Classical Studies

Classics is an area study that approaches the ancient Mediterranean world from a broad variety of perspectives, including history, art, archaeology, religion, philosophy, literature and language. Thus, majors in classical studies have the opportunity to explore a wide range of humanistic disciplines. Work with the ancient languages encourages logical and creative thought, provides a sophisticated grasp of the possibilities of language and gives the student the opportunity to study in detail some of the greatest works of the human spirit.

A major in Classics is a good foundation for a wide variety of careers. Classics majors have gone on to successful careers in such fields as law, medicine, business, journalism, government, teaching, theatre and the arts. Some of our majors have double majored in fields such as Political Science, Philosophy and Chemistry.

The major in classical studies may be completed in any one of the following areas of concentration: Greek, Latin or Classical Civilization. Minors are offered in Classical Civilization, Greek, Latin and Classical Archaeology. Students majoring in Classical Studies are usually expected to complete their senior comprehensive requirement through the department's senior seminar. The seminar presents the opportunity for majors in Classical Civilization, Greek, or Latin to address a particular topic at an advanced level. Recent seminar topics include: "Rome in the Age of Augstus", "Athens in Contemporary Classical Scholarship", and "Test and Art in the Ancient World". Within the seminar, each student is expected to complete an independent research project related to the topic of the seminar. In exceptional cases, students may opt to complete the senior comprehensive requirement by completing an independent thesis project. Students interested in this possibility should confer with their departmental advisor about the specific requirements. Students who are double majoring in two Classical Studies disciplines (e.g., Latin and Classical Civilization) must complete a senior comprehensive requirement for both majors.

Majors and minors in Classical Studies are encouraged to participate in Winter Term trips to Italy and Greece (or elsewhere in the Mediterranean) and in semester abroad programs such as the College Year in Athens or the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome. In many cases, courses taken in these programs count toward a Classical Studies major or minor. Students interested in Classical Archaeology are also encouraged to participate in summer fieldwork in the Mediterranean.

Students who are interested in teaching Latin in high school should take as much Latin as possible and consult with the Classical Studies and Education departments about certification. Students planning to attend graduate school in classics should either double major in Greek and Latin or major in one language and minor in the other. Students planning to attend graduate school in classical archaeology should try to major in one language and minor in Classical Archaeology.

Requirements for a major

Classical Civilization

Greek

Latin

Requirements for a minor

Classical Archaeology

Classical Civilization

Greek

Latin

Courses in Greek

Elementary Greek I

The essentials of grammar and selections from important authors with reading and lectures on the cultural background.

Elementary Greek II

A continuation of GRK 101. Includes readings from Greek authors. Prepares for GRK 205 or 211. Prerequisite: GRK 101 or permission of the department.

Greek Prose and Poetry

Review of grammar and reading from representative Greek authors, usually including Homer or Plato. Prerequisite: GRK 101-102. May be repeated for credit.

New Testament Greek

Readings from the New Testament and from contemporary Christian, Jewish and pagan religious literature; the style and vocabulary of Hellenistic Greek. Prerequisite: GRK 101-102 or permission of instructor.

Greek Reading

Reading selected according to the interests and abilities of the students. One topic offered each semester, usually chosen from Homer (Iliad or Odyssey), lyric poetry, Greek tragedy, Herodotus, Thucydides or Plato. Exercises in prose composition may be included. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. May be repeated for credit.

Greek Reading

A continuation of GRK 451.

Courses in Latin

Elementary Latin I

An introduction to Latin grammar with emphasis on the development of reading knowledge. Includes discussions of Roman life and culture.

Elementary Latin II

A continuation of LAT 123. Includes readings from Latin authors. Prepares for LAT 223. Prerequisite: LAT 123 or permission of the department.

Introduction to Latin Prose

Combines a thorough review of Latin grammar and the introduction of authentic Latin prose texts. Teaches strategies for translation of Latin prose. Texts may cover a wide range of genres and periods. Prerequisite: LAT 124 or two years of high school Latin (entering students should take the Latin placement exam during orientation) or permission of instructor.

Introduction to Latin Poetry

An introduction to Latin poetics, combined with continued review of Latin syntax and morphology. Translation and analysis of selected texts from authors such as Catullus, Ovid, Martial, or Vergil. Prerequisite: LAT 124 or two years of high school Latin (entering students should take the Latin placement exam during orientation) or permission of instructor.

Readings in Latin Prose

Advanced reading in Latin prose authors. Sample topics might include philosophical texts, the works of Cicero, or the Roman Novel. The course may include exercises in prose composition. May be repeated for credit if the topic changes. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Normally follows Latin 224 or four years of high school Latin.

Readings in Latin Poetry

An advanced seminar on one of the following topics: (A) Latin Lyric poetry, with readings from Horace and Catullus; (B) Roman Satire, a history of the only uniquely Roman literary genre, with readings from Lucilius, Horace, and Juvenal; (C) Roman Elegy, with readings from Catullus, Propertius, Tibullus, and Ovid. May be repeated for credit if the topic changes. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Normally follows Latin 224 or four years of high school Latin.

Roman Drama

Selected plays by Terence, Plautus, and Seneca in both the original Latin and in translation. Study of the history and development of Roman drama and its relationship with Greek drama. May be repeated for credit if the topic changes. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Normally follows LAT 224 or four years of high school Latin.

Topics in Latin Literature

An examination of a particular theme, author, or period in Latin literature. This course may include both prose and poetry. Topics may include (for example): Neronian literature, Medieval Latin, and Literature of the Late Republic. This course may be taught in conjunction with the Sunoikisis Classics consortium.

Roman Historians

Selections from Livy, Sallust, Tacitus, or Suetonius in Latin and in translation, either concentrating upon an individual author or presenting a survey of roman Historiography. Examination of the process of evidence-gathering and writing history in ancient Rome. May include prose composition. May be repeated for credit if the topic changes.

Vergil

An examination not only of Vergil's great masterpiece, The Aeneid, but also his lesser works, the Ecologues and Georgics. Discussion of the pastoral and didactic traditions, as well as the history of Roman Epic poetry. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Normally follows LAT 224 or four years of high school Latin.

Courses in the Classics in English

Greek and Roman Mythology

The principal myths and legends of the ancient world, with consideration of the nature of myth, the social origin and evolution of myths, their relation to religion and philosophy and their use in literature and art.

The Ancient Mediterranean World

The Mediterranean world from the beginning of civilization to the end of the Roman Empire: Ancient Near East, Classical Greece, Hellenistic Age, Roman Republic, Roman Empire and the Emergence of Christianity. May count towards European Studies minor.

Introduction to Mediterranean Archaeology

This courses introduces students to the history, theory, and practice of Mediterranean archaeology. The course covers three areas: the rediscovery of Classical antiquity and its effect on European cultural and intellectual development; the basics of field methodology, including the use of technology; and the ethical role of the archaeologists in the interpretation and preservation of cultural remains. Offered in alternate fall semesters. Priority given to first-year students and sophomores.

First-Year Seminar

A seminar focused on a theme related to the study of classical studies. Open only to first-year students.

Topics in Classical Studies

Study of a specific topic in Mediterranean civilizations or literature. May be repeated for credit with different topics.

Greek Civilization

This course may have one of the following concentrations: A. survey of Greek civilization; B. Greek religion; C. public and private institutions of ancient Greece. May be repeated for credit with departmental approval when the concentration changes. Only one topic may be applied toward the Group 4 requirement.

Roman Civilization

This course may have one of the following concentrations: A. survey of Roman civilization; B. Roman religion; C. public and private institutions of ancient Rome. May be repeated for credit with departmental approval when the concentration changes. Only one topic may be applied toward the Group 4 requirement.

The Impact of Empire: Augustus to Constantine

This course will explore the following interconnected questions: How did Rome govern the enormous empire? How did Rome change the cultural and political map of the Ancient Mediterranean World? To what extent and how did the presence of the Roman rule transform the local and regional cultures? How did the expansion of the Empire have a reverse impact on the 'Roman Culture'? How were the 'barbarians' viewed at Rome?

Egyptian, Aegean and Near Eastern Art and Archaeology

This course studies the art and archaeology of the early civilizations of Egypt, the Near East, the Aegean Sea, and Italy. The course begins with Paleolithic occupation in the Mediterranean, continues through the invention of agriculture and the first communities in the Neolithic, and follows the rise of the first cities and Empires through the Mediterranean-wide collapse that occurred at the end of the Bronze Age (ca. 1100 BC). Offered in alternate spring semesters.

Greek, Etruscan and Persian Art and Archaeology

This course covers the art and archaeology of the ancient Mediterranean from the end of the Bronze Age (ca. 1100 BC) to the death of Alexander the Great (323 BC). The course examines the major cities, sanctuaries and burial grounds of the Persians, Assyrians, Israelites, Greeks, and Etruscans. Special attention is given to the growth of urbanism and international trade during this period and their effects on material culture. Offered in alternate fall semesters.

Hellenistic and Roman Art and Archaeology

This course examines the artistic and architectural monuments of the Hellenistic kingdoms and the Roman world from the death of Alexander the Great through the end of the western Roman Empire (323 BC-AD 476). Issues may include: the archaeology of the economy and trade, the question of romanization (the archaeology of imperialism), iconography of political power, the material experience of everyday life, and the art of engineering. Offered in alternate spring semesters.

Topics

The advanced study of a specific topic in Mediterranean civilizations or literature. Recent courses have treated such topics as Plato on Love and Pleasure, Gender in the Greek and Roman World, Damnation and Salvation, Socrates--The Mind and the Myth, Great Archaeological Discoveries, Greek and Roman Law, and Ancient History and Film. May be repeated for credit with topic changes. Information on upcoming topics courses can be found on the departmental Web page.

Topics in Mediterranean Archaeology

A study of a specific topic in Mediterranean archaeology. Recent courses have treated such topics as Pompeii, the Archaeology of North Africa, and the Archaeology of Israel. May be repeated for credit with topic changes. Information on upcoming topics courses can be found on the department web page.

GIS and Mediterranean Archaeology

This course introduces students to methods, theories and practice in archaeology and information technology, especially GIS (Geographic Information Systems). In addition to discussion sessions on survey archaeology, GIS and archaeology, and information systems in archaeology, students work in groups to complete and archaeological practicum in which they design and implement a research project and then use GIS to display and analyze their data. The course is offered on-line (synchronously) in conjunction with three other colleges.

Senior Seminar

A seminar on a specific topic in the field of classical studies. Students will complete a major paper or project in conjunction with the course. Open only to majors.

Independent Senior Thesis

Outstanding students in Classical Civilization, Latin, or Greek may choose to complete an intensive independent research project in their senior year. The project culminates in a written thesis (approx. 30-40 pages) and a public presentation of their research. The thesis is directed by a faculty member in the Department of Classical Studies. Thesis proposals must be approved by the Department of Classical Studies before a student can register for CLST 455.