For some students, learning about ancient stories can look less like reading a heavy book and more like scrolling through memes. At The University of Alabama, students and professors are exploring ways to integrate modern media with the ancient world and bring focus to classics through teaching.
Yuliya Minets, associate professor of classics for the Department of Modern Languages and Classics, teaches “Introduction to Classics through Internet Memes,” a class that uses humor to connect the archaic world with something students find relatable.
“We learn by being connected and having emotional attachment. My students laugh when they understand a meme about a specific historical event,” Minets said. “You laugh and never forget it because you connect with it … It is a good learning tool for students who may never take another classics course.”
For some students, a different approach to learning classics can be more than just about easy learning. It can also lead to appreciation of the subject.
“Classics quite literally is my life, and I find it so important. The model of government for ancient Greece and ancient Rome is the model of government for America today,” said Hannah Johnson, a junior majoring in philosophy and history and secretary of the Classics Club. “To know the classics is to know the present and the things that are going on currently today.”
Modern media, from kids’ books to games to movies to memes, can serve as an introduction to classics and influence how students approach the subject even before tackling it academically.
David Welch, assistant professor in the Department of Modern Languages and Classics, said that classics evolve with time and pointed to modern depictions of the Greek gods compared to how they were narrated before.
“One of the strengths of classics is that it is able to be told from the perspective of whatever time period we’re in,” Welch said. “So, 2020s Dionysus looks different than 1930s Dionysus, but it’s communicating that same core idea, that same core identity, and I like that classics have the ability to meet people at their level, whatever that level may be.”
An interest in Classics may be less visible than it appears. Lauren Kronk, a junior majoring in classical civilization and vice-president of the Classics Club, said the club attracts a wide variety of students.
“Most of the Classics Club is made up of non-classics students. It’s amazing because it gives people who are in different disciplines a way to interact with these topics because they are passionate about it,” Kronk said. “We had a meeting where 23 people came … they were just people who wanted to learn more about mythology.”
Learning classics through modern adaptations can give students fun and engaging ways to connect with the subject and develop an interest without feeling burdened, allowing it to stay relevant throughout time.
“It’s how we keep these stories alive and how we keep getting new generations interested,” Kronk said. “That’s how you get introduced to these ancient topics … it’s a different way of taking on these stories and having new eyes on them, and I think only good comes from that.”
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