many professional contexts. Students who continue on to law, medical or business school appreciate the rigorous training that we provide in language study, close textual analysis, and the use of multiple methods in studying a problem. Our students gain practice in learning foreign languages, presenting complex material clearly, approaching a question from several different angles, and fitting together different types of evidence into a cohesive picture. These are all excellent forms of preparation for the professions.

Q. What do classical studies majors do after graduation from The College of Wooster?

A. Some become outstanding members of the classics profession, such as David Kovacs (’67) and Niall Slater (’76), who was recently elected president of Phi Beta Kappa. Many of our students also continue their studies of the humanities at the graduate level, in fields such as comparative literature, English, history, and religious studies as well as classical studies. Others proceed to law or business school. Students in our Greek classes often use their language study as preparation for seminary. Whatever they end up doing after graduation, our students are glad to have acquired the tools to understand and appreciate culture. Classical literature is a possession that will serve them well throughout all of their lives, not just their working lives.

Q. What is your approach to teaching classical studies?

A. I’d like to quote here from an ancient teacher, a professor of rhetoric named Quintilian who lived at the end of the first century AD. He wrote a book on the education of the ideal public speaker. Early on, he writes that, "A good teacher regards teaching as a matter of enthusiasm, not of duty." My colleagues and I try to fill our students with enthusiasm for the study of classical civilization. We offer students the opportunity to learn ancient Greek and Latin and to read classical texts in the original language. We also introduce students to classical literature through courses taught in English translation. We encourage our students to travel to Greece and Italy to continue their studies.

Q. What are your goals in teaching classical studies?

A. Like all classicists, my colleagues and I confront the challenge of making the cultures of the ancient Mediterranean relevant to students in a society that doesn’t put much value on foreign language study, historical consciousness, or cultural awareness. I approach this challenge by focusing my students on the aspects of classical civilization that can inform and enlighten present-day concerns. My central goals in teaching both classical language and civilization courses are to help students master multiple techniques of analyzing the cultural worlds of ancient Greece and Rome and to guide them to reflect on those cultures’ points of contact with their own. I encourage students to perceive classical literature as an invaluable possession in itself and as a vital part of their own tradition.