Learning from the Ancient World

Senior classics and criminology and criminal justice double major Genevieve Menthen ’23 said ARHU has helped her “be a better person and global citizen.”

By Jessica Weiss ’05 

Just days after completing a summer course about the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, Genevieve Menthen ’23 boarded a plane for Italy with a friend and her family in July. After visiting Venice and Florence, they traveled to Rome and took a day trip to the historic town that was the subject of Menthen’s class—buried in volcanic ash following the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 CE and later excavated. Menthen admired the rich archaeological site and cherished the opportunity to see up close how Romans once lived day to day. 

“It was a life-changing experience,” said Menthen, a senior classics and criminology and criminal justice double major. “To be able to point out things I’d just learned about and actually be there to see them was truly amazing.” 

The trip affirmed Menthen’s passion for studying ancient Greece and Rome in the College of Arts and Humanities. And it spawned new ideas and possibilities for after she graduates in the spring. Actually seeing people out in the world “working in the field of classics”—at museums, archaeological sites and more—was illuminating, she said. 

Menthen, who is from Detroit, was a voracious reader growing up, especially of detective stories and myths. She came to UMD with the goal to prepare to pursue detective work, such as in the FBI. But after she took a “Greek and Roman Mythology” course her first semester, she decided to add a second major in classics. 

“One of my favorite history classes in middle school was about Rome—I’d always loved it. But I don’t think I realized it was a thing you could do or study,” Menthen said. “So to get into that class and have the whole focus be on myths I’d grown up loving was really special and drew me in.”

She has thrived in both majors, honing a range of skills. In criminology (in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences), she’s focused primarily on what influences and causes criminal behavior, learning about systems and theories and using critical thinking and research. At every turn, she has challenged her preconceived notions about crime and the criminal justice system in the United States. In classics, class discussions often end in different places than they began, and sometimes even with more and deeper questions, which she said has helped her to always step back and take a wider perspective of the world. She’s improved her skills in writing and research to convey ideas accurately.  

On the “Classical Humanities” track, she’s been able to take a broad range of courses that pertain to the cultures of both ancient Greece and Rome, such as history, myth and literature. She especially enjoys learning how those cultures have evolved over time and continue to shape life today. One of her favorite courses was “Are We Rome?,” taught by Professor and Chair of Classics Eric Adler, which directly compares the trajectory of the United States to that of Rome. 

She’s also been excited to find overlap in her majors, for instance in a course that explored the legal system of ancient Rome, including the Twelve Tables, widely considered the first law book. In Latin classes, she also noticed a lot of the phraseology of the modern American criminal justice system is based on Latin. 

Most valuable about her ARHU education, she said, has been learning how to “be a better person and global citizen” in all aspects of life.

“You learn how to present yourself, how to expand your understanding of the world around you, and how to continually look for ways to improve,” she said. “And you embark on a journey of self-discovery to understand how you fit into your local community and the world around you.” 

Menthen has been involved in ARHU beyond the classroom as well. She is currently a member of the Dean's Undergraduate Advisory Board, which serves the college by representing undergraduate students in monthly meetings with the dean, and works in the Office of Student Affairs & Career Engagement. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she was an ARHU orientation advisor and was awarded a 2021 ARHU Service Award. Last month, she was a student speaker at the ARHU Convocation. 

As she focuses on finishing her coursework, Menthen feels confident in her decision to study the social sciences and humanities while at UMD, as she knows both of her majors are part of what she wants to be, she said. She’s currently planning to undertake graduate studies in Latin before pursuing work related to one of her majors. In classics, she’s considering roles in teaching, research or writing, while in criminal justice she remains drawn to a position in the FBI or law enforcement.  

“My journey has led me to a place where I straddle the line between two academic worlds and two very different worldviews—and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she said.