Classics (CLA)

Classics courses are taught in English and require no knowledge of the ancient languages.

111. Big Screen Rome
Hollywood has long had an interest in using ancient Rome as a lens for understanding contemporary America. Earlier Hollywood films, for example, have explored the rich and famous (Antony and Cleopatra), slave revolts (Spartacus), chariot races (Ben Hur), raucous parties (Fellini's Satyricon), the rise of Christianity (Quo Vadis), and the fall of empires (The Fall of the Roman Empire). This course will explore Roman history and culture through the words, stories, plays, and histories of eyewitnesses and other ancient authors and then, in viewing five to six films, will ask why the Romans continue to command such interest in the popular imagination and film. Offered in alternate years or every third year. (Humanities, Writing Requirement) GRUBER-MILLER

216. Classical Mythology
Development of the myth, legend, and folklore of the ancient world, especially their place in ancient Greek and Roman culture, and their survival in the modern world. (Humanities) VENTICINQUE

264. Women in Antiquity
Exploration of women's lives in classical Greece and Rome; women's role in culture, society, and the economy; their experience of childbearing, marriage, and death; ancient social constructs of the female. Sources include literature, history, medical texts, inscriptions, art, and architecture. Alternate years. (Humanities) GRUBER-MILLER

274 through 279. Topics in Classics
See Topics Courses.

280/380. Internship: see Courses 280/380.

290/390. Individual Project: see Courses 290/390.

364. Masterpieces of Greek and Roman Theatre
Origins and rise of drama in ancient Greece and Rome; discussion of ritual, historical, and modern performance contexts of various plays; their influence on modern theatre and cinema; ancient and modern interpretations of comedy and tragedy. Topics may vary from year to year. Course may be repeated with permission of the instructor. Prerequisites: Writing-designated course (W) and sophomore standing. Offered every third year. (Humanities) GRUBER-MILLER

372. Epic Tradition: Singer of Tales
A deep engagement with oral and written epic poems and narratives from early, medieval, and contemporary cultures throughout the world. Epics may include Homer's Iliad or Odyssey, Vergil's Aeneid, The Song of Roland, the west African Sun-Jata Epic, and Derek Walcott's Omeros. Attention will be given to defining epic poetry, exploring the interaction of orality and literacy, and understanding the performance traditions of these texts. Prerequisites: Writing-designated course (W) and sophomore standing. Offered every third year. (Humanities) GRUBER-MILLER

373. Love and Sexuality in Greece and Rome
The theme of love from Sappho and Plato to Catullus and Ovid; the construction of sexuality in the Greek and Roman world; women's place within the ancient tradition; its influence on the courtly love tradition in Europe in the early modern period and on modern attempts at understanding love. Prerequisites: Writing-designated course (W) and sophomore standing. Offered every third year. (Humanities) GRUBER-MILLER

375 through 379. Advanced Topics in Classics
See Topics Courses.

381. Greek Archaeology
Introduction to excavating techniques in Greek lands; study of the material culture of ancient Greece in order to understand the society, religion, and customs of Bronze Age and Classical Greece. Registration entails additional costs when the course is taught in Greece. Prerequisite: a course from Classical Studies (CLA, GRE, or LAT) or Anthropology. Offered every four years. (Humanities) GRUBER-MILLER

382. Roman Archaeology
Introduction to excavating techniques in Roman lands; study of the material culture of the ancient Romans in order to understand their history and civilization from the monarchy to the republic to the empire. Registration entails additional costs when the course is taught in Italy. Prerequisite: a course from Classical Studies (CLA, GRE, or LAT) or Anthropology. Offered every four years. (Humanities) GRUBER-MILLER

485. Advanced Classical Studies
An independent project undertaken in the senior year. Prerequisite: permission of the Classical Studies Committee.

487. Junior/Senior Seminar in Classical Studies
The seminar offers students an opportunity to investigate a key theme in Classical Studies, to encourage reflection on the discipline as a whole, and to explore the modern reception of classical texts and contexts through the completion of a research project based around the thematic content of the seminar. The research project each student devises in consultation with the instructor and the Classical Studies advisor will demonstrate his or her ability to integrate knowledge of Greek and Latin language and literature with an understanding of Greek and Roman culture as a culmination of their studies. Prerequisites: junior standing, completion of a 300-level course in Greek or Latin, and at least two other 300-level courses in Classical Studies. Alternate years.