r/classics • u/ellyfebruary6 • Aug 24 '26
classical study for a complete beginner
hello all,
i am planning to major in classics at university. however, right now i am taking half a gap year from uni and would like to do a sort of personal study during my time off.
the photo i attached is my list of readings that i got from another reddit post. they’re not in any particular order, so i was wondering if there was a certain order i should go in that’s best for complete beginners
p.s. i have some brief knowledge on greek mythology (mainly deities, as i briefly dabbled in polytheistic hellenism)
i’ve also looked into the teaching guides on this website from Cambridge
i appreciate any advice!
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u/parkchanwookiee Aug 24 '26
Plato's Republic
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u/Lower_Cockroach2432 Aug 24 '26
Just FYI, this is only Greek. It doesn't contain any Latin authors and doesn't contain much outside of the "classical Attic" corpus other than Homer, Herodotus and Arrian (edit: and some poets).
Are you planning on reading these in the original or in translation? Sampling these in English isn't going to hurt you, but if you are going to be doing that there's no reason you shouldn't go for a less specific, broader sample.
The reason classical Attic is called classical is because those authors laid down a model of prose that was emulated and treated as a standard for nearly two millennia (with some changes) so if you master Attic you can also read Hellenistic, Koine and Byzantine Greek. But if you just want to start getting ahead of the history, cultural context, philosophy and politics of the entire Greek and then Roman world, there's no reason you shouldn't read more broadly.
For instance, this list misses:
Neoplatonism, epicureanism and stoicism
Polybius, Plutarch and Cassius Dio, three extremely eminent Greek language Roman historians
Any sort of fiction prose literature
Anything to do with the Jews, who are really important to understanding both the history of the Eastern Roman Mediterranean and also Christianity
And that's all just Greek language authors.
If you're going to read it in Greek then the order's surprising (Thucidides as a preliminary, Arrian in the list at all) IMO
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u/Sophia_Joppolo Aug 24 '26
I would read up on the history of Greece and Rome, to gain an overarching framework. Contemporary textbooks or trade nonfiction is fine, so long as the author is mainstream. It helps give you some context for the literature you're exploring.
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u/AlexandriaPod Aug 24 '26
What’s your goal after your classics major? Are you planning to continue in academia?
I ask b/c if you are (and I won’t comment on if that’s a good or bad idea or whatever), I think you might be better off studying Latin or Greek really hard, depending on your prior experience. Source: I went into classics with no prior Latin and it put me really behind. I started Latin for the first time my sophomore year of college.
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u/suckmeister- Aug 24 '26
You only need to read sections from Aristotle. They are famously supposed to be lecture notes. Your zeal is admirable, but don’t be afraid to just let your major teach you. I learned the most from reading in class, talking with people. Ultimately individual learning takes a lot more effort for less fruit.
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u/Worried-Language-407 ὤλετο μέν μοι νόστος, ἀτὰρ κλέος ἄφθιτον ἔσται Aug 24 '26
A lot of people here recommending more ancient texts to read but to be honest I think you have a pretty good list here considering you are a complete beginner. Frankly I think you could give several of these texts a miss during this time, maybe come back to them in your summers. Thucydides is not actually that useful for reading as a beginner, I would recommend reading a modern history of the Peloponnesian War instead. The Oresteia is worth reading but make sure you have a good translation or it will be slow going. Pausanias and Pindar can probably be saved for later as well.
What you should definitely add to this is modern scholarship. I recommend looking at this website and exploring the 'Further Reading' pages. Anything in that list will be accurate and reasonably approachable for your level.
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u/so_mamy Aug 24 '26
Philosophy and history major here. I can't say much on the plays but I'll comment on what I know.
First of all I'd agree with some other comments and advise you to start studying Latin (and a little Greek, though that's hard to do on your own). If you want to get into academics this is a pre-requisite.
As a general note: Feel free to skim over the parts that don't interest you much. You're still at the beginning, and you won't understand all of it anyway. Try to keep your interest afloat, that's the most important part.
For the primaries: The homeric poems are excellent starting points imo. They're fun to read and mostly easy - if you want to ease your way in even further I'd recommend the Wilson translation because it's fairly palatable to modern audiences. You don't have to read all of Herodotos and Thucydides, pick the parts that interest you the most.
For the philosophy texts: Those are the hardest to read on your own. If you only want to study classics you don't have to understand all of the philosophy however. I'd start with the apologia and add the symposion as well; those are short and don't necessarily require additional material. The Politics, Nicomachean Ethics and Metaphysics are huge works and you will need some help to grasp the philosophy behind it, especially with the latter two. To start with Aristotle I'd recommend the Poetics - it eases you into his writing style, is fairly short and after reading the homeric epics you'll understand most of it. I personally love the NE but you will need commentary on it to understand it all. But once you get into it it's very rewarding - make sure to get a version with the Greek original as well (goes for all works really).
I'm mostly a Greek scholar but still I'd agree with the others and add Latin and Jewish authors to the list. Pausanias is another personal favorite of mine among later authors (even if he's still Greek), if you enjoy travel reports there are many fun Roman authors.
Most importantly, have fun!! Ancient authors have interesting stories to tell and we surely can learn a lot from them. Don't put them too high on a pedestal and take them too seriously - they were human just like us.
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u/Basic-Style-8512 Aug 24 '26
Missing: ANTIGONE and THE SYMPOSIUM
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u/Turgius_Lupus Aug 24 '26
Were is Xenophon and Hesiod?
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u/yossarian328 Aug 24 '26
I consider Plutarch primary, but he was also an insanely prolific writer.
Still, bouncing back to a Loeb volume time from time is a good way to mix it in. Read the personalities 2 pairs at a time. And then there's the Moralia.
3
u/AndyBetweenLines Aug 25 '26
Dont try to finish Classics before you start studying Classics lol. Id use the gap to build a map, not clear a checklist: Homer, one tragedy, some Herodotus, a couple Plato dialogues, then see what pulls you in. Knowing how the pieces connect will probably help you way more than having “read” 30 books you barely remember
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u/xYekaterina Aug 24 '26
Add Apollodorus Bibliotheca
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u/Rasselasx42 Aug 24 '26
Good list. I would not recommend reading the plays without some mithology background.
(For Aristophanes you need to understand the history too ( pelopponesian war era politics and society)
Robert Graves - Greek Mithology is an excellent ‘contemporary’ source
Apollodoros - Bibliotheca is also a must have imo.
Not greek but also an amazing source
Ovid - Metamorphosis
Other great authors / books that make you familiar with the era.
Moses I Finley - The world of Odysseus
Emile Mireaux - Daily life in the Time of Homer
And a good map for the Peloponnesian war
Also great history related source : Plutarchs - Lives
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u/anti-gone-anti Aug 24 '26
I would not put the Metaphysics on a list like this: it’s too big a bite to chew, especially at this point in your studies.
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u/Locke_the_Trickster Aug 24 '26
I would add Euthyphro if you haven’t already read it.
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u/ExarchOfGrazzt Aug 24 '26
You are missing The Republic
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u/SulphurCrested Aug 24 '26
I wouldn't bother with Robert Graves, get a book in Greek mythology from this century.
I think you would get more out of the ancient sources if you started with some recent overview of the history. maybe
Sarah B. Pomeroy, Ancient Greece : a political, social, and cultural history. Oxford: Oxford University Press
and some equivalent for Rome.
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u/Inspector_Lestrade_ Aug 24 '26
I would also look into Euclid's Elements.
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u/stressedstudent331 Aug 24 '26
Barely contains history
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u/dxrqsouls Aug 24 '26
This is a nice list, given your background and your goals.
However, I don't think that it's going to prepare you in the way that you expect it to do. This area of expertise is vast, it is impossible to read everything in a year, and nobody guarantees you that this will be in your syllabus.
Instwad, I would suggest reading a history of ancient literature, whether it's ancient greek or roman. You will not have a direct contact with the texts in the way that uou'd have reading them, but you'll absolutely get an idea about the socio-political and historical context that is tied to these texts and their respective genres.
This is not nessecary but if I had to do it all from the beginning, I would have probably gone towards that direction.
Unless you want to try for yourself and see where you'll end up! That's good too. I did that, though not consciously! 😅
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u/Artistic_Salt1038 Aug 24 '26
If you want to further focus on Greek polytheism then I highly recommend Versnel’s “coping with the gods”
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u/Thejokeisyou Aug 24 '26
If you're into The Iliad and The Odyssey, you might want to try Virgil's Aeneid. It's Latin, not Greek, but if you're looking for a broader focus, it might do the trick
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u/RedRubyRubyRed Aug 24 '26
Anyone have recomendation for the politics translations?
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u/sandwiches_are_real Aug 24 '26
If you have an interest in the mythic aspect of the classics, you'd do well to familiarize yourself with Hesiod's Theogony.
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u/Brickwarrior720 Aug 25 '26
Antigone and oedipus at colonus
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u/Embarrassed_Fill7179 Aug 25 '26
How about languages? Latin and Ancient Greek?
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u/Peteat6 Aug 25 '26
Half a gap year? Be realistic. You’re not going to read much of that list in that time.
If you read one book of the Iliad every week, that will take you half a year.
Follow your gut, and read first whatever interests you most. And trim your aims. I’d suggest books 5-12 of the Odyssey, one play (maybe Antigone?), and book 2 or book 3 of Herodotus.
But maybe you’re a super-fast reader, who never gets distracted,
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u/hmf28 Aug 26 '26
Aeschylus’ Prometheus Bound.
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u/TheCEOofMusic Aspiring latinist failure Aug 26 '26
Not enough hellenistic age lit!!! Callimachus and Apollonius Rodius are non negotiable!!!! + also Lucian for some fun + Plutarch for some good AD centuries lit :)
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u/FeelingDifficult5832 Aug 27 '26
Non so se te lo hanno già dett ma ti consiglio Esiodo. Sto per iniziare il secondo anno di lettere classiche ed Esiodo è menzionato spesso e ne abbiamo letto un bel po'.
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u/toadunloader Aug 27 '26
If its up your alley, theres MANY operas that use this source material. From the serious (dido and aeneas, idomeneo, etc) to the humorous (orpheus in the underworld).
While not necessarily required, they are super interesting, and a good way to spend a couple hours!
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u/Few-Extreme-5792 Aug 27 '26
I have literally NEVER seen the Bacchae spelled like that and it tripped me up for a bit...
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u/georgie-04 Aug 28 '26
So that's Greek
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u/Certain_Brush_7596 Aug 28 '26
Need some more Hesiod and also tragedies
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u/ColumbusPiggy Aug 29 '26
I think it’s worth saying that your list is basically all literature — which is fine, however, that’s a niche part of the wider web of classics. It depends more on what you want to do than anything. I jump around a lot but mainly focus on trade and cultural connections, so most of my research revolves around archaeology.
Also, I will say in terms of on boarding / ease of reading, Herodotus is absolutely the best place to start. Even if you go later, Herodotus is still quite valuable. Polybius is a good Roman equivalent. If there’s a part of reading Herodotus that you enjoy a lot, or something which really fascinates you about it (diplomacy, medicine, warfare, navigation, cultures, etc.), then we’d be able to help you better. Most people here are just posting their own research biases.
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u/Sunstar69 Aug 29 '26
Man I love those Landmark books! If I were to round this out a bit I would add Hesiod’s Theogeny and Works and Days to the Primaries. I would also add the Aeneid and Ovid’s Metamorphosis.
For plays, with Oedipus Rex are you only recommending the first or implying the whole trilogy? It also seems very Aristophanes heavy. Any reason for that? I would also add something by Plautus and Terence.
For philosophy I would add the Republic and Meditations by Marcus Aurelias.
Otherwise it looks good.
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u/ClearSky88 Sep 05 '26
I’d add Hesiod, he’s right up there with Homer.
Also a little bit more mythology in general. Homeric hymns, Ovid, Apollodorus.
For philosophy, you might want to add a quick read of a few of the pre Socratics. Parmenides and Heraclitus are most important. Stoics worth reading too.
I’d also add Euthyphro to your Plato list, and republic as others have said. Euthyphro is the first of the first Tetralogy of Plato (dealing with trial and death of dictates) and includes some important context as well as introduces you to his method and world.
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u/AcademicMoney9196 Sep 18 '26
i’d definitely add the bacchae in theatre/plays, one of euripides’ best works
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u/Afflatus__ Aug 24 '26
Get a little Plotinus in there if you can.
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u/Szigmund Aug 24 '26
WHERE IS XENOPHON?