Classics

This article is about the academic discipline. For other uses, see Classics (disambiguation).
"Classical literature" redirects here. For literature from the ancient world in general, see Ancient literature. For exemplary or noteworthy books, see Classic book.
"Classicist" redirects here. For the art movement, see Classicism. For the discrimination based on class, see Classism.
Homer, the legendary Greek author of the Iliad and Odyssey
Cicero, the Roman statesman considered the master of Latin prose
Aristotle, the Greek philosopher and polymath who shaped Western science for centuries
Virgil, usually considered to be the greatest Roman poet
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Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Ancient Greek and Roman literature and their original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics may also include as secondary subjects Greco-Roman philosophy, history, archaeology, anthropology, art, mythology, and society.

In Western civilization, the study of the Ancient Greek and Roman classics was considered the foundation of the humanities, and they traditionally have been the cornerstone of an elite higher education.