Course Catalogue
Greek
Classical
Studies
Course Catalogue
Greek
The Department of Classical Studies provides students an opportunity to appreciate the cultural achievements of ancient Greece and Rome, their importance in the Western tradition, and their continuing influence on modern culture and thought. Because the classics were for so long the core of the Western curriculum, the study of the classical texts, besides being inherently exciting and rewarding, also provides anintroduction to the essential assumptions of our culture. The program in Classical Studies will thus be of value both to students with a special interest in the ancient world and to those seeking a general foundation in the humanities.
The classics are best approached through the direct study of the languages, and work in Greek and Latin receives special emphasis in the department. Students in the language classes will read widely from the masterpieces of Greek and Roman literature: epic and philosophy, tragedy and comedy, history and oratory, lyric poetry and satire. For students with a more general interest in classical civilization, the department offers a range of courses that do not require language work, in ancient history, mythology, literature, and art and archaeology. The department also cooperates in a number of interdisciplinary courses, some of which are team-taught with faculty members of other departments.
1. A Classical Studies major with emphasis in Classical Languages will take a minimum of seven courses in Greek and Latin (with at least two courses in each of the languages) and at least one course in Classical Civilization.
2. A Classical Studies major with emphasis in Classical Civilization will take a minimum of eight courses in the department. Two or three of these will be in either Greek or Latin, including at least one language course at the 200-level. The rest of the courses may be in Classical Civilization, although additional work in the languages is strongly encouraged.
The department also offers a minor in Classical Studies consisting of six courses: for the emphasis in Classical Languages, the six courses will be in Greek and Latin; for the emphasis in Classical Civilization, at least two of the courses will be in Greek or Latin and the rest will be in Classical Civilization.
Majors in Classical Languages are strongly encouraged to take additional courses beyond the requirements. Those who contemplate graduate work in classical studies should emphasize Latin or Greek and will find it very useful to acquire a reading knowledge of German or French. Majors are encouraged to study in Greece and Italy. The department offers its own off-campus program of study and travel, Wooster in Greece, which provides an introduction to the modern Greek language, a general literature course and an integrated term of reading, class work, and visits to archaeological sites and museums in Greece and Turkey. Students completing the program may receive up to four course credits toward graduation. See Wooster in Greece and Interdepartmental 379, 380, 381, 382, and 383. S/NC courses are not permitted in the major or minor. The College language requirement may be satisfied in the Latin or Greek language by completing a 102-level course or receiving a score equivalent to the 102 level on the placement examination.
Advanced Placement Upon consultation with the department chairperson, a student may receive one course credit toward graduation by obtaining a grade of 4 or 5 on either of the two CEEB Advanced Placement Examinations in Latin (Vergil, Latin Literature). Students who obtain grades of 4 or 5 on both examinations may count one of these courses toward a major or minor in Classical Studies. The advanced placement policy of the College is explained in the section on Admission.
101. BEGINNING
GREEK LEVEL I An introduction to the grammar, syntax, and vocabulary
of classical Attic Greek. Emphasis on reading continuous passages in Greek and
appreciation of their cultural context. No prerequisite. Annually. Fall.
102. BEGINNING GREEK LEVEL II Continued work in Attic Greek grammar and
readings, including selections from prose authors such as Herodotus, Thucydides,
and Plato. Prerequisite: Greek 101 or placement. Annually. Spring.
200. GREEK
TEXTUAL STUDIES: INTERMEDIATE LEVEL
Translation and careful study of continuous passages selected from several
representative Greek texts Ñfor instance, Plato, Euripides, Homer, Herodotus,
lyric poets, Attic orators, and occasionally non-literary materials (e. g.,
inscriptions or papyrus). A review of basic grammar; instruction in the use
of commentaries, lexicon, reference works and scholarly literature; and an introduction
to textual analysis, both literary and historical. Readings will change from
year to year, and the course may be repeated once for credit. Prerequisite:
Greek 102 or placement. Annually. Fall.
250. SEMINAR IN GREEK LITERATURE Intensive readings in and critical study
of significant Greek texts. Course may be arranged around a particular author,
genre, period, or topic. Readings will change from year to year, and the course
may be repeated for credit. Offerings include Homer and the Epic Tradition;
Greek Historians: Herodotus and Thucydides; Greek yric Poetry; The Dialogues
of Plato; Greek Tragedy: Sophocles and Euripides; The Greek New Testament. Prerequisite:
Greek 200 or placement. Annually. Spring
400. TUTORIAL
101. BEGINNING
LATIN LEVEL I An introduction to the basics of Latin grammar,
syntax, and vocabulary, with emphasis on reading continuous passages and appreciation
of their cultural context. This course is designed for students who have had
no previous work in Latin or who, based on performance on the placement examination,
place in 101. Annually. Fall.
102. BEGINNING LATIN LEVEL II Continued work in the basics of the Latin
language, with emphasis on reading selections from a variety of Latin authors.
Prerequisite: Latin 101 or placement. Annually. Spring.
200. LATIN
TEXTUAL STUDIES: INTERMEDIATE LEVEL Translation
and careful study of continuous passages selected from several representative
Latin texts Ñfor instance, Cicero, Sallust, Catullus, Ovid, Vergil, Petronius,
Pliny, and occasionally non-literary materials (e. g., inscriptions or papyrus).
A review of basic grammar; instruction in the use of commentaries, lexicon,
reference works and scholarly literature; and an introduction to textual analysis,
both literary and historical. Readings will change from year to year, and the
course may be repeated once for credit. Prerequisite: Latin 102 or placement.
Annually. Fall.
250. SEMINAR IN LATIN LITERATURE Intensive readings in and critical study
of significant Latin texts. Course may be arranged around a particular author,
genre, period, or topic. Readings will change from year to year, and the course
may be repeated for credit. Offerings include The World of Cicero; Vergil and
the Epic Tradition; Roman Historians: Sallust, Livy and Tacitus; Roman Comedy:
Plautus and Terence; Roman Satire: Horace and Juvenal; Roman Erotic Poetry:
Catullus, Horace, and Ovid; Petronius and Roman Novel; Medieval Latin. Prerequisite:
Latin 200 or placement. Annually. Spring.
400. TUTORIAL
Knowledge of Greek or Latin is not required for the following courses:
INTERDEPARTMENTAL 200. THE PRESOCRATICS
This course will focus on the emergence of philosophical and scientific thinking
out of the archaic Greek culture informed by the literature of Homer, Hesiod,
the lyric poets, and Aeschylus. The Presocratic philosophers from Thales to
the Sophists contain the roots of our concept formation in philosophy, science,
and theology. Archaic Greek authors, those ancestral to and contemporary with
these thinkers, create the foundational literature that grounds these concerns
in artistic, religious, mythological, and ethical contexts. In addition to gaining
an appreciation of these roots of modern thought, a close study of these emergent
systems of thought will sharpen students' concept formation and critical faculties.
Spring 2001-2002.
HISTORY 202.
GREEK
CIVILIZATION (See
Archaeology) A survey of the civilization of ancient Greece from the Bronze
Age to the Hellenistic period, with concentration on the classical period (490-340
B. C.). Readings in primary sources, especially the Greek historians, with particular
attention to the problems of recording and interpreting historical data. Not
offered 2001-2002.
HISTORY 203. ROMAN CIVILIZATION (See Archaeology) A survey of the civilization
of ancient Rome from the Etruscans to the age of Constantine, with concentration
on the late Republic and early Empire (133 B. C. -A. D. 180). Readings in primary
sources, especially the Roman historians, with particular attention to the problems
of recording and interpreting historical data. Spring 2001-2002.
220. MYTH AND ANCIENT EPIC (See Comparative Literature) An introduction
to the principal myths and legends of ancient Greece and Rome through the traditions
of epic poetry. Texts may include Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, Hesiod's Theogony,
Vergil's Aeneid, Ovid's Metamorphoses. Emphasis on the literary transformation
of traditional narratives; the relation of oral and literary epic; and the epic
conceptualization of divinity and mortality, gender, and time. Annually. Fall.
221. MYTH
AND GRECO-ROMAN DRAMA (See
Comparative Literature, Theatre) An introduction to the principal myths and
legends of Greece and Rome through the traditions of ancient drama: the tragedies
of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides; the comedies of Aristophanes, Menander,
Plautus, and Terence. Emphasis on the origins of tragedy and comedy in myth,
ritual, and festival; the understanding of the plays in their literary, political,
and historical context; and the production and performance of the plays as living
theater. Annually. Spring.
222. CLASSICAL TRADITION IN MODERN DRAMA, FICTION, AND FILM (See Comparative
Literature) What do we mean when we say that one work "influences"
another, or that a later work is "derived from "an earlier one? This
course will study a number of twentieth-century works that draw on the classical
tradition (myth, literature, history, ritual) for their content, form, or thematic
concerns within the framework of contemporary critical theory: e. g., narrative
analysis, anthropological criticism, theories of intertextuality. The course
will attempt to appreciate how these modern works function as readings of their
ancient models, and how these models are fundamentally rewritten in being translated
into a different social, historical, and intellectual context. Modern works
will be drawn from a range of national and ethnic traditions and may include
drama by O'Neill, Elliot, Sartre, Anouilh, Albee, Stoppard; fiction by Joyce,
Gide, Camus, Kafka, Kazantzakis, Renault, Wolf; films by Cocteau, Camus, Pasolini,
Fellini, and Cacoyannis. Fall 2001-2002.
225. WOMEN IN THE GREEK AND ROMAN WORLD (See Women's Studies) Study of
the social history of women in classical antiquity by analysis of the primary
evidence (literary and material) and modern scholarship. The realities of women's
daily lives; their participation in economic, political, cultural, and religious
institutions; and their representation in traditional narratives, literature,
and art. Not offered 2001-2002.
INTERDEPARTMENTAL 240. GREEK ARCHAEOLOGY AND ART (See Archaeology, Art)
Study of the major archaeological sites and monuments in Greece from the prehistoric,
classical, and Hellenistic periods. Emphasis on the interrelationship between
artistic creativity, material culture, and their social, historical, and intellectual
context. Not offered 2001-2002.
INTERDEPARTMENTAL 241. ROMAN ARCHAEOLOGY AND ART (See Archaeology, Art)
A study of Roman art, architecture, and archaeology from the Early Empire through
Constantine. Emphasis on the interrelationship between artistic creativity,
material culture, and their social, historical, and intellectual context. Not
offered 2001-2002.
259. PLATO'S SEARCH FOR ABSOLUTE KNOWLEDGE (See Philosophy) The aim of
the course is to study selected Platonic dialogues as literature and philosophy,
with particular attention to literary devices (symbol and myth), philosophical
questions (nature of reality and knowledge), and the Socratic critique of religion
and poetry. Not offered 2001-2002.
260. SPECIAL TOPICS IN CLASSICS Intensive study of a significant subject
in ancient Greek or Roman history, culture, or society. Emphasis on the development
of research techniques, the interrelationship of different kinds of ancient
source materials (textual, epigraphic, artistic, archaeological), and the relevance
and application of contemporary theory to classical antiquity. May be repeated
when topic changes. Possible topics include Alexander the Great: Legend and
Legacy, Dining at the Table of the Gods: Greek and Roman Religion, Love and
Sexuality in the Classical World, The Ancient City: Urban Planning in Antiquity.
Not offered 2001-2002.
400. TUTORIAL
INDEPENDENT STUDY
401-403.
INDEPENDENT STUDY
(May be in Latin, Greek, or Classical Civilization)
451, 452. INDEPENDENT STUDY THESIS The main fields of choice for a major
with an emphasis on Greek or atin: the literature, philosophy, religion, or
history of Greece or Rome. Suggested fields of specialization for a major with
an emphasis on Classical Civilization: archaeology, ancient history, mythology,
classical or comparative literary criticism, philosophy.
INTERDEPARTMENTAL 379. BEGINNING MODERN GREEK An introduction to understanding,
speaking, reading, and writing modern Greek. Emphasis on speaking the language
in its cultural context and on the skills necessary to communicate effectively
for daily living in the contemporary Greek world. Taught by Athens Centre staff;
supervised by Wooster faculty. Fall 2001-2002.
INTERDEPARTMENTAL 380. THE MONUMENTS AND HISTORY OF GREECE A survey of
the major prehistoric, Classical, and Byzantine sites in Greece and Turkey with
emphasis on their archaeological significance and historical context. The relation
between material evidence and the textual record. Visits to sites in Athens
and Attica as well as Crete, Santorini, Corinth, Mycenae, Epidaurus, Olympia,
Delphi, Meteora, and Thessaloniki. A visit to Istanbul includes archaeological
sites and monuments from Byzantine Greece and the Ottoman Empire. Fall 2001-2002.
INTERDEPARTMENTAL 381. THE CULTURE OF ANCIENT AND BYZANTINE GREECE A
survey of the major forms of cultural expression in Greece in the Classical
and Byzantine periods: art, myth, religion, and literature. Special attention
to changing notions of the divine and their cultural expression. Visits to sites
and museums, readings in Greek epic, lyric, tragedy, comedy, and history. Attendance
at live performances of classical dramas. Fall 2001-2002. INTERDEPARTMENTAL
382. TRAVELERS 'TALES: NARRATIVES OF CROSS-CULTURAL EXPERIENCE A study of
issues of cultural difference and cross-cultural perspective with an international
focus, by examining narrative literature that describes travel to foreign lands
and relocation in unfamiliar contexts. Readings include fiction, autobiography,
journal, diary, ethnographic, and travel writing from a variety of ethnic and
national backgrounds, with attention to travelers to Greece in different historical
periods. Students will produce written accounts of their own travel and cross-cultural
experience. Not offered 2001-2002. INTERDEPARTMENTAL 383. A CENTURY OF CONFLICT:
HISTORY, CULTURE, AND POLITICS IN THE BALKANS A study of the Balkans in
the 20th century. This course examines political, economic, and social explanations
for conflict in southeastern Europe from the emergence of modern nation states
to the crisis in Kosovo. Special emphasis on tensions between Greece and Turkey
and the impact of regional civil war on Macedonia and Greece. The uses and abuses
of history in the formation of ethnic and national identities will also be explored.
Taught by Athens Centre staff; supervised by Wooster faculty. Fall 2001-2002.
