Classical Studies

Resources for researching the culture and history of ancient Greece and Rome.

Locating Books

Sphinx and OedipusTry these searches in OneSearch

  • art, greek
  • art, roman
  • architecture, greek
  • architecture, roman
  • greece--antiquities
  • rome--antiquities
  • art and mythology

You can also search for specific characters, though not every classical figure will have an entire book devoted to their iconography:

  • antigone--greek mythology--in art
  • trojan war in art
  • aeneas legendary character

Locating Articles

Iconography and Mythology

How to use the Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae (LIMC) 
8v. in 16 + indexes. Zurich: Artemis, 1981‐1992. Ref N7760 .L49 1981.


Each volume in the set consists of two physical volumes: 
  • Part one is the text description of the iconography (artistic portrayal) of a character from Greek or Roman mythology.
  • Part two of each volume has black and white plates showing many (but not all) of the artworks described in the text. A star * in the text indicates that there should be a plate for that work of art.

Entries are arranged alphabetically by mythological name. In most cases, both Roman and Greek forms are listed under the Greek name (example: Ares / Mars). If you cannot locate an entry, use the index volume; sometimes minor figures are included in the entires for more well-known dieties or mortals.

LIMC is international in scope and many entires are in Italian, German, or French. Don't be discouraged if you cannot read these languages; you can usually puzzle out the sense the of the information by looking at the iconography.

Art

Architecture and Archaeology

Epigraphy

Museum Sites

Excavation Reports

Important archaeological digs can go on for decades. Often the excavation reports are published over time in a series of volumes.

Look for these under the subject heading (place name)--antiquities or excavations--archaeology--(place name)

  • pompeii (extinct city)--antiquities
  • excavations--archaeology--greece--santorini

You can also find references to official archaeological reports in the Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites.

Below are some excavation series in the University Libraries: