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Classical Civilization

Classical Civilization

Fall 2024

LITERATURE UNIVERSITY SEMINAR: HOW AND WHY TO READ GRECO-ROMAN CLASSICS

CLAS 13186
Prof. B. Krostenko, MW 3:30-4:45

The literature of ancient Greece and Rome has had an immeasurable influence on world culture. This class explores that literature in two ways: exploring the principles and contexts of its creation and probing the reasons for its long vitality. The class will examine exemplary instances of tragedy, epic poetry, oratory, historiography, and short-form poetry; look at the later reception of those texts; and contemplate the issues that the texts raise and the values they exhibit. Authors to be examined will include Homer, Aeschylus, Thucydides, Euripides, Cicero, Sallust, Catullus, Vergil, Horace, Tibullus, and Ovid.

LITERATURE UNIVERSITY SEMINAR: ENCOUNTERING THE DIVINE IN GREEK, ROMAN, AND BIBLICAL STORIES

CLAS 13186
Prof. A. Tagliabue, TTh 11:00-12:15

Have you ever encountered something or someone exceptional in your life? If you were lucky enough to have such an experience, how did you communicate it to your family, friends and schoolmates? Did you give specific details about this encounter, or did you rather focus on your own emotions at that time? In the Greco-Roman and Biblical world, many people had exceptional encounters mostly with gods and divine-like figures. Most of these encounters are conveyed to us in the form of engaging narratives, which will be the focus of this class. We will start from accounts of divine encounters in human life, ranging from Homeric Hymns to the Biblical stories of Abraham, and from the Gospel narratives down to Apuleius' Metamorphoses, the story of a man transformed into an ass and then saved by the Egyptian goddess Isis. Then, we will focus on the Biblical and tragic stories of unjust sufferers such as Job and Oedipus, who, motivated by the desire to understand their suffering, decided to talk with God and the Olympian gods respectively. Finally, we will explore stories whose narrators struggle to provide details of their encounters with gods because the divine presence is beyond human time and space, and therefore their accounts are filled with chronological disorder and repetition. Here Aristides' account of the dreams in which the god Asclepius appeared to him will be followed by Longus' providential story of Daphnis and Chloe, and by a selection of early Christian martyrdom stories. We will conclude the class watching some movies such as the Truman Show, Les Misérables, and Mel Gibson’s Passion, and a selection from the TV Series The Chosen to explore the most popular medium which narrates stories of human encounters with the gods and the Biblical God in our contemporary era. The entire class will be discussion-based, so that we will help each other to become immersed into the world of ancient (and contemporary) stories about the divine. I hope this class will highlight the differences between Greek, Roman and Biblical responses to the gods, and reflect on the way in which each of us understands and narrates the exceptional encounters of our own life.

The History of Ancient Greece

CLAS 20105
Prof. C. Baron, MW 9:25-10:15 with discussion groups on F 9:25-10:15

An introduction to the political, social, and cultural history of the ancient Greek world, from the end of the Bronze Age to the rise of Macedonian power in the fourth century BCE. Topics covered include the rise of the polis (the distinctive form of Greek political and social organization); the development of a Hellenic identity; Greek relations with Persia and the Ancient Near East; Greek experiments with democracy, oligarchy, and empire; the social position of marginalized groups; the long and destructive war between Athens and Sparta; and the efforts in the wake of that war to create a more stable international system. Small discussion groups provide students the opportunity to consider in detail selected readings from the ancient sources (literary, documentary,
and material). The course prepares students for more detailed courses in ancient history, including instruction on current research practices and writing papers. Offered biennially.

Greek Theater

CLAS 20125
Prof. E. Kim, TTh 3:30-4:45

Theater was one of the most treasured institutions of Classical Athens, where plays were performed that would move and shock audiences for centuries to come. In this class, we will survey the enthralling tradition of Classical Greek drama by reading texts translated into English from 5th century BCE Greek. Together, we will see families torn apart and reunited, soldiers returning home bearing the trauma of war, and women fighting for their freedom. We will proceed through selected works of the three primary Greek tragedians - Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides - and end with the absurdist comedy of Aristophanes. Each week will focus on one play to explore its primary themes as well as the functions and characteristics of ancient Greek theater, and the larger historical, archeological, and cultural contexts within which these texts were originally performed. No prior knowledge of Greek culture, history, or language is necessary.

The World of Augustine

CLAS 20223
Prof. H. Muller, TTh 3:30-4:45

The course explores the history, culture, religion and society of Roman North Africa, one of the centers of early Latin Christianity. Important authors such as Cyprian, Tertullian, Lactantius, Perpetua and above all Augustine of Hippo lived and wrote in the region dominated by the ancient Phoenician city of Carthage, and this is where some of the greatest writings of ancient Christianity were produced.
In this course, we will situate the culturally and economically fertile environment of 3 rd to 5 th-century North Africa in its context in terms of geography (surrounded by the Mediterranean, the Sahara desert, the African provinces to the East, first and foremost Egypt, and lastly the Iberian Peninsula, from where the Vandal invaders would arrive), politics and history (from the Phoenician colonization to the arrival of the Arabs), economics, multiethnicity and religious diversity. We will discuss literary works, works of art, archaeological relics and historical sources to gain a multifaceted understanding of a complex and fascinating era whose legacy would contribute so much to shaping the Christian Middle Ages.
Knowledge of Greek or Latin is not required. No prerequisites.

Sex and Gender in Greco-Roman Antiquity

CLAS 30315
Prof. E. Mazurek, MW 3:30-4:45

This course examines the differing roles and stereotypes, forms of behavior, and values associated with women and men in Greco-Roman antiquity. Special attention is given to the preoccupations of the Greeks and Romans with the categories of ‘female’ and ‘male’ and to the dynamics of relations and relationships between women and men. The course both deepens knowledge of Greco-Roman society and provides an informed background for contemporary gender debates.

Butrint's Buried History

CLAS 30417
Prof. D. Hernandez, TTh 3:30-4:45

This course examines the archaeology and history of the ancient city of Butrint (Buthrotum), on the basis of current archaeological research directed by Professor Hernandez at the site of the Roman forum. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean, between Italy and Greece, the city has been occupied by Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Angevines, Venetians, Ottomans, and Albanians. Covering a period of more than 3,000 years, the course introduces students to the study of material culture in the context of Mediterranean history, including the methods, results, and theory of archaeological surveys and excavations. The material examined ranges from buildings, inscriptions, coins, and statues to pottery, glass, bones, and seeds. Topics include the origins of the city as a Greek colonial outpost, the establishment of the Hellenistic sanctuaries of Asclepius and Zeus Soter, the foundation of the Roman colony under Augustus, its transformations into a Byzantine castrum, Venetian enclave, and later an Ottoman stronghold, as well as its current status as the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in the country of Albania.
Major themes include society, slavery, religion, architecture, urbanism, colonization, imperialism, laws, acculturation, ethnic identity, and the natural environment. No background in archaeology or history is required.

Archaeology of Early Rome: Etruscans to Augustus

CLAS 40404/60404
Prof. D. Hernandez, TTh 9:30-10:45

This course examines the archaeology of early Rome, from the Etruscans to the reign of Augustus. The aim of the course is to introduce students to the analysis and interpretation of Roman archaeological sites, monuments, art, and artifacts, related to prehistoric Italy, the Roman Republic, and the early Roman Empire. On the basis of material evidence, the course will trace the changing culture of the Roman people and attempt to reconstruct what life might have been like in the Roman Regal and Republican periods and during the "Golden Age" of Augustus. In addition to exploring a wide range of material evidence from both Italy and the provinces, including architecture, coins, inscriptions, sculpture, paintings, ceramics, and other artifacts, the course also considers the methods, results, and theory of archaeological research, particularly in the areas of field excavation and intensive surface survey. Major themes to be discussed in the course include Roman imperialism, acculturation (especially so-called "Romanization"), ethnicity, urbanism, engineering, paganism, the imperial cult (emperor worship), death and burial, politics, economics, and the discrepant identities of women, children, slaves, freedmen, and freeborn in early Rome.

Honors Seminar

CLAS 53100
Prof. T. Mazurek, F 12:50-1:40

Spring 2024

LITERATURE UNIVERSITY SEMINAR: THE MYTH OF TROY

CLAS 13186
Prof. E. Mazurek, MW 3:30-4:45

Troy, the first great city represented in Western literature, inspired a cycle of myths that fascinated ancient Greek and Roman writers from Homer in the 8th century BC to Ovid in the 1st century AD. This seminar will focus on Trojan War mythology as it appears in ancient Greek and Roman poetry written by a variety of authors in different time periods—e.g., Homer’s Iliad, Euripides’ Iphigeneia at Aulis, Vergil’s Aeneid, Ovid’s Metamorphoses. It will also explore modern receptions of Trojan War mythology in recent literature and film—e.g., Wolfgang Petersen’s Troy (2004), Alice Oswald's Memorial (2013). Our goal will be to examine continuities and changes in treatments of the myth over time and, in the process, to learn about the history of classical literature and its influences on contemporary culture.

UNIVERSITY SEMINAR: VISIONS OF CLEOPATRA

CLAS 13186 Literature University Seminar
Prof. B. Lott, TR 11:00-12:15

“How would you like to be the wickedest woman in history?” is how Cecil B. DeMille offered the leading role to Claudette Colbert for the 1934 movie Cleopatra. Around the same time, a historian wrote “The true history of Antony and Cleopatra will probably never be known; it is buried too deep beneath the version of the victors.” This course examines both the historian's question "who was Cleopatra?" and her immediate transformation into an historical myth, a staple of literature and a cultural lens through which the political, aesthetic, and moral sensibilities of different eras up to the present have been focused. In this course we examine the historical evidence for the life of Cleopatra alongside a recent biography before to considering literary and cultural receptions by reading versions of Cleopatra’s story from ancient Rome to Shakespeare, Gauthier, Shaw, and Elizabeth Taylor.

ENCOUNTERING THE DIVINE IN GREEK, ROMAN AND BIBLICAL STORIES

CLAS 20065
Prof. A. Tagliabue, MW 11:00-12:15
Fulfills new Core Literature requirement (WKLI)

HISTORY OF ROME II: THE EMPIRE

CLAS 20203
Prof. D. Hernandez, TTh 11:00-12:15

This course examines the history of the Roman Empire, from the establishment of a veiled monarchy under Augustus to the Christianization of the empire following the reign of Constantine (ca. 1st century B.C. to 5th century A.D). Throughout the course, we will analyze and interpret ancient textual and archaeological evidence, from both Italy and the provinces, to assess the multi-faceted institutions and cultures of the Roman people. This body of material includes the writings of emperors (Augustus, Marcus Aurelius) and ancient historians (Tacitus, Suetonius, Ammianus Marcellinus), as well as the personal letters of Pliny to the emperor Trajan. Major themes discussed in the course include the nature of despotism, dynasties and the problem of succession; imperial governance of the Mediterranean (central, provincial, and local); cultural diversity and acculturation (so-called "Romanization"); religions and the imperial cult (worship of the Roman emperor); citizenship; urbanism, politics, and the economy; mortality and ecology; and the discrepant identities of women, children, slaves, freedmen, and freeborn under the imperial system of Rome.

GREEK AND ROMAN EPIC

CLAS 20340
Prof. M. Bloomer, MW 9:30-10:45

Epic poetry has been for many peoples in many places the tales of the tribe, i.e., the stories that stand at the beginning of that group’s identities. The poems have been a way to transmit this identity and the values which underly them. They are in short a way of understanding the world and especially of man’s and woman’s place in the world. The aims of this course are simple if hopeful: students will come to understand the chief epic poems of the ancient world. This entails a familiarity with the literary and cultural worlds of the poems and with the methods of interpretation that stretch from Homer's contemporaries in the seventh century BC through the insights of nineteenth and twentieth century intellectuals and artists. The ongoing life of the poems will be a subject to which our focus will repeatedly return.

ANCIENT SPORT AND SOCIETY

CLAS 30027
Prof. L. Grillo, MW 9:25-10:15, F Discussion groups 9:25-10:15

In the modern world, sports and sport-like spectacles are a source of livelihood, entertainment, and social interaction for huge swathes of the global population. Fans and practitioners of physical feats of strength were likewise a major component of ancient Greco-Roman society, from the earliest Olympic Games at the dawn of Greek history to the gladiatorial contests and chariot races that characterized the most decadent phases of the Roman Empire. The purpose of this course is to provide an interdisciplinary examination of the origin and nature of sport and spectacle in the Classical world and to compare the role that athletics played in ancient society to the position it occupies in our own lives - from the point of view of athletes, spectators, and patrons alike. Topics covered will include: Near Eastern precursors to Greco-Roman sport; the development of Greek and Roman sport and spectacle through time, the Olympic Games; the role of religious thought in ancient sport; the position of the athlete within society; ancient and modern rewards for athletic valor; athletes in architecture, literature, and art; and the political appropriation of athletes and athletics. The course will focus mostly on formal athletic contests in ancient Greece and on athletic spectacles in ancient Rome, but general recreation and physical education will be considered as well.

ROMAN LAW AND GOVERNANCE

CLAS 30210
Prof. T. Mazurek, MWF 11:30-12:20

An introduction to the nature and influence of Roman law, one of the most celebrated and distinctive elements of ancient Roman culture. The course surveys the development of Roman civil law from the very early and enigmatic Twelve Tables to the very late and amazingly great Digest of Justinian. Topics covered include legal procedures, the creation of law, and Roman jurisprudence, all of which are studied in the broad context of Roman government and administration. The lasting effects of Roman law on modern legal systems are also considered.

GREEK ARCHAEOLOGY II: CLASSICAL, HELLENISTIC AND EARLY ROMAN IMPERIAL

CLAS 40305/60305
Prof. D. Hernandez, TTh 3:30-4:45

This course provides an in-depth introduction to the archaeology of the ancient Greek world, focusing on the Classical, Hellenistic and Early Roman Imperial periods (ca. 480 BC to AD 138). The survey of material culture traces the development of architecture, painting, sculpture, coinage, and other archaeological material in relation to cultural, political, social and philosophical issues. The course explores the urban, sacred, rural, funerary and provincial landscapes of Greece and introduces students to the analysis and interpretation of archaeological sites, monuments, artifacts, and art. Topics include the Athenian Acropolis in the age of Pericles, the masterpieces of Praxiteles and Lysippos, the creation of the Roman province of Greece under Augustus, and Hadrian’s Roman Agora in Athens, as well as the methods, results, and theory of archaeological research in the areas of field excavation and intensive surface survey. Through the material record, the course attempts to reconstruct what life might have been like in ancient Greece.

WRITING HISTORY IN ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME

CLAS 40820
Prof. C. Baron, TTh 2:00-3:15

Herodotus has been called both the "Father of History" and the "Father of Lies." Thucydides is revered by some as the first "scientific" historian; others deny him the title of historian altogether. The most famous tales in Roman history come from the early books of Livy, and yet it is unlikely that he had any way of obtaining reliable information for that period. The historians of the classical Greek and Roman world stand among the greatest writers of the Western tradition. But to what extent were they performing the task that we call "history?" How did the ancient historians envision their project? What claims to knowledge did history make, and how did these differ from other forms of knowledge? In this course we will survey (in English translation) the works of seven of the major historians of ancient Greece and Rome: the Greek authors Herodotus, Thucydides, and Polybius, and the Roman authors Sallust, Livy, Tacitus, and Ammianus Marcellinus. Our survey will take us through a vast expanse of time (the 5th century BC to the 4th century AD) and space (from Iberia to the Russian steppe, from the North Sea to North Africa). We will examine the origins of ancient historiography, the methods espoused and practiced by Greek and Roman historians, the effect of political and social changes on the writing of history, the place and purpose of history in Greek and Roman culture, and the relationship of ancient historical writing to that of modern scholars.

Fall 2023

USEM: VISIONS OF HELEN: EPIC, TRAGIC, LYRIC, FILM

CLAS 13186 01
Prof. M. Bloomer, TR 9:30-10:45

Helen is the troubling (anti)heroine of Homer's epic, but she enjoyed a long literary and cultural life after the epic poems as thinkers--writers, artists, philosophers--kept trying to explain, undercut or finally liberate her role. The American poet H.D. wrote "All Greece hates Helen" in a short poem plumbing the traditional misogynistic emotions crystallizing in her and then wrote an epic poem about Helen in Egypt. We shall study the images of Helen in art and literature from the mythology and folklore of archaic Greece to the Homeric poems and on into tragedy, lyric poetry, farce, opera. Modern works in addition to opera will focus chiefly on American poetry of the last century. We shall also consider her rivals--those figures who try to appropriate her power, her exclusion, her iterability in the Western imagination.

LITERATURE UNIVERSITY SEMINAR: THE MYTH OF TROY

USEM 13186 02
Prof. E. Mazurek

ROMAN HISTORY I: THE REPUBLIC

CLAS 20202
Prof. D. Hernandez, MW 2:00-2:50, F Discussion groups 2:00-2:50

We will use ancient sources, material evidence and modern scholarship to attempt and reconstruct the first seven centuries of Roman history, broadly speaking, from the foundation of Rome (and the murder of Remus) to the murder of Julius Caesar and the civil war. Throughout the course, we will ask two main questions: how did the Romans manage to transform their small town into a world power in a few centuries? That is, why did the Romans, and not any other people, manage to conquer and unify the entire Mediterranean? Secondly, we will discuss the political, social and cultural consequences of this transformation. These questions exercised the Romans themselves, and some of the responses they gave will be considered in light of current scholarship. Within a broad chronological framework, we will also discuss aspects of daily life in ancient Rome: what was life like for normal people, including women and slaves, in the Roman Republic? And how was the majority of the people affected by historical change?

Ancient Heroes: From Achilles to the Avengers

CLAS 20350
Prof. A. Tagliabue, MW 11:30-12:20; Discussion groups F 11:30-12:20

Do you feel restless? Are you searching for an answer to the meaning of your life?

The ancient Greeks and Romans asked themselves questions like these all the time. Their desire for happiness led to the creation of many heroes and heroines, from the warlike Achilles to the cunning Odysseus, and from the witch Medea to the pious Aeneas who rejects the love of the beautiful Dido. All of them had a relatively quiet life until the point that they chose to give up their comforts and reject their complacency: from that moment they became heroines and heroes, since, as Joseph Campbell argued, ‘a hero or a heroine is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself’.

Most of these characters are still famous today. For instance, when George Lucas started the Star Wars Trilogies, he decided to model Luke Skywalker on the life of the ancient heroes Odysseus and Aeneas.

In this class, ancient texts and recent movies will introduce us to the lives of these ancient heroes and heroines, from Achilles to Captain America and Wonder Woman. By studying these special characters we will come to understand their ideals and ambitions, and compare them to our own ideals and ambitions. Are you more fascinated by Achilles’ desire for immortal glory on the battlefield, or by Aeneas’ decision to obey to the will of the gods, regardless of the sacrifice that this implies? This class will raise this and similar questions. Moreover, in their struggle for fulfillment, some of these heroes, like Jason, did not reach the glory they wanted: by reading about their spectacular defeats, we will also reflect on the challenge of suffering our failures and learning from them.

Finally, in the last third of the class, we will compare these heroes and heroines with modern heroes, namely Western heroes, Star Wars Heroes and Heroines, and a selection of the Avengers. For example, Iron Man’s fight against Obadiah Stane will be taken as a contemporary re-enactment of the competition between Odysseus’ cunning and Achilles’ physical violence.

As the Austrian psychoanalyst Otto Rank once said, ‘everyone is a hero or heroine in birth’. If you desire to discover this vocation of yours, and reflect on different paradigms of success and fulfillment, I warmly invite you to join this class.

Then and Now

CSEM 23101
Prof. B. Lott, TTh 9:30-10:45

Here we are at the beginning of the 21st century, yet all around us we continue to see allusions to and creative engagements with Greek and Roman antiquity. From a bestseller list that features a novel claiming to reveal recently discovered books of the Odyssey, to the appropriation of antiquity by white supremacist and ethno-nationalist hate groups, to the use of antiquity in debates about slavery, imperialism, and democracy, to disagreement about the meaning of cultural heritage, the worlds of ancient Greece and Rome remain both viscerally alive and deeply controversial as sources for contemporary cultural production. This course examines the ways in which the study of antiquity can challenge and enrich our experience of the present. To pursue these questions, we read ancient and modern texts, examine material artifacts and their current display, study linguistic evidence, and engage with creative contemporary responses to antiquity.

WORDS AND/OF POWER: THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF PERSUASIVE SPEECH IN GREECE AND ROME

CLAS 30360
Prof. B. Krostenko, TR 3:30-4:45

Rhetoric occupied a prominent place in the democracy of the Athenians and in the republican era of Roman history. This course examines the theory, practice and context of ancient rhetoric, and pays special attention to developments caused by radical changes in the political character of the Athenian and Roman civic communities. Representative readings from Greek and Roman orators and writers on rhetorical theory.

Greek Archaeology

CLAS 40304/60304
Prof. D. Hernandez, MW 2:00-3:15

This course provides an in-depth introduction to the archaeology of ancient Greece, from the Bronze Age to the Early Classical Period (from the 16th to 5th century B.C.). The survey of material culture spans the ancient Aegean and traces its settlement formation and development, beginning with the Minoan and Mycenean civilizations. It explores Archaic and Classical Greece and introduces students to the analysis and interpretation of archaeological sites, monuments, artifacts and art, including the Panhellenic sanctuaries of Olympia and Delphi, and the Athenian Acropolis in the age of Pericles. Students learn how to evaluate the material culture of ancient Greece on the basis of historical and social context. In addition to exploring architecture, coins, inscriptions, sculpture, paintings, ceramics and other ancient material, students also consider the methods, results, and theory of archaeological research, in the areas of field excavation and intensive surface survey. Through the material record, the course attempts to reconstruct what life might have been like in ancient Greece.

GREEK HISTORY SEMINAR: THE HELLENISTIC WORLD

CLAS 63019
Prof. C. Baron, M 3:30-6:15

This graduate-level ancient history seminar offers an in-depth study of the Greek world during the Hellenistic and Roman periods, from 323 BCE to 180 CE. Topics include the political, social, economic, and military organization of various states and regions; developments in literary and artistic production; and interactions between the various peoples of the Mediterranean basin, including Greeks, Romans, Jews, Egyptians, and others. Sources will mostly be read in translation, but students will be expected to utilize their Greek (and Latin) reading skills.

Spring 2023

Rebels in Myth: From Antigone to the Joker

CLAS 10210
Prof. A. Tagliabue, MW 11:30-12:20; Discussion groups F 11:30-12:20

Be content with what you have! Accept your human and social limits, and never try to overcome
them! In their attempt to create a peaceful world (cosmos), ancient Greeks put a high premium
on humans’ acceptance of their natural condition. Those who asked for more were deemed
guilty; their arrogance (hubris) was condemned and punished by the gods.
Did ancient Greeks succeed in creating this peaceful world? Many scholars say yes; this course
will say no. Ancient Greece is filled with stories of rebels who challenge the established order,
and, despite being condemned by their societies, subtly win admiration. Prometheus disobeys the
gods to provide mankind with fire. Antigone and Medea blame the male-centric Athenian society
for not giving a voice to women and foreigners. Plato condemns his contemporaries for failing to
be interested in the truth. Through their lives and suffering, these rebels were making an
important statement: We are unhappy with what we have! We want more, and we are not
ashamed to say this!
The voice of these ancient rebels still resonates today. In this class, the discussion of Prometheus,
Antigone and Plato will be combined with modern and contemporary renderings of their myths,
from Shelley’s Frankenstein and Scott’s 2012 Prometheus to cinematic re-makings of Plato’s
myth of the Cave, such as The Truman Show, Inception and the TV-series Chernobyl. The final
classes will be devoted to recent movies about the Joker, the famous rebel from DC Comics. In
this way, we will discover how myth serves as an expression of human rebellion and desire
across different eras.

Literature University Seminars

CLAS 13186 01: Myth of Troy
Prof. E. Mazurek, MW 3:30-4:45

CLAS 13186 02: Ancient Emotions
Prof. B. Leyerle, TTh 12:30-1:45

Schooling, Self, and Society

CLAS 20095
Prof. W.M. Bloomer, MW 12:30-1:45

Liberal education is one of the greatest cultural achievements of the long Western tradition. But what's the point? And what exactly do we mean by liberal education? Is it education for free people or education to make people free? A people, a group, or just the individual? Privilege or liberation? We will ask why you are pursuing a liberal education. And study where it came from, how it has developed, what are its practices, and what are its justifications. We shall divide our focus between the theory and practice of education. Theorists will include Plato and other ancient, medieval, and early modern thinkers, but we shall devote considerable time to American experiments with liberal education (proponents, critics, opponents). Here we shall read selections from Booker T. Washington, John Dewey, Mortimer Adler, but also the Brazilian Paulo Freire, bell hooks, and contemporary self-described culture warriors. On the practice side: we will consider the materials and conditions of education at various places and times. We shall also practice ourselves some of the ancient and early modern techniques (of writing, reading, memorizing, and performing).

Christianity in the Roman World

CLAS 20225
Prof. H. Müller, MW 3:30-4:45

Ancient Christianity developed and spread in the confines of the Roman World, both directly, under Roman rule, and in constant interchange with classical culture, Roman political and cultural institutions. As a result of its emergence, everything in the Roman world changed: thoughts, beliefs, norms, aesthetic preferences and social norms. But how exactly did that shift happen? What did it mean to become a Christian in the Roman world, and how was Christianity itself shaped by that interaction? In this course, we will explore the social, cultural and political preconditions and consequences of Christianization in late antiquity. We will begin with a look at the ancient Roman world at its height – the age of the Emperor Augustus, which also saw the emergence of the Christian faith – and will go on to consider important steps in the interaction between these two forces: from conflict and persecution to a redefinition of the ancient heritage and a new understanding of Roman-ness in the Western World. Along the way, we will encounter many of the focal issues that shape the interactions between the church and the secular world to this day, as well as challenge every Christian’s views and ethical duties, such as: how did the early Christians/how do we react to phenomena of otherness (migration, minorities, heterodoxy)? How does/did Christianity shape our understanding of the social order, and of gender roles? To which degree should Church and State interact, collaborate, or keep apart (e.g. in the military, the Christian basis of secular power, Christian imperialism)? We will base our discussion on the extant primary sources: Objects of art and architecture, archaeological remains, inscriptions and literary texts. Thus, we will also discuss the theoretical approaches these various documents require, and the methods we employ to understand what they tell us about the past.

The Age of Alexander

CLAS 30112
Prof. C. Baron, TTh 12:30-1:45

Over the course of ten years in the fourth century BCE, King Alexander III of Macedon conquered more territory than any empire had ever previously controlled. His battlefield brilliance and unparalleled success, the vast scale on which he operated, his rapid rise to unimaginable power and his early death (age 33), all combined to leave an indelible impression on his contemporaries. While Alexander barely lived long enough to rule over the empire he had gained, his military conquests engendered far-reaching political, social, cultural, and religious consequences. Historians use his death to mark the beginning of a new era, referred to today as the Hellenistic Age (323–31 BCE).
This course examines the achievements of Alexander and the impact they had on the ancient world. After placing Alexander in the Greek, Macedonian, and Persian cultural contexts in which he lived, we will trace his army’s journey into Asia and back. Next we will turn to a close study of the Hellenistic world: topics include city foundations, political and social institutions, economic developments, cultural interactions, and new directions in literature and science.
Finally, we will address Alexander’s legacy for Greco-Roman antiquity and beyond. Ancient authors and documents will be read in translation.

Democracy Ancient and Modern

CLAS 30117
Prof. T. Mazurek, MW 2:00-3:15

This course examines the theory, practice, and development of ancient Greco-Roman democracy. Particular attention is devoted to comparing ancient with modern forms of self-rule. Among the special topics studied are the origins of Greek democracy, its advantages and disadvantages as a form of government, alternatives to democracy, and democracy as an abiding legacy of classical civilization for the modern world. Familiarity with ancient Greco-Roman history is recommended, but not required.

Crisis of the Roman Republic

CLAS 30215
Prof. B. Krostenko, TTh 11:00-12:15

This course considers the turbulent last decades of the Roman Republic and its fitful conversion into an autocracy. The focus of the course is on the leading figures of these decades—Julius Caesar, Cicero, Pompey, and Marc Antony—and the social and political background of their achievements and their struggles. Elements of that background to be considered include: problems of the economy and of land reform; the struggles between aristocrats and populists; constitutional crises; provincial conquest and exploitation; the role of philosophy; and the use of the lawcourts as a weapon of political competition. The course will close by considering how nascent autocracy addressed the sources of conflict that beset the Republic. Attention will be devoted throughout to the literary and artistic forms of this highly creative period, including invective, judicial, and deliberative oratory, lyric poetry, satire, and didactic poetry. Authors to be considered include Cicero, Caesar, Lucretius, Catullus, Horace, Vergil, Plutarch, and Suetonius.

Fall 2022

Ancient Greece & Rome

CLAS 10100
Prof. T. Mazurek, MWF 11:30-12:20

This first-year course introduces the general history and culture of ancient Greece and Rome to students coming to the subject for the first time. Literary texts central to the ancient Greek and Roman traditions receive prime attention, including works by Homer, Plato, Cicero and Virgil, but students are also exposed to the importance of learning from documentary texts, archeology, and art history. Topics discussed include concepts of divinity and humanity, heroism and virtue, gender, democracy, empire, and civic identity, and how they changed in meaning over time. The course allows students to develop a rich appreciation for the Greek and Roman roots of their own lives, and prepares them to study the Greco-Roman past at more advanced levels. Offered annually.

USEM: National(ist) Epics: Identity and History in Five Epic Poems

CLAS 13186 Literature University Seminar
Prof. B. Krostenko, TR 9:30-10:45

What makes the identity of a nation? How are cultural truths or national myths drawn from historical events? What is the value, and the price, of creating a national myth? How do individuals find their place in their nations? In the Western tradition, epic poetry, which blends the symbolic, the historical, the personal, and the national, has been a prime vehicle for reflecting on such questions. Those questions will guide our approach to five epic poems from different stages of European history considered classics by their cultures. Homer’s Iliad (7th–6th c. BC?), drawing on much older bardic traditions, is a tale of war and honor set during the siege of Troy, a defining moment of the Greek experience. The Odyssey is the tale of the return home of a veteran of the sack of Troy and his reintegration into society. Vergil’s Aeneid (1st c. BC) is a mythic treatment of the birth of Rome, considering its glory and its costs. The Song of the Nibelungs (12th c. AD) is a German tale of romance, revenge, and honor set at the court of the Burgundians. Adam Mickiewicz’s Pan Tadeusz (19th c.), set chiefly in 1811, recounts the tale of two feuding noble families against the backdrop of the ‘Third Partition,’ when Poland had been divided up between Russia, Austria and Prussia and when hopes were high that Napoleon’s army would liberate Poland.

The History of Ancient Greece

CLAS 20105
Prof. C. Baron, MWF 9:25-10:15

An outline introduction to the history of ancient Greece from the Bronze Age to the Roman conquest. The topics covered include the rise of the distinctive Greek city-state (the polis), Greek relations with Persia, Greek experiments with democracy, oligarchy, and empire, the great war between Athens and Sparta, the rise to power of Philip and Alexander of Macedon, and the Greeks’ eventual submission to Rome. Readings include narrative, documentary, and archeological sources. The course prepares students for more detailed courses in ancient history. Offered biennially.

History of Architecture I

CLAS 20411
Prof. R. Rhodes, TR 11:00-1:15

In this course the development of Greek and Roman monumental architecture and the major problems that define them will be traced from the Mycenaean Period, through the formation and development of the classical Greek orders and building types (including the role of Egypt in their origins), through the various intersections of Greek and Roman culture and the role of both traditions in the architecture of Italy from the Etruscan occupation of Rome through the reign of the emperor Hadrian. Among themes to be treated are the relationship between landscape and religious architecture, between religious ritual and monumentality; the conception of divinity as expressed in the character of temple architecture; the architectural expression of religious tradition and even specific history; architectural procession and hieratic direction; the role of emblem and narrative in architectural sculpture; symbolism and allusion through architectural order, religious revival and archaism, and the breaking of architectural and religious canon.

Sex and Gender in Greco-Roman Antiquity

CLAS 30315
Prof. E. Mazurek, MW 3:30-4:45

Honors Seminar

CLAS 53100
Prof. C. Schlegel, M R 5:05-6:20

Spring 2022

USEM: Visions of Cleopatra

CLAS 13186 Literature University Seminar
Prof. B. Lott, TR 3:30-4:45

Greek Theater

CLAS 20125
Prof. A. Melzer, MW 12:30-1:45

History of Rome II: The Empire

CLAS 20203
Prof. D. Hernandez, MW 10:30-11:20; F Discussion groups 10:30-11:20

Ancient and Modern Slavery

CLAS 20325
Profs. L. Grillo and C. Sedmak, MW 11:30-12:20; F Discussion groups 11:30-12:20

This course aims at establishing a conversation between past and present and between the conceptions, justifications, laws, practices, and experiences of slavery in different cultures. To this goal, we will start from the Greeks and the Romans and then explore forms of contemporary slavery in Europe and beyond including a social ethics lens. An initial comparison between Greek and Roman conceptions of slavery will introduce the students to the variety of the phenomenon: for the Greeks, slavery depended on the superiority of some races over others, and this superiority was so self-evident that it needed no demonstration. It logically follows that they saw slavery as natural, racial, and permanent. Romans practiced slavery on a larger scale, but saw it as a necessary evil, which depended on the bad luck of single individuals and therefore was not necessarily permanent nor racially based. The contract between these two conceptions will provide a blueprint to look at later conceptions of slavery. It will also introduce an interdisciplinary approach, to explore slavery especially from a philosophical, moral, legal, economical, and human point of view.

Roman Criminal Law

CLAS 30211
Prof. T. Mazurek, MWF 2:00-2:50

Perhaps our greatest inheritance from the ancient Romans is their law code and legal procedures. Students will study the development of Roman criminal law from the 12 Tables to the late antique period, including the emergence of jury courts and the persecution of Christians and heretics. By studying primary sources like Cicero's speeches and laws etched in bronze tablets, students will explore the seedy side of Roman life. Topics for discussion include murder, sorcery, bribery, forgery, treason, extortion, and adultery. This course will not duplicate, but complement, Roman Law and Governance (CLAS 30210).

Words and/of Power: The Theory and Practice of Persuasive Speech in Greece and Rome

CLAS 30360
Prof. B. Krostenko, TR 12:30-1:45

Greek Archaeology II: Classical, Hellenistic and Early Roman Imperial

CLAS 40305/60305
Prof. D. Hernandez, MW 2:00-3:15

Proseminar in Early Christian Studies: Theoretical Approaches

CLAS 63501
Prof. B. Leyerle, TR 12:30-1:45

The Proseminar in Early Christian Studies will examine some of the most prominent theoretical models used in the study of early Christianity. We will read selections from classic works by Weber, Engels, Douglas, Freud, Foucault, Bourdieu, DeCerteau, and Bhabha, among others. At the same time, we will discuss a selection of recent articles and chapters, which draw on these theoretical models and insights to illuminate aspects of early Christianity.

Fall 2021

USEM

CLAS 13186 University Literature Seminar: National(ist?) Epics: Identity and History in Five Epic Poems
Prof. B. Krostenko, TR 3:30-4:45

What makes the identity of a nation? How are cultural truths or national myths drawn from historical events? What is the value, and the price, of creating a national myth? How do individuals find their place in their nations? In the Western tradition, epic poetry, which blends the symbolic, the historical, the personal, and the national, has been a prime vehicle for reflecting on such questions. Those questions will guide our approach to five epic poems from different stages of European history considered classics by their cultures. Homer’s Iliad (7th–6th c. BC?), drawing on much older bardic traditions, is a tale of war and honor set during the siege of Troy, a defining moment of the Greek experience. The Odyssey is the tale of the return home of a veteran of the sack of Troy and his reintegration into society. Vergil’s Aeneid (1st c. BC) is a mythic treatment of the birth of Rome, considering its glory and its costs. The Song of the Nibelungs (12th c. AD) is a German tale of romance, revenge, and honor set at the court of the Burgundians. Adam Mickiewicz’s Pan Tadeusz (19th c.), set chiefly in 1811, recounts the tale of two feuding noble families against the backdrop of the ‘Third Partition,’ when Poland had been divided up between Russia, Austria and Prussia and when hopes were high that Napoleon’s army would liberate Poland.

Roman History I: the Republic

CLAS 20202
Prof. D. Hernandez, MW 10:30-11:20, F Discussion groups 10:30-11:20

Sport and Society

CLAS 30027
Prof. L. Grillo, MW 11:30-12:20, F Discussion groups 11:30-12:20

Greek and Roman Epic

CLAS 20340
Prof. A. Melzer, MW 3:30-4:45

Humans have told stories about sprawling battles, voyages across the world, and larger-than-life heroes for thousands of years. Why are tales of such gigantic proportion so impactful for the individual? What about the human experience is captured so thrillingly by myths spanning years and miles? In this introductory-level class, we will read excerpts from the epic literature of ancient Greece and Rome in order to explore these questions and many more. We will encounter cosmic creation and political foundation through Hesiod’s Theogony and Virgil’s Aeneid, the enormity of war and its aftermath in Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, and stories of quests, magic, and transformation in the Argonautica by Apollonius of Rhodes and Ovid’s Metamorphoses. We will also take a look outside Greece and Rome to compare large-scale storytelling in different cultures, and outside the conventional examples of epic to compare the traditions of the genre to authors who play with those traditions. In all of our readings, we will collaboratively confront what the genre of ‘epic’ means, the cultural contexts of its production, and the profound impact it still has on audiences today.

Greek Archaeology: Bronze Age to Early Classical

CLAS 40304/60304
Prof. D. Hernandez, MW 2:00-3:15

Honors Seminar

CLAS 53100
Prof. K. Schlegel, MTh 5:05-6:20

Students wishing to apply for honors should have an essay proposal ready to submit on the first day of class. To prepare the proposal, during the spring semester students will meet with a professor willing to advise them who has expertise in their field of interest and who can make suggestions to help them prepare a preliminary bibliography (submitted with the proposal) for their essay during the summer. Summer reading is indispensable for the work in the fall. Ideally the senior essay is based on a work a student has already done for a previous project, but this is not a requirement. The essay is written in prescribed stages for which deadlines are strictly enforced. The instructor of the honors’ seminar is the student’s second reader and advisor.

Greek History Seminar: The Hellenistic World

CLAS 63019
Prof. C. Baron, M 3:30-6:15

Spring 2021

Eternal Rome: The Archaeology and History of the Ancient City

CLAS 10030 01
Prof. D. Hernandez, TR 2:20-3:35

Two thousand years ago, Rome was the capital of an empire stretching across the Mediterranean, from England, Spain and North Africa to Turkey, Iraq and Egypt. Built from the wealth of its expansive dominion, it was the greatest metropolis on earth, at the center of a vast web of interconnected regions and cultures. The city has remained the focus of the Catholic Church and Christianity in Europe for more than 1500 years. Since antiquity, Rome has welcomed many of the world’s greatest intellectuals, artists, and historical figures. Once at the heart of the Italian Renaissance and now capital of Italy, Rome remains preeminent in the world.

This course explores the art, archaeology, history, literature, and urban development of the eternal city, from its legendary Trojan origins to modern times, a period which spans almost three thousand years. The course provides a comprehensive survey of Rome, primarily through the examination of its history and material culture (e.g., architecture, inscriptions, paintings, coins, etc.). We will explore the major archaeological sites and museums, to examine how Rome’s monuments and artifacts reflect the social, political, and religious outlook of Roman society over time. As the largest archaeological site in the world, Rome offers an unparalleled insight into the genesis and development of Europe—its history, art, architecture, literature, philosophies, institutions, and heritage—and thereby provides a deeper glimpse of humanity.

Literature University Seminars

USEM: Ancient Emotions

CLAS 13186 01
Prof. B. Leyerle, TR 3:55-5:10

Why do people react as they do? How can feelings be manipulated? And what is the role of emotion in life and literature? A desire to explore these questions will lead us in this seminar to read and discuss an assortment of ancient texts, ranging from the influential definitions of emotions penned by philosophers (especially Aristotle and the Stoics), to the “case studies” provided by classical drama and epic, to the various therapeutic strategies urged by early Christian preachers (especially John Chrysostom). Throughout the semester, we will bring modern studies of the emotions and current therapeutic approaches into dialogue with these ancient sources.

USEM: Visions of Helen: Epic, tragic, lyric, film

CLAS 13186 02
Prof. M. Bloomer, TR 9:35-10:50

Ancient Heroes: from Achilles to the Avengers

CLAS 20350
Prof. A. Tagliabue, MWF 11:40-12:30

Do you feel restless? Are you searching for an answer to the meaning of your life?

The Age of Alexander the Great

CLAS 30112
Prof. C. Baron, MW 2:20-3:35

This course examines the military achievements of Alexander of Macedon (356-323 B.C.) and their far-reaching political, social, cultural, and religious consequences. Topics covered include the Greek, Macedonian, Persian, and other cultural contexts of the time, Alexander's attitude toward divinity (including his own), his concept of empire, his generalship, and his legacy for Greco-Roman antiquity. Particular attention is devoted to representations of Alexander through the ages, beginning during his own lifetime with the accounts of ancient writers–historians and others–down to novels and films of the present day. Ancient authors and documents are read in translation.

Roman Law and Governance

CLAS 30210
Prof. T. Mazurek, MWF 11:40-12:30

An introduction to the nature and influence of Roman law, one of the most celebrated and distinctive elements of ancient Roman culture. The course surveys the development of Roman civil and criminal law from the very early and enigmatic Twelve Tables to the very late and amazingly great Digest of Justinian. Topics covered include legal procedures, the creation of law, and Roman jurisprudence, all of which are studied in the broad context of Roman government and administration. The lasting effects of Roman law on modern legal systems are also considered.

The Age of Caesar

CLAS 30905
Prof. B. Krostenko, TR 2:20-3:35

Julius Caesar, general and poet, dictator and grammarian, historian and savior (or destroyer?) of the Roman Republic, has been a fascinating figure since his own day. This course considers his life and times: his rise to supreme power; his military campaigns at home and abroad; the vibrant artistic and cultural productions of Caesar's generation; the other impressive figures, like Pompey and Marc Antony, with whom he shared the world stage; the pressing public issues of the late Roman Republic with which Caesar grappled; and the relationship of Caesar’s achievements to the birth of the Roman Empire. The course will also briefly consider the place of Caesar in later thought. Primary readings will be taken from the histories of Plutarch, Suetonius, and Caesar himself; the oratory, philosophy, and letters of Cicero; the poetry of Lucretius, Catullus, and Shakespeare; and others.

Medicine and Health(care) in the Ancient and Early Christian World

CLAS 40277
Prof. B. Leyerle, TR 11:10-12:25

This class examines the intellectual, practical, and social dimensions of medicine in the ancient and early Christian world. We will focus first on the nature and development of ancient medical thought, especially in the writings of Hippocrates and Galen. What were its dietetic, pharmacological, and surgical practices? What diseases did patients have? How did doctors understand disease and practice their craft? What instruments did they use? Then, we will turn to the early Christian world to see how this knowledge influenced miracle narratives, dietary regimes, and the reputation for holiness. Finally, we will examine the birth of the hospital as a monastic institution.

Archaeology of Imperial Rome: Caesar to Constantine

CLAS 40405
Prof. D. Hernandez, TR 12:45-2:00

This course examines the archaeology of the Roman Empire, from the rise of Julius Caesar to the reign of Constantine. Students analyze and interpret material evidence from the ancient Roman world, from both Italy and the provinces, and assess the multi-faceted histories and cultures of the Roman people. The aim of the course is to introduce students to the analysis and interpretation of Roman material culture, particularly archaeological sites, monuments and art. The course traces the formation and development of the Roman Empire across the Mediterranean, beginning with the “Golden Age” of Augustus, and attempts to reconstruct what life might have been like in ancient Rome, Pompeii and in the Roman provinces, particularly Roman Greece. In addition to exploring architecture, coins, inscriptions, sculpture, paintings, ceramics and other ancient material, students also consider the methods, results, and theory of archaeological research, in the areas of field excavation and intensive surface survey. Major themes to be discussed include Roman imperialism, acculturation (especially so-called “Romanization”), ethnicity, urbanism, government, paganism, the imperial cult (emperor worship), death and burial, Christianity, and the discrepant identities of women, children, slaves, freedmen, and freeborn under imperial Rome.

Classical Literature and its English Reception

CLAS 40450
Prof. C. Schlegel, MW 3:55-5:10

Ancient Greek and Latin literature – history, epic, tragedy, novels, oratory – has a second life in English literature as it is reproduced, echoed, or recalled. Pairing important works in Greek and Roman literature (in translation) with works of English literature, this course will look at some of the ways that writers in English have used the traditions of western antiquity. Shakespeare uses Julius Caesar and Ovid, Milton reanimates Hesiod and Vergil, Alexander Pope and James Joyce share a Homeric inspiration but little else, and Victorian novelists plunder their classical educations to raise up and to tear down the social pretensions of their time. Students will study the ancient texts in their own right and will develop skills in interpreting the remarkable range of uses to which they are put by their modern translations, borrowings, and adaptations.

Fall 2020

Eternal Rome: The Archaeology and History of the Ancient City

CLAS 10030 01
Prof. D. Hernandez

Rebels in Myth: From Antigone to the Joker

CLAS 10210
Prof. A. Tagliabue
Fulfills Literature Requirement

In the ancient world, both Greeks and Romans have strived to create order and peace in their society, and have used both religion and politics to achieve this goal. And yet, from the beginning of the Greek world to the rise of the Roman Empire, order and peace were often considered obstacles to one’s happiness and freedom.

Ancient Greek and Roman myths often give voice to this unanswered desire for happiness and freedom. What is myth? A collection of traditional stories about the life of ancient gods, heroes, humans and monsters.

This class will explore the myths of famous rebels, from Prometheus who challenges the divine order, to Antigone and Medea, both of whom publicly blame the male-centric Athenian society for not giving voice to women and foreigners, and, finally, to Socrates and Plato, who condemn the contemporary world for its contentment with appearances and disinterest in the truth.

Since these rebels are still relevant to our society, the discussion of their stories will be combined with modern, contemporary renderings of the same myths, starting from the use of Prometheus as a metaphor for scientific progress (as in Scott’s 2012 movie) and contemporary re-makings of Antigone and Medea’s myths.

Furthermore, the final weeks of this class will be devoted to the exploration of rebels in contemporary superheroes stories, such as The Joker and Green Goblin. In this way, it will be demonstrated that the function of myth as an expression of human rebellion and desire is universal.

The History of Ancient Greece

CLAS 20105 01 (Cross-listed with HIST 30230, CNST 20603)
Prof. C. Baron

A weekly discussion group required for those registered for CLAS 20105, The History of Ancient Greece, or its cross-lists.

Greek Art and Architecture

CLAS 30405/60405 (ARHI 30120/60120 primary department)
Prof. R. Rhodes
Fulfills Fine Arts Requirement

This course analyzes and traces the development of Greek architecture, painting and sculpture in the historical period, from the eighth through the second centuries BC, with some consideration of prehistoric Greek forebears of the Mycenaean Age. Particular emphasis is placed upon monumental art, its historical and cultural contexts, and how it reflects changing attitudes towards the gods, human achievement, and the relationship between the divine and the human.

Demonology in Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages

CLAS 40039/60039 (MI 40039/60039 primary department)
Prof. W-M. Stock

A belief in daemons has been and is even still, in some places and cultures, widespread. The course will address human understanding of the daemonic as a cultural, theological and philosophical phenomenon. The main focus will be on Late Antiquity. After considering the philosophical tradition from the Presocratics to Plato and the Stoics, we shall focus on later thinkers, especially Plutarch, Plotinus, Porphyry, Iamblichus and Proclus. Furthermore, we will read some Christian authors in Late Antiquity and the early Middle Ages. Central questions are: What are daemons? How do they differ from gods or human beings? What is their function in the universe and what effect do they have on human beings and the world? Are they supplementary to standard ideas of the divine or in some sense contrary to such ideas? Are daemons good or evil? What is a guardian spirit? Is the guardian spirit internal and external? How do daemons affect human beings? What is Socrates' daimonic sign? Why and how do daemons become evil forces in Christianity? Most texts will be read in translation, but we will also look at selected passages in Greek or Latin (for those who read these languages; they are not a requirement for the course). The course is by design a graduate course, but is open to well-qualified undergraduates.

Conversions in history and literature: A driving factor, a troubling legacy

CLAS 20600
Prof. H. Müller

Every world religion started with a multitude of conversions – some of them voluntary, some enforced, some sincere, others opportunistic. The Christian religion, in particular, identifies in its early stages almost seamlessly with the phenomenon and the dynamics of conversion. Thus, early Christian literature and history offers some of the best-known conversion accounts (such as Augustine’s Confessions) as well as some of the most disturbing accounts of forceful conversion (such as the Christianization of large parts of Europe under the Carolingian rulers). But the topic should not be viewed as belonging to Christianity alone, and possibly not even to religion alone.

The course provides an opportunity to look into the phenomenon of conversion from many angles: as a psychological, historical and literary subject, as an issue touching upon postcolonial and feminist studies. This multipronged approach will hopefully shed new light even on well-known literary narratives and historical accounts.

Archaeology of Early Rome: Etruscans to Augustus

CLAS 40404/60404
Prof. D. Hernandez

Honors Seminar

CLAS 53100
Prof. C. Schlegel

This course is offered each fall semester and is a requirement for all majors in Classics and Greek and Roman Civilization who wish to receive an honors degree. It is designed to provide structure for writing an honors' thesis (which must be completed by the day before Thanksgiving), to introduce students to scholarly methods of research, and to reflect on the value of studying classical antiquity. The course is scheduled concurrent with the weekly graduate proseminar that introduces students to various aspects of Classical scholarship. Students wishing to apply for honors should have an essay proposal ready to submit on the first day of class. To prepare the proposal, during the spring semester students will need to meet with a professor willing to advise them who has expertise in their field of interest and who can make suggestions to help them prepare a preliminary bibliography (submitted with the proposal) for their essay during the summer. Ideally the senior essay is based on a research paper a student has already written for a previous project, but this is not a requirement. The instructor of the honors' seminar is the student's second reader and advisor.

Spring 2020

Ancient Empires and Imperialism through the Ages

CLAS 10130/20130
C. Baron
MWF 10:30-11:20
Fulfills new Core History Requirement (WKHI)

Across the globe and through nearly every period in human history, we find evidence for political states expanding their power and gaining control over their neighbors, near and far: in a word, empires. In this course, we will study a broad selection of pre-modern empires in an attempt to understand what an "empire" is, how empires arise (and fall), what features various empires have had in common, and how they have differed in terms of their political, social, and economic governance. We will pay special attention to imperial methods of control and communication and the nature of the relationship between rulers and ruled, including attempts at integration and resistance. The societies we will study include the Ancient Near East, Persia, Greece and Macedonia, India, Rome, China, and Mesoamerica, as they are revealed through the evidence of art, law, literature, and religion. We will also try to tackle the notion of "imperialism," a term first coined in 19th century England–and one which now holds a negative connotation (the over-reaching of an imperial power). Can the modern term "imperialism" be usefully applied to ancient empires? And, in the other direction, can our ancient examples shed light on modern empires and imperialism?

USEM: Ancient Emotions

CLAS 13186 01
B. Leyerle
TR 3:30-4:45
Fulfills new Core Literature Requirement (WKLI)

Ancient literature shows an intense interest in the topic of emotions. Epic and drama delved into the question of why people react as they do, and philosophers and rhetoricians explored how feelings could be aroused and dispelled. In this seminar, we will read and discuss an assortment of these ancient texts, ranging from the “case studies” provided by Homer, Euripides, and Sophocles, and the influential definitions of emotions penned by Aristotle and Galen, to the various therapeutic strategies urged by classical writers, such as Seneca and Plutarch, as well as a few early Christian preachers, such as Basil of Caesarea and John Chrysostom. Throughout the semester, we will bring modern studies of the emotions (in film as well as print), and current therapeutic approaches into dialogue with these ancient sources. Requirements include creative and analytical writing assignments, participation in the staging of a dramatic scene, and an objective midterm and final exam.

Encountering the Divine in Greek, Roman and Biblical Stories

CLAS 20065
A. Tagliabue
TR 9:30-10:45
Fulfills new Core Literature requirement (WKLI)

Have you ever encountered something or someone exceptional in your life? If you were lucky enough to have such an experience, how did you communicate it to your family, friends and schoolmates? Did you give specific details about this encounter, or did you rather focus on your own emotions at that time? In the Greco-Roman and Biblical world, many people had exceptional encounters mostly with gods and divine-like figures. Most of these encounters are conveyed to us in the form of engaging narratives, which will be the focus of this class. We will start from accounts of divine encounters in human life, ranging from Homeric Hymns to the Biblical stories of Abraham Jacob, and from the Gospel narratives down to Apuleius' Metamorphoses, the story of a man transformed into an ass and then saved by the Egyptian goddess Isis. Then, we will focus on the Biblical and tragic stories of unjust sufferers such as Job and Oedipus, who, motivated by the desire to understand their suffering, decided to talk with God and the Olympian gods respectively. Finally, we will explore stories whose narrators struggle to provide details of their encounters with gods because the divine presence is beyond human time and space, and therefore their accounts are filled with chronological disorder and repetition. Here Aristides' account of the dreams in which the god Asclepius appeared to him will be followed by Longus' providential story of Daphnis and Chloe, and by a selection of early Christian martyrdom stories. Augustine's Confessions will conclude the class, since this text includes most of the ancient approaches to the divine. The entire class will be discussion-based, so that we will help each other to become immersed into the world of ancient stories about the divine. I hope this class will highlight the differences between Greek, Roman and Biblical responses to the gods, and reflect on the way in which each of us understands and narrates the exceptional encounters of our own life.

History of Rome II: The Empire

CLAS 20203
D. Hernandez
MW 12:50-1:40; F 12:50-1:40 (Discussion groups)
Fulfills new Core History Requirement (WKHI)

Introduction to the Art of Ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt and the Near East

CLAS 20400 (Cross-list ARHI 20100)
Prof. R. Rhodes
TR 11:00-12:15
Fulfills new Core Art requirement

This course will examine the origins of western art and architecture, beginning with a brief look at the Bronze Age cultures of the Near East and Egypt, then focusing in detail on Greece and Rome, from the Minoan and Mycenaean world of the second millennium B.C.E to the rule of the Roman emperor Constantine in the fourth century C.E. Among the monuments to be considered are ziggurats, palaces, and the luxuriously furnished royal graves of Mesopotamia; the pyramids at Giza in Egypt and their funerary sculpture; the immense processional temple of Amon at Luxor; the Bronze Age palaces of Minos on Crete—the home of the monstrous Minotaur—and Agamemnon at Mycenae, with their colorful frescoes and processional approaches; the great funerary pots of early Athens and the subsequent traditions of Red and Black Figure vase painting; architectural and freestanding sculpture of the Archaic and Classical periods; the Periclean Acropolis in Athens, with its monumental gateway and shining centerpiece, the Parthenon; and finally, among the cultural riches of Rome, the painted houses and villas of Pompeii; the tradition of Republican and Imperial portraiture; the Imperial fora; the exquisitely carved Altar of Peace of Augustus; the Coliseum; and the Pantheon of the philhellene emperor Hadrian.

Sport and Society in the Ancient World

CLAS 30027
L. Grillo
MW 2:00-2:50; F 2:00-2:50 (Discussion groups)
Fulfills new Core History requirement(WKHI)

Democracy Ancient and Modern

CLAS 30117
T. Mazurek
MW 3:30-4:45
Fulfills new Core History Requirement (WKHI)

Christianity in the Roman World

CLAS 30225/60225
H. Müller
TR 3:30-4:45

Ancient Christianity developed and spread in the confines of the Roman World, both directly, under Roman rule, and in constant interchange with classical culture, Roman political and cultural institutions. As a result of its emergence, everything in the Roman world changed: thoughts, beliefs, norms, aesthetic preferences and social norms. But how exactly did that shift happen? What did it mean to become a Christian in the Roman world, and how was Christianity itself shaped by that interaction? In this course, we will explore the social, cultural and political preconditions and consequences of Christianization, and the fascinating era that is late antiquity. In this dynamic the City of Rome itself plays an important role. Rome was always more than a material city. It was the embodiment of Roman power and Roman identity, and its physical spaces were deeply significant both to the pre-Christian Romans and to the Christians. We will focus on the transformation of the city and its power structures, as represented by buildings, customs and inhabitants. We will begin with a look at the ancient Roman world at its height: the age of the Emperor Augustus. This time saw both a redefinition and reaffirmation of the Roman self-image (and their concept of the non-Roman world) and the emergence of Christianity. We will then consider important steps in the interaction between these two forces: from conflict and persecution to a redefinition of the ancient heritage and a new understanding of Roman-ness that would shape the Western World. Along the way, we will encounter many of the focal issues that shape the interactions between the church and the secular world to this day, as well as challenge every Christian's views and ethical duties, such as: how did the early Christians/how do we react to phenomena of otherness (migration, minorities, heterodoxy)? How does/did Christianity shape our understanding of the social order, and of gender roles? To which degree should Church and State interact, collaborate, or keep apart (e.g. in the military, the Christian basis of secular power, Christian imperialism)? All of these questions were virulent in antiquity and thus studying late antiquity will also contribute to our understanding of modern complexities. We will base our discussion on the extant primary sources: Objects of art and architecture, archaeological remains, inscriptions and literary texts. Thus, we will also discuss the theoretical approaches these various documents require, and the methods we employ to understand what they tell us about the past.

Latin Pedagogy and Aequora

CLAS 33601
E. Mazurek
TF 2:00-3:15

In this service-learning course, students who are participating in the Aequora program have the opportunity to earn academic credit by supplementing their teaching experience with critical study of current methods and theory in Latin language pedagogy. In addition to teaching once per week at either Clay International Academy or Saint Joseph Elementary, students will meet as a class once a week to discuss assigned readings and to share perspectives. Students will come away from the course with a better understanding of Aequora’s teaching philosophy and how it relates to larger developments in foreign language pedagogy. Students will be graded on the basis of: 1) class participation; 2) short summaries of articles and book chapters; 3) a research paper on a topic related to current developments in foreign language pedagogy.

Please note: students are not required to register for this course in order to volunteer for Aequora.

Thesis Direction

CLAS 78599
D. Hernandez

For students doing thesis work for a research master’s degree.

Fall 2019

Literature University Seminar: The Myth of Troy

USEM 13186
Prof. E. Mazurek

Roman History I: the Republic

CLAS 20202 01
Prof. L. Grillo

Fulfills History requirement. We will use ancient sources, material evidence and modern scholarship to attempt and reconstruct the first seven centuries of Roman history, broadly speaking, from the foundation of Rome (and the murder of Remus) to the murder of Julius Caesar and the civil war. Throughout the course, we will ask two main questions: how did the Romans manage to transform their small town into a world power in a few centuries? That is, why did the Romans, and not any other people, manage to conquer and unify the entire Mediterranean? Secondly, we will discuss the political, social and cultural consequences of this transformation. These questions exercised the Romans themselves, and some of the responses they gave will be considered in light of current scholarship. Within a broad chronological framework, we will also discuss aspects of daily life in ancient Rome: what was life like for normal people, including women and slaves, in the Roman Republic? And how was the majority of the people affected by historical change?

Ancient Heroes from Achilles to Luke Skywalker

CLAS 20350
Prof. A. Tagliabue

Fulfills Literature requirement. Do you feel restless? Are you searching for an answer to the meaning of your life? The ancient Greeks and Romans asked themselves questions like these all the time. Their desire for happiness led to the creation of many heroes and heroines, from the warlike Achilles to the cunning Odysseus, and from the courageous Electra to the pious Aeneas. All of them had a relatively quiet life until the point that they chose to give up their comforts and reject their complacency: from that moment they became heroines and heroes, since, as Joseph Campbell argued, ‘a hero or a heroine is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself’. Most of these characters are still famous today. For instance, when George Lucas started the Star Wars Trilogies, he decided to model Luke Skywalker on the life of the ancient heroes Odysseus and Aeneas.

In this class, ancient texts and recent movies will introduce us to the lives of these ancient heroes and heroines, from Achilles through to Luke Skywalker. By studying them we will come to understand their ideals and ambitions, and compare them to our own ideals and ambitions. Are you more fascinated by Achilles’ desire for immortal glory on the battlefield, or by Aeneas’ decision to obey to the will of the gods, regardless of the sacrifice that this implies? This class will raise this and similar questions. Moreover, in their struggle for fulfillment, some of these heroes, like Jason, did not reach the glory they wanted: by reading about their spectacular defeats, we will also reflect on the challenge of suffering our failures and learning from them,

Finally, in the last part of the class, we will compare these heroes and heroines with Christian heroes, such as Dante in the Divine Comedy, and other heroes of our time, from Jack Bauer of 24 to some comic-book superheroes.

Greek Art and Architecture

CLAS 30405/60405 (Cross-listed with ARHI 30120/60120)
Prof. R. Rhodes

Fulfills Fine Arts Requirement. This course analyzes and traces the development of Greek architecture, painting and sculpture in the historical period, from the eighth through the second centuries BC, with some consideration of prehistoric Greek forebears of the Mycenaean Age. Particular emphasis is placed upon monumental art, its historical and cultural contexts, and how it reflects changing attitudes towards the gods, human achievement, and the relationship between the divine and the human.

The Archaeology of Pompeii and Herculaneum: Daily Life in the Ancient Roman World

CLAS 30416
Prof. D. Hernandez

Fulfills History requirement. The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79 buried two thriving Roman cities, Pompeii and Herculaneum, in a prison of volcanic stone. The rediscovery of the cities in modern times has revealed graphic scenes of the final days and an unparalleled glimpse of life in the ancient Roman world. The course examines the history of excavations and the material record. Topics to be discussed include public life (forum, temples, baths, inns, taverns), domestic life (homes, villas), entertainment (amphitheater), art (wall paintings, mosaics, sculpture), writings (ancient literary sources, epigraphy, graffiti), the afterlife (tombs), urban design, civil engineering, the economy, and themes related to Roman society (family, slavery, religion, government, traditions, diet).

Ancient Comedy

CLAS 40126
Prof. C. Schlegel

Fulfills Literature requirement. This course will focus on the two models of western comedy found in the Athenian plays of Aristophanes and the Roman plays of Plautus and Terence. Students will read the plays in English translation, and will write short assignments on the plays and longer essays for the two parts of the course, Greek and Roman. The course will investigate the historical contexts that gave rise to the different types of ancient dramatic comedy and read some modern theoretical work on humor and laughter; both provide clues to the mysterious operation of comedy, which can undermine authority and the status quo but can also lampoon innovation and progress. The larger purpose of the course is to identify the ideas that lie behind the conventions and devices of Greek and Roman comedic theater.

Writing History in Ancient Greece and Rome

CLAS 40820
Prof. C. Baron

Honors Thesis Workshop

CLAS 50101
Prof. C. Schlegel

The seminar meets once a week for an hour, and is required for students writing an honors' thesis in the Department of Classics. The purpose of the class is to provide structure for the process of writing a thesis in one semester and to be a supplement to the primary student-advisor relationship. Assignments are frequently due before the class meeting so as to discuss and edit individual work as a group; all the assignments are tasks aimed at completing the thesis in a competent and timely manner. Attendance and fulfillment of the assignments are required for honors in Classics. To enter the class in the fall students must have already met with their primary advisor during the previous spring term, have a bibliography of ten items, and have a one-page proposal for their thesis in hand that s/he has worked on over the summer.

Greek History Seminar

CLAS 63019
Prof. C. Baron

Fulfills History requirement. This advanced course in ancient history course offers an in-depth study of the ancient Mediterranean world during the Hellenistic period (323-31 B.C.). Topics include the political, social, economic, and military organization of various states and regions; developments in religion, philosophy, and science and medicine; literary and artistic production; and interactions between the peoples of the Mediterranean basin, including Greeks, Romans, Jews, Egyptians, and others. Sources will be read in translation, but students able to read Greek (and Latin) will be expected to use those skills.

MA Proseminar

CLAS 63500
Prof. D. Hernandez

An introduction to methods and areas of research in the field of Greek and Roman studies, including Archaeology, Epigraphy, Numismatics, Lexicography, Linguistics, Metrics, Rhetoric, History, Philosophy, Manuscripts, Textual Transmission and Art History. Team taught.

Spring 2019

Greek and Roman Mythology

CLAS 10200
Prof. A. Tagliabue
MW 10:30-11:20
Do gods care about humans? Can the will of gods be understood? Is it worth fighting for one’s homeland and giving one’s life for the good of the community? What is true love – lust, friendship or marital love? How was the world created?
In Ancient Greece and Rome it is through myth that humans found fascinating and complex answers to all these questions.
What is myth? A collection of traditional stories about the life of ancient gods, heroes, humans and monsters. This class will explore the most important ancient Greek and Roman myths by reading poems, tragedies, novels and philosophical dialogues. Among others, we will consider Hesiod’s Myth of the Ages, the tragic stories of Prometheus and Medea, and Plato’s myths of the Cave and the civilization of Atlantis.
When discussing ancient myths, we will engage in close analysis of the structural components of the selected literary works, focusing especially on how ancient Greeks and Romans intensely related myths to their own historical and cultural concerns. For example, we will explore how Euripides’ Trojan Women, with its reflection on the dramatic costs of war, cannot be understood but in the context of the imminent fall of Athenian democracy.
Since ancient myth is still relevant to our society, the discussion of ancient texts will be combined with a focus on modern or contemporary echoes of the same myths, starting from Freud’s Oedipus complex and the modern use of Prometheus as a metaphor for scientific progress. Furthermore, the final weeks of this class will be dedicated to Native-American Myths and J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, a twentieth-century masterpiece which combines Greek with Celtic, Persian and Christian mythology.

Discussion Sections
CLAS 12200 01-04
F 10:30-11:20

History of Liberal Education- Canceled

CLAS 20010
Prof. M. Bloomer
MW 12:50-1:40
This class examines the practices of schooling from its foundational period and institutions in ancient Greece through transformations in the Roman empire and onto the variety of schooling in the middle ages, which not only "transmitted" the seven liberal arts but developed new institutions, ideas, and movements for education. We shall examine both prescriptions (what Plato or Quintilian or John Dewey said should be done) and actual practices of schooling children. We shall also study, selectively and as comparisons, periods and movements of reform, in the Middle Ages, Renaissance and the Enlightenment, with some attention to twentieth-century America. The processes of learning to read and write, curricular studies, corporal punishment and motivation more broadly, the materials and setting of schooling, and the social dynamics of the communities of educators and the educated will be topics of recurring interest.

Discussion Sections
CLAS 22010 01-03
F 1:40-2:30

The Age of Alexander

CLAS 30112
Prof. C. Baron
TR 12:30-1:45
This course examines the military achievements of Alexander of Macedon (356-323 B.C.) and their far-reaching political, social, cultural, and religious consequences. Topics covered include the Greek, Macedonian, Persian, and other cultural contexts of the time, Alexander's attitude toward divinity (including his own), his concept of empire, his generalship, and his legacy for Greco-Roman antiquity. Particular attention is devoted to representations of Alexander through the ages, beginning during his own lifetime with the accounts of ancient writers-historians and others—down to novels and films of the present day. Ancient authors and documents are read in translation.

Roman Criminal Law

CLAS 30211
Prof. T. Mazurek
MWF 10:30-11:20
Perhaps our greatest inheritance from the ancient Romans is their law code and legal procedures. Students will study the development of Roman criminal law from the 12 Tables to the late antique period, including the emergence of jury courts and the persecution of Christians and heretics. By studying primary sources like Cicero¿s speeches and laws etched in bronze tablets, students will explore the seedy side of Roman life. Topics for discussion include murder, sorcery, bribery, forgery, treason, extortion and adultery. This course will not duplicate, but complement, Roman Law and Governance (CLAS 30210).

Perilous Frontiers of Rome and China

CLAS 30228
Prof. R. Ford
MW 3:30-4:45
In the process of their formation and expansion, the empires of Rome and China came into contact with diverse societies along their borders, some of whom were able to be persuaded or forced to accept Roman or Chinese rule. Others, however, resisted the forces of imperial expansion, conquest, and assimilation. This course will concentrate on the latter group and the frontier zones along which peace and war were in constant vacillation. Rather than stark lines of demarcation, these zones were areas of frequent economic and cultural exchange along which political, social, and ethnic identities could be negotiated, transformed, and even created. This course will take a comparative approach to the study of imperial expansion and its strategies while also examining the effects of political and economic policies on the peoples inhabiting the periphery. While identifying their many shared attributes, it will attempt to isolate and characterize particular features of these two imperial experiences and their political ideologies. Moreover, it will examine the analogous processes of identity formation that occurred amongst the nomadic and sedentary peoples who surrounded the imperial frontiers and discuss the ways in which these peoples were not passive objects of Roman and Chinese imperialism but crucial participants in the historical trajectories of either empire.

Origins of Medical Terminology

CLAS 30330
Prof. A. Pistone
MW 9:30-10:45
This course offers an introduction to the ancient Greek and Latin languages that enables students to decipher the arcane and often perplexing vocabulary of modern medicine. Basic linguistic concepts are explained, the manner in which medical terms are constructed from Greek and Latin roots is analyzed, and appropriate contextual material on ancient medicine is provided. This is a course of great practical value, not least for the attention it pays to human anatomy.

Archaeology of the Roman Empire

CLAS 30352
Prof. D. Hernandez
MW 12:30-1:45
The course examines the archaeology of the Roman Empire, from the time of Rome’s domination of the Mediterranean in the 2nd century B.C. to its Christianization in the 4th century A.D. Students will analyze and interpret material evidence from the ancient Roman world, from both Italy and the provinces, in order to assess the multi-faceted histories and cultures of the Roman people. In addition to examining a wide range of material remains, such as ceramics, architecture, coins, inscriptions, sculpture, art, and other artifacts, students will also consider the methods, results, and theory of archaeological research, specifically in the areas of field excavation and intensive surface survey. Major topics that will be discussed in the course include Roman imperialism, colonization, political institutions, urbanism, the countryside, religion and the imperial cult, death and burial, the economy, trade, and society.

Words and/of Power: The Theory and Practice of Persuasive Speech in Greece and Rome

CLAS 30360/60660
Prof. B. Krostenko
TR 2:00-3:15
Rhetoric occupied a prominent place in the democracy of the Athenians and in the republican era of Roman history. This course examines the theory, practice and context of ancient rhetoric, and pays special attention to developments caused by radical changes in the political character of the Athenian and Roman civic communities. Representative readings from Greek and Roman orators and writers on rhetorical theory.

Owning the Past: The Use and Misuse of Archaeology and Material Culture

CSEM 23102
Prof. D. Hernandez
MW 9:30-10:45
“Who controls the past controls the future… Who controls the present controls the past.” This observation, famously written by George Orwell in 1984, encapsulates the theme of this interdisciplinary seminar. The course explores how the past has been (mis)represented to serve the present interests of people, institutions, and governments, primarily on the basis of art, archaeology, and material culture. The survey of this material stretches over two thousand years, from classical antiquity to the present. The class will learn how art in ancient Athens was used to redefine history in the birth of democracy, how ancestry and divine lineage were exploited to create the Roman Empire, and how monuments and buildings, including St. Peter’s Basilica, utilized the past to establish the Christian Roman Empire. The class will also debate how archaeology and material culture have been deployed more recently to bolster nationalist, colonialist, totalitarian, and democratic ideologies. In particular, the role of archaeology will be examined in the nationalist agendas of Nazi Germany, fascist Italy, and communist Albania. Other relevant topics discussed in the course include treasure hunting, tourism, connoisseurship, private collections, museum holdings, cultural heritage management, and the repatriation of monuments and human remains. The seminar is structured primarily to enhance students’ oral expression through dialogue, debate, in-class presentations, and open discussion.

Fall 2018 Courses

Ancient Greece and Rome

CLAS 10100 01 (Cross-listed with HIST 10210 and CNST 10600)
Prof. T. Mazurek
MW 9:25-10:15, 3 credit hours
Fulfills History Requirement
Co-requisite: CLAS 12100: Discussion section

Discussion section for Ancient Greece and Rome

CLAS 12100 (Sections 1-3)

F 9:25-10:15, 0 credit hours

Co-requisite: CLAS 10100 or HIST 10210

A weekly discussion group required for those registered for CLAS 10100, Ancient Greece and Rome, or its cross-lists.

University Seminar: Love Stories from the Ancient World

USEM 13186

Prof. A. Tagliabue

TR 9:30-10:45, 3 credit hours
In our society everyone is exposed to love stories: most of us have watched Hollywood movies or TV series and read novels that focus on a couple who share love and adventures, face threatening rivals, and at the end reach a stable relationship. We like these stories because they are entertaining and give us a break from the busy rhythms of our life.
The university seminar will explore the origin of these love stories, which goes far back to ancient Greek literature. By reading sections from Homer's Odyssey, two Greek tragedies (Aechylus' Agamemnon and Euripides' Helen), Aristophanes' speech in Plato's Symposium, and three ancient Greek novels, we will identify the key features of these narratives about love and adventures, and focus on the portrayal within them of different models of love, shifting from Odysseus and Penelope's conjugal fidelity to Helen and Clytemnestra's infidelity. We will also discover that in the ancient world love stories had both an entertaining and an educative function.

Students will be encouraged to make connections to more recent love stories throughout, but the course will conclude with a unit that explicitly invites this: the last weeks of the seminar will be devoted to the reading of Manzoni's The Betrothed and the analysis of Hollywood movies and TV series focused on both love and adventure.

This is a writing-intensive seminar in which students will develop their critical writing skills through a combination of short discussion papers and longer essays, including the fascinating creative task of writing or performing a section of a love story.

Barbarians, The Church, and the Fall of Rome

CLAS 10140 01 (Cross-listed with HIST 30240, MI 30603)

Prof. R. Ford

MW 3:30-4:20, 3 credit hours

Fulfills History Requirement

Co-requisite: CLAS 12140: Discussion section

This course is an introduction to the Later Roman Empire and the period known as Late Antiquity. It will focus on the transformation of the Roman Empire between the third and sixth centuries A.D. and examine the major political, social, economic, and cultural developments that took place in this period. Central topics will include the political decline of the Roman Empire in the West; the rise of Christianity; the controversy over religious doctrines of the church; and the invasions, migrations, and kingdoms of “barbarian” peoples who would lay the foundations of Medieval Europe. The course will address the following questions: did the Roman Empire really fall or was it simply transformed? Is this a period of calamity or continuity? How did the church engage with the philosophical and political culture of Rome, and how did it change over this period? Who were the so-called barbarians and what role did they play in the collapse of the Roman imperial system in Western Europe?

Discussion section for Barbarians, the Church, and the Fall of Rome

CLAS 12140 (Sections 1-3)

F 10:30-11:20, 0 credit hours

Co-requisite: CLAS 10100 or HIST 10210

A weekly discussion group required for those registered for CLAS 10100, Ancient Greece and Rome, or its cross-lists.

The History of Ancient Greece

CLAS 20105 01 (Cross-listed with HIST 30230, CNST 20603)

Prof. C. Baron

MW 2:00-2:50, 3 credit hours

Fulfills History Requirement

Discussion section for The History of Ancient Greece

CLAS 22105 (Sections 1-2)

F 2:00-2:50, 0 credit hours

Co-requisite: CLAS 20105, HIST 30230, or CNST 20603

A weekly discussion group required for those registered for CLAS 20105, The History of Ancient Greece, or its cross-lists.

The Art and Lit of Metamorphosis

CLAS 20365

Prof. M. Bloomer

TR 12:30-1:45, 3 credit hours

This course begins with a critical study of Ovid’s great poem, the Metamorphoses. The poem itself became a subject of metamorphosis in poetry and art in the hands of such figures as Statius, Dante, Botticelli, Bernini, Rembrandt, Hughes and Heaney. The course addresses the modeling of transformation within the literary text by examining first Ovid and his sources, and second, adaptations of his poem by writers such as Shakespeare and Kafka. Connections with folklore, magic, and religion are explored. The graphic arts receive equal consideration as the course explores how Ovid’s ideas of the transformation of the body, the capacity of the human body for allegory, and the fragility of identity have influenced later artists and authors.

The Romans and Their Gods

CLAS 30220

Prof. L. Grillo
MWF 12:50-1:40
“We have surpassed every people and nation in devotion, in respect for religious matters and in that peculiar wisdom which acknowledges that everything is ruled and guided by divine power.” Following Cicero’s bold claim, we will first focus on the Romans’ personal and public devotion (what did they believe? How did they worship?), on their respect for the divine (how did they conceive and communicate with the supernatural? Were they tolerant toward new and mystery religions?) and on their religious wisdom (how did they conceptualize their beliefs, individually and publicly?). Secondly, we will consider the rise of Christianity: how unique was Christianity? How was it shaped by being born in the Roman empire? How did Romans and Christians view each other in the ages of persecutions and apologists? Does ancient Rome add anything to the notion of Roman Catholic?

Sex and Gender in Greco-Roman Antiquity

CLAS 30315 (Cross-listed with GS 30636)

Prof. E. Mazurek

MW 9:30-10:45, 3 credit hours

Greek & Roman Epic Poetry

CLAS 30355/60355

Prof. C. Schlegel

TR 2:00-3:15, 3 credit hours

This advanced course in literature provides detailed study of the major epic poems of the classical literary tradition—the Iliad and Odyssey of Homer, the Aeneid of Virgil, and the Metamorphoses of Ovid. Discussion centers on the cultural contexts in which the works were written or produced, and the literary conventions on which they rely for their ever-appealing aesthetic and emotional power.

Greek Art and Architecture

ARHI 30120/60120

Prof. R. Rhodes

MW 2:00-3:15, 3 credit hours

Fulfills Fine Arts Requirement

Spring 2018 Courses

Words of the Ancient Romans

CLAS 10022

Prof. K. Schlegel

MW 12:50-1:40, 3 credits
This course introduces students to the literary culture of ancient Rome, from the boisterous comedy of Plautus in the second century BCE to the Confessions of St. Augustine in the fourth century CE. Along the way we will examine Cicero’s work as a defense lawyer and a politician, Vergil’s magisterial epic of foundation and loss in his Aeneid, erotic poetry of Catullus and Ovid, and the surreal worlds of the Roman novel. Some history will accompany the works for context, but the course primarily asks students to explore some of the literary works of the world in which so many of our own institutions — from the church to the courts — took shape. We will explore some of the ways that Roman literature describes and offers solutions to unchanging human dilemmas of the heart and mind.

CLAS 12022: Words of the Ancient Romans Discussion Groups (Sections 1-4)

F 12:50-1:40, 0 credits

A weekly discussion group required for those registered for CLAS 10022, Words of the Ancient Romans.

USEM: Ancient Emotions

CLAS 13186 01
Prof. B. Leyerle

TR 3:30-4:45, 3 credits

(Freshmen only)

Why do people react as they do? How can feelings be manipulated? And, what is the role of emotion in life and literature? A desire to explore these questions will lead us in this seminar to read and discuss an assortment of ancient texts, ranging from the influential definitions of emotions penned by philosophers (especially Aristotle and the Stoics), to the “case studies” provided by classical drama and epic, to the various therapeutic strategies urged by early Christian preachers (especially John Chrysostom). Throughout the semester, we will bring modern studies of the emotions and current therapeutic approaches into dialogue with these ancient sources.

Ancient Heroes

CLAS 20350

Prof. A. Tagliabue

MW 11:30-12:20, 3 credits

Our contemporary world often prizes public fame and celebrity, whether it is earned by achievement, talent and distinction, or acquired through more notorious or media-driven means. More than two thousand years ago, extending outwards from a pocket of civilization in the Mediterranean, the ancient Greeks and Romans prized in a similar way success and glory, heroism and fame. Indeed many of its heroes, such as Achilles and Ulysses, are still remembered as heroes today. This seminar will explore the stories of some famous ancient Greek and Roman heroes, from Achilles to Aeneas, and compare these figures to heroes of our time, from the controversial Christopher Columbus to the heroic war objector Desmond Doss and the Olympic star-sprinter Usain Bolt. With the help of both literary and multimedial support, you will be able to feel the presence of these heroes in front of you, and you will be able to assess critically the value of their success along with its limits. Moreover, we will reflect upon the differences between our modern perceptions of heroes and those of the ancient Greeks. What does it say to us that the ancient Greek hero Achilles wants his friend’s concubine and is not willing to change his mind about this? What is the role of the community in the actions of ancient and modern heroes? Does the ancient heroes’ divine descent have any counterpart in the modern conception of heroes? If you would like to reflect more on ancient and modern notions of heroism, individuality, success and failure, in ways which can fill you with new ideals and ambitions, come along to this course for keen discussion and debate.

Ancient Heroism Discussion Group (Sections 1-4)

CLAS 22350

F 11:30-12:20, 0 credits

A weekly discussion group required for those registered for CLAS 20350, Ancient Heroism Discussion Group.

Drinking and Drinking Culture

CLAS 20021 (Cross-list HIST)

Prof. A. Pistone

TR 9:30-10:45, 3 credits
This course asks students to examine the role that drinking (both proper and improper drinking) plays in the ancient Greek world and use this to reflect on the modern world. Students will be encouraged to make connections to the modern world throughout, but the course will conclude with a unit that explicitly invites this. The course will lay the groundwork with an examination of the myths and worship of Dionysus, as the god of wine, and will then move into the literary and material evidence of what took place at symposia, including the games and poetry that were involved. Then we will move into literary depictions of symposia and contrast three very different accounts (Plato, Xenophon, and Lucian), beginning with Xenophon and then using him as a sort of baseline to look at Plato’s additions and Lucian’s parodic account. We will also compare these literary accounts to the image of symposia that lyric poetry, vase paintings, and other testimonia convey. Finally, we will conclude with a more explicit comparison of ancient and modern attitudes toward drinking (and the proper way to drink and be drunk).

Introduction to the Art of Ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt and the Near East

CLAS 20400 (Cross-list ARHI 20100)

Prof. R. Rhodes

MW 11:00-12:15, 3 credits

Roman Law & Governance

CLAS 30210 (cross-list HIST 30231; POLS 30702; CNST 30609; MI 30616)

Prof. T. Mazurek

MWF 2:00-2:50, 3 credits

An introduction to the nature and influence of Roman law, one of the most celebrated and distinctive elements of ancient Roman culture. The course surveys the development of Roman civil and criminal law from the very early and enigmatic Twelve Tables to the very late and amazingly great Digest of Justinian. Topics covered include legal procedures, the creation of law, and Roman jurisprudence, all of which are studied in the broad context of Roman government and administration. The lasting effects of Roman law on modern legal systems are also considered.

Roman Imperialism 200 BC-200 AD

CLAS 30216 (cross-list HIST 30241)

Prof. R. Ford

MW 11:00-12:15, 3 credits
At its greatest extent, the Roman Empire stretched from Scotland in the north to Egypt in the south, from Spain in the west to beyond the Euphrates River in the east. Difficult to imagine in the present day, this vast territory was ruled by a single political and legal entity that imposed its norms upon a great diversity of peoples, languages, and cultures. How did a small Italian city-state come to rule the entire Mediterranean world and beyond? This is one of several questions the course will address. Others central questions include: What were the keys to Roman military success? Was imperialism a deliberate or accidental strategy? How did Romans perceive the frontiers and the peoples dwelling beyond them? In what ways did the Roman legacy condition colonialism in the modern world, and how has modern colonialism influenced modern perceptions of the Roman Empire? Over the course of the semester, students will read extensively in the primary sources (in translation) alongside current scholarly literature in order to address all of these questions and gain greater insight into the complexities of the Roman imperial experience.

Public Speaking and the Early Christians: Teaching, Rhetoric and Preaching

CLAS 30341 (Cross-listed with MI 30604, 60604)

Prof. G. Müller

MW 2:00-3:15, 3 credits

In this course, we will discuss the development of preaching in the Early Church. The genre of the sermon and the role of the preacher are among the most formative and enduring innovations of the ancient Church. Through them, the Christians transformed the ancient art of rhetoric, reused public space and reconsidered sacred buildings, reinvented education and created a focal point for their group identity.We will read early sermons and sermon-like texts, discuss the practical circumstances under which they were created and delivered (space, acoustics, light), consider the theory of preaching and the educational background of preachers, reimagine the audiences who listened to them, and encounter texts of great beauty and importance for the history and theology of the Early Church. The time of origin will range from the first to the seventh century. Texts will be read in English. You do not need to have any knowledge of Latin, Greek or theology.

Thesis Direction

CLAS 78599

Prof. C. Baron

Variable credits

For students doing thesis work for a research master’s degree.