When he was 24, Thomas Carpenter decided to be a poet. He moved to a secluded Greek island, rented a house and started putting words on paper. But he quickly discovered that the ancient country’s rich history and culture were far more stimulating than any lilting verse.

“We think we understand who we are, but certain experiences give us an entirely different perspective on ourselves and the possibilities in life,” says Carpenter, who spent most of that year wandering Greece and cementing his interest in the classical world.

Today, Carpenter recaptures that adventurous, youthful fire when he’s teaching Ohio University students about life during the Roman Empire.

“I hate to see students moving through and not absorbing something, so I try to inspire them,” says Carpenter, who in 1997 became the first Charles J. Ping Professor of Humanities, an eminent scholar position supported by private dollars.

Students say his passion is undeniable.

“He loves what he’s teaching; and he doesn’t just lecture, he welcomes your thoughts,” says Francesca Gallo, a junior who switched her major from interpersonal communications to classics after taking Carpenter’s classes. “He wants you to understand it and get involved in it.”

Carpenter’s enthusiasm, however, stems from more than a young man’s 12-month escapade overseas. The experience put him on a path toward an illustrious career as a scholar of ancient Greek archaeology, art and religion. A graduate of Johns Hopkins, Harvard and Oxford universities, the multilingual professor is highly respected for his college textbooks and professional articles.

But rather than spend his days on archaeological digs in Italy (he does research there during summer and winter breaks) or leading a graduate program at an Ivy League school, he’s teaching introductory classes to undergraduates.

“This is where the exploration of ideas and values can start, when students can catch fire and understand that there is a world of ideas out there waiting to be explored,” he says.

Carpenter also directs the Charles J. Ping Institute for the Teaching of the Humanities, which promotes the study of classics, history, philosophy, language, literature and archaeology.

Toward that end, he’s helped develop new humanities classes. In his Classical Athens course, Carpenter talks about contemporary issues from an ancient Greek perspective.

“We discuss attitudes toward capital punishment, slavery and homosexuality, all of which were accepted in classical Athens,” he says. “I want students to look at themselves and history in a different light.”

With the number of classics majors climbing (there are 22 currently), Carpenter defends the field to parents who wonder about the practicality of studying Latin or ancient history. His 2 cents: “Many law and business graduate schools look at a classics major and say, ‘That’s a disciplined student.’”

And if parents were familiar with Carpenter’s class requirements, there’d be no questions asked.

“He maintains some of the highest standards at the University,” says Classics Department Chair James Andrews.“He’s very demanding, but students respond to it. His classes are always packed.”