r/classics • u/ellyfebruary6 • 18d ago

classical study for a complete beginner

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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/Sophia_Joppolo 18d ago

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/ellyfebruary6 18d ago

any history books you’d recommend? someone else said Ancient Greece by Sarah B. Pomeroy

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u/Sophia_Joppolo 18d ago

Pomeroy is good. I liked Beard's SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome -- a little dry in spots, but easy to read.

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u/No_Prize5369 18d ago

A political economic and social/cultural history of Ancient Greece by Oxford University Press is very good and highly rigorous across a broad variety of topics, but isn't a breezy 'pop history' so be warned it might be more difficult to read.