Classics - Sub-disciplines within the classics, History of the western classics, Famous Classicists, Quotations
The name given to horse-racing's leading races in several countries. In England there are five Classics. The One Thousand Guineas is traditionally the first, run over 1 mi (1·6 km) at Newmarket; first run in 1814, it is open to fillies only. The Two Thousand Guineas is also early in the season, run over 1 mi (1·6 km) at Newmarket; first run in 1809, it is open to colts and fillies. The Derby or Derby Stakes, named after the 12th Earl of Derby, is run over 1½ mi (2·4 km) at Epsom Downs; first run in 1780, it is open to 3-year-old colts and fillies. The Oaks, named after the Epsom home of the 12th Earl of Derby, is run three days after the Derby over 1½ mi (2·4 km) at Epsom; first run in 1779, it is open to fillies only. The St Leger is the last Classic of the season, run over 1 mi 6 furlongs 127 yd (2 km 932 m) at Doncaster; first held in 1776, it is open to both colts and fillies. In the USA, there are three Classic races comprising the Triple Crown: the Kentucky Derby, run over 1¼ mi (2 km) at Louisville, KY, in May; the Preakness Stakes, run over 1? mi (1·9 km) at Baltimore, MD, also in May; and the Belmont Stakes, run over 1½ mi (2·4 km) at Belmont, NY, in early June.
Classics, particularly within the Western university tradition, when used as a singular noun, is the study of the language, literature, history, art, and other aspects of the ancient Mediterranean world—particularly ancient Greece and Rome during the period known as classical antiquity. The study of classics was the original study of the humanities and remains important in that branch of learning today. Thus, the people reading classics are sometimes called humanists but are more often referred to as classicists.
Sub-disciplines within the classics
One of the most notable characteristics of the modern study of classics is the diversity of the field. Although traditionally focused on ancient Greece and Rome, the study now encompasses the entire ancient Mediterranean world, thus expanding their studies to Northern Africa and the Middle East.
Philology
Traditionally, classics was focused on little more than philology—the intensive study of ancient texts. One definition of classical philology describes it as "the science which concerns itself with everything that has been transmitted from antiquity in the Greek or Latin language. The object of this science is thus the Graeco-Roman, or Classical, world to the extent that it has left behind monuments in a linguistic form." Classical philologists, in addition to simply seeking to understand the language, seek to synthesize these defective texts to find the most accurate version.
Archaeology
Thanks to popular culture, such as the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark, classical archaeology is often seen as very exciting. Whereas philology studies the literary and linguistic culture of the ancient world, classical archaeologists study the material culture of the classical civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. The artifacts they find are key to all the other sub-disciplines and help provide new evidence for the understanding of the ancient world.
Art history
Some art historians focus their study of the development of art on the Classical world.
Civilization and history
Some classicists use the information gathered through philology, archaeology, and art history to seek an understanding of the history, culture, and civilization. Unfortunately, imbalances in the evidence available often leave a huge vacuum of information about certain classes of people. Thus, classicists are now working to fill in these gaps as much as possible to get an understanding of the lives of ancient women, slaves, and the lower classes.
Philosophy
The roots of Western philosophy lie in the study of the classics. It is not surprising, then, that many classicists study the wealth of philosophical works surviving from Roman and Greek philosophy.
History of the western classics
The word is derived from the Latin adjective classicus which literally means "belonging to the highest class of citizens", and has further connotations of superiority, authority and even perfection. He was ranking writers according to the classification of the Roman taxation classes. ancient Greek for a carpenter's rule.
At the Alexandrian Library, the ancient scholars coined another term for canonized authors, hoi enkrithentes;
Classical studies incorporate a certain type of methodology. The rule of the classical world and of Christian culture and society was Philo's rule:
"Philo's rule dominated Greek culture, from Homer to Neo-Platonism and the Christian Fathers of late antiquity.Classical education was considered the best training for implanting the life of moral excellence arete, hence a good citizen. Copleston, an Oxford classicist said that classical education "communicates to the mind...a high sense of honour, a disdain of death in a good cause, (and) a passionate devotion to the welfare of one's country".
At Oxford University Classics is known as Literae Humaniores, comprising the study of Ancient Greek and Latin language and literature, Greek and Roman art and archaeology, history and philosophy.
Famous Classicists
Throughout the history of the Western world, many classicists have gone on to gain acknowledgement outside the field. for a dissertation on ancient Greek philosophy, entited "The Difference between the Democritean and Epicurean Philosophy of Nature". His classical background is reflected in his philosophies—indeed the term "proletariat" which he coined came from that Latin word referring to the lowest class of citizen. and became Professor of Classics at the University of Basel in Switzerland. Oscar Wilde, celebrated victorian playwright and novelist, was educated in Classics at Trinity College, Dublin and Magdalen College, Oxford Toni Morrison, noted author and Nobel Prize winner, studied classics at Howard University. Charles Geschke, founder of Adobe Systems, studied Classics at Xavier University and received a Bachelor of Arts in Classics. Ted Turner, media mogul, studied Classics before being expelled from Brown University. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, studied Classics and frequently uses classical terms in her books. The first Harry Potter book has been translated into both Latin and ancient Greek. Baker III, former members of the United States cabinet, both studied Classics.
Quotations
"Nor can I do better, in conclusion, than impress upon you the study of Greek literature, which not only elevates above the vulgar herd but leads not infrequently to positions of considerable emolument."—Thomas Gaisford, Christmas sermon, Christ Church, Oxford. "I love the language, that soft bastard Latin, Which Melts like kisses from a female mouth."
—George Noel Gordon (Lord Byron), Beppo "I would make them all learn English: and then I would let the clever ones learn Latin as an honour, and Greek as a treat."
—Sir Winston Churchill, Roving Commission: My Early Life "He studied Latin like the violin, because he liked it."
—Robert Frost, The Death of the Hired Man "I enquire now as to the genesis of a philologist and assert the following: 1. An Encyclopedia of the History of Classical Archaeology, edited by Nancy Thomson de Grummond. Harper's Dictionary of Classical Literature and Antiquities, ed. The Makers of Classical Archaeology: A Reference Work. The New Century Classical Handbook, ed. The Oxford Classical Dictionary, ed. The Oxford Companion to Classical Literature, ed. "The meanings and functions of classical studies in Hungary in the 18th–20th century", in The social and political history of Hungarian education (ISBN 963-200-511-2). "Classicism in Literature", in Dictionary of the History of Ideas, Studies of Selected Pivotal Ideas, ed.
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