Sterling Professor of Classics and History Donald Kagan was taken by ambulance to Yale-New Haven Hospital today at around 12:54 p.m. after he fell coming up the stairs from the basement of William L. Harkness Hall on his way to his final lecture for “Introduction to Ancient Greek History” in WLH 201. A hospital representative said his condition is now “fair.”

Chris Simon GRD ’13, one of the course’s teaching assistants, said in an e-mail that students found Kagan and quickly called paramedics. A student at the scene said the paramedics and the Yale Police arrived approximately five minutes later and took Kagan to Yale-New Haven Hospital in an ambulance.

Simon announced to the class that Kagan had had an accident and asked the students to leave through an alternative exit so as not to crowd or impede the paramedics.

“It was clear that the students were shocked and upset,” Simon said. “We are all very concerned on his behalf.”