Greek and Latin Studies

"Nemo nascitur sapiens, sed fit." "One is not born wise but becomes wise." Seneca

Degree programme specification

Do you want to learn about ancient Greece, ancient Rome, or medieval Europe? Do you want to master the languages and explore the literature that shaped our culture, or find out what really happened with Caesar and Cleopatra? At the Department of Classical Studies, you can virtually cross the two-thousand-year threshold, learn Ancient (so-called Classical) Greek, which stands at the dawn of European scholarship, or Latin, which for centuries united Europe much like English does today, and read Plato, Virgil, or Jan Hus in the original.

You will learn one of the languages in which ancient and medieval writers, philosophers, scientists, and politicians formulated their ideas. You will see that Latin and Greek are all around us – we read Latin inscriptions on buildings and in tattoos, and no medical report can do without Greek. Latin is the source of Romance languages, and Ancient Greek lives on as Modern Greek. You can find words of Latin and Greek origin in both English and Czech.

During your studies, you will first undergo intensive instruction in Latin or Ancient Greek (you choose one of the languages; within the single-major program, you may – but do not have to – study both) so that you can begin reading texts written by ancient authors and directly engage with ancient literature and its legacy for contemporary society. You can also look forward to courses in ancient history and mythology, for example.

Throughout your studies, you’ll have the opportunity to choose from a wide range of interesting elective courses. You can read Harry Potter in Latin or take part in a theatre performance. We offer lectures by both local and international experts, and during your studies, you can study abroad at one of Europe’s universities through the Erasmus+ program. You can also look forward to a study-intensive course that combines reading Latin or Ancient Greek texts with an entertaining program in a nice place outside the university.

Study plans

Classical Greek language and literature

full-time, minor

Classical Greek language and literature

full-time, major

Greek and Latin Studies

full-time, single-subject

Latin language and literature

full-time, major

Latin language and literature

full-time, minor

Studies

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Objectives
The Greek and Latin Studies programme opens the way for students to learn about the sources of European culture and scholarship. It enables students to discover in the original the ideas and works of the famous ancient figures who laid the foundations of European literature, established the Western philosophical, scientific and legal tradition, and entrusted to future generations the first democratic principles and values of civil society.
The programme focuses on the acquisition of the morphology and syntax of classical Greek (specifically its Attic dialect) or Latin, the study of ancient literature and the historical and cultural context in which ancient literary works were produced.
An important part of the study is the reading of original texts, in which students develop the ability to interpret the original text in a multifaceted way and learn to apply their grammatical, literary and cultural-historical knowledge. The study of Ancient Greek or Latin, which are morphologically and syntactically more complex than the commonly studied modern Indo-European languages, deepens general linguistic, analytical, interpretive and translation competences and facilitates the understanding of technical terminology from other disciplines. It teaches how to solve problems systematically and to take into account several aspects at once. The study of the ancient world then enables a better orientation in most areas of European culture.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the programme, the graduate is able to:
- reproduce by heart the basic morphology and syntactic rules of the Attic dialect of Ancient Greek (henceforth "classical Greek") and describe them using linguistic terminology (in the case of a single-subject plan, if class. Greek is the main plan);
- reproduce by heart the basic morphology and syntactic rules of Latin and describe them using linguistic terminology (in the case of a single-subject plan, if Latin is the main plan);
- analyse the structure of sentences and translate shorter sentences into classical Greek (in the case of a single-subject plan, if classical Greek is the main plan);
- analyse the structure of sentences and translate shorter sentences into Latin (in the case of a single-subject plan, if Latin is the main plan);
- understand selected texts written in classical Greek, translate them into Czech and interpret them in a cultural and historical context (in the case of a single-subject plan, if classical Greek is the main plan);
- understand selected texts written in Latin, translate them into Czech and interpret them in a cultural and historical context (in the case of a single-subject plan, if Latin is the main plan);
- characterise the various stages of the development of ancient literature and its most important figures;
- specify the main features of basic literary genres in ancient literature;
- describe methodological approaches used in classical philology;
- work with both Czech and foreign language scholarly literature; use electronic databases and printed information sources (scholarly journals, dictionaries, encyclopaedias);
- write a coherent text on scholarly topics using scientific methodology.
Occupational Profiles of Graduates
As a graduate, you will gain a broad cultural perspective and skills during your studies that will enable you to find employment in various cultural institutions. You can work, for example, in archives, libraries, museums, and cultural centres. Employers across various fields will appreciate your general cultural knowledge, your ability to critically evaluate information, and your analytical approach to problem-solving. You can also find employment in various editorial positions in the media, particularly in sections focused on culture and literature.
Practical Training
The mandatory internship program is not part of the bachelor’s degree programs in Ancient Greek or Latin.
Goals of Theses
The standard length of a bachelor's thesis is at least 70,000 characters but usually no more than 90,000 characters, including footnotes, table of contents, index, reference list and annotations. Students choose the topic of the thesis either from the topics published in the MU Information System or after individual agreement with the supervisor. In the bachelor's thesis, students demonstrate the ability to use the basic domestic and foreign literature on the chosen topic, to find additional sources and assess their relevance, to work with ancient Greek or Latin sources, to formulate and defend their own conclusions, and to write a structured coherent text in a scholarly style.
Access to Further Studies
After completing your bachelor’s degree, you can continue on to a master’s program, where you can continue studying Classical Greek or Latin, choose Medieval Latin, or opt for a teacher training program in Latin.