Courses

An introduction to the essentials of Sanskrit grammar. Designed to enable the student to read classical and epic Sanskrit as soon as possible.

Full details for CLASS 1331 - Elementary Sanskrit I

This course will focus on the stories about the gods and heroes of the Greeks as they appear in ancient literature and art. We will examine the relationship between myths and the cultural, religious, and political conditions of the society in which they took shape. Beginning with theories of myth and proceeding to the analysis of individual stories and cycles, the material will serve as a vehicle for improving your written communication skills. Assignments include preparatory writing and six essays focusing on readings and discussions in class.

Full details for CLASS 1531 - FWS: Greek Myth

This course will focus on court cases about slavery and freedom from ancient to modern times. We will study the way law and culture interacted to shape the institution of slavery and the development of ancient and modern conceptions of personhood, humanity, legal status, and race. Beginning with court speeches from Classical Athens, we will go on to examine law and slavery in Ancient Rome and the Early Modern Mediterranean before considering Atlantic Slavery, including Brazil and the United States. Assignments include preparatory writing and essays focusing on readings and discussions in class.

Full details for CLASS 1539 - FWS: Slavery Trials: Ancient and Modern

The war between Athens and Sparta (431-404 BC) as written by Thucydides is recognized as a paradigm for international relations, military strategy and the challenges of political leadership under a democracy. Its admirers range from Colin Powell to Bob Dylan. But Thucydides is also a compelling storyteller, portraying advocates of idealistic patriotism or aggressive brutality, relating episodes of tragic miscalculation or murderous political hysteria. We will study him as a model for observing and understanding the range of actions that humans can take against each other. We will also note what he edits out, but his contemporaries did not: women and the family (Lysistrata), religion (Antigone and Oedipus), and transcendent moral values (Plato's accounts of Socrates). Requirements include regular participation, presentations on assigned topics, and six essays.

Full details for CLASS 1576 - FWS: War, Politics and Human Nature: The History of Thucydides

Ancient Rome was a village the size of Ithaca that grew into a world empire. In this course students will be introduced to some of its literature, art, and famous personalities in the classical period (2nd c. BCE – 2nd c. CE). In it we will read the masterpieces of Latin literature, from Virgil's Aeneid to Ovid's Metamorphoses and from Catullus' lyrics to Livy's moralizing History of Rome. Special attention will be given to the late republic and Augustan period. No prior knowledge of the ancient world is necessary. All readings are in English.

Full details for CLASS 1615 - Introduction to Ancient Rome

This course is preparation for a performance of ancient theater at the end of the semester. It will involve background reading about the play, learning and acting the lines (Latin in Spring), and preparing the costuming, programming and sets. The play will be selected after auditions among the members of the class are held. All those who receive credits will be acting in the play.

Full details for CLASS 1632 - Ancient Theater Performance

Review of grammar and reading of selections from Sanskrit epic poetry and narrative prose.

Full details for CLASS 2351 - Intermediate Sanskrit I

Introduces students to the literature and intellectual life of ancient Greece from Homer to the early centuries of Roman rule. We will read and discuss ancient writers as creative artists in their own right, to develop a clearer sense of what the Greeks themselves sought to express, rather than as sources for a synthetic modern overview of antiquity. Among our texts will be Homer's Odyssey, Greek lyric poetry, the tragedians, Aristophanes, Plato, and Lucian, set against a backdrop of Greek geography, history, and art. No knowledge of Ancient Greece (or Greek) is either assumed or required. Texts will be read in English translation. But students wishing to read parts of any assigned works in the original may apply do so independently with the instructor for additional credit.

Full details for CLASS 2601 - The Greek Experience

Limited to 18 students. Intended especially for first-year students. Students must apply in writing to chair, Department of Classics, 120 Goldwin Smith Hall. No prior knowledge necessary (all texts are in translation). What is necessary is a willingness to participate actively in two seminar meetings each week and occasional supplementary workshops with specially invited guests. This course covers a wide range of Greek literary and philosophical works as well as modern critical and philosophical writings. The focus throughout is on the status of language, the many forms of discourse that appear in the literature, and the attempts the Greeks themselves made to grapple with the challenges inherent in language as the medium of poetry and philosophy. The course inquires into the intellectual development of a culture infused with traditional, mythological accounts of the cosmos. It asks how poetic forms such as tragedy engage with philosophical discourse while creating intense emotional effects on audiences both during antiquity and beyond.

Full details for CLASS 2603 - Initiation to Greek Culture

Survey of the Greek myths, with emphasis on the content and significance of the myths in Mediterranean society, including the place of myth in Greek life and consciousness; the factors and influences involved in the creation of myths; and the use of myths for our understanding of Greek literature, religion, and moral and political concepts.

Full details for CLASS 2604 - Greek Mythology

How did the ancient Greeks and Romans understand differences in gender and sexuality? And how did their gendered identities intersect with other identity categories, like race, class, and citizenship status? In this introductory course we will explore these questions using a wide-ranging selection of philosophy, literature, medical writing, legal texts, magic spells, and material evidence. We will also ask how ancient ideas about sex and gender have influenced our own construction of these categories, and investigate the consequences of modern identification with antiquity. No prior knowledge about the ancient world is required, and all readings will be in English.

Full details for CLASS 2633 - Sex, Gender, and Identity in Ancient Greece and Rome

An introductory survey of ancient Greek philosophy from the so-called Presocratics (6th century BCE) through the Hellenistic period (1st century BCE) with special emphasis on the thought of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.

Full details for CLASS 2661 - Ancient Philosophy

An introduction to ancient Greek history from the era of the Trojan War to the conquests of Alexander the Great. Topics include the rise and fall of the Greek city-state, the invention of politics, democracy, warfare, women and the family. Course readings are in classical texts and modern scholarship.

Full details for CLASS 2675 - Ancient Greece from Helen to Alexander

What is the origin of the Olympic games? Why are the most famous Greek vases found in Italy? What was the "worlds' first computer" used for? What can a brick tell us about still standing Roman buildings? This course on the art and archaeology of ancient Greece and Rome will address all these questions. Covering the time span from the Bronze Age (3rd millennium BCE) to the time of Constantine the Great (4th century CE), the class will focus on one object or monument per lecture and how it can be considered exemplary for its time. Students learn about and practice different ways of how to look at and analyze material evidence.

Full details for CLASS 2700 - Introduction to the Classical World in 24 Objects

This course is designed for all majors in Classics and Classical Civilizations, though anybody with an interest in the Greco-Roman world is encouraged to join us. We will explore the discipline of Classical Studies from diverse angles: What are the skills that a training in Classics requires (such as philology, epigraphy, archaeology, or art history)? What resources are available to us, and how might we use them most effectively? What do we mean by "the Classical"? How did Classics arise as a discipline, and what does it mean to study Classical Antiquity today? Taking the Parthenon as our thematic focus, we will explore the intellectual, historical, aesthetic, and political significance of this quintessentially "Classical" monument, alongside its complicated legacy.

Full details for CLASS 2801 - Theory and Methods in Classical Studies

To be taken only in exceptional circumstances. Must be arranged by the student with his or her advisor and the faculty member who has agreed to direct the study. To be approved by the DUS.

Full details for CLASS 3391 - Independent Study in Sanskrit, Undergraduate Level

Selected readings in Sanskrit literary and philosophical texts.

Full details for CLASS 3395 - Advanced Sanskrit I

Tragedy and its audiences from ancient Greece to modern theater and film. Topics: origins of theatrical conventions; Shakespeare and Seneca; tragedy in modern theater and film. Works studied will include: Aeschylus' Agamemnon; Sophocles' Oedipus Tyrannus, Philoctetes; Euripides' Alcestis, Helen, Iphigeneia in Aulis, Orestes; Seneca's Thyestes, Trojan Women; Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Titus Andronicus, Othello; Strindberg's The Father; Durrenmatt's The Visit; Bergman's Seventh Seal; Cacoyannis' Iphigeneia.

Full details for CLASS 3645 - The Tragic Theatre

May be taken upon completion of one semester of work at the 3000-level. To be taken only in exceptional circumstances. Must be arranged by the student with his or her advisor and the faculty member who has agreed to direct the study. To be approved by the DUS.

Full details for CLASS 3686 - Independent Study in Classical Civilization, Undergraduate Level

Introduction and training in dendrochronology and its application to archaeology, art history, and environment through participation in a research project dating ancient to modern tree-ring samples especially from the Mediterranean. Supervised reading and laboratory/project work. A possibility exists for summer fieldwork in the Mediterranean.

Full details for CLASS 3750 - Introduction to Dendrochronology

Narratives, particularly sacred narratives, are not static or fixed but rather infinitely flexible and malleable.   Subject to multiple retellings—elaborations, modifications, and deletions—stories take on lives of their own even after they come to be written down. What happens to sacred stories when they are heard and read by different communities of interpreters? This is the broad question at the heart of this course, which will explore the diverse interpretations of biblical narratives (e.g., stories of Adam and Eve, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and his disciples, Joseph and Mary) found in Jewish and Christian literature from the second century BCE through the 6th century and beyond.  Writers like the Hellenistic Jewish philosopher Philo and the Jewish historian Josephus, Jewish and Christian pseudepigrapha and apocrypha, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the New Testament, gnostic literature, early rabbinic literature, and Christian patristic writers—these are some of the sources that we will study in this class.    At the conclusion of the seminar, we will explore briefly the retellings of biblical stories and use of biblical characters in the early Islamic materials, especially the Qur'an.    Throughout the semester, we will consider the historical contexts of biblical interpretation and the production, transmission, and use of texts in antiquity, including questions about literacy and orality, education, and the physical forms of ancient books.

Full details for CLASS 4626 - Reinventing Biblical Narrative

Advanced discussion of topics in ancient philosophy.

Full details for CLASS 4662 - Topics in Ancient Philosophy

See "Honors" under Classics front matter.

Full details for CLASS 4721 - Honors: Senior Essay I

Fall 18 topic: Archaeology of the Roman Provinces: Art and Archaeology of the Roman provinces as a 'sub-field' of Roman Archaeology has only recently gained traction in US academia, whereas in many European countries it still provides master narratives for national(ist) histories. Yet, in the wake of post-colonialism, the Roman provinces have proven fertile ground for more critical and theoretically informed archaeologies and art histories. What still needs more attention is the connectivity across provinces. The seminar therefore adopts a deliberately decentralized perspective. In looking at landscapes; infra-structure; production sites; military camps; the country side; urban centers; the material culture of domestic life and of the funerary realm, of religion, of gender and ethnicity we will emphasize interaction beyond or evading Rome. Rather than offering a systematic overview, the seminar proposes several lines of inquiry. Their main purpose is to interrogate the validity of several boundaries (geographical, methodological, theoretical, historiographical and institutional) that continue to define the field.

Full details for CLASS 4746 - Greek and Roman Art and Archaeology

This course explores the use of "speech that brings the subject matter vividly before the eyes." Known in classical antiquity as ekphrasis, this trope has received intense attention in recent decades across the fields of classical philology, art history, and literary studies. Setting ekphrasis within its broad context of use within antiquity (from rhetorical handbooks and speeches to epic poetry, epigrams, and technical treatises), we will trace the process by which the term has come to refer specifically to descriptions of works of art. From Homer's shield of Achilles to the vivid descriptions of the Greek novel, this 'sub-genre' of ekphrasis has also enjoyed a rich reception in later western literature, from Keats and Browning to Ashbery and Carson. Students will be encouraged to explore ekphrastic techniques across genres, cultures, and periods (and to practice writing ekphraseis themselves), whilst also considering the degree to which the discipline of art history is grounded in ekphrastic practice. All literature will be available in translation.

Full details for CLASS 6736 - Ekphrasis: The Art of Description from Homer to Anne Carson

An introduction to the field of Dendrochronology and associated topics with an emphasis on their applications in the field of archaeology and related heritage-buildings fields. Course aimed at graduate level with a focus on critique of scholarship in the field and work on a project as part of the course.

Full details for CLASS 6755 - Archaeological Dendrochronology

Advanced discussion of topics in ancient philosophy.

Full details for CLASS 7173 - Topics in Ancient Philosophy

Pedagogical instruction and course coordination. Requirement for all graduate student teachers of LATIN 1201-LATIN 1202 and first-year writing seminars.

Full details for CLASS 7345 - Graduate TA Training

A course for all pre-A exam graduate students that will both prepare them to be professional ABD classicists and help review progress in language and reading list exams preparation.

Full details for CLASS 7346 - Classic Graduate Preparation Seminar

This course is designed as intensive writing seminar that provides graduate students with time, support, and structure for producing a publishable research paper.

Full details for CLASS 7347 - Scholarly Writing in Classics

Narratives, particularly sacred narratives, are not static or fixed but rather infinitely flexible and malleable.   Subject to multiple retellings—elaborations, modifications, and deletions—stories take on lives of their own even after they come to be written down. What happens to sacred stories when they are heard and read by different communities of interpreters? This is the broad question at the heart of this course, which will explore the diverse interpretations of biblical narratives (e.g., stories of Adam and Eve, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and his disciples, Joseph and Mary) found in Jewish and Christian literature from the second century BCE through the 6th century and beyond.  Writers like the Hellenistic Jewish philosopher Philo and the Jewish historian Josephus, Jewish and Christian pseudepigrapha and apocrypha, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the New Testament, gnostic literature, early rabbinic literature, and Christian patristic writers—these are some of the sources that we will study in this class.    At the conclusion of the seminar, we will explore briefly the retellings of biblical stories and use of biblical characters in the early Islamic materials, especially the Qur'an.    Throughout the semester, we will consider the historical contexts of biblical interpretation and the production, transmission, and use of texts in antiquity, including questions about literacy and orality, education, and the physical forms of ancient books.

Full details for CLASS 7626 - Reinventing Biblical Narrative

Topics rotate each semester.  Fall 18 topic: Archaeology of the Roman Provincs.

Full details for CLASS 7746 - Greek and Roman Art and Archaeology

Introduction to Attic Greek. Designed to enable the student to read the ancient authors as soon as possible.

Full details for GREEK 1101 - Elementary Ancient Greek I

Introduces students to Greek prose by reading Plato's Apology. Covers complex syntax and reviews the grammar presented in GREEK 1102.

Full details for GREEK 2101 - Intermediate Ancient Greek I

Undergraduate seminar in Greek. Topic: Fall, Plato; Spring, Sophocles.

Full details for GREEK 3120 - Seminar in Greek

May be taken upon completion of one semester of work at the 3000-level. To be taken only in exceptional circumstances. Must be arranged by the student with his or her advisor and the faculty member who has agreed to direct the study. To be approved by the DUS.

Full details for GREEK 3185 - Independent Study in Greek, Undergraduate Level

Reading and translation of Greek Philosophical texts.

Full details for GREEK 7161 - Greek Philosophical Texts

This department teaches various topics that vary by semester.

Full details for GREEK 7171 - Graduate Seminar in Greek

Introductory course designed to prepare students to start reading Latin prose at the end of a year. The class moves swiftly and includes extensive memorization of vocabulary and paradigms; study of Latin syntax; and written homework, quizzes, tests, and oral drills.

Full details for LATIN 1201 - Elementary Latin I

Provides a comprehensive but streamlined review of the forms and syntax typically covered in LATIN 1201 and LATIN 1202 or a comparable first-year Latin sequence. It begins with a quick review of the most basic grammar and continues at a more deliberate pace with second-term material (LATIN 1202). The final part of the course is devoted to the reading of unchanged selections from Classical Latin authors as a transition to the study of Latin literary texts in more advanced courses. For students who receive an A- or higher, the sequence is continued by LATIN 2201; those who receive a B+ or lower should continue with LATIN 1205.

Full details for LATIN 1204 - Latin in Review

Introduces students to reading a literary Latin text (fall, Livy's Rome; spring, Ovid: Amores and Metamorphoses). Covers complex syntax and reviews the grammar presented in LATIN 1202, LATIN 1204.

Full details for LATIN 1205 - Intermediate Latin I

Reading of a selection of Seneca's letters. We will read these letters with close attention to both syntax and their thought-provoking content.

Full details for LATIN 2201 - Latin Prose

Latin, like any language, is only mastered when one can speak it. Yet the goal of spoken Latin, unlike modern languages, is not conversational fluency. Rather, by formulating one's own thoughts into Latin and expressing them in real human-to-human interaction, one experiences the unique structural, grammatical, and syntactical features of Latin actively and not just passively. This, in turn, enhances reading comprehension. Remaining rooted in and drawing inspiration from real authors including Plautus, Cicero, Erasmus, Newton, and many others, students will be able to talk about their favorite sports team, television show, musician, or video game, as well as the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle and baking cookies (all presentations students have given in the past!). Students should come to this course with a solid grounding in Latin grammar, although no previous spoken Latin is presumed.

Full details for LATIN 2207 - Conversational Latin I

Ovid, Metamorphoses (selections): Attention will be paid to translation skills, the nature of myth, Ovid's poetic technique, and ancient attitudes towards rape.

Full details for LATIN 2209 - Latin Poetry

Building on the intermediate level to acquire a literary vocabulary and syntactic structures, this course prepares students for independent reading of major authors entirely in the original language. It is accompanied by intense discussion and analysis leading to a mentored research project informed by secondary literature but based on close textual study.

Full details for LATIN 3220 - Rapid Reading in Latin

May be taken upon completion of one semester of work at the 3000-level. To be taken only in exceptional circumstances. Must be arranged by the student with his or her advisor and the faculty member who has agreed to direct the study. To be approved by the DUS.

Full details for LATIN 3286 - Independent Study in Latin, Undergraduate Level

The Survey is designed to introduce students to characteristic genres and discourses of Medieval Latin. The focus will be on style (the genera dicendi), and its implications for audience and genre, from its foundations in classical rhetoric through Petrarch and Boccaccio. A basic foundation in Latin morphology, syntax, and vocabulary is assumed. Intermediate and advanced topics in post-Classical idioms and syntax will be treated as they arise, with the goal of improving the facility with which students approach, read, and, especially, understand Latin writings from the Middle Ages. Students in doubt about their readiness for this course should consult with the instructor.

Full details for LATIN 4213 - Survey of Medieval Latin Literature

A close reading of selected Plautine comedies with special attention to language and meter.

Full details for LATIN 4456 - Archaic Latin

The department teaches various topics which may vary by semester.

Full details for LATIN 6201 - Advanced Readings in Latin Literature

The Survey is designed to introduce students to characteristic genres and discourses of Medieval Latin. In Fall 2012, the focus will be on style (the genera dicendi), and its implications for audience and genre, from its foundations in classical rhetoric through Petrarch and Boccaccio. A basic foundation in Latin morphology, syntax, and vocabulary is assumed. Intermediate and advanced topics in post-Classical idioms and syntax will be treated as they arise, with the goal of improving the facility with which students approach, read, and, especially, understand Latin writings from the Middle Ages. Students in doubt about their readiness for this course should consult with the instructor.

Full details for LATIN 7213 - Survey of Medieval Latin Literature

Reading and translation of Latin philosophical texts.

Full details for LATIN 7262 - Latin Philosophical Texts

A close reading of selected Plautine comedies with special attention to language and meter.

Full details for LATIN 7456 - Archaic Latin