This introduction to classical theoretical physics emerged from a course for students in the third and fourth semester, which the authors have given several times at the University of Freiburg (Germany). The goal of the course is to give the student a comprehensive and coherent overview of the principal areas of classical theoretical physics. In line with this goal, the content, the terminology, and the mathematical techniques of theoret­ ical physics are all presented along with applications, to serve as a solid foundation for further courses in the basic areas of experimental and theoretical physics. In conceiving the course, the authors had four interdependent goals in