Winter 2025

CLST 2 The Tragedy and Comedy of Greece and Rome. We will read in translation selected plays from Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides (tragedy), and Aristophanes (comedy), and we will also watch and discuss modern performances and adaptations of Greek plays. Among the topics considered will be the origin and development of Greek drama, where and how it was performed, and the design of the theatrical space. Special focus will be given to the literary and dramatic characteristics of each play, as well as the role of drama in Athenian society and its social and political context. Open to all classes. ART, W. Tell 11.

CLST 17/HIST 94.05 Roman History: The Republic. This course surveys the history of the Roman people from 753 (traditional date of the founding of Rome) to 44 B.C. (the assassination of Julius Caesar). Topics include the development of Roman law, the conquest of all lands bordering on the Mediterranean, and the civil wars that destroyed Republican government. Particular emphasis is placed on the Roman political community: the political, religious and social factors that influenced the definition of the Roman aristocracy in the fourth century, the institutions that maintained the ascendancy of the elite, the military and political values inherent in the citizenship, the social and political mechanisms that militated against civil dissent, and the role of political values in the eventual destruction of Republican government from within. SOC, W. Stewart 12.

CLST 22: Greek Classical Archaeology: City-States and Panhellenic Sanctuaries The history of Greek culture is that of dozens of individual city-states in constant competition for hegemony in a wide variety of different arenas. This course pays particular attention to the material cultural achievements of the city of Athens, when that city developed the western world's first democracy, built the Parthenon, and played host to the schools of Plato and Aristotle. Kramer-Hajos 2.

CLST 25 Early Roman Imperial Archaeology: The First Emperors  Through archaeological sites and related artifacts, this course examines the Roman empire as it was transformed under the rule of the emperors. We begin with a close look at the first emperor, Augustus, then examine the Julio-Claudians, Flavians, and Trajan. Discussion focuses on how ancient Italic traditions were transformed to suit the needs of the Imperial government. The most dramatic change in religious practice is the development of the Imperial cult. Site analysis will stress the need for an imperial idiom, the accommodation of urban masses and the promotion of shared cultural experience, as well as the technological developments that led to Rome's "architectural revolution." ART, W. Kramer-Hajos, 10.

GRK 1 Introductory Ancient Greek  Study of Greek grammar, syntax, and vocabulary accompanied by reading of simple Greek prose selections. This course is designed to be followed immediately by GRK 3 in a two-term sequence. Whaley, 9S.

GRK 30 Alcibiades. We will explore the transgressive culture icon Alcibiades through the lens of Plato's dialogue named after him. In it, Socrates approaches the young Alcibiades for the first time and offers to help him achieve his unbridled political ambitions, if he is only willing to spend time with him. We will pay particular attention to Alcibiades' relationship with Socrates and his role in Platonic philosophy, but we will also focus on his portrayal in a range of ancient authors, such as Aristophanes, Thucydides, Xenophon, and Plutarch. Tell,12.

LAT 1   Latin 1    A rapid introduction to the Latin language through reading passages of gradually increasing difficulty, with an introduction to the history and culture of Pompeii and Roman Egypt in the first century AD. Course Flyer, Foxley 9L, Lynn 2.        

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. Walker, 9L, Lynn, 10, Gaki, 10, 2.

LAT 10.03 Topics in Latin Texts: Petronius's Satyricon and Neronian Rome  An introduction to continuous readings of unadapted Latin prose via the hilariously bizarre novel Satyricon, written by a certain Petronius during the reign of Nero. Petronius's work will be supplemented with excerpts from Petronius' contemporaries or near-contemporaries (Seneca, Lucan, Tacitus) to paint a picture of the carnivalesque madness that was Neronian Rome. The course Includes a comprehensive review of Latin grammar and the opportunity to discuss questions of language and interpretation. LIT, W. Course Flyer, Glauthier 11.

LAT 20  Latin Epic: Ovid's Metamorphoses. The summit of achievement for a Roman poet was the epic, written in hexameter verse and combining storytelling with expressions of deeply held cultural values. This class will read portions of one or more Latin epics, such as Vergil's Aeneid, Ovid's Metamorphoses, Lucan's Civil War, and Statius' Thebaid. Potential areas of emphasis include the representation of imperial power, gender and sexuality, intertextuality, genre, and reception. LIT, W. Glauthier, 10A.

CLST 88 Thesis II