Greek and Latin Literature (A)

The A Caucus is the home of students and scholars of ancient Greek, Latin and related literatures. It is one of the largest, most successful and most intellectually innovative centres in the world for the analysis of ancient texts. We cover all the methodological bases, from palaeography, papyrology and textual criticism through to gender studies, cultural criticism, literary theory and reception; our expertise spans a millennium and a half of literature, from Homer through to late antiquity. Cambridge Classics hosts two famous series of literary commentaries, the Cambridge Greek and Latin Classics (‘Green and Yellows’) and the Cambridge Classical Texts and Commentaries (‘Oranges’).

The A Caucus seminar runs weekly throughout term, and is a renowned forum for discussion of ancient literature and provides an important intellectual (and social) focus. Papers are delivered by a range of individuals, from visiting international scholars, invited speakers and local researchers and postgraduate students. Papers on literary topics are also regularly delivered in meetings of the Cambridge Philological Society and the Cambridge Centre for Greek Studies (which is co-directed from within the Caucus). Informal contexts for the discussion of ancient texts also exist, such as the Monday lunchtime Postclassical Greek Reading Group, and the Postgraduate Work-in-Progress Seminar. The Caucus also contributes substantially to the hosting of the triennial Cambridge Greek Play (in ancient Greek), which has been running since 1882. A stream of visitors from around the world makes Cambridge an especially stimulating place to study ancient literature.

We offer superb resources for postgraduate study. The Advanced Diploma and MPhil degrees offer an unrivalled preparation for research into classical literature, with a combination of skills training (textual criticism, bibliographical methods, theoretical approaches, epigraphy etc.), linguistic enhancement and literary analysis. The PhD is one of the most successful programmes in the world: our graduates have gone on to countless positions in Europe, North America, Australia and the UK, and currently occupy many top jobs in the world.