CLA 101-7 College Seminar: American Classics: Ancient Greece and Rome in Modern Culture and Film
In this course we will examine, and learn how to write about, the role of Ancient Greece and Rome in American film and culture. Preliminary steps in this study will involve introductions to various historic eras of the ancient Greco-Roman world as well as important elements of ancient culture. Our emphasis will, however, not be analysis of antiquity itself but rather of recent American engagement with that antiquity, particularly in film. We will examine not just how antiquity perseveres in American culture, but how popular art creatively and critically engages with inherited Classical traditions. We will also consider engagement with Classical antiquity in some non-cinematic media as well, such as the graphic novel and even the architecture of the city of Chicago.
In addition to the scholarly elements of this course, it will also serve as an introduction to college life itself. We will learn about specific resources on campus that exist to enable student success as well as discuss student well-being and personal success strategies. Your instructor will be your academic advisor this term and this will incorporate advising related activities to help students succeed not only in this class but at the university generally.
CLA 101-8 First-Year Writing Seminar: Endless Exile: Home and Homelessness in the Ancient Mediterranean World
The topic of exile—the forced abandonment of the place and world one calls home—captured the imagination of peoples across the ancient Mediterranean. The Greek Odyssey and Roman Aeneid, famous accounts of the predicaments of classical exile, were by no means isolated instances. These renowned poems were in conversation with narratives that circulated widely among neighboring Egyptian, Hebrew, Babylonian, Phoenician, and other ancient communities, in stories which not only produced echoes among themselves, but very likely borrowed from each other. In this seminar, we will read and discuss representative accounts of exile from the ancient Mediterranean world, highlighting their historical and geographical specificity but also reflecting on their treatment of common concerns and themes—such as homelessness and hospitality, longing and belonging, identity and otherness, hosts and guests, refugees and havens, pain and nostalgia, presence and absence, etc. While the seminar will highlight the historical and archaeological coordinates of those narratives, we will also reflect upon their relevance in discussing the very current reality of exilic life in today’s world.
As a first-year seminar, this course is meant to hone your abilities in the practice of academic writing. The activities for the seminar address this goal by implementing peer-review processes and exploring different writing techniques and sequences.
What do we know of the world inhabited by the heroes of Homer’s epic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey? Do the poems describe a largely imaginary realm, or do they reflect a particular period of ancient Greek history—and if so, which one? How did the circulation of the poems help contribute to a collective sense of Greek identity over a wide area of the eastern Mediterranean?
This course explores the society, economy, and culture of Iron Age Greece with special emphasis on the Geometric and early Archaic periods, emphasizing what scholars have learned through archaeological discoveries along with study of the poems themselves. Topics include the excavations at Troy and other sites; contacts with Egypt and the Near East and overseas settlements in the Mediterranean world; trade, exchange, and the technology of travel; literacy and oral tradition; political communities and warfare; gender and family relationships; religion, burial practices, and the art of ritual and commemoration. We will also examine some of the ways scholars and artists today are re-exploring the poems and their enduring themes.
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 Rome as a small city state in central Italy, on the periphery of the older civilizations of the Near East and Greece, established military and political control over Italy; how it built a Mediterranean empire and administered it for centuries; how a long period of decline led to to the partition of its empire 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 examines the phenomenon of adaptations of Greco-Roman narratives to the languages 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 ways 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.
The primary purpose of this course is to familiarize students with the mythology of the ancient Greek world and to develop tools for using it to improve and interrogate our own understanding of ancient Greek culture. Our focus will be on the mythology of the Greek Archaic and Classical periods, for which we will cover the most of important myths that our sources preserve for us. Beyond the facts of the myths, however, we will study the nature of the literary, historical, and archaeological sources from which they come, their historical circumstances and generic characteristics. This will allow us to consider in an informed way the relationship between evidence, culture, and even author. In doing so we will consider what these myths reveal about cultural attitudes and realities of life in the ancient Greek world for all its inhabitants: Greek and non-Greek, native and immigrant, free and enslaved.
CLA 310 Archaeology of the Ancient Mediterranean: The Archaeology of Athens
Athens was a renowned center of politics, art, religion, and culture throughout antiquity, and even today many of the ancient city’s archaeological features remain as prominent landmarks. This course will examine the topography, archeology, and history of Athens from the Late Bronze Age to the Roman period. In particular, the course will explore how ancient Athenian notions of identity, nationalism, and aesthetics were formed, perpetuated, and challenged through the city’s rich material footprint and urban development. We will ask questions including: How did the religious, political, and social topographies of the city interact with one another? How did certain spaces develop over time to suit the city’s changing needs? How were canons of aesthetics formed and integrated into the city-state’s fabric? In this course, we will also survey Athenian funerary and festival practices, discuss cultural institutions like the theater and the gymnasium, and examine how Athenian gender norms were reflected in material culture. Finally, we will discuss the benefits and limitations of material culture as evidence and how Euro-American receptions of Athens have shaped the field of Classics (the issue of Atheno-centrism). This course fulfills the college’s Advanced Expression requirement.
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.
CLA 314 Topics in Ancient Science and Technology: Ancient Medicine
We will study the theory and practice of Greek and Roman medicine, looking at ancient texts in translation, ancient artifacts and materials, and some modern scholarship. As a term project, students will learn to think like ancient physicians, diagnosing and prescribing treatments for patients from the Hippocratic case studies. During class discussion, we will engage critically with primary sources and examine the differences between ancient and modern science from a balanced historical perspective. We will also investigate the social, cultural, and economic forces that have affected the development of western medicine throughout its history.
CLA 320 Greek and Roman History: Constantinople: Monuments, People, Texts
Constantinople is no more. Officially, it was renamed Istanbul by the Turkish authorities in 1930, but practically, it acquired this name in 1453, when Eastern Roman Empire vanished from the face of the earth. For more than a thousand years, Constantinople remained the largest, wealthiest, and most famous city in the world. The ancient Slavs admiringly called it Tsargrad—"the Emperor-City," while the ancient Scandinavians knew it as Miklagard—"the Great City." Only scarce remains of Constantinople still protrude here and there in today's Istanbul: no more than a hundred monuments from the Middle Age have survived: churches, aqueducts, walls etc., and in our course, we will certainly explore and discuss them. After studying the ancient underground reservoirs preserved in modern-day city, we will discuss how water was sourced and used in this unique metropolis, which does not stand on any flowing water. Looking at the triumphal columns, we will explore the magical beliefs and sorceries associated with them. Examining the remains of palaces, we will read about the times when court ceremonies required nobles to dance and how many times a day the emperor changed his clothes and what his various garments were. We will read about taverns and barracks, brothels and prisons, orphanages and monasteries. But most importantly, by studying texts, we will learn about the people of Constantinople—so different from us, yet in many ways remarkably similar.
It is perhaps unsurprising that our time - obsessed as it is with GDP growth, the ups and downs of the stock market, inflation rates, the trade deficit - produces scholarship that studies the ancient Roman economy. This scholarship has made us increasingly aware of how different Rome was from the modern world. This course will focus on what that difference means for the realities of everyday life, both past and present. Questions to be addressed are: What did economic growth mean for the economy of the Romans? Can we even measure it? What role did energy consumption play in economic performance? What was the role of social class in business? What was the influence of a demographic regime with low life expectancy? How was trade conducted over long distances without fast means of communication and transportation? What was the role of technology and technological progress in the economy?
CLA 370 Greek and Roman Religion: Ancient Sacrifice: Belief and Ritual
How could humans forge meaningful and sustainable relationships with the gods, when the gods were believed to be infinitely more powerful than they were? This class will examine the ancient practice of offering sacrifice to the gods broadly across the Mediterranean basin, exploring a wide range of geographies, beliefs, customs, religions, and sources. The act of sacrifice, practiced in ancient Greece, Rome, the Levant, Egypt, and Mesopotamia, was practiced for a variety of reasons related to appeasing, supplicating, and currying favor with the gods. We will consider all types of sacrifice, including animal, vegetal, liquid, and even human offerings to the gods, while considering how concepts including expiation, catharsis, supplication, substitution, communion, and authority factored into the ritual. How did this ritual develop in response to changing or sustained religious beliefs? Did the gods of the ancient world eat the blood and flesh of sacrifices? What about the various minority groups in antiquity who rejected the practice of sacrifice? Throughout the class, students will examine the art historical, archaeological, and literacy evidence for this practice, while also critiquing different lenses and theoretical approaches to sacrifice.
CLA 380 / HUM 325 Classical Reception Studies: Ancient Rome in Chicago
Ancient Rome is visible in Chicago—walk the city and learn to “read” the streets, buildings, and monuments that showcase Chicago’s engagement with the classical past! You’ll gain digital mapping and video editing skills as you collaborate on a virtual walking tour mapping Chicago’s ongoing dialogue with antiquity. With a combination of experiential learning and rigorous research methodologies, you’ll explore architecture, history, visual arts, and urban topography in this quintessential modern American city.
CLA 395 Research Seminar: Classics Research Methodology
The course will provide students with fundamental research skills through hands-on learning and in-class work on an individual project. Students will learn how to use reference tools and online databases allowing them to search, analyze and interpret ancient evidence ranging from literary texts to inscriptions, papyri and visual material. The course is designed to reflect current developments in the field of Classics. It therefore emphasizes digital approaches, including electronic tools for the study of ancient evidence as well as search engines that employ advanced computational methods.
GREEK 115-1 Accelerated Elementary Ancient and Biblical Greek
This course is the first in a two-quarter 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. Since this is an ancient language there will be no spoken component and we will move swiftly through the grammar and basic vocabulary required to read actual texts. These two quarters will, in fact, teach all the fundamentals of the language and lead students directly into second-year courses in the New Testament, classical Greek oratory, and Homeric epic. Thereafter students will be able to progress even further to a wide range of genres from the classical and post-classical periods, including ancient Greek history, poetry, philosophy, drama, and more.
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. We will also read longer passages of unaltered Greek, including passages from the New Testament and a song of Sappho. 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 201-1 Introduction to Greek Literature: New Testament
This first course of the second-year Greek series is designed to build fluency in reading ancient Greek as students transition from the study of grammar to literature. This course will introduce students to the Greek New Testament, particularly the Gospel of Mark, the oldest and shortest of the Gospels, which students will read nearly in its entirety as they review the grammar, vocabulary, and morphology learned in first-year Greek. Additionally, students will read selections from other New Testament texts and apocrypha, as well as some other 1st – 4th century Greek literature, as we investigate how this unique genre functions.
GREEK 201-2 Introduction to Greek Literature: Classical Prose
This course is the second of the second-year Greek series, designed to solidify the grammatical concepts learned in first-year while introducing students to the study of actual ancient literary texts. In this course we will focus on ancient Attic prose by reading from Lysias on the Murder of Eratosthenes and Plato's Crito. We will pay close attention to grammar and style, but we will also gain insight into the complexities of ancient Athenian law and politics.
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.
GREEK 301 Readings in Greek Literature: Socrates the Joke: Aristophanes' Clouds
Aristophanes' Clouds portrays Socrates and his students as ridiculous comic figures. We will read the Clouds in the original Greek, with an eye to how this depiction contradicts and corroborates Socrates' other literary appearances. In addition, students will learn the history, structure, and legacy of Greek Old Comedy.
Latin 101-1 is the first quarter of the year-long Elementary Latin sequence designed to introduce students to the basic principles of classical Latin grammar and syntax. In addition to the mastering of these basic tools, the course will focus on vocabulary acquisition and the development of translation skills and reading competency necessary to read, understand, and translate simple passages in both adapted and unadapted Latin. In addition to the exercises and readings included in the textbooks, students will see and read Latin as it appeared on ancient monuments, walls, coins, and everyday objects. By uniting the study of language and culture, this course provides unique insight into the daily life of the people who spoke Latin in the Roman world.
Elementary Latin is a year-long course designed to provide students with the basic skills for reading, understanding, and translating both Latin prose and poetry.In the second quarter of the sequence students continue to acquire knowledge of the grammar and syntax of the Latin language and Latin vocabulary, and to develop an ability to read, understand, and translate passages in both adapted and unadapted Latin.
In addition to the exercises and readings included in the textbooks, students will see and read Latin as it appeared on ancient monuments, walls, coins, and everyday objects. By uniting the study of language and culture, this course provides unique insight into the daily life of the people who spoke Latin in the Roman world.
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. Throughout the quarter, class meetings will be devoted to grammar review and completing Chapters 34-40 of Wheelock's Latin. Students will also read extensive selections from the Letters of Pliny the Younger. Students will be expected to develop reading, translation, and literary analysis skills in prepared passages from the original Latin text.
LATIN 201-1 Introduction to Latin Literature: Cicero's Pro Caelio
This first course of the 2nd year Latin series is designed to build fluency and proficiency in reading Latin through the introduction of students to major works of Latin literature. Students will be introduced to the work of Marcus Tullius Cicero, who, in the late Republic, emerged as Rome’s most skilled public speaker. We will read one of Cicero’s most famous speeches, Pro Caelio, in which Cicero defends the aristocratic Marcus Caelius Rufus, notably by attacking the (allegedly) debauched lifestyle of Caelius’ former lover, Clodia. Time in class will be spent reading the Latin text and reviewing essential points of grammar and syntax, as well as discussions that will deepen students’ appreciation of Roman oratory, Cicero’s style, and the political and social context of the late Roman Republic.
LATIN 201-2-2 Introduction to Latin Literature: Vergil's Aeneid
Latin 201-2 is designed to improve students’ understanding of the Latin language by close reading of major poetic texts, with special attention to grammar, vocabulary, and style. Class activities will include careful reading and translation of Virgil's Aeneid combined with literary discussion and interpretation of the poem and its composition. The course also provides a systematic introduction to the dactylic hexameter and the basic rules of scansion.
LATIN 201-2-2 Introduction to Latin Literature: Vergil's Aeneid
Latin 201-2 is designed to improve students’ understanding of the Latin language by close reading of major poetic texts, with special attention to grammar, vocabulary, and style. Class activities will include careful reading and translation of Virgil's Aeneid combined with literary discussion and interpretation of the poem and its composition. The course also provides a systematic introduction to the dactylic hexameter and the basic rules of scansion.
LATIN 201-3-1 Introduction to Latin Literature: Catullus
The third quarter of second-year Latin combines literary analysis with mastery of grammar and syntax at the intermediate level. This is mainly a workshop course on Catullus, with discussion focusing on questions to and from students enrolled in the class. Though translation will be a component in evaluation, it will be a relatively small criterion of success. The main topics of discussion will be how meaning and emphasis are communicated in the poetry of Catullus. Students will learn how to a) read the selected Latin texts with increasing accuracy and independence by strengthening vocabulary recall, syntactical knowledge, and reading comprehension strategies, b) place Catullus' poetry in its historical, literary, and cultural contexts with the help of commentaries, and c) evaluate different interpretations of the selected Latin poems and their composition.
A grade of C- or better in this course satisfies the Weinberg language proficiency requirement.
LATIN 201-3-2 Introduction to Latin Literature: Catullus
The third quarter of second-year Latin combines literary analysis with mastery of grammar and syntax at the intermediate level. This is mainly a workshop course on Catullus, with discussion focusing on questions to and from students enrolled in the class. Though translation will be a component in evaluation, it will be a relatively small criterion of success. The main topics of discussion will be how meaning and emphasis are communicated in the poetry of Catullus. Students will learn how to a) read the selected Latin texts with increasing accuracy and independence by strengthening vocabulary recall, syntactical knowledge, and reading comprehension strategies, b) place Catullus' poetry in its historical, literary, and cultural contexts with the help of commentaries, and c) evaluate different interpretations of the selected Latin poems and their composition.
A grade of C- or better in this course satisfies the Weinberg language proficiency requirement.
LATIN 310 Readings in Latin Literature: Memory and Prophecy in Vergil's Aeneid
The proem of the Aeneid promises to include a sweeping course of events from the fall of Troy to the founding of Rome. But in fact its main narrative delivers very little of this action, adhering instead to an ancient preference for abbreviated plots. This class will investigate how Aeneas’ past and Rome’s future nevertheless find their way into the Aeneid through two narrative tools: memory and prophecy. As we shall see, memory is faulty, and prophecy is full of half-truths. Without the poet’s endorsement of any one version of events, we are left to piece together the story of Rome’s rise from Troy’s ashes on our own.
This course is ideal for students who want to bring their appreciation of the Aeneid to a new level by immersing themselves in the poem and its scholarship. Special attention will be paid to gaining fluency reading Latin and to developing a point of view in current critical debates. For graduate students, additional meetings will be curated around research interests.
