Fall 2023

  • LATN 101: Elementary Latin

    While many claims are made about the benefits of learning Latin, here’s what we know for sure: it’s a beautiful language, both intensely precise and rigorous, as well as poetically expressive and inviting. Spoken by millions in the ancient world and kept continuously “alive” up to the present, Latin provides a window onto an intellectual and cultural landscape that is both foreign and familiar to modern students. This beginning course will develop necessary vocabulary, forms, and grammar that allows students to begin reading short passages of unadulterated prose and poetry from the ancient Roman world right from the start.

     6 credits; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement; offered Fall 2023 · Jake Morton

  • GRK 103: Greek Prose

    Selected prose readings. The course will emphasize review of grammar and include Greek composition. Prerequisites: Greek 102 with a grade of at least C-. 6 credits; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement; offered Fall 2023 · Anastasia Pantazopoulou

  • CLAS 116: Greek Drama in Performance

    What is drama? When and where were the first systematic theatrical performances put on? What can Athenian tragedies and comedies teach us about the classical world and today’s societies? This course will explore the always-relevant world of Ancient Greek theater, its history and development, through the works of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes. We will decode the structure and content of Greek tragedies and comedies, ponder their place in the Athenian society and the modern world, and investigate the role of both ancient and contemporary productions in addressing critical questions on the construction and performance of individual and communal identities.

     6 credits; Literary/Artistic Analysis, Writing Requirement; offered Fall 2023 · Anastasia Pantazopoulou

  • LATN 204: Intermediate Latin Prose and Poetry

    What are the “rules” of friendship? Would you do anything for a friend? Anything? The ancient Romans were no strangers to the often paradoxical demands of friendship and love. The goal for Intermediate Latin Prose and Poetry is to gain experience in the three major modes of Latin expression most often encountered “in the wild”—prose, poetry, and inscriptions—while exploring the notion of friendship. By combining all three modes into this one course, we hope both to create a suitable closure to the language sequence and to provide a reasonable foundation for further exploration of Roman literature and culture.

     Prerequisites: Latin 103 with a grade of at least C- or placement 6 credits; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement; offered Fall 2023 · Chico Zimmerman

  • CLAS 229: The Collapse of the Roman Republic

    The class will investigate the factors that led a Republican government that had lasted for 700 years to fall apart, leading to twenty years of civil war that only ended with the rise of a totalitarian dictatorship. We will look at the economic, social, military, and religious factors that played key roles in this dynamic political period. We will also trace the rise and influence of Roman warlords, politicians, and personalities and how they changed Roman politics and society. We will study many of the greatest characters in Roman history, as well as the lives of everyday Romans in this turbulent time.

     6 credits; Humanistic Inquiry, International Studies; offered Fall 2023 · Jake Morton

  • GRK 285: Weekly Greek

    This course is intended for students who have completed Greek 204 (or equivalent) and wish to maintain and deepen their language skills. Students will meet weekly to review prepared passages, as well as reading at sight. Actual reading content will be determined prior to the start of term by the instructor in consultation with the students who have enrolled. There will be brief, periodic assessments of language comprehension throughout the term.

     Prerequisites: Greek 204 or equivalent 2 credits; S/CR/NC; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement; offered Fall 2023, Winter 2024 · William North

  • LATN 285: Weekly Latin

    This course is intended for students who have completed Latin 204 (or equivalent) and wish to maintain and deepen their language skills. Students will meet weekly to review prepared passages, as well as reading at sight. Actual reading content will be determined prior to the start of term by the instructor in consultation with the students who have enrolled. There will be brief, periodic assessments of language comprehension throughout the term.

     Prerequisites: Latin 204 or equivalent 2 credits; S/CR/NC; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement; offered Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Spring 2024 · Chico Zimmerman, Alex Knodell

  • CLAS 387: Expectasne Patronum? Magical Practice in the Greco-Roman World

    Although it often goes unnoticed in our appreciation of the classical world and its cultural practices, magic was a ubiquitous part of everyday life. From love charms, curses, and healing spells, to divination, alchemy and astronomy, everyone had to engage with magic and its potential to influence events. This course will serve as an introduction to the beliefs and the practices of magic in antiquity, as well as the scholarship that documents and theorizes them. Topics in the second half of the course will be driven by student interests as they develop research projects to present at the department Symposium.

     Prerequisites: At least two previous Classics courses or instructor consent 6 credits; Humanistic Inquiry; offered Fall 2023 · Chico Zimmerman

Winter 2024

  • GRK 101: Elementary Greek

    From the triceratops (“three-horned-face”) to the antarctic (“opposite-the-bear-constellation”), ancient Greek has left traces in our language, literature (epic, tragedy, comedy), ways of organizing knowledge (philosophy, history, physics), and society (democracy, oligarchy, autocracy). It gives access to original texts from ancient Greece, early Christianity, and the Byzantine Empire, not to mention modern scientific terminology. In Greek 101 students will develop knowledge of basic vocabulary and grammar, and will begin reading short passages of prose and poetry. The class will meet five days a week.

     6 credits; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement; offered Winter 2024 · Anastasia Pantazopoulou

  • LATN 102: Intermediate Latin

    Continuation of essential forms and grammar. Prerequisites: Latin 101 with a grade of at least C- or placement 6 credits; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement; offered Winter 2024 · Chico Zimmerman

  • CLAS 124: Roman Archaeology and Art

    The material worlds of the ancient Romans loom large in our cultural imagination. From the architecture of the state to visual narratives of propaganda, Roman influence is ubiquitous in monuments across the West. But what were the origins of these artistic trends? What makes a monument characteristically ‘Roman’? And how has this material culture been interpreted and understood over time? This course explores the art, architecture, and archaeology of the ancient Romans both in the city of Rome and across the Empire, and considers the ways in which Roman trends have also influenced modern cultures.

     6 credits; Humanistic Inquiry, International Studies; offered Winter 2024 · Victoria Austen

  • CLAS 130: The Greek and Latin Roots of English

    We speak it every day on campus, and it is the second most common language on the planet, but where did English come from? While its basic grammar is Germanic, much of its vocabulary—probably around 60 percent—comes from Greek and Latin. This course explores the varied and fascinating contributions that these two languages have made to English, focusing on the basic building blocks of words—bases, prefixes, and suffixes—while also considering the many routes the Classical languages have taken to enter modern English. This course is suitable for students of science, linguistics, and literature, as well as language lovers generally.

     6 credits; Humanistic Inquiry, Quantitative Reasoning Encounter; offered Winter 2024 · Chico Zimmerman

  • CLAS 132: Fantasy and Science Fiction Then and Now

    When did science-fiction first appear in literature? The beginnings of modern fantasy and science-fiction are set around the 19th and 17th century respectively. However, fantasy and science-fiction stories and themes are already present in the Greco-Roman world. In this course, we will focus on one of the first fantasy and science-fiction works, Lucian’s True History, to trace the development of these genres in literature and cinema. Examining True History in parallel with works from Homer, Plato, Aristophanes, and Virgil as well as contemporary films, we will explore the influence of classical literature on the genres of fantasy and science-fiction.

    6 credits; Literary/Artistic Analysis, Writing Requirement; offered Winter 2024 · Anastasia Pantazopoulou

  • GRK 204: Intermediate Greek Prose and Poetry

    The goal for Intermediate Greek Prose and Poetry is to gain experience in the three major modes of Greek expression most often encountered “in the wild”—prose, poetry, and inscriptions—while exploring the notion of happiness and the good life. By combining all three modes into this one course, we hope both to create a suitable closure to the language sequence and to provide a reasonable foundation for further exploration of Greek literature and culture.

     Prerequisites: Greek 103 with a grade of at least C- 6 credits; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement; offered Winter 2024 · Jake Morton

  • LATN 235: The Bacchanalian Affair

    In 186 BC stories of wild and debauched secret religious rites being celebrated under cover of night sparked panic in Rome, which led to a brutal state suppression of the cult. Was this a crackdown on impious behavior or political oppression? Over the course of the term we will translate three sources of evidence to determine what actually happened: the Roman historian Livy’s scintillating and outrageous account of this conspiracy; works by the Roman comedic playwright Plautus that might have shaped Livy’s storytelling; and the Senatus Consultum de Bacchanalibus, a detailed inscription found in southern Italy discussing the new laws Rome passed to suppress the cult.

     6 credits; Humanistic Inquiry, International Studies; offered Winter 2024 · Jake Morton

  • GRK 285: Weekly Greek

    This course is intended for students who have completed Greek 204 (or equivalent) and wish to maintain and deepen their language skills. Students will meet weekly to review prepared passages, as well as reading at sight. Actual reading content will be determined prior to the start of term by the instructor in consultation with the students who have enrolled. There will be brief, periodic assessments of language comprehension throughout the term.

     Prerequisites: Greek 204 or equivalent 2 credits; S/CR/NC; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement; offered Fall 2023, Winter 2024 · William North

  • CLAS 400: Senior Research Project

    From topics developed in Classics 384, 385, 386, or 387, departmental majors will expand and refine their research into articles to be submitted to a journal of professional style, accepted and edited by the group into a presentable volume.

     Prerequisites: Classics 384, Classics 385, Classics 386 or Classics 387 3 credits; S/NC; offered Winter 2024 · Chico Zimmerman

Spring 2024

  • GRK 102: Intermediate Greek

    Study of essential forms and grammar, with reading of original, unadapted passages. Prerequisites: Greek 101 with a grade of at least C- 6 credits; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement; offered Spring 2024, Spring 2024 · Chico Zimmerman, Alex Knodell

  • GRK 102: Intermediate Greek

    Study of essential forms and grammar, with reading of original, unadapted passages. Prerequisites: Greek 101 with a grade of at least C- 6 credits; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement; offered Spring 2024, Spring 2024 · Chico Zimmerman, Alex Knodell

  • LATN 103: Introduction to Latin Prose and Poetry

    This course completes the formal textbook introduction to the morphology and syntax of Latin. The focus will be on consolidating and applying grammatical concepts learned throughout the Latin sequence to the reading of extended selections of authentic Roman prose and poetry.

     Prerequisites: Latin 102 with a grade of at least C- or placement 6 credits; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement; offered Spring 2024 · Anastasia Pantazopoulou

  • CLAS 111: Greece at a Crossroads: History, Landscape, and Material Culture Program: Myth and Reception

    This course aims to familiarize students with important Greek mythological stories and figures as represented in Greek literature and art. During the course students will be introduced to select methods of studying and interpreting myths and will explore how myths helped the Greeks organize their understanding of the world and approach issues and problems that affected the lives of individuals and communities. Students will study the way in which myths have been received, interpreted, re-imagined, and rendered into artwork, theatrical performances, opera, and dance pieces in modern times and will discuss their relevance today.

     Prerequisites: Participation in Greece OCS program 6 credits; International Studies, Literary/Artistic Analysis; offered Spring 2024 · Alex Knodell

  • CLAS 165: Race: Antiquity and Its Legacy

    In this course we will explore how the Greeks and Romans conceptualized their own notions of racial difference, and also consider how these concepts have influenced later historical periods, including our own. In doing so, students will be able to identify the difference between the way ancient peoples and modern societies think about race and ethnicity, and demonstrate how contemporary discussions of these topics have been shaped by our encounters with antiquity.

     6 credits; Humanistic Inquiry, Writing Requirement; offered Spring 2024 · Victoria Austen

  • CLAS 200: Greece at a Crossroads: History, Landscape, and Material Culture

    This course provides a long-term view of the history, landscape, and material culture of Greece, from prehistory to the present day. While the monuments of ancient Greece are cultural touchstones, Greece has a remarkably diverse past, occupying a borderland between continents, empires, and cultures, both ancient and modern. Classroom study and on-site learning examine the wide range of sources that inform us about the Greek past (texts, archaeology, the environment), and focus especially on the stories told by places and things. Site visits in Athens and on trips throughout Greece highlight the importance of local and regional contexts in the “big histories” of the eastern Mediterranean.

     Prerequisites: Participation in Greece at a Crossroads OCS programs 6 credits; Humanistic Inquiry, International Studies; offered Spring 2024 · Alex Knodell

  • GRK 224: The Female Other in Athenian Tragedy

    Athenian tragedy offers a space for reflection on the female condition in moments of crisis. Mistreated, neglected, exiled, displaced, immigrant, and war-victim, female figures populate the fifth-century tragic stage offering a commentary on the construction of the identity of the Other and its treatment within Athenian society and beyond. In this course, we will read selections of tragedies by Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides in their original language and cultural context, while tracking issues that women still have to confront today in an effort to decode the positionalities of the female Other in fifth-century Athens and the modern Western world.

     Prerequisites: Greek 204 6 credits; International Studies, Literary/Artistic Analysis; offered Spring 2024 · Anastasia Pantazopoulou

  • CLAS 227: Athens, Sparta, and Persia

    Forged in the crucible of wars fought between cultures with diametrically opposed views on politics and society, the fifth century BC witnessed arts, philosophy, and science all flourish in thrilling new ways. The two radically different Greek states of Athens and Sparta first teamed up to defeat the invading Persian empire. While this shocking victory spurred their respective cultures to new heights, their political aspirations drove them to turn on each other and fight a series of wars over control of Greece–all the while with Persia waiting in the wings. We will study these events against the backdrop of the political, intellectual, and cultural achievements of Athens, Sparta and Persia, drawing on the rich body of literature and material culture from this period.

     6 credits; Humanistic Inquiry, International Studies; offered Spring 2024 · Jake Morton

  • GRK 230: Homer: The Odyssey

    Homer is perhaps the foundational poet of the western canon, and his work has been justly admired since its emergence out of the oral tradition of bardic recitation in the eighth century BCE. This course will sample key events and passages from the Odyssey, exploring the fascinating linguistic and metrical features of the epic dialect, as well as the major thematic elements of this timeless story of homecoming.

     6 credits; Literary/Artistic Analysis; offered Spring 2024 · Alex Knodell

  • LATN 285: Weekly Latin

    This course is intended for students who have completed Latin 204 (or equivalent) and wish to maintain and deepen their language skills. Students will meet weekly to review prepared passages, as well as reading at sight. Actual reading content will be determined prior to the start of term by the instructor in consultation with the students who have enrolled. There will be brief, periodic assessments of language comprehension throughout the term.

     Prerequisites: Latin 204 or equivalent 2 credits; S/CR/NC; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement; offered Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Spring 2024 · Chico Zimmerman, Alex Knodell

  • LATN 285: Weekly Latin

    This course is intended for students who have completed Latin 204 (or equivalent) and wish to maintain and deepen their language skills. Students will meet weekly to review prepared passages, as well as reading at sight. Actual reading content will be determined prior to the start of term by the instructor in consultation with the students who have enrolled. There will be brief, periodic assessments of language comprehension throughout the term.

     Prerequisites: Latin 204 or equivalent 2 credits; S/CR/NC; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement; offered Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Spring 2024 · Chico Zimmerman, Alex Knodell