I tell parents your children should study what interests them. The subject doesn't matter. But Flower is also quick to point out that majoring in classics does have its practical applications. Analyzing text is good practice for the rigors of law school. But there is more beyond these explanations, Flower says.
Ancient civilizations have a certain allure that has been preserved in modern culture.
Popularity for the classics, says Flower, goes in cycles, but the classics never go out of style. The study of classics has long been one of the foundations of a liberal arts education. A freshman at Marshall College in 1837 could expect to study Cicero's Select Orations , ancient geography, ancient history, Horace's Odes and Homer's Iliad during his first year. At Franklin College, in 1848, students took Latin grammar during their first year. Then, as now, classics had its detractors and defenders.