Since the publication of a New York Times Magazine article in February, it might seem as if the academic discipline known as classics — the study of ancient Greeks and Romans — has become a mainstay of the national press with its professional (and even many amateur enthusiasts) locked in mortal combat over the future of the field. One group appears to be seeking to “destroy” classics, another to “save” it. The most recent media focus has been on Princeton University, which recently announced changes to the structure of its undergraduate major, which many nonclassicists have been suggesting (inaccurately) reflects “dumbing down” or “dropping standards.”
