Studying Latin is a privilege

In her Nov. 16 article “Gravissima Latina est,” contributing columnist Emma Treadway argues that “Latin or Greek should be a mandatory element of the high school or college education.” I am a senior in the Classics department who has studied Latin and Greek for many years, and I respectfully disagree.

Treadway claims that “the benefits of knowing Latin and Ancient Greek are both innumerable and ubiquitous.” She explains that, for example, because the study of Latin does not typically include an oral component, it allows for a greater emphasis on grammatical nuance and connotation, with the result that its students develop a more analytical and detail-oriented mindset. But Treadway ignores the fact that the oral study of a language has many benefits too — most obviously, the ability to communicate with people around the world.

In fact, people who study Latin and Greek are often encouraged to take up German as well, which is the language of much of the scholarly classical conversation — even classicists require modern languages to communicate with each other. The ability to communicate well is an important skill for everyone that can be honed by studying modern languages. And for people whose careers require them to work with people around the world, as is often the case in our increasingly globalized community, knowing the languages that their peers speak today is necessary.

Treadway’s article is a blind expression of the elitism that has plagued the study of classics for decades, if not centuries. Students of the classics tend to come from higher socioeconomic levels than their peers. Regardless of what Treadway’s socioeconomic status is (I don’t know or care), she ought to realize that studying Latin is a privilege. Given the price of college tuition and the height of student debt, it is not surprising that many students who struggle to pay tuition will want to take coursework that will lead more immediately to a lucrative career. This is one reason why Treadway, myself, and other classics students are often faced with the question of what we will possibly do with a classics degree — our chosen field of study does not lead to an obvious post-undergraduate career path.

For many career-focused students, Latin and Greek cannot be priorities, especially since these particular languages require more intense study than some others. By arguing that everyone should study classical languages, Treadway shows disregard for her fellow students who do not have the time, energy, and/or money to do so.

I love studying Latin and Greek, and I encourage anyone who is considering taking one of these languages to give it a try. And like Treadway, I wish that when I say I study Classics, more people knew what I actually meant! Yet I would not want classical study to be a requirement for all students. Every field offered at this school has its benefits, and I hope that instead of only praising her own area of study, Treadway can learn to appreciate the richness of others’.

Rachel Brill is Head Design Editor for The Daily Princetonian and a senior Classics concentrator from Cherry Hill, N.J. She can be reached at rgbrill@princeton.edu.