Sawyer Library
Sawyer Library has an extensive collection of texts, scholarly works, and journals for the study of ancient literature, history, philosophy, art, archaeology, political science, law, and more. The Library website also provides many helpful online guides (e.g., to research and citation practices). Librarians are always eager to help you, including Emery Shriver, the library’s collection and instructional liaison with Classics.
When using the Library search engine, in addition to making author, title and subject searches, try browsing by call number. The following Library of Congress call numbers mark the beginning of their sections: P1 (Greek and Roman language, linguistics, and journals); PA1 (Greek and Latin literature); DF1 (Greek history); DG1 (Roman history); B165 (Greek and Roman philosophy); JC51 (ancient political history and theory); HQ1127 (women in the ancient world); N5610 (Greek and Roman art, architecture and archaeology).
Special Collections: The Chapin Library
The Chapin Library, part of Special Collections, is rightly proud of its holdings in Greek and Latin classics, including Stephanus’ edition of Plato’s works (Geneva, 1578) and such fine productions of the Aldine press as the Aristotle Opera (Venice, 1495-98); the first printed editions of Aesop, Aristophanes, and Homer, inter alia; over 525 incunabula, among them the first printed editions of many classical authors and the Aldine pocket-sized Vergil of 1501, the first book set throughout in italic type; the first classical texts printed in England (Aristotle, Ethica ad Nicomachum, Oxford, 1479) and in the western hemisphere (Dialectica resolutio cum textu Aristotelis, Mexico City, 1554); and the earliest extant text printed in Italy and the earliest classical text printed anywhere (Cicero, De Oratore, Subiaco, Italy, before 30 September 1465). The Chapin also has ancient Greek fragments on papyri from Oxyrhynchus in Egypt, fine 15th-century humanistic manuscripts of Ovid and Vergil, and many more Medieval and Renaissance manuscripts and books in Latin and Greek, including a Gospel lectionary in Latin prepared in Tours, France (ca. 800) and a Greek New Testament, Codex Theodori (ca. 1295).
Williams College Museum of Art
The Williams College Museum of Art has a varied and interesting collection of classical artwork on permanent display, in its rotating collection, and in permanent but accessible storage, and all of its holdings are available for study and teaching. For further information, read about Teaching with Art, or contact Professors Nicole Brown, Guy Hedreen, or Elizabeth McGowan.
Classics Department Collections
The Classics Department has an extensive collection of Roman coins spanning the 4th century BCE through the Byzantine era. The coin collection, which is securely stored in Special Collections, is currently being catalogued and photographed. The Department also holds a number of objects from daily life in Greece and Italy, including vases and bowls, lamps, loom weights, a strigil, chains and keys. Some of these are displayed in the Faculty Lounge in Hollander Hall.