Classics Courses

Classics | Courses | Faculty

Greek, Classical & Modern also on this page.
Latin also on this page.

(All courses carry 3 credits unless otherwise noted.)

Classics

Courses labeled "Classics" contribute towards a liberal education and most carry AL, HS, or AT General Education designations. They require no knowledge of Latin or Greek.

100 Greek Civilization (HS) (both sem)

Survey of ancient Greek literature, art, and history. The major Greek states and their political, social and cultural development (Mycenae, Cnossus, Sparta, Athens, Macedonia). Emphasis on Greek influences on Roman and later western civilization.

102 Roman Civilization (HS) (both sem)

Survey of Roman literature, art, and history. The expansion of Rome and its political, social, and cultural development (Republic and Empire). Emphasis on Roman influences on western civilization.

105 Greek and Latin Elements in English (1st sem)

Practice in language skills, particularly in learning roots, prefixes, and suffixes incorporated from Indo-European, Greek, and Latin into English. Emphasis on correct use of language and etymological dictionaries and understanding nuances of English meaning.

224 Greek Mythology (AL) (both sem)

Structure and meaning of ancient Greek myths. Political, social, artistic, and religious expression of myths in both ancient and modern times. Emphasis on creation, transformation, and heroic myths as told by Homer, Hesiod, Ovid, Vergil, and Apuleius.

261 Greek Voices (AL)

Various voices of Homer, Hesiod, lyric poets, dramatists, Herodotus, Thucydides, and Plato. Their meaning and wisdom for later generations. Emphasis on content rather than genre.

262 Roman Voices (AL) (1st sem)

Various voices of Lucretius, elegiac and lyric poets, Vergil, Juvenal, Tacitus, and Apuleius. Their meaning and wisdom for later generations. Emphasis on content rather than genre.

263 Classical Echoes (AL) (1st sem)

The literary genres and/or themes introduced by the Greeks and Romans, and traceable in subsequent literatures through the Middle Ages and Renaissance down to our own times.

300 Greek Archaeology (AT) (1st sem)

Archaeology of ancient Greece in Minoan-Mycenaean, Geometric, Archaic, and Classical Periods. Methods, progress, and ethics of archaeological research. Emphasis on remains displaying the architectural and urbanistic development of major cities and sanctuaries, and on their contribution to western civilization.

301 Roman Archaeology (AT) (2nd sem)

Archaeology of the Roman world during the Republic and Empire period. Methods, progress, and ethics of archaeological research. Emphasis on remains displaying the architectural and urbanistic development of Roman cities and colonies in Italy, North Africa, and Britain, and on their contribution to western civilization.

326 Egyptian and Indo-Iranian Mythology (AL)

Structure and meaning of ancient Egyptian, Hindu, and Persian myths. Political, social, artistic, and religious expression of myths in both ancient and modern times. Emphasis on ritual, creation, funerary, heroic, and royal myths from Pharaonic Giza and Karnak, India, and Iran.

328 Religions of the Greek World (HS)

Ritual, theology, and myth in ancient Greece, from the Neolithic to the Hellenistic periods. Interactions, rivalries, and reconciliations. Emphasis on types of worship: public state religions, private mystery cults, chthonic and heroic sacrifices.

329 Religions of the Roman World (HS)

Ritual, theology, and myth in the Roman world, from the Republican period to the triumph of Christianity. Interactions, rivalries, and reconciliations of Roman religion, Judaism, Isiacism, Mithraism, and Christianity. Emphasis on types of worship: public state religions, private mystery cults, missionary doctrines.

335 Women in Antiquity (HS)

Lives, roles, contributions, and status of women in Greek and Roman societies, as reflected in classical literature and the archaeological record.

365 World of Greek Drama (AL) (2nd sem)

Survey of ancient Greek drama, with attention to themes, dramaturgy, and local or universal meanings. Emphasis on the major tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides.

381 Introduction to Classical Scholarship (2nd sem)

Practice in writing and in oral communication skills. Assignments drawn from different areas of classical scholarship: language and literature, art and archaeology, or history and civilization. For classics majors, satisfies Junior Year Writing requirement.

532 Roman Republic (2nd sem)

Survey of the Roman world from the Iron Age through the development of a Mediterranean empire to the assassination of Julius Caesar. Problems of historical interpretation. Emphasis on political, social, and cultural aspects. Prerequisite: HIST 301 or equivalent.

533 Roman Empire

Survey of the Roman world from the Age of Caesar and of Augustus to the collapse of the Empire in the western Mediterranean. Problems of historical interpretation. Emphasis on political, social, and cultural aspects. Prerequisite: HIST 301 or equivalent.

592 Hellenistic Kingdoms (2nd sem)

Survey of the Greek world from the 4th through 1st centuries B.C.; focus on the career of Alexander the Great and his legacy, the Hellenistic Kingdoms of the Near East. Problems of historical interpretation. Emphasis on archaeology, history, and literature. Prerequisite: HIST 300 or equivalent.

608 The Teaching of Classical Humanities in Secondary Schools

Guidance in preparing enrichment material in language classes and in designing and teaching courses dealing with classical life and institutions, drama, art, mythology, and literature on the secondary level. Combined with prepracticum: observation and practice at high school level.

Greek, Classical and Modern

Note on Elementary and Intermediate Greek: No more than six credits may be earned for any combination of courses at the Elementary level (Greek 110, 120, 126). No more than six credits may be earned for any combination of courses at the Intermediate level (Greek 230, 240, 246).

The following Greek courses are offered by the Department of Classics for students majoring in classics or other fields such as comparative literature, English, or philosophy. At the elementary and intermediate levels, there are two language tracks (Classical and Modern), reflecting the different character of the language at different times. Each of these two tracks fulfills the Colleges of Arts and Sciences foreign language requirement. At the advanced level, small seminars tailored to the individual needs of students are available in the department and at other of the Five Colleges.

Students who are fluent in Modern Greek may arrange to take an examination for credit in Modern Greek with Professor Philippides, 527 Herter.

110 Elementary Modern Greek I
(not offered in '02-'03)

Introduction to word forms and constructions. Development of skills in reading, writing, understanding, and speaking. Selected readings.

120 Elementary Modern Greek II
(not offered in '02-'03)

Continuation of Greek 110. Development of skills in reading, writing, understanding, and speaking modern Greek. Selected readings. Prerequisite: GREEK 110.

126 Elementary Intensive Classical Greek
6 cr (1st sem)

Study of pronunciation, grammar, and syntax of classical Greek. Selected readings from Plato, Herodotus, and Aristophanes.

246 Intermediate Intensive Classical Greek 6 cr (2nd sem)

Continuation of GREEK 126. Study of the grammar, vocabulary, syntax of Greek; readings and analysis of texts, especially Plato, Herodotus, and Aristophanes. Prerequisite: GREEK 126. Fulfills the CAS language requirement.

310 Classical Greek Poetry: Homer (AL) (2nd sem)

Survey of vocabulary, grammatical structure, literary formulae, and dialectical variations from Attic Greek. Historical background from the Bronze and Archaic periods. Readings from Homer's Iliad and Odyssey. Prerequisite: GREEK 242 or equivalent.

320 Classical Greek Prose (AL) (1st sem)

Survey of vocabulary, grammatical structure, and dialectical variations from Attic Greek. Historical background from the Classical period. Readings from Herodotus and Demosthenes. Prerequisite: GREEK 242 or equivalent.

452 History

Selections from various Greek historians: Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon, Polybios, etc. Emphasis on the evolution of historiography in the ancient world. Prerequisite: 300-level course in Greek or equivalent.

462 Drama (1st sem)

Selections from Greek tragic and/or comic drama. Analysis of structure, style, and context of the works. Prerequisite: 300-level course in Greek or equivalent.

Latin

Note on Elementary and Intermediate Latin: No more than six credits may be earned for any combination of courses at the Elementary level (Latin 110 through 126). No more than six credits may be earned for any combination of courses at the Intermediate level (Latin 230 through 246).

The following Latin courses are offered by the Department of Classics. Those at the elementary and intermediate levels fulfill the Colleges of Arts and Sciences foreign language requirement.

LATIN 310 and the other advanced courses, together with those in Greek, fulfill the basic requirements of the classics major or minor (Greek and Latin Languages concentration) and are often taken by those preparing for graduate work in classics, English, comparative literature, Romance languages, linguistics, ancient philosophy, and ancient, medieval, or church history, as well as by those preparing for professional degrees in business, law, management, medicine, or religion.

Elementary and Intermediate Latin Sequences

The Department of Classics offers two elementary-intermediate Latin sequences: intensive and nonintensive. LATIN 126-246 are intensive courses which allow the student to complete the foreign language requirement in one academic year or during two summer sessions. LATIN 110-120-230-240 is a four-semester, nonintensive sequence for the students who wish to meet the foreign language requirement in two years.

Notes:ÝStudents who fail a course cannot continue to the next course in a sequence until they have retaken and passed the failed course.

LATIN 240 or LATIN 246 may be taken Pass/Fail, but LATIN 110-120-230 or 126 must be taken for graded credit.

Latin Placement Examination

Students who wish to fulfill all or part of the foreign language requirement by examination in Latin may take the Latin placement examination. This examination is administered by the Department of Classics on the first Friday of each semester at 3-5 p.m. Students who wish to take this examination should register at the departmental office, 524 Herter, at least one week before the examination date.

Note: Students are only allowed to take the placement examination twice, once as new students, and once later.

110 Elementary Latin I (1st sem)

Introduction to classical Latin word-forms and constructions; English similarities and differencfs; introduction to life and habits of Roman people in imperial times.

120 Elementary Latin II (2nd sem)

Continuation of LATIN 110. Prerequisite: LATIN 110 or equivalent.

126 Intensive Elementary Latin 6 cr (1st sem & Summer Session I)

Combination of LATIN 110 and 120.

230 Intermediate Latin I (1st sem)

Continuation of LATIN 120: classical Latin word-forms and constructions; English similarities and differences; introduction to life in the city of Rome and to government in early imperial times. Prerequisite: LATIN 120 or equivalent.

240 Intermediate Latin II
(2nd sem)

Continuation of LATIN 230, with short readings from original Latin prose and verse. Fulfills the CAS foreign language requirement. Prerequisite: LATIN 230 or equivalent.

246 Intensive Intermediate Latin 6 cr (2nd sem & Summer Sessions I & II)

Combination of LATIN 230 and 240. Fulfills CAS foreign language requirement. Prerequisite: LATIN 120 or 126 or equivalent.

310 Latin Prose (AL) (1st sem)

Selected readings from Latin prose; emphasis on Cicero or Pliny or Tacitus: grammatical and contextual analysis of a major work by one of these authors; social and cultural background in Late Republican or Early Imperial Rome. Prerequisite: LATIN 240 or 246 or 4 years of high school Latin.

320 Latin Poetry (2nd sem)

Selected readings from Latin poetry. Grammatical and textual analysis. Social and cultural background in late Republican and/or Early Imperial Rome. Prerequisite: LATIN 240 or 246 or 4 years of high school Latin.

425 Vergil's Aeneid

Selections from Vergil's Aeneid. Analysis of structure, style, and context. Prerequisite: 300-level course in Latin or equivalent.

430 Satire

Selections from Horace, Petronius, and Juvenal. Analysis of structure, style, and context of their works. Prerequisite: 300-level course in Latin or equivalent.

435 Lyric and Elegy

Selections from Latin lyric and elegiac poetry, including Catullus, Horace, Tibullus, Propertius, and Ovid. Analysis of structure, style, and context of their works. Prerequisite: 300-level course in Latin or equivalent.

440 History or Biography (1st sem)

Selections from Livy, Sallust, Caesar, Tacitus, or Suetonius. Analysis of structure, style, and context of their works. Prerequisite: 300-level course in Latin or equivalent.

445 Drama

Selections from Latin dramas of Plautus, Terence, and Seneca. Analysis of style, structure, and context of their works. Prerequisite: 300-level Latin course or equivalent.

450 Cicero's Orations

Selections from Ciceronian orations. Analysis of structure, style, and historical context. Prerequisite: 300-level course in Latin or equivalent.

505 Oral Interpretation 1 cr

Oral reading and interpretation of Latin prose and poetry, with a final classroom performance. Required of M.A.T. candidates, and recommended for all students of Latin who wish to improve their knowledge of the restored pronunciation of classical Latin. Prerequisite: 300-level Latin course or 4 years of high school Latin.

592 Seminar

Latin Prose Composition 1-3 cr

Drill of Latin grammatical structures. Frequent English-to-Latin translation, free composition, and dictation. Prerequisite: 300-level Latin course.

600-Level Courses ó undergraduate Classics majors may audit with instructor's consent. Latin author courses at the 600-level are listed only in the Graduate Bulletin.

607 Teaching the Latin Language (1st sem)

Survey of methods of teaching Latin: grammar-translation, audiolingual, grammar-in-context. Evaluation of elementary and intermediate Latin textbooks. Also off-campus observations, micro-teaching, and counseling sessions.

608 Teaching Latin Literature

Survey of materials and methods of teaching Latin literature at the secondary level. Emphasis on curriculum development and effective teaching. Writing and teaching of mini-units in off-campus schools. Prerequisite: LATIN 691.

612 Advanced Prose Style

Analysis of prose styles of major classical Latin authors, Cato to Tacitus. Attention to stylistic imitation and development among authors. Reinforcement through setting of Latin prose compositions in preassigned styles.

616 Advanced Latin Grammar

Grammatical system of Classical Latin: sounds, inflection and word-formation, sentence structure. Historical background. Greek origins and Roman innovations. Readings, in the original, from Varro, Quintilian, Palaemon, Charisius, and Priscianus.

620 History of the Latin Language

Overview of major philological and morphological developments of Latin from Indo-European. Prehistoric and historic changes. Epigraphical evidence from archaic, post-archaic, classical, and postclassical periods.

691 Seminar: History of Latin Literature

Close readings of selections from the entire scope of Latin literature, from earliest antiquity through the middle ages. Attention to materials suitable for teaching at the secondary level.

Classics | Courses | Faculty