Spring 2023
CLST 2 The Tragedy and Comedy of Greece and Rome The course studies in translation selected works of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Seneca (tragedy), Aristophanes and Plautus (comedy), and some of their central themes and questions: law, community, revenge, passion, and justice. We will approach them both as texts and as scripts/librettos, considering their relationship to other types of performance (ritual, rhetoric, music, dance) and genres (history, philosophy) as well as to theatrical space. There will be practical workshop opportunities for those interested. Foxley 2.
CLST 10.13 New Testament Studies the collection of Christian texts now called the "New Testament" for the insights they provide into the complex cultural interactions in the first-century Mediterranean world. Three primary texts, the Gospel of Mark, Paul's letter to the Colossians, and Paul's letter to James, will be examined in light of their original Jewish context and their embeddedness in Greek thought and Roman socio-political structures. This small-enrollment class is taught conjointly with GRK 29, but with assignments and assessment appropriate for students reading entirely in English. TMV, W. Whaley, 10
CLST 11.02 Rediscovering Sparta This course gives students the opportunity to learn about the history of Sparta while becoming familiar with technology that is rapidly becoming indispensable in studying ancient Greece. We will use newly available archaeological information, ancient Greek texts, excavation reports and maps from the early 20th century, and GIS software to construct visualizations of the ancient city of Sparta. No prior knowledge of the relevant software or prior coursework in the ancient world is required or expected. TAS, W. Christesen, 2
CLST 20 Greek Archaeology: First Hominids to Mycenean Palaces This course traces the cultural evolution of humanity in the Aegean basin from the era of hunting and gathering (Palaeolithic-Mesolithic) through the early village farming stage (Neolithic) and the formative period of Aegean civilization (Early Bronze Age) into the age of the great palatial cultures of Minoan Crete and Mycenaean Greece. The emphasis in the early part of the course will be on the different economic bases of early life in the Aegean and on regional variation within it. In the latter half of the course, study of the palaces, fortified citadels, and royal tombs at such sites as Knossos, Mycenae, Tiryns, and Troy will lead to discussions of the Greek myths about Atlantis, King Minos' sea empire, and the Trojan War, and their basis in historical fact. May be taken in partial fulfillment of the major in Art History. SOC, W. Hruby 2.
CLST 24 The Birth of Rome Why did the Rome emerge as the most powerful city of the Western world? How did later Romans remember and heroize the events that led to their supremacy? We will trace this remarkable transformation through both science and literature: the physical evidence recovered through archaeology, and literary accounts in Greeks' and Romans' prose and poetry that tell stories of Rome's foundation and struggle for survival. Readings include passages from Virgil's Aeneid and Livy's History of Rome, as well as excerpts from ancient writers that include Dionysius, Strabo, Plutarch, Cicero and Ovid. SOC, W. Ulrich
GRK 1.02/3.02 Intensive Greek A double course (two time slots) covering both GRK 1 and GRK 3 in a single term. Introduces all the basics of grammar and syntax and provides a gradual introduction to the reading of continuous texts. Satisfies the College language requirement. Tell, 9S, 12
GRK 3 Intermediate Greek Continued study of Greek grammar and syntax and an introduction to reading in prose authors. Satisfies the College language requirement. Whaley, 9S
GRK 29 New Testament Studies the collection of Christian texts now called the "New Testament" for the insights they provide into the complex cultural interactions in the first-century Mediterranean world. Three primary texts, the Gospel of Mark, Paul's letter to the Colossians, and Paul's letter to James, will be examined in light of their original Jewish context and their embeddedness in Greek thought and Roman socio-political structures. This small-enrollment class is taught conjointly with GRK 29, but with assignments and assessment appropriate for students reading entirely in English. TMV, W. Whaley, 10
LAT 2 Latin 2 Continues the study of the Latin language, with a look at the history and culture of Roman Britain and the city of Rome in the first century AD. Includes an introduction to Roman funerary inscriptions, curse tablets, and coins. Gaki, 9L
LAT 3 Latin 3 Completes the introduction to Latin grammar and syntax, then moves into unadapted selections from Pliny, Catullus, Ovid, and other Roman authors. Satisfies the College language requirement. Lynn, Walker, 9L, 10
LAT 31 The Italian Countryside The environmental concerns of our own time find a counterpart in the Roman fascination with the beauty and fragility of the rural landscape and natural world. Readings may come from pastoral poetry, represented especially by Vergil's Eclogues; the literature of farming and agriculture, including Vergil's Georgics; and related themes in works by Varro, Horace, Tibullus, and others. LIT, W. Graver, 10A