From its foundation in 1983, the Department of Philology at the University of Crete operated in an innovative way when compared to other similar departments at the time. For instance, flexibility was the emphasis in its Program of Studies, offering students the opportunity to make multiple learning choices and participate in seminars. The department also established the first independent Division of Theater Studies and Musicology in Greece, and was the first to foster cinema studies at university level nationwide.

The Department of Philology’s mission is to foster and promote academic disciplines relating to Philology (Classical, Byzantine and Modern Greek Philology, Linguistics, Theater Studies) via academic instruction and scientific research. It equips graduates with the necessary stepping stones for their career, while contributing to the advancement of language and literature disciplines in general, and the improvement of Secondary Education in particular.

Studies in the Department of Philology aim to hone critical ability and consolidate a repository of values, so that graduates can take a stance in public life, contribute to shaping mentalities and serve their discipline with dedication to truth and rational thought, communicating academic knowledge with selflessness, diligence and critical thinking. This should be done in accordance with the values of humanism and for the common good, defending and promoting freedom, solidarity and tolerance, peace and democracy in words and deeds alike.