The department offers three groups of courses for distribution, those in Classical Civilization (introductory courses that require no knowledge of Greek or Latin), courses in Classical Archaeology, and upper level language courses in Greek and Latin authors or genres. While only a few courses are repeated in yearly or biennial rotation, most courses are offered less regularly. This system guarantees that the instructor approaches the subject each time with fresh impetus. We believe in a healthy change and variation in our course offerings. The undergraduate advisors of the Department of Classical Studies will consider and, if appropriate, authorize other classical civilization, literature, and archaeology courses for distribution credit upon request by students during the first drop/add period each term.
Classical Civilization offerings include the general surveys of Greek and Roman civilizations (CC 101 and 102), which provide (through readings, lectures, and discussions) a broad understanding of the literatures, thought, and social development of ancient Greece and Rome, and thus provide the student with knowledge of and appreciation for our cultural origins, as well as an acquaintance with modern methods for understanding an ancient culture. These courses are taught each year. CC 101 is offered in the Fall and CC 102 is offered in the Winter. Other courses provide understanding of particular aspects of the ancient world, approached from a variety of disciplines and studies - literary, philosophical, historical, sociological, and so on. Some students (particularly those who have already developed special interests in such disciplines) may wish to explore one of these topics without having had a broader introduction.
Classical Archaeology offerings include the broad surveys of the archaeology and monuments of Greece (Cl.Arch 221 - offered in the Fall) and Rome (Cl.Arch 222 - offered in the Winter) and a general introduction to archaeological field methods (Cl.Arch 323). Other courses use the material remains of specific cultures both to introduce students to the diversity of the ancient world and to demonstrate how, through a variety of multi-disciplinary approaches, the archaeological record can be used to reconstruct the life-ways of past societies.
101. Classical Civilization I: The Ancient Greek World (in English). No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in Great Books 191 or 201. (4). (HU).
This course serves as an introduction to the civilization of ancient Greece from its beginnings to the fourth century BCE. All reading is in English translation. Lectures will trace the development of Greek literature and thought within the context of Greek society, with emphasis on gender relations and the crisis in traditional values during the late fifth century. Literature read includes Homer's Iliad and Odyssey; selected lyric poetry; selected tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides; selected comedies of Aristophanes; selections from the historians Herodotus and Thucydides; and philosophical writings of Plato. The readings average about 90 pages per week. There will be a midterm, two brief papers, and a final examination. Freshmen Honors students in Honors sections will write enough to meet the Introductory Composition requirement. Cost:3 WL:1 (Loomis)
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120. First-year Seminar in Classical Civilization (Humanities). (3). (HU).
Section 001 - Sex and Gender in Ancient Greece and Rome, and Beyond. What do "sex" and "gender" mean? Are they different? What were the attitudes of the Greeks and Romans, and other ancient cultures, towards these issues? How were sex and gender represented in their literature and visual arts? Are our views different from theirs? In this course we will examine different perceptions of gender roles within the family and broader society. We will also investigate constructions of sexuality, cross-cultural standards of the beautiful, varieties of courtship and marriage, and contentions between pornography and erotica. Sources will include epic, lyric, tragic, and comic poetry; philosophy; and oratory; and, where appropriate, inscriptions and papyri, vase painting, the plastic arts, and graffiti will be introduced for discussion. Occasionally, we will watch, contrast, and compare modern films with ancient literary works. Course requirements: to read the assigned materials with attention and to participate actively and inquisitively in the classroom discussions. Grade will be based on written assignments (two papers of 6-8 pages each) and class participation (no exam). (Gagos)
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121. First-year Seminar in Classical Civilization (Composition). (4). (Introductory Composition).
Section 001 - Ancient Greek Historical Writing: Herodotus and Thucydides. This course will focus on two major ancient Greek historians, Herodotus and Thucydides. By comparing these historians in terms of the themes of their histories, their narrative style, and their political, philosophical and religious views, we shall gain insight not only into the ancients' perception of themselves and their past, but also into how each of these historians conceived of historical change and the task of historical writing. We shall also explore the idea of cultural difference both between the Greeks and other cultures and between Greeks within the Greek world in the works of these historians. Readings from the historians will be supplemented with readings from other contemporary writers including the tragic and comic poets. Sample Reading List (approximately 100-200 pages of reading per meeting): Herodotus, Histories; Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War; Sophocles, Oedipus Tyrannus; Aristophanes, Knights; J.Gould, Herodotus; S.Hornblower, Thucydides. Requirements: three short papers and one class report. (Forsdyke)
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Section 002 - Women and Society in Greek and Roman Egypt and the Eastern Mediterranean. Women and Society will view the lives of Greek-speaking women from the middle ranks of society in the Eastern Mediterranean over the nearly 1000 years from the conquests of Alexander the Great to the Arab invasions. Available to us are not only historical and literary accounts written by the men of antiquity for a male audience, but also the dry climates of Egypt and adjacent desert regions have preserved the ancient writing material, papyrus, to provide us with an immediate and intimate view of women's words in the letters they wrote and of women's affairs in the documents that concerned them. Inscriptions, remains of public and private buildings, and artifacts will also play a part in drawing the picture of the daily life women lived some 2000 years ago in the villages, towns, and cities of the region. Family archives and letters document a woman's position in her household; private and public transactions, her status before the law, in the marketplace, and in religious celebrations. This was a multi-cultural world in which Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Jews, and other groups lived in close proximity. Evaluation through six short papers with rewrites (two papers will also be rewritten into 6-8 page versions), a take-home midterm, and a final exam. There are no prerequisites beyond a curiosity about women's documents. Cost:1 (Hanson)
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101. Elementary Greek. Graduate students should elect the course as Greek 502. (4). (LR).
Two convictions are basic to the Elementary Latin Program of the Department of Classical Studies: (1) it is possible for every able-minded person to master the basic facts of a foreign language and (2) the learning experience leading to such a mastery is a privilege that is very specifically human and ought to be most satisfying. Essential facts of morphology, syntax, semantics, vocabulary, history and culture are taught, and a knowledge of these facts enables students to understand Latin written by the famous authors of the Golden Age. Since at least 50% of the vocabulary of an educated speaker of English is Latin in origin, English vocabulary improves as Latin stems and derivatives are learned. The program normally takes four terms to complete. A placement test may be taken at the beginning or end of a term, and a student may succeed in placing out of one or more courses in the introductory sequence.
In the Elementary Latin Program, the department is offering Latin 101, 102, 193, 231, and 232. Latin 101 (see below) is for students with little or no previous Latin. A placement examination will determine the appropriate course for other students who enter the elementary sequence. Students with questions about which course to elect are encouraged to visit Professor Knudsvig in Angell Hall, 764-8297.
101. Elementary Latin. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in 103, 193, or 502. (4). (LR).
All of the assigned tasks/exercises in Latin 101 are directed toward the reading and translation of Classical Latin and not toward writing or conversation. The course has as its primary objective the acquisition of a fundamental understanding of basic Latin grammar and the development of basic reading skills. The text for the course is Knudsvig, Seligson, and Craig, Latin for Reading. Latin 101 covers approximately the first half of the text. Grading is based on quizzes, class participation, hour examinations, and a final. Cost:1 WL:3
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102. Elementary Latin. Latin 101. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in 193 or 502. (4). (LR).
All of the assigned tasks/exercises in Latin 102 are directed toward the reading and translation of Classical Latin and not toward writing or conversation. The course continues the presentation of the essentials of the Latin language as it covers the last half of Knudsvig, Seligson, and Craig, Latin for Reading. Extended reading selections from Plautus (comedy) and Eutropius (history) are introduced. Grading is based on class participation, quizzes, hour examinations, and a final. Cost:1 WL:3
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193. Intensive Elementary Latin I. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in 101, 102, 103 or 502. (4). (Excl).
This course is a rapid introduction to Latin and is intended for students with little or no prior Latin. Upperclass undergraduates in such fields as history, medieval or renaissance literature, or linguistics and who need to acquire a reading competence in Latin as quickly and as efficiently as possible should elect this course. So should other undergraduates who intend to continue the study of Latin and want a rapid introduction that enables them to take upper-level Latin courses as soon as possible. (Note: completion of 193-194 alone does not satisfy the undergraduate language requirement). This first term course covers elementary grammar and syntax. Cost:1 WL:1 (D.O. Ross)
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231. Introduction to Latin Prose. Latin 102 or 103. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in 194, 222, or 503. (4). (LR).
This course reviews grammar as it introduces students to extended passages of classical Latin prose through selections from several authors of the first centuries B.C. and A.D., but primarily from Pliny the Younger. Class discussions center upon the readings. Some course materials require the use of a computer. Grading is based on class participation, quizzes, hour examinations, and a final. Cost:1 WL:3
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232. Vergil, Aeneid. Latin 231 or 221. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in 194, 222, or 503. (4). (LR).
The goal of this course is simple: to learn to read extensive passages of the greatest work of Latin literature, Vergil's Aeneid, with comprehension and enjoyment. This course will ask you to bring together and apply the knowledge and skills you have acquired up to this point and to build on these as you learn to read poetry. There will be some grammar review as necessary. You will also study Vergil's epic poem in English translation. By term's end you should have both a good understanding and appreciation of what the Aeneid is all about and an ability to handle a Latin passage of the poem with control and comprehension. Grading is based on class participation, quizzes, hour exams, and a final. Cost:2 WL:1
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Intermediate Courses
The primary goal of this course is to serve as an introduction to the study of Latin literature, and, through the literature, of Roman culture. Texts by a major poet and a major prose author will be read with a view to their literary, historical, and political contexts. Reading strategies, and review of morphology and syntax as needed, will be stressed. There will be quizzes, a midterm, and final exam. Cost:2 WL:3,4 (Knudsvig)
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