Classics Courses
Fall 2015

 

Greek and Latin

CG 210: INTERMEDIATE GREEK (4 cr.)
M 12:20-1:15, TuTh 12:40-2:00
Leslie Mechem

In this continuation of CG 110, students read one of the most stirring accounts from antiquity — Xenophon's Anabasis, or "Going Up-Country." This account of an expedition of Greek mercenaries in support of a pretender to the Persian Empire's throne reveals a great deal about how the Greeks viewed the "barbarian" Persians and, ultimately, how they viewed 
themselves. Prerequisite: CG 110 or permission of instructor.

CG 311: SEMINAR IN GREEK PROSE: NEW TESTAMENT GREEK (4 Cr.)
TBA
Leslie Mechem

Students will explore one of the most controversial books in the New Testament – Revelation. This 1st century CE text raises a fundamental question: is it an apocalyptic tract or a metaphor for what humans face as they approach death? Prerequisite: CG 210 or permission of instructor.

CL 110: ELEMENTARY LATIN (4 Cr.)
M 11:15-12:10, TuTh 11:10-12:30
Dan Curley

Latin, the root of the Romance languages of French, Spanish and Italian, and the language of the sciences and medicine, lies at the heart of Western civilization. The study of Latin and Roman culture leads to a greater understanding of our own literature and civilization, improves writing and reading skills, and helps to develop precise thinking. Students in this course will acquire the basics of Latin grammar and vocabulary while reading selected prose passages and poems by Cicero, Catullus, Vergil, Martial, and Caesar. Prerequisite: None.

CL 311: SEMINAR IN LATIN PROSE: PETRONIUS' SATYRICON (4 Cr.)
MW 2:30-3:50
Michael Arnush

From the death of Alexander in 323 BC to the principate of Augustus in 31 BCE, the literary genre of the novel developed and flourished. Greek schools of rhetoric served as one of the backdrops for the origins of this genre, for it was there that students articulated imaginary and fantastic stories as they practiced their declamations. Other literary developments, such as romantic narratives in Greece and the near East, and satire in Rome, contributed to the development of the novel. We will examine the earliest Latin manifestation of the novelistic form: Petronius' Satyricon. Composed most likely by the "arbiter of elegance" in the court of the Roman emperor Nero, the Satyricon drew upon these genres and, with wit, bawdiness and a keen sense of culture, gave shape to the Roman novel. Our focus will be on a set-piece within the larger work: the Cena Trimalchionis or the "Dinner of Trimalchio." Prerequisite: CL 210 or permission of the instructor.

 

Classics in English

CC 220: CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY (3 Cr.)
MWF 10:10-11:05
Leslie Mechem

What defines a myth? Who are the major deities and what are the foundational myths of ancient Greece? What is the social and historical context of these myths? Did the Greeks believe that the tales of Troy and the heroes were true? How should we interpret these stories? These are a few of the questions we will consider in our exploration of classical mythology. Through text and image we will investigate gods, heroes, and heroines to acquire an understanding of the critical role myth played in the lives of the Greeks and how those stories still resonate today. Prerequisite: None. Fulfills the Humanities requirement.

HI 205: RISE OF ROME (3 Cr.)
M/W/F 1:25-2:20 p.m.
Michael Arnush

Cicero described history as "the witness of the past, the light of truth, the survival of memory, the teacher of life, the message of antiquity." This interpretation of history will guide us as we explore the contributions of the Romans to western civilization. We will examine the first 500 years of Rome's history - from the mythical Romulus, to the domination of the Republic over the Mediterranean world and central Europe, to the Republic's collapse and replacement by the Empire. We will examine such topics as Etruscan civilization, Roman foreign relations, social and political institutions, the emergence of Latin literature, and the destructive power of partisan politics. The course concludes with a role-playing game, Beware The Ides of March, where students assume the roles of Roman politicians deciding the fate of the Republic in the wake of the assassination of Julius Caesar. Prerequisite: None. Fulfills Social Science requirement. Counts toward the History of International Affairs majors.

HI 363: ANCIENT WARFARE (4 Cr.)
TuTh 2:10-3:30
Michael Arnush

In the Greek and Roman worlds, warfare was commonplace. Most communities were more often at war than at peace – even the pax Romana, or "Roman peace," that some Roman emperors claimed to have instituted, witnessed horrific and brutal military engagements. War gave birth to Athenian democracy and to the Roman Republic and Empire, and it provides the backdrop for Homer's Iliad, many of the great tragedies and comedies from Athens, and Vergil's Aeneid, both as a motif and for us to gauge its social impact. Students in this seminar will examine (and on occasion reproduce) the mechanics of warfare in classical antiquity – tactics, strategy, weapons, and machines – and as well the effects and costs of waging war, on the Greeks, Romans, and other cultures in the ancient Mediterranean. We will also screen a few films that attempt to capture how the ancients waged war. Prerequisite: None. Counts towards the History major.

 

Philosophy

PH 203: HISTORY OF GREEK PHILOSOPHY (4 Cr.)
WF 10:10-11:30
Department

Ancient Greek thinkers engaged in a continuous dialogue about certain core philosophical questions, such as: What is the origin of philosophy? What is the nature of the cosmos? What is the relation between being and becoming? What is knowledge? What is the nature of human beings? What is happiness and how can human beings achieve it? It will be our task to enter into that conversation and consider its relevance for our own lives. Special attention will be given to Plato's and Aristotle's approaches to these questions. Prerequisite: None. Fulfills the Humanities requirement.

 

Scribner Seminar

SSP 100: MYTH CONCEPTIONS (4 Cr.)
MW 4:00-5:50
Dan Curley

What is a myth? Or, rather, who makes myth, and why? Students in this course will explore the process and the purpose of mythography, or the composition of myth. Starting with examples of poetry, painting, and sculpture from ancient Greece and Rome, students will establish some ground rules both for working from and creating innovations within an established tradition. Students will then put their theories to the test by examining mythography in modern-day contexts, such as novels, film franchises, television series, comics, and fan fiction. Of particular interest is how modern-day mythographers use copyrighted characters: what happens when their stories strain against the confines of corporate standards, or take on lives larger than the intentions of their original creators? Ultimately, students will understand myth not only as a certain type of story, but also as a social discourse, through which mythographers reveal themselves and their values to the world.