The Classical world of the Greeks and Romans has shaped the lives and thinking of Western Europe and the Mediterannean for over two millenia. The history of art and sculpture shows the pervasive influence of classical principles and reactions against them. Our genres of literature - history, drama, poetry in its many forms, letter writing, rhetoric - originated in the Classical world. Our philosophy and world views were first articulated by Greeks, and some of the dominant world religions developed in this period. Our law remains heavily based on Roman law, and classical style architecture remains popular today. Roman building techniques (concrete, arches..) remain central today, as do systems of administration and many sports. The languages of Western Europe, especially the 'romance' languages of Spain, France and Italy, are developed from Latin roots. Indeed the whole concept of western liberal arts education is a classical one.

Many works of Latin and Greek literature remain masterpieces in their own right, still read, performed, translated and enjoyed today. The lifestyle and culture of these periods provides fascinating study - so similar yet so different. But the study of the Latin and Greek languages and their cultures opens students' eyes more broadly to understand how languages work, how people from different times and cultures have thought, and how the values and ideas of their own culture have developed. Without an understanding of these, a student's ability to understand English and European literature is impoverished, and a historical perspective on the great ideas of western thought is lost.

Boris Johnson on the Importance of Studying Classics