DEPARTMENT OF CLASSICS

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 American engagement with that antiquity, particularly in film. From reflections of ancient Rome in Star Wars to the adaptation of Greek comedy in Spike Lee's Chiraq, 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. Through writing and research assignments students will hone their ability to interpret and explain the role of Classical traditions in the modern world.

This course will serve as an Introduction to the history of Ancient Greece from the age of Homer (c. 7^th century BCE) to the death of Alexander the Great (323 BCE). We will focus primarily on literary sources, with emphasis on the social, political, and intellectual concerns that arose throughout the periods in question, but in particular in democratic Athens in the fifth century BCE. 

The course is a cultural and historical survey of the Roman Republic and Empire. We will trace the story of how this small city-state in central Italy, on the periphery of the older and wealthier civilizations of Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean, how it established military and political dominance over Italy and the entire Mediterranean, how it administered this vast empire for centuries, and how a long period of crisis lead to its decline, partition into eastern and western halves, and finally to the collapse of its western half. 

Woven into this historical narrative, however, we will also ask who these people were, what they believed and cared about, and how they organized their society and conducted their lives. We will read in translation some of their most cherished and prestigious works of literature, observe their achievements in philosophy, science, and the arts, and scrutinize their dreadful glorification of conquest and unchallenged acceptance of slavery. Lectures and sections will alternate between these key events in Roman history and broader topics in the cultures of Rome and the empire.

What do Homer, Vyasa, and Eminem 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 griots, Slavic bards, and, finally, contemporary American 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. The course will also include visiting experts to demonstrate improvised oral poetry in action!

In this course we will study the myths of the ancient Greeks through the reading of ancient texts themselves, in translation. We will begin by studying Greek myth broadly, focusing on our very earliest texts, and then gradually narrow our focus to mythology in Classical Athens. The legacy of Greek mythology is timeless yet the myths themselves grew out of unique times and a unique culture so we will work to understand these myths within their original contexts, yet we will also keep our eye on uses of Greek mythology in the modern world, including in contemporary Chicago.

This course starts with the Greeks' invention of law and the development of early law (including texts such as Homer), to focus on the laws and legal system of democratic Athens. We shall analyze courtroom speeches by Demosthenes, Plato, and others. Topics include Athens' laws of homicide, assault, libel, and hubris, and various courtroom strategies such as litigants' exploitation of legal procedures. We close with an examination of the scope of Greek law (especially, what matters were left unregulated), and the laws of strange societies (such as Sparta).

This course focuses on the history of development and changes in scientific paradigm through readings of a variety of ancient thinkers from Greece and Rome. Students examine and assess ancient “science” through a synthesis of a range of primary and secondary source evidence: Heraclitus (Aphorisms), Plato (Timaeus), Aristotle (Physicsand logic), Euclid (Elements) Galen (On the Natural Faculties) and Archimedes (On the Equilibrium of Planes) among others. The goal of this course is to teach students some basic highlights of the history of scientific inquiry, inform them about the difficulty of defining science, and describe how ancient thinkers employed the human abilities of pattern-finding, empirical investigation, and deductive reasoning as modern science does in its inquiry. Students will learn precise differences between scientific perspectives that come from the ancient world and understand how those differences brought about a slow evolution of scientific inquiry.They will in this manner gain a basic historical understanding of the development of the scientific paradigm and its likely future change.

It is tempting to assume that in many ways the Romans were "just like us." TV shows and movies habitually promote this view, projecting a picture of the Romans through a conspicuously modern lens. This course highlights what was different about Roman society to provide both a historical perspective and a mirror for our modern society. It is perhaps unsurprising that our own time - obsessed as it is with GDP growth, the ups and downs of the stock market, inflation rates, the state 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. Our industrialized, highly technological, post-demographic transition society is a relatively new phenomenon that has been developing only over the past two centuries. 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 on the economy of a demographic regime in which life expectancy was low? How was trade conducted over long distances without fast means of communication and transport? What was the role of technology and technological progress in the economy?

2,500 years after the birth of Athenian drama, classical tragedy and comedy continues to inspire and beguile us. In this course, we will read several masterpieces of Greek and Roman tragedy and comedy, as well as adaptations of these plays for the modern and contemporary stage. Throughout, we will examine how classical drama related to its original cultural contexts, how it addresses fundamental questions about human societies and relationships, why these plays continue to provoke reflection, and how audiences experienced and continue to experience classical drama. All readings will be in translation, and as part of the course we will also attend performances of ancient Greek plays.

War and its fallout have always been a central part of the human experience and have thus sparked the fascination of poets and audiences alike. But along with war comes the concept of peace, both in life and in poetry. In this course, we will examine how poets across a spectrum of cultures, eras, and genres have given life to rich expressions of hope, fear, and everything in between, and ask ourselves how these poets succeed in illuminating this part of the human experience, and to what effect. Homer and Vergil will be our guides through the first part of the quarter, but in the second half we will explore poetries of war and peace from around the world, up to the present day.

In our day, the indispensable literary form: when most of us think of `literature,' most of us surely think of novels and novelists first. Not so in Greek and Latin literature: though the ancient world knew of the form we call the novel - a long, fictional narrative in prose - it was a marginal enough form that it seems neither Latin nor Greek had a single, stable word for it. And yet, as the last generation has increasingly come to understand, the ancient novel is an extraordinarily rich and fascinating form; its most accomplished instances hold up well in comparison to any classical text at all, no matter how resplendent its glory.

This course will seek to vindicate that statement. Through extensive readings in translation of two Latin and five Greek novels, we will study these tales of adventure, romance, travel, bandits, pirates, and magic, bringing to light their cultural background, artistic principles, and their unforgettable achievement.

Although the ancient Romans never made it to the new world, their legacy in Chicago is reflected in architecture, the visual arts, and sites devoted to recreation, education, politics, and business. This class will journey to Chicago's financial district, political and commercial core, cultural institutions, hotels, theaters, parks, schools, cemeteries, and ethnic neighborhoods. By walking the city, you will learn to "read" the streets, buildings, and monuments that showcase Chicago's engagement with the classical past. You will also learn how to use digital tools and practices - such as video editing, data analysis, and digital mapping - to produce an innovative and collaborative virtual walking tour mapping Chicago's ongoing dialogue with Roman antiquity.

Metal production was central to Roman civilization. This seminar will examine Roman metallurgy from the perspective of art history/archaeology, economics and materials science. Students will explore how the Romans exploited the raw materials and adapted the processing and casting technologies to meet the demands of an empire vastly larger than any previous Mediterranean state. From a materials science perspective, the class will examine how metal ore was processed and cast, evident in characteristic microstructures. The resulting data will be used as a basis for understanding the vast trading network associated with metal production and the importance of metallurgy to the Roman economy. As this class will be offered in the McCormick School of Engineering as well as the Weinberg School of Arts and Sciences, we expect equal enrollment from Engineering and Humanities students. Following several weeks of joint instruction, the students will be grouped into teams to undertake and present various aspects and theories of historical and scientific research into Roman metal production.

The purpose of the course is to introduce Classics majors to the basic skills and techniques of scholarly research in our field, and to apply these techniques in a significant research project. We will familiarize ourselves with the ways in which scholars use different kinds of evidence (literary, epigraphic, material) to shape our understanding of the ancient world, including the bibliographic and linguistic tools (lexica, computerized databases) and critical methodologies (source criticism, intertextuality, literary theory, and so on) which are central to this work.

This course is the first in an accelerated 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 to a wide range of genres from the classical and post-classical periods, including ancient Greek history, poetry, philosophy, drama, and more.

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.

This is the first course in the second-year ancient Greek series, designed to transition students into reading unaltered ancient texts while introducing them to some of the most important works written in the language. This first course will cover the Greek of the New Testament, introducing students to the history and idiosyncrasies of the texts, and allowing them their first real opportunity to know an ancient work in the original language. Accordingly, this course will focus on the gospel of Mark, the oldest, and shortest, of the gospels, which we will read nearly in its entirety. We will read selections from other gospels as well, to study the relationship between the texts. This course will also serve as a review of the grammar learned in first-year Greek and will include homework and classwork specifically geared toward that end.

This course is the second in 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 reading Attic prose from the classical period. We will begin by reading an actual courtroom defense speech by the renowned rhetorician Lysias, and will then read a short philosophical dialogue from Plato. While paying close attention to grammar and style we will also use these texts as entry point for the study of ancient law and society itself.​

This course is the second in 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 reading Attic prose from the classical period. We will begin by reading an actual courtroom defense speech by the renowned rhetorician Lysias, and will then read a short philosophical dialogue from Plato. While paying close attention to grammar and style we will also use these texts as entry point for the study of ancient law and society itself.​

Odysseus’ homecoming to Ithaca is one of the most fascinating and enduring narratives of Western culture. While Nausicaa, the Cyclops, and the Sirens irresistibly appeal to our imagination, Odysseus’ wanderings, return, and revenge raise fundamental questions about identity, gender, justice, among others. We will read two books in the original Greek and reflect upon the complex relationship between Telemachus’ coming of age, Odysseus’ travels through supernatural lands, and his slow re-integration into society and revenge upon the suitors. We will also read the entire poem in English and discuss a selection of articles emphasizing the poetic, anthropological, and cultural significance of the Odyssey in its ancient performance context.

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. It helps lay the foundation for further study of western culture, as well as Medieval Latin, Renaissance Latin, and other Romance languages.

In the first quarter of the sequence students acquire knowledge of the essential grammar of the Latin language and basic Latin vocabulary, and develop an ability to read, understand, and translate simple passages in both adapted and unadapted Latin. In addition, the course provides an introduction to Roman culture, civilization, and history.

Classical Latin vocabulary, grammar, and syntax with graded readings for translation.

Classical Latin vocabulary, grammar, and syntax with graded readings for translation.

Classical Latin vocabulary, grammar, and syntax with graded readings for translation.

The goal of second-year Latin (201-1, 2, 3) is the development of proficiency in reading Latin through the introduction of the student to major works of Latin literature. In addition to the review and continued reinforcement of grammar and syntax, the class will read selections from Petronius and Cicero with attention to their interpretation and historical significance.

The goal of second-year Latin (201-1, 2, 3) is the development of proficiency in reading Latin through the introduction of the student to major works of Latin literature. In addition to the review and continued reinforcement of grammar and syntax, the class will read selections from Petronius and Cicero with attention to their interpretation and historical significance.

The goal of second-year Latin (201-1, 2, 3) is the development of proficiency in reading Latin through the introduction of the student to major works of Latin literature. In addition to the review and continued reinforcement of grammar and syntax, the class will read selections from Petronius and Cicero with attention to their interpretation and historical significance.

The goal of second-year Latin (201-1, 2, 3) is the development of proficiency in reading Latin through the introduction of the student to major works of Latin literature. In addition to the review and continued reinforcement of grammar and syntax, the class will read selections from Petronius and Cicero with attention to their interpretation and historical significance.

In 1927 T.S. Eliot could write of Seneca, “in modern times, few Latin authors have been more consistently damned.” Even more than his philosophical writings, which have been going in and out of style since he wrote them, his career as tragic playwright has provoked particular disgust. And yet, you could scarcely find a working Latinist today who still feels this way about these plays. Their “faults” have become the very things that interest us, now that we (think we’ve) come to understand them: their “rhetorical” nature and verbal exuberance, the penchant for horror, the dark fascination with the individual’s inner intellectual life and moral reasoning at their most brilliantly fallacious and spectacularly hideous. Reason’s hijacking by the vengeful Will, Philosophy’s limp and abortive resistance to Madness, and Evil’s terrifyingly recognizable glee ​at its conquest over all it surveys. Just to start.

In this class, we will read in Latin extensive selections of several tragedies, especially the Medea and Thyestes. You’ll like it, and feel bad that you like, and feel awesome that you feel bad that you like it. It’ll be great. Delicious, even.

"In all of the records of Rome there can scarcely be another year that is so full of calamity or displays so clearly the strength and weakness of the Romans." (K. Wellesley) The year is 69 AD, the so-called "Year of the Four Emperors," and it is masterfully chronicled by Tacitus in his Histories, a dark narrative of violence, ambition, conspiracy and ideological conflict between outmoded values and new realities of power. Throughout this course, we will read extensive selections of Histories Book I, with particular attention to the work's political and literary context, as well as to the swift and dramatic prose style of Tacitus, and his vivid and haunting character sketches.