Classics involves a holistic study of the literature, history, art, thought and daily life of the people who lived in the ancient world especially Greece and Rome. In many ways that world has profoundly influenced today's world, and there is a sense in which a study of the past helps to bring one's understanding of the present into sharper focus. A knowledge of the original languages is not required. The subject matter is explored through English translations of the original texts, a variety of audio-visual material and some actual artefacts.