Information for Non-Classics Students
Welcome to the Department of Classics and Ancient History!
We are so pleased to have you join us! Whichever course you're coming from, we want you to enjoy studying with us as much as possible and to get the most out of the module.
To help you find your way, this page contains some information that might come in handy while you are studying with us. If you have an administrative question, you can contact the department's admin team at classics@warwick.ac.uk.
If you don't find what you're looking for, feel free to email Chris, the department's Inclusive Education Officer, at Christopher.Parr@warwick.ac.uk or come to the Study Café on Thursdays at 11:30-12:30 in the Classics Common Room to ask any questions you might have!
Some useful resources:
Looking to contact a lecturer or find out their office hours? Find it here: Staff Page.
Not sure about how many CATS a module is or how long it lasts? Need to see who the convenor of a module is? Check here: List of First Year Modules and List of Honour Modules.
Need to check how to cite your sources? Looking for how to format a bibliography? Find it here: Department Style Guide.
Ready to submit your essay? Don't forget to fill out the Essay Cover Sheet.
See the Study Skills Resources page for further information, or come along to the Study Café to ask any questions!
Come along to the Study Café!
Not sure about how to reference? Need some advice on your essay? Want some advice on anything to do with Classics? Then come along to the Study Café!
Classics Common Room (outside the Classics and Ancient History Department on the second floor of the Faculty of Arts Building), Thursdays 11:30-12:30.
Chris, a 3rd-year PhD student from the department, will be on hand to answer any questions you have while you enjoy tea, coffee, and biscuits!
Key Terms and Definitions
Found a word you aren't familiar with? Here are a few common terms used in Classics and Ancient History modules. For more detailed definitions and other terms, see Oxford Classical Dictionary or Brill's New Pauly.
Anachronism: the application of a concept, idea, practice, etc. from a later period to an earlier period that did not have such values/practices.
Antiquity: the historical period before the European Middle Ages. Classical antiquity is usually (but not always) defined between about 800 BCE to 500 CE.
Archaeology: the study of human activity through the recovery, examination, and analysis its material remains.
Archaic period: usually from about 800 BCE to the end of the Persian Wars in 479 BCE.
Classical period: usually from about 479 BCE to the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BCE.
Classics: the interdisciplinary field of study of the ancient Mediterranean world, with particular focus on the languages, culture, history, and literature of Ancient Greece and Rome.
Epigraphy: the study of inscriptions on durable materials (e.g., wood, metal, stone). This can include carved inscriptions, graffiti, painted signs, and many other such examples.
Ethnography: the study of human customs and cultures from the perspective of the subject of the study (for example, Greek culture through Homer, or in Herodotus).
Genre: a category of literature, usually defined by its form, content, and style. These include history, epic, satire, love poetry, epigram, ode, oratory, and many others.
Gobbet: an extract from a text or an image set for commentary or translation. This style of exam is designed to test your ability to extract the relevant and pertinent information from a primary source, and to discuss its context and broader significance.
Hellenistic period: Between 323 BCE and 31 BCE when Octavian defeated Mark Antony at Actium or the eventual victory of the Romans over Egypt in 30 BCE.
Historiography: the study of the methodology and development of "history" as a field, particularly with reference to the critical analysis/treatment of sources; also the study of history-writing.
Iconography: the study and interpretation of symbols, motifs, and visual elements of art.
Libation: the ritual pouring of a liquid as an offering to a god or as a memorial to the dead.
Numismatics: the study of coins, currencies, medals, and tokens.
Palaeography: the study of pre-modern manuscripts, including the forms, processes, and relationships of writing and printing systems used.
Papyrology: the study of texts on papyri (plural for papyrus), usually from Egypt or other parts of the Mediterranean world.
Primary Source: evidence produced during antiquity, such as literature, inscriptions, coins, or any material evidence.
Reception: the study of how later societies interpreted, used, and adapted texts, ideas, or other materials from the ancient world.
Roman Empire: the period defined by the Roman system of government following 27 BCE and usually considered lasting until the 4th or 5th century CE (hotly debated!!).
Roman Republic: the period defined by the Roman system of government between the overthrow of the Roman kings in 509 BCE and the establishment of the Roman Empire by Augustus in 27 BCE.
Secondary Source/Reading: modern scholarly work discussing relevant to the matter at hand, such as a book or journal article.
Topography: the description or study of a particular geographical location.
Votive: offered or performed in fulfilment of a vow to a god or in gratitude or devotion.
Any suggestions?
We're always looking to improve this page, so please send any suggestions for information to be included on this page to Chris at Christopher.Parr@warwick.ac.uk