Course Catalog - Classics
Latin
Latin 101, 102 — Introduction to Latin 1, 2
Annually
A grammar course introducing the student to the Latin language and its literature. One unit each semester.
Latin 213, 214 — Intermediate Latin 1, 2
Annually
For students who have completed two years of pre-college Latin or Latin 101 and 102. This course includes a brief grammar review and selected readings from Latin authors. One unit each semester.
Latin 315, 316 — Readings in Latin 1, 2
Annually
A survey of Latin Literature from its early remains to the Silver Age. Selected authors are read in the original with analysis and discussion of each text. Prerequisite is Latin 214 or the equivalent. One unit each semester. For all Latin courses at the 300 level, the prerequisite is either Latin 214 (Intermediate Latin 2), Latin 315 (Readings in Latin), or their equivalent. Students without these specifi c prerequisites should consult the Chair of the Department.
Latin 320 — Sallust and Livy
Every third year
Extensive readings from the works of Sallust and Livy. Study of the sources and methods of Roman historiography. One unit.
Latin 321 — Tacitus, Major and Minor Works
Every third year
Concentrates on the Annales of Tacitus. Consideration is given to the Historiae, Agricola, and Germania. One unit.
Latin 322 — Cicero’s Speeches
Every third year
Selected orations of Cicero are read in the original. Emphasis is placed on rhetorical analysis and on the interpretation of historical and political developments of the fi rst century B.C. One unit.
Latin 323 — Roman Letter Writers
Every third year
Selected letters of Cicero and Pliny are read in the original Latin, while those of Seneca are read in English. Consideration is also given to historical background and to the development of letter writing as a literary form. One unit.
Latin 324 — Juvenal
Every third year
A detailed study of selected satires of Juvenal. Although emphasis is placed on the literary analysis of satire, some attention is also given to Juvenal’s works as a source for understanding first century A.D. Rome. One unit.
Latin 325 — Petronius
Every third year
A textual analysis of the Satyricon and its reflection of the reign of Nero and the social, religious, and political developments in the first century A.D. One unit.
Latin 334 — Lucretius
Every third year
An extensive examination of the poetic and philosophic message of Lucretius’ Epicurean poem, De rerum natura. One unit.
Latin 343 — Horace: The Odes
Every third year
Selected poems from the four books of Odes are read in the original. Emphasis is placed on literary analysis and interpretation. In addition, students read a sampling of Horace’s other poetic works in the original. One unit.
Latin 344 — Catullus
Every third year
A literary study and analysis of all the poems of Catullus. One unit.
Latin 346 — Horace: The Satires
Every third year
Substantial portions of Books I and II are read. Appropriate attention is paid to the background of the satire genre and to the historical context of the poems. One unit.
Latin 350 — Early Christian Literature
Every third year
Reading in the original of selected works from the Patristic period. This course can count toward fulfillment of the Religious Studies major. One unit.
Latin 358 — Vergil: Aeneid
Every third year
A study of Vergil’s epic with emphasis on its literary artistry. Six books of the poem are read in the original Latin. One unit.
Latin 359 — Vergil: Eclogues and Georgics
Every third year
The development of pastoral and agricultural poetry, as exemplified in Vergil’s two poetic masterpieces, Eclogues and Georgics. One unit.
Latin 363 — Roman Comedy
Every third year
Selected plays of Plautus and Terence read in Latin, combined with a study of Greek sources of Roman comedy. One unit.
Latin 366 — Ovid’s Metamorphoses
Every third year
A close examination of the literary artistry of a number of individual stories in the Metamorphoses. One unit.
Latin 401, 402 — Tutorial Seminar Department Consent Required.
Annually
Designed for selected students with approval of a professor and the Department Chair. This work may be done for one or two semesters. One unit each semester.
Greek
Greek 101, 102 — Introduction to Greek 1, 2
Annually
A first course in Greek language involving a systematic investigation of Attic or Homeric Greek through a logical and intensive study of grammar, syntax, and vocabulary. One unit each semester.
Greek 105 — Intensive Introduction to Greek
Spring
Greek grammar, covered in one semester, with a view toward preparing the student for Intermediate Greek. One unit.
Greek 213, 214 — Intermediate Greek 1, 2
Annually
Readings and textual study of Greek prose and poetry. Prerequisite Greek 101 and 102 or Greek 105, or the equivalent. Students without the prerequisite should consult the department. One unit each semester. For all Greek courses at the 300 level, the prerequisite is Greek 214 (Intermediate Greek 2) or its equivalent. Students without this specific prerequisite should consult the chair of the Department.
Greek 326 — Plato: Selected Dialogues
Every third year
A study of selected Platonic Dialogues. One unit.
Greek 330 — Greek Lyric Poetry
Every third year
A survey in the original Greek of the major writers of drinking and fighting songs, of political and personal songs, and of sports and love songs from about 650 B.C. to 450 B.C. Knowledge (at least through English translation) of Homer, Hesiod and the Homeric Hymns is presumed. One unit.
Greek 332 — Homer
Every third year
A reading of selected books of the Iliad and/or Odyssey with special attention to their literary value as well as to problems of oral composition, metrics, linguistics, authorship and text history. One unit.
Greek 340 — Herodotus
Every third year
An examination of selected passages from Herodotus’ account of the Persian Wars. One unit.
Greek 341 — Thucydides
Every third year
An in-depth survey of Thucydides’ history of the Peloponnesian War. Extensive selections of historical and literary significance are read in the original Greek. One unit.
Greek 360 — Aeschylus
Every third year
A detailed study of the Agamemnon and other dramas of Aeschylus in the original. One unit.
Greek 361 — Sophocles
Every third year
The text of the Life of Sophocles and selected plays; investigation of the origin of the Greek theatre and its physical structure; extensive investigation of recent literary criticism of Sophocles. One unit.
Greek 362 — Euripides
Every third year
An analysis of two plays in Greek, with special attention to Euripides’ dramatic technique. One unit.
Greek 363 — Aristophanes
Every third year
Selected plays are read in the original. Historical backgrounds, literary interpretation, and study of comedy as a genre, are emphasized. One unit.
Greek 401, 402 — Tutorial Seminar
Annually
Designed for selected students with approval of a professor and the Department Chair. This work may be done for one or two semesters. One unit each semester.
Classics (In English)
Classics 106 — Classical Drama
Alternate years
Study in depth of a selection of ancient Greek and/or Roman tragedies and comedies, with an emphasis on performance practices and contexts. One unit.
Classics 107 — Revenge and Justice/Greek Tragedy
Alternate years
The subject of this course is the constant quest for an understanding of justice, as presented in selected dramas of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, as well as in later tragedy (e.g. Seneca, Shakespeare, Racine). One unit.
Classics 109 — Classical and Biblical Sources of European and English Literature
Alternate years
This course primarily examines how certain themes, typological figures and universal truths which are developed in Biblical and Classical literature have been adapted to new circumstances and handed down over the past two millennia. The other main focus of the course will be daily in-class writing assignments based on class discussions which will allow students to develop their creative and critical writing skills. One unit.
Classics 112 — Greek Myths in Literature
Fall, spring
Comparison of Classical and modern versions of several ancient Greek myths. Th e relationships between myth and literature are considered, as well as reasons why these myths have endured through the centuries. Emphasis is on dramatic versions of the myths; narrative poetry and other genres such as music and cinema may also be explored. One unit.
Classics 120 — Mythology
Fall, spring
An exploration of the significance of myths, their meanings and functions in the cultures of Greece and Rome. Special attention is given to more recent developments in the study of myths and their relation to rituals and folk tales. Babylonian, Egyptian, Hindu and American Indian mythology may be used for comparative purposes. One unit.
Classics 121 — Ancient Science
Annually
A study of the goals, methods and subject matter of Greco-Roman science. Pays special attention to how science relates to the broader social, religious and intellectual context of the ancient world. One unit.
Classics 122 — Archaeology of Pompeii
Every third year
Examines the ancient city of Pompeii, with particular emphasis on the houses in which families lived. Domestic spaces both refl ected and reinforced certain family structures, and so the houses of Pompeii provide us with information about subjects as varied as the power of the father, ancient slavery, the experience of childhood, the role of women, and ancient notions of public and private space, all of which topics will be addressed in this course through an examination of material culture. For purposes of comparison, the course will also briefly investigate the domestic spaces of the nearby site of Herculaneum, as well as other Italian sites like Cosa and Ostia. One unit.
Classics 131 — Classical America
Annually
A study of the influences of the Classical tradition on the educational system, the political philosophy, and the art and architecture of early America. One unit.
Classics 141 — History of Greece 1: Classical
Fall
A study of Greek history from its beginnings to the death of Alexander. Emphasis is placed on a close analysis of the primary sources, many of which are now accessible through computer technology. Counts as an elective course toward fulfillment of the History major. One unit.
Classics 142 — History of Greece 2: Hellenistic
Spring
Topics covered include the shift of power from Greek city-states to Macedonian kingdoms; effects of the conquests of Alexander the Great; the cultural interaction between Greece, Egypt, and the Near East; and the rise of Rome to world power. Counts as an elective course toward fulfillment of the History major. One unit.
Classics 143 — Athenian Democracy
Every third year
An analysis of the institutions, literature, and political thought inspired by the democracy of fifth- and fourth-century Athens. One unit.
Classics 151 — History of Rome 1: Republic
Spring
A survey of Roman civilization from the Regal period to the late Republic, with a special focus on the political and social forces that led to the establishment of the Principate. Concentrates on the primary sources for this period, including the historians, inscriptions, and monuments. Classics 151 can count as an elective course toward fulfillment of the History major. One unit.
Classics 152 — History of Rome 2: Empire
Fall
A survey of Roman imperial civilization from the first to the sixth century. Concentrates on the primary sources for this period, including the historians, inscriptions, monuments, and coins. Classics 152 can count as an elective course toward fulfillment of the History major. One unit.
Classics 160 — Introduction to Classical Archaeology
Fall, spring
An introduction to the discipline of archaeology through a survey of important remains from the Greco-Roman world. Pays special attention to how archaeology relates to other approaches to the study of the Classical world (history, art history, Classical studies). Counts toward fulfi llment of the Visual Arts major. One unit.
Classics 261 — Ancient Coins
Every third year
Considers a series of problems illustrating diff erent ways that coins inform us about ancient society, including coins as evidence for the ancient economy and the development of portraiture in art, coins as propaganda devices, and how coins differ from other archaeological and historical source material. Topics range chronologically from the invention of coinage in the seventh century B.C. to the reforms of the Roman emperor Diocletian in the third century A.D. Counts toward fulfillment of the Visual Arts major. Prerequisite Classics
160. One unit.
Classics 262 — Greek Sculpture
Every third year
Covers the development of Greek sculpture from the Early Bronze Age up to Rome’s arrival in Greece in the second century B.C. Topics include the representation of the human form, the use of art as political propaganda and as an expression of piety toward the gods, Egyptian and Near Eastern influence on Greek art, workshop and regional styles, and the problem of identifying work by “Great Masters.” Counts toward fulfillment of the Visual Arts major. Prerequisite CLAS 160. One unit.
Classics 263 — Roman Sculpture
Every third year
Covers the three major genres of Roman sculpture-portraits, historical reliefs and mythological sculpture. Topics considered include the use of art for political propaganda, the demands and effect of private patronage, the influence of class and gender politics, and the imitation of Greek, Etruscan and Egyptian styles by Roman artists. Counts toward fulfillment of the Visual Arts major. Prerequisite Classics 160. One unit.
Classics 264 — Ancient Sanctuaries and Religion
Every third year
A detailed study of the archaeological remains from ancient sanctuaries. The buildings and monuments are studied in connection with other evidence for religious behavior in the different ancient cultures. Emphasis is on the cults and shrines of Ancient Greece and Rome but in different years, the ancient Near East and Egypt also are considered. Counts toward fulfi llment of the Visual Arts major. One unit.
Classics 266 — Painting & Mosaic
Every third year
Introduces students to the art of mural (wall) painting in the Mediterranean from the Bronze Age through Late Antiquity, and to the art of mosaic from its origins in Classical Greece through Late Antiquity. Topics addressed are the techniques of fresco and mosaic; the relationship of mural painting to lost panel paintings by famous artists; the social meaning of wall and floor decoration in the ancient world; the roles of artist and patron; the Roman response to Greek painting and mosaic; and the Christian response to pagan painting
and mosaic. One unit.
Classics 267 — Archaeology and Time
Every third year
How do we know that Vesuvius erupted on August 24, 79 A.D., that the Temple of Zeus at Olympia was completed by 456 B.C. or that the bulk of the construction of the Pantheon in Rome took place in the 120’s A.D.? Th is course surveys the physical techniques and historical method that lie behind dates like these. One unit.
Classics 268 — Art and Archaeology of Archaic Greece
Every third year
Considers Greek art from about 700 B.C. to about 480 B.C. Focuses on the development of characteristic forms of artistic expression in the context of the emerging social, religious, economic and political institutions of the Greek polis. Counts toward fulfillment of the Visual Arts major. Prerequisite Classics 160. One unit.
Classics 361 — Archaeological Field Work Seminar
Every third year
Working hands-on with unpublished material from current archaeological fieldwork in ancient Lycia, students are familiarized with the entire range of activities involved in archaeological fieldwork, from planning and prospecting on site, through field survey, excavation and post-field analysis. Prerequisite Classics 160. One unit.
Classics 401, 402 — Tutorial Seminar
Annually
Designed for selected students with approval of a professor and the Department Chair. This work may be done for one or two semesters. One unit each semester.
* The courses and descriptions listed above are taken directly from the official College Catalog.