Contents of the programme

Griekse en Latijnse taal en cultuur

The earliest written sources - hieroglyphics inscribed on clay tablets - date back to about 1400 BC. It was not until some five decades ago that scientists managed to decipher the signs. They turned out to be syllables and the language was Greek.

The period covered by the bachelor’s in Greek and Latin Language and Culture starts with these sources. The field of study ends around 500 AD, the era when the Roman Empire was crumbling and the division between the East and the West emerged.

In the course of the bachelor’s programme you approach a wide range of subjects in the fields of classical languages, archaeology, philosophy, literature, Ancient history, science, religion and art from any number of perspectives.

The main emphasis in the study programme is on knowledge of the Ancient Greek and Latin languages and their literature, a requirement for every scholar of the Classics. This knowledge is also indispensable if you want to go more deeply into the cultural history of the Greeks and Romans or of the Western world.

Of course you learn to read and translate texts in Ancient Greek and Latin. There are also lectures in cultural studies (Ancient history and archaeology). In addition, you take courses in linguistics with students majoring in other languages and attend lectures in research and argumentation skills.

In the second and third year, you not only go more deeply into the Ancient Greek and Latin languages and literature, you also take other courses such as the philosophy of science.
You can take electives at other departments, you write a thesis, and you can do an internship or do part of the study programme abroad.

After completing a bachelor’s programme in Greek and Latin Language and Culture, you will graduate as a Bachelor of Arts (BA).