Welcome to the Department of Classics at Trinity College Dublin

Classics is by nature multidisciplinary, bringing together the study of the language and literature, philosophy, history, art history and archaeology of the Greek and Roman world. The Department is committed to excellence in both teaching and research, and our staff are all dedicated teachers and well-known for their research in fields as diverse as Neoplatonic philosophy, Bronze Age archaeology, Hellenistic poetry and history, Early Latin literature, classical Latin poetry, and Roman construction.

Classics at Trinity has a long and distinguished history, numbering Oscar Wilde among its famous past students. It is unique in Ireland in having separate Chairs in Greek and in Latin, and in offering a specialised programme in Ancient History and Archaeology. Two research centres of international standing are associated with the Department: the Centre for the Study of the Platonic Tradition and the Centre for Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies.

Our wide range of undergraduate degrees offers the opportunity to explore Greek and Roman civilisation according to your particular interests. If you wish to study ancient Greek or Latin language and literature, you can choose a full Classics degree (single honours) or combine either Greek or Latin with another Arts subject (joint honours). You may prefer to learn about the classical world primarily through reading its literature in translation (Classical Civilisation) or by specialising in the history and archaeology of the Mediterranean world (Ancient History and Archaeology). You can find out more about all these courses on our Course pages.

The Department is also home to a thriving community of around twenty-five postgraduate students doing research on a wide range of literary, historical, archaeological and philosophical topics. Our postgraduates contribute significantly to seminars, conferences, study trips and undergraduate teaching. Our graduates are employed as University lecturers, school teachers, archaeologists, museum curators, and in arts and heritage management. Other careers include the diplomatic service, law, publishing and business.

We enjoy close links with many departments within Trinity and have strong international links with many Classics departments abroad, including active participation in the Socrates exchange programme of the European Union. We hope that as you browse through our website you will find an attractive and informative presentation of all our activities as an internationally renowned centre for the study of the ancient world.

Further information may be obtained from

Ms. Winifred Ryan,
School of Classics,
Trinity College,
Dublin 2
Tel. (01) 896 1208
Fax (01) 671 0862
e-mail: ryanw1@tcd.ie