Spring 2021 Class Schedule
Course | Title | Instructor | Lecture | Discussion |
---|---|---|---|---|
CLASSICS-101-6 | What Makes a Classic? | Weintritt | ||
CLASSICS-101-6 What Makes a Classic?How does a work of literature become a “Classic?” What defines the “classical” style in art, music, and architecture? What belongs in the canon or educational curriculum, and who decides? Most importantly, what do a society’s answers to these questions tell us about their values and their cultural identity? Combining the development of Western classicism with case studies from other cultures, this course examines how the idea of the “Classic” tells a story about where a society comes from through earlier art, architecture, and literature. To answer “What Makes a Classic?,” we’ll divide our attention between the literature and art that constitute the canon and the critical apparatus that maintains this special status for certain works while excluding others. Students of the Spring 2021 course will be introduced to the Deering Library’s renowned Horace collection, which we will use to turn a critical eye towards appropriations of Greco-Roman culture that promote a false narrative of cultural superiority. | ||||
Bio coming soon | ||||
CLASSICS 212 | Roman History and Culture | Terpstra | ||
CLASSICS 212 Roman History and CultureThis course is a general survey of Roman history, from the beginnings to the collapse of the Roman Empire. It will trace the story of how a small city state in central Italy built a Mediterranean empire and administered it for centuries; how a long period of crisis led to its decline; and finally how the western half collapsed. The course will also treat several key themes and concepts in Roman culture: the Roman military, gender relations, public spectacles, religion and slavery. | ||||
Bio coming soon | ||||
CLASSICS 250 | Oral Poetry from Homer to Hip-Hop | Radding | ||
CLASSICS 250 Oral Poetry from Homer to Hip-HopWhat do Homer, Vyasa, and Kendrick Lamar have in common? All three practiced “oral poetry” – poetry that is improvised or composed extemporaneously before an audience. In this course, we will explore a variety of poetic traditions, beginning with the Homeric epics and weaving our way through the spaces, times, and traditions of Indian epic poets, West African djelis, Slavic bards, and contemporary hip-hop. Along the way, we will study the contents of these poetic traditions, but we will also investigate the modes and moments of poetic creation, and consider the effects of transcribing, and thus rendering immutable, that which was once spontaneous and ever-shifting. | ||||
Bio coming soon | ||||
CLASSICS 320 | The Foundation of Rome through Legends and Objects | Tataranni | ||
CLASSICS 320 The Foundation of Rome through Legends and Objects | ||||
Bio coming soon | ||||
CLASSICS 350 / CLS 301 | Comedy and Culture Wars in Antiquity | Radding | ||
CLASSICS 350 / CLS 301 Comedy and Culture Wars in AntiquityEvery culture, it would seem, has its wars. In this course, we will examine how the medium of comedy – both on the stage and on the page – has been used as a means to move the needle in these wars, and to force members of their cultures to reflect on the disputes and the debates that raged. Along the way, we will read comic plays by Aristophanes and Plautus, satire from ancient Rome, and many others. | ||||
Bio coming soon | ||||
CLASSICS 350/ PHIL 310 | Shame, Necessity, and Responsibility in Ancient Greek Philosophy and Literature | Marechal | ||
CLASSICS 350/ PHIL 310 Shame, Necessity, and Responsibility in Ancient Greek Philosophy and Literature | ||||
Bio coming soon | ||||
CLASSICS 370 | Beliefs, Practice, Politics | Weintritt | ||
CLASSICS 370 Beliefs, Practice, Politics | ||||
Bio coming soon | ||||
GREEK 115-2 | Accelerated Elementary Ancient and Biblical Greek | Platte | ||
GREEK 115-2 Accelerated Elementary Ancient and Biblical Greek | ||||
Bio coming soon | ||||
GREEK 201-3 | Introduction to Greek Literature: Iliad | Platte | ||
GREEK 201-3 Introduction to Greek Literature: IliadThis course is the third and final element of the second-year Greek series. In this course we will read significant sections of Homer’s Iliad in the original language. Students will develop an ability to read the Homeric dialect and gain an understanding of the conventions of ancient epic poetry. As we explore the earliest European literary work we will also survey several important scholarly issues regarding the nature and history of the poem, including the nature of its composition and its place in ancient Greek society. | ||||
Bio coming soon | ||||
LATIN 101-3 | Elementary Latin | Tataranni | ||
LATIN 101-3 Elementary Latin | ||||
Bio coming soon | ||||
LATIN 201-3-20 | Introduction to Latin Literature: Catullus | Byros | ||
LATIN 201-3-20 Introduction to Latin Literature: CatullusThe third quarter of second-year Latin combines literary analysis of Catullus poems with mastery of grammar and syntax at the intermediate level. This is mainly a workshop course, with discussion focusing on questions to and from members of the course. Though translation will be a component in evaluation, it will be a relatively minor criterion of success. The main topics of discussion will be how meaning and emphasis are communicated in the poetry of Catullus. Though Latin 201-3 concentrates on language skills, it also develops skills of analysis that are foundational for the future study of literature in any language. A grade of C- or better in this course satisfies the WCAS language requirement. | ||||
Bio coming soon | ||||
LATIN 201-3-21 | Introduction to Latin Literature: Catullus | Byros | ||
LATIN 201-3-21 Introduction to Latin Literature: CatullusThe third quarter of second-year Latin combines literary analysis of Catullus poems with mastery of grammar and syntax at the intermediate level. This is mainly a workshop course, with discussion focusing on questions to and from members of the course. Though translation will be a component in evaluation, it will be a relatively minor criterion of success. The main topics of discussion will be how meaning and emphasis are communicated in the poetry of Catullus. Though Latin 201-3 concentrates on language skills, it also develops skills of analysis that are foundational for the future study of literature in any language. A grade of C- or better in this course satisfies the WCAS language requirement. | ||||
Bio coming soon | ||||
LATIN 310 | Christian Reinventions of Latin Literature | Kieckhefer | ||
LATIN 310 Christian Reinventions of Latin Literature | ||||
Bio coming soon | ||||
latin-400 | Christian Reinventions of Latin Literature | Kieckhefer | ||
latin-400 Christian Reinventions of Latin Literature | ||||
Bio coming soon |