Classics is the study of Ancient Greece, Rome and related cultures in the ancient Mediterranean. It is the oldest field of study in the Humanities and played a crucial role in the development of many other disciplines like Philosophy, History and Linguistics. As such, Classics is a very broad area of study, interested in many different aspects of Greek and Roman culture, including their languages, literature, art, history, philosophy and mythology. At UKZN, the Classics programme is the home of three distinct subjects, each of which may be chosen as an undergraduate major: Classical Civilisations, Latin and Ancient Greek.

In Classical Civilisations, modules focus on the history, mythology and archaeological evidence of the ancient mediterranean, as well as Greek and Roman literature in translation. A particular area of interest in the UKZN programme is Classical Reception, the study of how later societies viewed, interpreted and reused Classical ideas in their own times. Students in these modules are introduced to ancient history, the development of human civilisations, Greek and Roman mythology, and many of the great works of ancient literature and art in a way that will complement their studies in other fields in the Humanities.   

Latin and Ancient Greek, on the other hand, are language-learning subjects, akin to French or isiZulu. Modules aim to teach students the grammar and vocabulary of the languages of the Greeks and Romans. The ultimate goal of both of these subjects is the ability to read and analyse Classical literature in its original languages, rather than through translation. These are challenging subjects, but offer great satisfaction and reward to motivated students, as well as the skills required to enter serious postgraduate study in Classics at UKZN or elsewhere