The roots of the Liberal Arts in Antiquity

In autumn 2012, University College Freiburg introduced 'Liberal Arts and Sciences' (LAS), the first four-year undergraduate program of its kind at a German university. Inspired by Liberal Arts programs of universities in the United States and the Netherlands, this undergraduate curriculum is based on the ancient concept of the Seven Liberal Arts, and is intended to serve as preparatory study for later specialization. Although the traditional canon of Seven Liberal Arts, consisting of three language sciences and four natural sciences, only became fixed in the Middle Ages, its roots can be traced into Classical Antiquity. This volume is conceived as a sourcebook of Greek and Latin texts with English translations and is addressed to any reader interested in the history of the Seven Liberal Arts. Two essays, 'Körper und Geist in der Erziehung des freien griechischen Mannes' by Prof. Hans-Joachim Gehrke, and 'Der Streit um die richtige Bildung in Rom' by Prof. Bernhard Zimmermann, expand upon the subject of the volume.