Guides: Classical Studies: Getting Started

Welcome to your Classics guide!

This guide includes information and quick links to help you do library research in the field of Classical Studies.

Explore the guide to find more information about reference sources, books, articles, professional associations, and how to organize and cite your sources.

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Start with Reference

Reference sources can provide information about the topic and lead to concepts and keywords to use in your research.

Representative print and online reference sources for the discipline of Classical Studies are listed below. Print reference sources are located on the main floor of Preus Library.

Classics Reference Sources

Specialized dictionaries, encyclopedias, and subject bibliographies can be helpful in choosing and narrowing a topic. Reading in the specialized reference materials introduces background information and can provide key concepts or keywords to use in your search. This is just a selection. Search the reference databases below for more sources.

The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece and Rome by Michael Gagarin (Editor)
Call Number: ebook

This is an accessible guide and a comprehensive overview of the major cultures of the classical Mediterranean world from the Bronze Age to the fifth century CE. It also covers the legacy of the classical world and its interpretation and influence in subsequentical world centuries.
The Oxford classical dictionary by Simon Hornblower (Editor)
Call Number: ebook

This established dictionary of antiquity offers over 6,700 entries on all aspects of the classical world, with reception and anthropology as new focus areas. Additional subject areas are politics, government, and the economy; religion and mythology; law and philosophy; science and geography; languages, literature, art, and architecture; archaeology and historical writing; military history; social history, sex, and gender; and neighbors, adversaries, and influences.
The Encyclopedia of Ancient History by Roger S. Bagnall; Kai Brodersen (Editor); Craige B. Champion (Editor); Andrew Erskine (Editor); Sabine R. Huebner (Editor)
Call Number: Ref D54 .E53 2013 v.1-13

Unmatched in scholarship and diversity, The Encyclopedia of Ancient History is the definitive reference work for the study of the ancient world. This ambitious 13-volume reference work, presented in A-Z format: includes over 5000 entries ranging from 250-5000 words.
Cambridge Histories Online - The Cambridge Ancient History
Call Number: ebook

Online full-text edition of this major 14 volume historical survey.
Brill's New Pauly : encyclopaedia of the ancient world. Antiquity by Helmuth Schneider (Editor); Hubert Cancik (Editor)
Call Number: Ref DE5 .N4813 2002 v.1-16

ISBN: 9004122583

The history of classical scholarship. Brill's New Pauly presents the current state of traditional and new areas of research and brings together specialist knowledge from leading scholars from all over the world.
Encyclopedia of Greco-Roman Mythology by Mike Dixon-Kennedy
Call Number: Ref BL715 .D56 1998

ABC-CLIO's Encyclopedia of Greco-Roman Mythology gathers the essential myths of legends of Greek and Roman culture together in a single authoritative volume.
Dictionary of Classical Mythology by Jennifer R. March
Call Number: Ref BL715 .M38 2014 and ebook

Jenny March's acclaimed Dictionary of Classical Mythology, first published in 1998 but long out of print, has been extensively revised and expanded including a completely new set of beautiful line-drawing illustrations for this Oxbow edition. It is a comprehensive A - Z guide to Greek and Roman mythology. All major myths, legends and fables are here, including gods and goddesses, heroes and villains, dangerous women, legendary creatures and monsters.
The Concise Oxford Companion to Classical Literature by M. C. Howatson (Editor); Ian Chilvers (Editor)
Call Number: ebook

The third edition of The Oxford Companion to Classical Literature is the complete and authoritative reference guide to the classical world and its literary heritage. It not only presents the reader with all the essential facts about the authors, tales, and characters from ancient myth and literature, but it also places these details in the wider contexts of the history and society of the Greek and Roman worlds.
Who's Who in the Greek World by John Hazel
Call Number: Ref DE7 .H39 2000

From monarchs and poets to corrupt officials and traitors, this A-Z guide takes readers on a fascinating biographical tour of ancient Greece. Entries offer vivid portraits based on the latest research in the field.
Who's Who in the Roman World by John Hazel
Call Number: ebook

Who's Who in the Roman World is a wide-ranging biographical survey of one of the greatest civilizations in history. Covering a period from the 5th century BC to AD 364, this is a guide to an era which continues to fascinate today.

General Reference Databases

Gale Virtual Reference Library
A collection of over 3,000 reference works, covering all disciplines.
Credo Reference
An online collection of over 600 full-text reference works, including encyclopedias, dictionaries, and more.
Oxford Reference Online
This online source provides access to subject and language reference works from Oxford University Press. In addition to text, access is provided to maps and illustrations, timelines, web sites, and bibliographies.