Courses in Greek Language and Literature

I. Introductory

105a-106b. Elementary Greek (1)

Introduction to the language. Readings in the New Testament and Plato.

Open to all classes; four 50-minute periods. Ms. Friedman.

II. Intermediate

215a. Fifth- and Fourth-Century Literature (1)

Authors may include Sophokles, Euripides, Xenophon, Lysias, and Plato. In addition to consolidating knowledge of grammar, the selection of passages brings into focus important aspects of Athenian culture. Mr. Mercado.

Prerequisite: Greek 105-106 or by permission of the instructor.

230b. Archaic Literature (1)

Authors may include Homer and Homeric Hymns, Hesiod, lyric poets, and Herodotus, as the first prose writer. Selections allow discussion of the interrelationship of poetic form in this period and the growth of prose out of oral poetry. Social, religious, and political issues surrounding the texts are discussed. Instructor to be announced.

Prerequisite: Greek 215 or by permission of instructor.

298a or b. Independent Work (1/2 or 1)

III. Advanced

Greek 301 is offered every year, 302 and 303 in alternation; the topic of 301 changes annually. Prerequisite for all advanced courses: 2 units in 200 level courses in the language or by permission of instructor.

301b. Topics in Greek Literature (1)

This course involves close reading of texts from a single genre or author or texts which have a common thematic interest. Study of the texts and of secondary material allows us to explore various features of ancient society; for example, the course might take as its topic a genre such as Greek history or comedy, the oeuvre of a single author such as Pindar or Plato, or a theme such as the depiction of foreigners, the Greek sophists, or the tradition of the funeral oration. Since the topic changes every year, the course may be taken for credit more than once.

Topic for 2008/09: The Spartan Mirage. Of the first-tier city-states of ancient Greece, Sparta occupies a unique position — a state which prized above all its military achievements but eschewed many of the arts so eagerly pursued by its competitor cities such as Athens, namely grand public architecture, sculpture, and above all, literature. As a result, the Spartans are mainly known to us through the voices of other Greeks from whose various biases multiple versions of Sparta emerge. This course investigates the ways in which Sparta and its inhabitants are portrayed in the writings of Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon, Aristotle, and Plutarch, and concludes with a short survey of the two best attested Spartan poets, Alcman and Tyrtaeus. Ms. Olsen.

302a. Greek Tragedy (1)

A reading of a play by Sophokles or Euripides. Careful study of the text helps us to understand the playwright’s style. We also consider how the play examines and responds to the historical, social and political conditions of Athens in the fifth century BCE. Ms. Friedman.

[303a. Homer] (1)

Extensive selections from the Iliad, the Odyssey, and/or Homeric Hymns with attention given to oral theory, thematic structure, and social issues raised by the poems. Ms. Olsen.

Not offered in 2008/09.

305a or b. Senior Project (1)

306a-307b. Senior Project (1/2, 1/2)

399a or b. Senior Independent Work (1/2 or 1)