ROMAN CLASSICS + LATIN

Classics is the study of the ancient Mediterranean world, focusing on the languages, literature, history, art, and philosophy of Greece and Rome. It explores timeless works —from epic poetry and drama to political theory and mythology— that have shaped Western thought for centuries. By engaging with classical texts and artifacts, students of the Classics gain insight into the roots of modern language and culture, while discovering how ancient perspectives still resonate in today’s world.

Classics refers to the study of literature, language, history, philosophy, and the culture of ancient Greece and Rome. Classics can therefore involve Latin and Greek, the languages spoken in ancient Rome and Greece. The Classical World was established more than a millennium ago -- roughly from 800-300 CE. Though these boundaries are somewhat arbitrary, the conquests of Alexander the Great and the expansion of Roman power have brought Greek and Roman culture closer. The Greco-Roman lives spread across Eurasia. While started in ancient times, it was later formalized as a field of study during the Renaissance when scholars in Europe discovered an interest in Greek and Roman texts.
The term “Classics” comes from the Latin term "Classicus", meaning “of the highest class”. This phrase originally referred to high-ranking Roman citizens and later applied to exemplary literary works. Over the past 150 years as Classics has been closer studied, our perspectives have shifted significantly. Democratization has broadened a focus beyond the greater attention to the voices and experiences of those historically excluded from a traditional narrative, including women, slaves, children, animals, and intimate objects. Ad Vitam explores all ends of Classics -- whether involving language or historic culture.

The Latin language has evolved for centuries and originated in the region of Latium in central Italy. This is where the city of Rome was found, and where Latin began as a spoken language to the Latins (an Italic Tribe). As the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire expanded, Latin began to spread across Europe and became the dominant language in Italy used in law and literature. Over the last centuries, Latin has developed into modern languages including Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Romanian -- these are known as the Romance languages. While Latin can be considered a “dead language” because it isn’t widely spoken in Italy anymore, Latin is important because it has held so much information throughout the millennia. We use certain phrases and words that come from Latin- some even pronounced the same way- without even knowing!

YOU SPEAK LATIN...AND YOU DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT!

Whether you're a Classics student or not,

these 10 phrases are worth knowing:

Ad Vitam: To life
Salve + Vale: Hello/welcome + Goodbye
Quid hodie agis: How are you today?
Gratias tibi: Thank you
Mater, Pater, Sorror, et Frater: Mother, Father, Sister, and Brother
Amica/Amicus: Friend (feminine and masculine endings)
Carpe diem: Seize the day
Memento mori: Remember you will die
Et cetera: And the rest (ETC.)
Amor vincit omnia: Love conquers all

PULL QUOTES

“Sing, O Muse, of the rage…” — Homer, Iliad

When presented as a pull quote, large and centered, the line feels both ancient and modern. Designers use such quotations as anchors, textual images that carry visual weight. In magazines, websites, and digital essays, Homer’s lines create moments of dramatic pause. They act like the epic’s own opening, inviting the reader into a story that is larger than life. The strength of the pull quote comes not just from the beauty of the words but from the scale at which they are displayed: Homer becomes graphic design.

“At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet.” — Plato, Symposium

Plato’s philosophical insights gain new meaning when shown typographically. Pull quotes from dialogues like the Symposium, Phaedrus, or Republic invite readers to experience philosophy as visual poetry rather than abstract argument. Designers often set Plato’s lines in elegant serif fonts with plenty of white space, creating moments for reflection. This is a blend of ancient wisdom and modern mood. The quote transforms into a design object, reminding us of the ongoing human search for meaning, beauty, and connection.

“I am a part of all that I have met.” — Ovid, Metamorphoses

When presented as pull quotes, Ovid’s lines emphasize the emotional truths in his mythic narratives: loss, longing, change, and identity. The typographic rendering itself becomes a transformation, shifting poetry into image. But the revival of ancient storytelling does not stop with bold typography. A second, equally significant movement has emerged: the illustrated myth, often presented as short, comic-style stories. What once took hundreds of lines of verse can now unfold in just a few illustrated panels. This approach makes these tales accessible to a new generation while honoring the dramatic power of the originals.

SHORT STORIES

The Fall of Icarus — A Three-Panel Descent

Icarus stands beside his father in the workshop, wings wide and shining with wax. His eyes sparkle with the thrill of possibility. In the next panel, he soars upward, the sun turning the sky gold as feathers float behind him like sparks. The final panel shows the moment the wax melts: a single feather dissolving in sunlight as Icarus falls toward the sea. The water’s surface shows only a faint expanding ring, hinting at how quickly ambition turns into myth.

Persephone’s Crossing — A Tale in Three Frames

The first image shows Persephone picking a red flower in a field bathed in spring light. A shadow rises behind her, stretching across the grass. The second panel reveals Hades reaching from his chariot, the underworld yawning like an open doorway behind him. The final panel shows Persephone sitting next to him in the dim glow of the underworld, a pomegranate seed between her fingers — a choice, a trap, a beginning.

Echo and Narcissus — Reflections in Four Images

Echo hides behind a tree, her voice repeating the last word of Narcissus’s sentence, a faint sound balloon echoing across the panel. In the next frame, Narcissus kneels beside a clear pool, mesmerized by the beauty he sees in it. The third frame shows Echo fading at the edge of the forest, her form dissolving into empty lines and shadows. The last panel zooms in on the water’s surface, rippling as Narcissus tries to embrace his reflection — a love story caught between image and illusion.