The course is a general history survey, starting with Rome’s humble beginnings and ending with the collapse of the Roman Empire. It will trace the story of how a small city state in central Italy, on the periphery of the older civilizations of the Near East and Greece, established military and political dominance over Italy; how it built a Mediterranean empire and administered it for centuries; how a long period of crisis led to its decline and partition into an eastern and western half; and finally how the western half collapsed. In addition to this chronological narrative, the course will treat several key themes and concepts in Roman culture. The Roman military will receive attention, as will gender relations and public spectacles. Roman religion and the role of slavery will also be discussed.
CLA 245 Classics and the Cinema: Ancient Greeks and Romans on the Big Screen
This course inquires into the phenomenon of adaptations of Greco-Roman narratives to the language and conditions of modern cinematography. The class begins with an overview of the framework and methods of Reception Studies, and a short account of some technical tools and terminology necessary to appropriately examine the audiovisual aspects of film. Equipped with these analytical instruments, we will discuss selected ancient narratives, both mythological and historical, and then interrogate the mechanisms through which those stories have been adapted to the technological apparatuses, sociocultural expectations, and economic dynamics constitutive of the practice of modern filmmaking. Through an eclectic selection of film adaptations from different periods and parts of the world, we will interrogate the way world cinema negotiates between the “old” and the “new,” both by deploying visual and narrative techniques to depict ancient motifs, and by using those tales to convey modern historical preoccupations, political ideals, and cultural expectations.
CLA 314 Topics in Ancient Science and Technology: Ancient Astronomy
This course will explore the history of European and Near Eastern astronomy from the 7th century BCE to the 6th century CE. Students will learn the fundamentals of the geocentric model, ancient methods of observation, and traditions of cosmology. We will study the history of time-reckoning and calendar-making, as well as portrayals of astronomy and celestial phenomena in myth and literature. In addition to reading ancient texts, students will also make their own observations using models of ancient instruments and the methods of ancient astronomers.
GREEK 115-2 Accelerated Elementary Ancient and Biblical Greek
This course is the second in a two-term accelerated series designed to teach students to read ancient Greek, making accessible much of the world’s most influential literature, from the biblical New Testament to Homeric poetry and Platonic philosophy. In this course we will complete our study of the fundamentals of Greek grammar, making students ready to transition into second-year courses in the New Testament, classical Greek oratory, and Homeric epic. Thereafter students will be able to progress to a wide range of genres from the classical and post-classical periods, including ancient Greek history, poetry, philosophy, drama, and more.
GREEK 201-3 Introduction to Greek Literature: The Iliad
This 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.
Latin 101-3 is the third quarter of the year-long elementary Latin sequence designed to introduce students to the fundamentals of classical Latin. Alongside the grammatical material in this class, students will work on expanding their Latin vocabulary and developing the basic skills for reading Latin texts that are necessary to continue successfully in the second year. During the first few weeks of the quarter, class meetings will be devoted to grammar review and completing Chapters 34-40 of "Wheelock's Latin". For the rest of the term, primary readings from Latin prose writers such as Cicero and Pliny the Younger will be assigned on a daily basis. Students will be expected to develop reading, translation, and literary analysis skills in prepared passages from the original Latin text.
