Ian Acurio

Ms. Smith

4th Period

January 18, 2022

Classic Literature

Classic literature is known for great written work, especially from the times of ancient

Greece and Rome. The works from this period are known for expressing ideas about life, truth,

and beauty. They have been written in the form of stories, comedies, tragedies and many other

ways. Classic literature has lasted through centuries because they connect with the things that

people feel and go through, even though it happened a long time ago. This is why it is still

taught in education and is relevant today. Works from these times are important to keep in

education because of the lessons they teach about humans and history.

During the period of ancient Greece and Rome, people focused on writing about their

history, art, religion, philosophy and other ideas that affected their cultures and way of life. A

great influencer of that time was Greek philosopher, Aristotle. He is known for his ideas about

logic and science that revealed how humans think and made important discoveries about

biology. An example of what Aristotle’s philosophy was about can be understood from a quote

where he said “knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” These words are still relevant

to anyone today because when people learn who they are they can understand their purpose in

life better. Learning these ideas from Aristotle in modern education can be helpful to students

who feel lost or need help understanding the things they go through. The problems from the

past can be compared to today’s problems and that is why classic literature is still studied and

very popular.

Classic literature also impacts how history is told and what happened in those times.

They tell how Europe, Middle East, and North Africa were shaped by politics, traditions, and

discoveries throughout many centuries. The way people made decisions and why they made
them can be understood from works of classic literature. One popular work that tells the history

of ancient Greek is the poem “The Iliad” by the author Homer. In this poem, the story of the

Trojan War is told and the themes of honor, fate, and friendship help describe what happened.

Homer wrote in the poem that “no man or woman born, coward or brave, can shun his destiny.”

The meaning of this is relevant in modern times too, and the way it was described in the story of

the Trojan War can also be described in other contexts. For example, in the story of “The Giver,”

the main character Jonas realizes that he can choose his own destiny instead of staying in a

controlled community. He was brave to escape the community to find his true destiny. Lessons

like these can be relevant in modern times and should be part of education.

Overall, classic literature continues to be relevant today for the connections readers can

make to the works. It can help someone “think deeply and critically about the great questions of

human existence.” Also, it helps understand how the world was shaped in classic history centuries

ago during important discoveries and understanding of humans. Knowledge about classic literature

can be very effective to students in any form of education.

 Works Cited

https://www.emiprotechnologies.com/blog/personnel-hacks-64/post/knowing-yourself-is-the-begi

nning-of-all-wisdom-363

https://bookroo.com/quotes/the-iliad

https://www.gonzaga.edu/college-of-arts-sciences/departments/classical-civilizations/about-the-

department/why-study-the-classics