Courses by semester
Courses for Fall 23
Complete Cornell University course descriptions and section times are in the Class Roster.
Course ID | Title | Offered |
---|---|---|
CLASS 1331 |
Elementary Sanskrit I
An introduction to the essentials of Sanskrit grammar. Designed to enable the student to read classical and epic Sanskrit as soon as possible. |
Fall. |
CLASS 1452 |
Hieroglyphic Egyptian III
Ancient Egyptian civilization produced an extensive, diverse, and profound body of literature, including adventure stories, historical accounts, royal inscriptions, religious hymns, love poetry, satire, wisdom texts, biographies, and more. In this third of three courses in Middle Egyptian, students read a selection of primary texts in the original hieroglyphs as well as secondary literature pertaining to the original texts. Primary texts will include such classics as The Story of Sinuhe, The Shipwrecked Sailor, and The Eloquent Peasant. These texts will be used as windows onto the ancient Egyptian world, providing important evidence on many different aspects of ancient society, history, politics, and religion. Primary texts will also be selected based on research interests of enrolled students. Catalog Distribution: (ALC-AS, LA-AS) |
Fall. |
CLASS 1525 |
FWS: Ithaca Bound: The Odyssey on Screen
Over 2500 years ago, Homer composed the Odyssey, the story of Odysseus' 10-year long journey home to Ithaca. A tale of war and love, loss and hope featuring powerful gods, menacing sorceresses, and invincible monsters, the Odyssey has all the makings of a great movie. In the beginning of the course, we will read Homer's Odyssey. Later, we will watch films and TV episodes inspired by Odysseus' journey, from Méliès' Ulysses (1905) to the 2018 BBC series Troy. Readings and movies will provide the framework for class exercises and written assignments that will help you embark on your journey as academic writers. For your final project, you will pitch to the class your adaptation of the Odyssey and write a mockup screenplay. Full details for CLASS 1525 - FWS: Ithaca Bound: The Odyssey on Screen |
Fall. |
CLASS 1531 |
FWS: Greek Myth
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 essays focusing on readings and discussions in class. |
Fall, Spring. |
CLASS 1535 |
FWS: Ancient Underworlds, Fresh Hells: Katabatic Literature and Media
Whether it be a fascination towards death or a refusal to grieve your loved ones, literary traditions have produced these katabaseis (descent narratives) despite geographical, chronological, and cultural boundaries. It is for this reason that we must ask the questions: Why do we return to hell? And what does journeying there signify? And what can we learn about these cultures and societies that produced these narratives via their attitudes towards mortality? From the strong intertextual Greco-Roman tradition of these narratives to the omnipresence of this plot device across origins, to increased modern and transmedial ones, underworlds old and new serve as the perfect background for a students' intellectual curiosities and aptitude for varied styles of writing. Full details for CLASS 1535 - FWS: Ancient Underworlds, Fresh Hells: Katabatic Literature and Media |
Fall. |
CLASS 1585 |
FWS: The Fall of the Roman Empire
The Fall of Rome is a turning point in popular historical understanding which is commonly used to discuss contemporary religious challenges, refugee crises, and the fall of states. In this course, we will begin our narrative at Constantine's conversion to Christianity and through the establishment of the barbarian kingdoms in Western Europe. We will examine how the Roman Empire reacted to military threats, internal strife, and the demands of cultural change. Students will write essays exploring the role religion plays in society and the causes of political instability through the close reading of a myriad of primary texts such as historical narratives, polemical poetry, and letter collections. Together we will ask: did Rome really "fall" at all? Full details for CLASS 1585 - FWS: The Fall of the Roman Empire |
Fall. |
CLASS 1702 |
Great Discoveries in Greek and Roman Archaeology
This introductory course surveys the archaeology of the ancient Greek and Roman world. Each week, we will explore a different archaeological discovery that transformed scholars' understanding of the ancient world. From early excavations at sites such as Pompeii and Troy, to modern field projects across the Mediterranean, we will discover the rich cultures of ancient Greece and Rome while also exploring the history, methods, and major intellectual goals of archaeology. Catalog Distribution: (HA-AS, HST-AS) Full details for CLASS 1702 - Great Discoveries in Greek and Roman Archaeology |
Fall. |
CLASS 2351 |
Intermediate Sanskrit I
Readings from simple Sanskrit poetry: the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. |
Fall. |
CLASS 2603 |
Initiation to Greek Culture
In this course, we will read and discuss a wide range of ancient Greek literary and philosophical works as well as some modern critical and philosophical writings. We encourage active participation in small weekly seminar meetings and supplementary workshops with specially invited guests. Our focus throughout is on close analysis of the texts, and the attempts the Greeks made to grapple with the world around them through literature. The course inquires into the intellectual development of a culture infused with mythological accounts of the cosmos. It asks how poetic forms such as epic and tragedy engage with philosophical ideas while creating intense emotional effects on audiences both during antiquity and beyond. By the end of this course, students will have read a wide selection of Classical Greek literature and be able to perform close readings and comparative analysis of text and culture. In addition, students will hone their discussion and presentation skills in the seminar format, above all engaging with their peers in joint intellectual inquiry. Catalog Distribution: (ALC-AS, HST-AS, LA-AS) |
Fall. |
CLASS 2604 |
Greek Mythology
The stories of Greek Mythology have ignited the imaginations of writers and artists from antiquity to the present day, from the tragedy of Achilles to the adventures of Percy Jackson. This course surveys the most influential stories of Gods and Heroes in Greek myths, focusing on their place in ancient Greek and Roman literature, society and religion, but also tracing their course in intellectual and art history through the Renaissance to the present day. Catalog Distribution: (ALC-AS, LA-AS) |
Fall, Winter, Summer. |
CLASS 2661 |
Greek and Roman Philosophy
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. Catalog Distribution: (ETM-AS, HST-AS, KCM-AS) |
Fall. |
CLASS 2687 |
Introduction to Military History
An introduction to basic themes of military history, e.g., battle, strategy, tactics, war and society, as well as classic works, e.g. Sun Tzu, Thucydides, Clausewitz, Jomini. Recent theories in scholarship will also be emphasized. Catalog Distribution: (GLC-AS, HA-AS, HST-AS) Full details for CLASS 2687 - Introduction to Military History |
Fall. |
CLASS 2691 |
Introduction to Indo-European Linguistics
An introduction to the phonology, morphology, and syntax of Proto-Indo-European and the chief historical developments of the daughter languages. Catalog Distribution: (HA-AS, HST-AS) Full details for CLASS 2691 - Introduction to Indo-European Linguistics |
Fall. |
CLASS 2810 |
Wine Culture
This course explores the complex interactions between wine and culture. From a source of nutrition to an enduring cultural symbol of the good life, a religious ritual to a forbidden substance, an artistic muse to a political pawn, the role of wine has varied through time and among cultures. Through lectures, readings, discussions, and activities, students will analyze how wine has impacted civilizations throughout history and how, in turn, cultures impact the production and consumption of wine. |
Fall. |
CLASS 3391 |
Independent Study in Sanskrit, Undergraduate 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 3391 - Independent Study in Sanskrit, Undergraduate Level |
Fall, Spring. |
CLASS 3395 |
Advanced Sanskrit I
Selected readings in Sanskrit literary and philosophical texts. |
Fall. |
CLASS 3635 |
Queer Classics
This course engages classical antiquity and its reception through the prism of queer studies. Cruising Homer, Sappho, Euripides, Plato, Ovid and more, we will explore how queer theoretical frameworks help us account for premodern queer and trans bodies, desires, experiences, and aesthetics. We will trace how people historically have engaged with the classical past in political and affective projects of writing queer history and literature, constructing identities and communities, and imagining queer futures. We will unpack how classical scholarship might reproduce contemporary forms of homophobia and transphobia in its treatments of gender, sexuality, and embodiment in the classical past, and in turn how modern uses of the classical might reinforce or dismantle exclusionary narratives around 'queerness' today as it intersects with race, gender, sexuality, and class. Finally, we will consider how the work we are doing in this class (where the 'Queer' in 'Queer Classics' may be taken as an adjective or an imperative) relates to the ways that contemporary writers, activists, artists, and performers have animated the classical past with queer possibilities. All readings will be in translation; no knowledge of Latin and Greek is required. Catalog Distribution: (ALC-AS, LA-AS) |
Fall. |
CLASS 3664 |
Aristotle
We will study several of Aristotle's major works, including the Categories, Physics, Posterior Analytics, Metaphysics, and Nicomachean Ethics. Topics include nature and change, form and matter, the nature of happiness, the nature of the soul, and knowledge and first principles. Catalog Distribution: (ETM-AS, HST-AS, KCM-AS) |
Fall. |
CLASS 3674 |
Introduction to Indian Philosophy
This course will survey the rich and sophisticated tradition of Indian philosophical thought from its beginnings in the speculations of Upanishads, surveying debates between Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and materialistic philosophers about the existence and nature of God and of the human soul, the nature of knowledge, and the theory of language. Catalog Distribution: (ETM-AS, KCM-AS) Full details for CLASS 3674 - Introduction to Indian Philosophy |
Fall. |
CLASS 3686 |
Independent Study in Classical Civilization, Undergraduate Level
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 |
Fall, Spring. |
CLASS 4346 |
Revolts Against the Roman Empire
This class will study an important example of resistance, that is, several armed revolts against Imperial Rome during the first two centuries of our era. Africa, Asia, and Europe all saw such rebellions. What caused them? Why did almost all of them fail? Were they popular movements or elite enterprises? What other forms of resistance to Rome existed besides armed revolts? To what extent were ethnicity, race, or religion factors in the revolts? The main case studies will be Arminius (Germany), Tacfarinas (North Africa), Boudicca (Britain), the Batavian Revolt (Netherlands), the Jewish Revolt (Judea), the Diaspora Revolt/Kitos War (Libya, Egypt, Cyprus, Judea, Mesopotamia), the Bar Kokhba Revolt (Judea). Readings in ancient literary sources as well as inscriptions, papyri, coins, and archaeological evidence. Catalog Distribution: (GLC-AS, HA-AS, HST-AS) Full details for CLASS 4346 - Revolts Against the Roman Empire |
Fall. |
CLASS 4721 |
Honors: Senior Essay I
See "Honors" under Classics front matter. |
Multi-semester course: Fall, Spring. |
CLASS 6346 |
Revolts Against the Roman Empire
This class will study an important example of resistance, that is, several armed revolts against Imperial Rome during the first two centuries of our era. Africa, Asia, and Europe all saw such rebellions. What caused them? Why did almost all of them fail? Were they popular movements or elite enterprises? What other forms of resistance to Rome existed besides armed revolts? To what extent were ethnicity, race, or religion factors in the revolts? The main case studies will be Arminius (Germany), Tacfarinas (North Africa), Boudicca (Britain), the Batavian Revolt (Netherlands), the Jewish Revolt (Judea), the Diaspora Revolt/Kitos War (Libya, Egypt, Cyprus, Judea, Mesopotamia), the Bar Kokhba Revolt (Judea). Readings in ancient literary sources as well as inscriptions, papyri, coins, and archaeological evidence. Full details for CLASS 6346 - Revolts Against the Roman Empire |
Fall. |
CLASS 7173 |
Topics in Ancient Philosophy
Advanced discussion of topics in ancient philosophy. |
Fall, Spring. |
CLASS 7345 |
Graduate TA Training
Pedagogical instruction and course coordination. Requirement for all graduate student teachers of LATIN 1201-LATIN 1202 and first-year writing seminars. |
Fall, Spring. |
CLASS 7346 |
Classics Graduate Preparation Seminar
A course to prepare Classics graduate students for exams and for professionalization. Full details for CLASS 7346 - Classics Graduate Preparation Seminar |
Fall, Spring. |
CLASS 7691 |
Introduction to Indo-European Linguistics
An introduction to the phonology, morphology, and syntax of Proto-Indo-European and the chief historical developments of the daughter languages. Full details for CLASS 7691 - Introduction to Indo-European Linguistics |
Fall. |
CLASS 7758 |
Archaeology of Greek Religion: Theory, Methods, and Practice
What is "religion," and how can we use material culture to investigate ancient beliefs and rituals? This course (1) explores major themes and problems in the archaeology of ancient Greek religion, and (2) compares and critiques selected theoretical and methodological approaches to the "archaeology of cult" more generally. Students will consider and analyze ritual artifacts, cult sites, and other aspects of religious material culture, as well as primary textual sources (in translation). Full details for CLASS 7758 - Archaeology of Greek Religion: Theory, Methods, and Practice |
Fall. |
GREEK 1101 |
Elementary Ancient Greek I
Introduction to Attic Greek. Designed to enable the student to read the ancient authors as soon as possible. |
Fall. |
GREEK 1105 |
Homeric Greek II
This course continues the introduction to the vocabulary and grammar of Homeric Greek began in GREEK 1104, or similar courses. By the end of this course, students will be reading substantial, unaltered passages from Homer's Iliad. |
Fall. |
GREEK 2101 |
Intermediate Ancient Greek I
Combines reading of classical Greek prose texts (Lysias, Plato, Xenophon) with systematic review of forms presented in GREEK 1102, study of advanced grammar, vocabulary-building and sight-reading exercises. |
Fall. |
GREEK 3120 |
Seminar in Greek
Undergraduate seminar in Greek. Topics: Fall 2023 - Cyclops poetry: Homer, Euripides, Theocritus, and others; Spring 2024 - TBA. Catalog Distribution: (ALC-AS, LA-AS) |
Fall, Spring. |
GREEK 3185 |
Independent Study in Greek, Undergraduate Level
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 |
Fall, Spring. |
GREEK 5111 |
Elementary Ancient Greek I
Introduction to Ancient Greek. Designed to enable the student to read the ancient authors as soon as possible. |
Fall. |
GREEK 5115 |
Homeric Greek II
This course continues the introduction to the vocabulary and grammar of Homeric Greek. By the end of this course, students will be reading substantial, unaltered passages from Homer's Iliad. |
Fall. |
GREEK 5121 |
Intermediate Ancient Greek I
Combines reading of classical Greek prose texts (Lysias, Plato, Xenophon) with systematic review of forms presented in GREEK 5112, study of advanced grammar, vocabulary-building and sight-reading exercises. |
Fall. |
GREEK 5130 |
Seminar in Greek
Topics: Fall 2023 - Cyclops poetry: Homer, Euripides, Theocritus, and others; Spring 2024 - TBA. |
Fall, Spring. |
GREEK 6101 |
Advanced Readings in Greek Literature
Topic: Fall 2023: TBA. Full details for GREEK 6101 - Advanced Readings in Greek Literature |
Fall. |
GREEK 7161 |
Greek Philosophical Texts
Reading and translation of Greek Philosophical texts. |
Fall, Spring. |
GREEK 7171 |
Graduate Seminar in Greek
Topics for this course vary by instructor. |
Fall. |
LATIN 1201 |
Elementary Latin I
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. |
Fall. |
LATIN 1204 |
Latin in Review
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. |
Fall. |
LATIN 1205 |
Intermediate Latin I
Introduces students to reading original Latin text. Covers complex syntax and reviews the grammar presented in LATIN 1202, LATIN 1204. |
Fall, Spring. |
LATIN 2201 |
Latin Prose
Fall 2023: Latin Letters. Catalog Distribution: (ALC-AS, LA-AS) |
Fall. |
LATIN 2209 |
Latin Poetry
Roman poets found ways of crafting language to make words spring into a new life and people shift into astonishing shapes. We will read selections from Ovid's Metamorphoses to see and enjoy how they (and their characters) remake thoughts and persons, and, at the same time, hone our own skills at understanding poetry. Catalog Distribution: (ALC-AS, LA-AS) |
Fall. |
LATIN 3217 |
Having Fun with the Latin Language: Putting Classic Rock into Classical Latin
A one-credit course meant to foster excitement, joy, and enthusiasm for the Latin language, while simultaneously helping students appreciate subtleties of Latin idiom and expression. In this course, students will analyze Nicholas Ostler's new translations of classic rock songs by Jimmy Buffet, the Eagles, and others into classical Latin elegiac couplets. Students will gather once a week to listen to a song, to sight-read the Latin together with my guidance, and to compare Ostler's Latin to the lyrics of the English original. Since Ostler rejects verbatim, unidiomatic translations, we will dissect and discuss Ostler's choices. As Ostler himself writes in Ad Infinitum: A Biography of Latin, Composition in the [Latin] language was never now a straightforward act of communication, or aesthetic expression, if to a rather small but international audience: rather, it was billed as "the proof and the flower of that scholarship which loves the old writers with an unselfish love, and delights to clothe modern thoughts and modern expressions in the dress of ancient metre and rhythm." In studying Ostler's efforts, therefore, students will leave the course better equipped to recognize modern thoughts and modern expressions as they appear in ancient dress, to abandon "translationese," and to find natural, idiomatic English renderings of the classical Latin they read elsewhere. |
Fall. |
LATIN 3220 |
Rapid Reading in Latin
Topic: Latin Authors on Jews and Christians (in the first three centuries CE). Catalog Distribution: (ALC-AS, LA-AS) |
Fall. |
LATIN 3286 |
Independent Study in Latin, Undergraduate Level
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 |
Fall, Spring. |
LATIN 5211 |
Elementary Latin I
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. |
Fall. |
LATIN 5214 |
Latin in Review
Provides a comprehensive but streamlined review of the forms and syntax typically covered in LATIN 5211 and LATIN 5212 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 5212). 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. |
Fall. |
LATIN 5215 |
Intermediate Latin I
Introduces students to reading original Latin text. Covers complex syntax and reviews the grammar presented in LATIN 5212, LATIN 5214. |
Fall, Spring. |
LATIN 5221 |
Latin Prose
Topic: Latin Letters. |
Fall. |
LATIN 5229 |
Latin Poetry
Roman poets found ways of crafting language to make words spring into a new life and people shift into astonishing shapes. We will read selections from Ovid's Metamorphoses to see and enjoy how they (and their characters) remake thoughts and persons, and, at the same time, hone our own skills at understanding poetry. |
Fall. |
LATIN 5230 |
Rapid Reading in Latin
Topic: Latin Authors on Jews and Christians (in the first three centuries CE). |
Fall. |
LATIN 6201 |
Advanced Readings in Latin Literature
Topics for this course vary by instructor. Full details for LATIN 6201 - Advanced Readings in Latin Literature |
Fall. |
LATIN 7262 |
Latin Philosophical Texts
Reading and translation of Latin philosophical texts. |
Fall, Spring. |
LATIN 7271 |
Graduate Seminar in Latin
Topics for this course vary by instructor. |
Fall. |
LATIN 7920 | Independent Study in Latin |
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