Greek

Greek opens access to one of the most extraordinary intellectual and cultural traditions in human history. Ancient Greek was the language of Homer and Hesiod, of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Aristophanes, of Thucydides and Herodotus, of Plato and Aristotle. These writers did not merely record the culture of their time; they invented many of the forms and questions that have shaped Western thought ever since.

The lyric poem, the dramatic tragedy and comedy, the philosophical dialogue, the historical narrative, the political treatise: all were either invented or fundamentally shaped by Greek writers working in the first millennium BCE. Reading them in their original language is an experience that no translation fully replicates.

At the University of Glasgow, this programme is delivered part time, making it accessible to students who have other commitments. The programme includes a year abroad, which may be spent studying in a relevant international context. You will read across the range of ancient Greek literature, engaging with poets, tragedians, comedians, orators, historians, and philosophers including Plato, developing both linguistic proficiency and the critical and contextual understanding needed to interpret these works within their cultural and intellectual frameworks.

You will also engage with Greek political and social history, religion, philosophy, and art, building a rich picture of ancient Greek civilisation.

Graduates who have studied Greek develop exceptional skills in close reading, linguistic analysis, historical contextualisation, and philosophical reasoning. These capabilities are valued in a wide range of professional contexts including publishing, education, law, academia, and the cultural sector. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in classics, ancient history, philosophy, or related humanities disciplines, and the foundation in ancient Greek thought is a genuine intellectual asset across many fields of scholarly and professional enquiry.