Course descriptions listed on this page for the Department of English are from the 2017-2018 College Catalog. For more information on the courses offered during the fall and spring semesters, please log in to the course schedule through STAR.
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 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 LATN 101 and 102 or two years of pre-college Latin. This course includes selected readings from Latin authors and an extensive grammar review. One unit each semester.
Latin 275 - Advanced Latin Workshop
Fall
This intensive intermediate level course will consolidate the student's knowledge of Latin grammar through reading a variety of Latin texts. One unit.
Latin 320 - Sallust and Livy
Every third year
Extensive readings from the works of the Roman historians 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 first century B.C.E. 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 CE 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 CE. 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 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 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. 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
This course serves as an introduction to the comedies of Plautus and Terence. Topics considered include the dependence of Roman Comedy on Greek prototypes, the language and style of Roman comedy, the historical context of these plays and the evidence for how they were performed. One unit.
Latin 365 - Propertius
Every third year
Selected poems from the four books of Propertius’ elegies are read in the original. Appropriate attention is paid to the background of the elegiac genre. Emphasis is placed on literary analysis and interpretation. One unit.
Latin 366 - Ovid’s Metamorphoses
Every third year
A close examination of the literary artistry of a number of individual stories in Ovid's epic poem Metamorphoses. One unit.
Latin 368 - Ovid’s Heroides
Every third year
This course is focused on Ovid’s Heroides, a collection of epistolary poems that present themselves as letters written by famous women in myth and literature to their absent lovers. In this course, students will become acquainted with Ovid’s poetic style and his use of the epistolary genre and also learn about philological and literary critical approaches to this poetry, including intertextuality, focalization, and feminist and gender criticism. 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 101,102 - Introduction to Greek 1, 2
Annually
A first course in Greek language involving a systematic introduction to Attic Greek through an 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
Translation and analysis of Greek prose and poetry, with close attention to grammar and syntax. Prerequisite: Greek 101 and 102 or Greek 105, or the equivalent. Students without the prerequisite should consult the department. One unit each semester.
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 BCE. 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 oral composition, metrics, authorship, and text history. One unit.
Greek 338 - Plutarch
Every third year
Exegesis and translation of a biography by Plutarch, with attention to his essays and his place in Greek literature. One unit.
Greek 340 - Herodotus
Every third year
An examination of selected passages from the historian 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 351 - Attic Orators
Every third year
A close study of the speeches of one or more Attic orators. 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
Extensive investigation of one play in Greek and recent literary criticism of Sophocles. One unit.
Greek 362 - Euripides
Every third year
A detailed study of one play in the original, with attention to others in translation. 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 101 - Ancient Greek Literature & Society
Alternate years
A selection of ancient Greek literature read in translation, from Homeric epic to classical history and drama, with a focus on the relation between literature and social conditions. One unit.
Classics 102 - Ancient Roman Literature and Society
Alternate years
A selection of ancient Roman literature read in translation, including authors such as Vergil, Tacitus, Cicero, and Plautus, with a focus on the relationship between literature and social conditions. One unit.
Classics 103 - Greek and Roman Epic
Alternate years
A study of classical epic, with special emphasis on Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey and Vergil’s Aeneid, but including also other examples of the genre, such as Lucan or Statius. Topics to be considered include oral and literary epic, their social and political contexts, and the influence of classical epic on later literature. One unit.
Classics 106 - Classical Drama
Every third year
Study 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
Every third year
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
Alternate years
Comparison of Classical and modern versions of several ancient Greek myths. The 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 114 - Discerning God and Discovering Self
Alternate years
This course traces the development of the concept and experiences of the process of discernment from Antiquity to the Renaissance by looking at a wide range of texts originally written in Greek or Latin in a case-study format. The primary focus will be the "discernment of spirits" as developed by St. Ignatius of Loyola in the Spiritual Exercises, with an emphasis on three key areas of discernment: Individual, Corporate, and Individual within Corporate. 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. One unit.
Classics 121 - Ancient Science
Alternate years
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 141 - History of Greece 1: Classical
Fall
A study of Greek history from its beginnings to the death of Socrates. Emphasis is placed on a close analysis of the primary sources. 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. 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. 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. One unit.
Classics 160 - Introduction to Classical Archaeology
Fall, spring
An introduction to the methodologies employed by archaeologists. Most examples will be drawn from the artifacts, sites and monuments of the ancient Mediterranean world. One unit.
Classics 175 - Ancient Manhood Contested
Every third year
This course reconsiders how the Greeks and Romans thought about, fought over, and tried to achieve their ideal vision of manhood. Our explorations of ancient texts and material remains will reveal that the idea of masculinity in the ancient world was anything but straightforward and that our own society still battles over what ancient manliness means today. One unit.
Classics 221 - Women in Classical Mythology
Alternate years
Examines the representations of mortal and immortal women in a variety of mythological narratives and in art. Consideration is given to the relationships between these representations and contemporary ideas about and images of women. Students should read Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey in translation before enrolling in this class. One unit.
Classics 222 - Pompeii and Herculaneum
Every third year
Examines the ancient cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, which were destroyed by the volcanic eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 CE; and which have been subject to almost continuous archaeological excavation since the 18th century. Pompeii and Herculaneum have produced some of the best evidence we have for daily life in ancient Italy. An examination of the archaeological evidence will allow us to draw conclusions about subjects as varied as ancient slavery, Italian patronage, and notions of public and private space. The course will consider different sorts of spaces including houses, businesses, entertainment venues (like the theaters and the amphitheater), temples, and government buildings; as well as the decoration, furniture, and supposedly perishable materials found in these buildings. One unit.
Classics 225 - Power, Persuasion, and Law
Alternate years
A study of Greek and Roman oratory based on the reading and rhetorical analysis of speeches delivered in the law courts and assemblies of fifth- and fourth-century Athens, and the late period of the Roman Republic (80–45 BC), where the focus will be on the law court speeches of Cicero. The course involves both an introduction to the legal procedures of the Athenian and Roman courts and assemblies and careful analysis of the literary style and forms of legal argument in selected speeches. 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 BCE. 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 Classics 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 fulfillment of the Visual Arts major. One unit.
Classics 266 - Ancient 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 120s A.D.? This course surveys the physical techniques and historical method that lie behind dates like these. 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.