Who We Are
Founded in 1885, the Harvard Classical Club is one of the oldest clubs on campus. We have been performing classical plays since 1876, have had members such as Milman Parry and Leonard Bernstein, and have been publishing an undergraduate journal as well as hosting Certamen for over a decade.
Today, we are the home of undergraduate Classical life at Harvard. From Classics concentrators to people who love Latin or Greek to people who just think it’s fun, all are welcome, regardless of experience with the Classics!
What We Do
We have been performing classical plays since 1876, have had members including Milman Parry and Leonard Bernstein, and have been publishing an undergraduate journal for over a decade – not to mention Certamen! Read below for descriptions of some of our recent and upcoming events and activities.
Certamen
Hosted annually, Certamen is a Latin competition for high schooler
Archaeology/History Night
One of the resources the Classical Club has access to is a collection of artifacts owned by the Classics Department. On archaeology nights, we go through some of the artifacts, handling them and learning about their function and place in the ancient world.
In history nights, members of the club give short presentations on something they are passionate about in the Classical world and tell us why it is cool! Topics could include why the movie Gladiator is inaccurate (or accurate!), why the best author is “Fragmentary Latin Inscriptions,” or why ancient fishponds are the best thing since sliced bread.
Mensa
Mensa is one of our most cherished traditions. A few times every semester, we all get together and have dinner. The food is always good and the conversations are better!
Classical Theater
Although it only happens every few years, classical theater productions are a cherished part of the Classical Club’s history. We’ve been doing theater since 1876 and have performed for full stadiums. Recently we’ve done Antigone and even an original classically-inspired opera, but we’ve put on everything from the Birds to Oedipus Rex.