Professors: Robert D. Brown, M. Rachel Kitzinger (Chair), Robert
L. Pounder (Assistant to the President); Assistant Professors:
Rachel Friedman, J. Bertrand Lotta; Blegen Visiting Distinquished
Professor: Carolyn Dewald, University of Southern California.
Students may concentrate in Greek or Latin or elect a correlate sequence
in Greek, Latin, or Classical Studies.
Requirement for Concentration in Greek: 10 units, to include
Classics 216 and 217, Greek 297.01 (1/2 unit),
297.02 (1/2 unit), and 300, and at least 2 other
units of Greek at the 300 level.
Requirement for Concentration in Latin: 10 units, to include
Classics 218 and 219, Latin 297.01 (1/2 unit),
297.02 (1/2 unit), and 300, and at least 2 other
units of Latin at the 300 level.
Senior Year Requirement: Greek 300 or Latin 300, depending on
the language of concentration.
Correlate Sequences in Greek, Latin, or Classical Studies:
Requirements for Correlate Sequences in Greek or Latin: 6 units,
to include 5 units of either Greek or Latin, of which at least one must
be at the 300 level; 1 unit chosen from the Vassar curriculum in consultation
with a departmental adviser; in addition to courses offered by the Department
of Classics, possible choices include Art 210, 211, 310, Drama 221,
Philosophy 101, and 305 (if relevant).
Requirements for Correlate Sequence in Classical Studies: 6
units, to include one year of either Greek or Latin; any one of Classics
100, 101, 102, 103, 104, and 105; any two of Classics 216, 217, 218,
219; and either Classics 300 or 310 or an approved 300–level course
in another department, such as Philosophy 305 (if relevant).
Those interested in completing a correlate sequence should consult
as soon as possible with a member of the department to plan their course
of studies.
Any course offered by the Department of Classics may be elected (by
non–majors only) under the NRO. Courses elected under the NRO before
the declaration of the major will be counted toward the major.
Recommendations: For graduate study, command of both classical
languages is essential; a reading knowledge of French and German is
also desirable.
Advisers: The department.
A. Courses in Classical Civilization
I. Introductory
100a or b. The Blegen Lecture Course (1)
The course is offered by the Blegen Distinguished Visiting Research
Professor or the Blegen Research Fellow in Classics, appointed annually
to pursue research and lecture on his/her scholarly concerns in classical
antiquity. We encourage students to take note of the fact that each
Blegen Lecture Course is uniquely offered and will not be repeated.
Since the topic changes every year, the course may be taken for credit
more than once. Offered in 2001/02 is 100b.
100b. The Blegen Lecture Course: East and West (1)
This course reads epics from the ancient Eastern and Western traditions:
the Bhavagad Gita and portions of the Mahabharata from
the Indian subcontinent, and the Iliad from archaic Greece. We
explore some of the different ways that war and the nature of the personal
achievement of the warrior are problematized in the two ancient epic
traditions, and then consider the larger issues underlying the meeting
of east and west as Herodotus, the fifth century Greek historian, defined
them. Is Herodotus an unequivocal supporter of Greek individual initiative
and the warrior culture of the Greek polis, or is he tacitly seeing
some of the merits in the (unsuccessful) Persian way of organizing and
thinking about things? As background, we also read a modem dialogue
between a contemporary French (western) philosopher and a Buddhist monk
(who happen to be father and son). Ms. Dewald
Open to all classes.
101a. Civilization in Question (1)
(Same as College Course 101)
[102a. Tragedy and the Athenian Polis] (1)
This course studies a number of plays by Aeschylus, Sophocles, and
Euripides to understand tragedy both as a dramatic genre and as a critique
of the social, religious, political, and familial structures of Athens
in the fifth century BCE. All materials are in English translation.
Ms. Kitzinger.
Open to all classes.
Not offered in 2001/02.
[103b. The Culture of War] (1)
Warfare fills the historical annals and literature of Greece and Rome.
To understand the ways in which wars were fought, experienced, and imaginatively
represented in the ancient world, and to gain a perspective on the universal
realities of war throughout western history, this course studies three
ancient and one modern war. We begin with the mythical Trojan War, as
depicted in Homer's Iliad, the Trojan Women of Euripides,
and Vergil's Aeneid. Next we turn to two historical wars: the
Persian Wars of 480–79 BCE, as described by Herodotus, and the
Gallic Wars of 59–50 BCE, as recounted by Julius Caesar. The course
ends with a brief examination of the First World War (1914–18).
From the "heroic" warfare of the Trojan War we thus progress
to the hoplite warfare of classical Greece, the legionary warfare of
Rome, and the mass destruction of war in the twentieth century. Our
aim throughout is to study war as a pervasive cultural phenomenon affecting
men and women, combatants and non–combatants alikenot just as a
set of military facts. Mr. Brown
Open to all classes.
Not offered in 2001/02.
[104b. Male and Female in Greek and Roman Literature and Myth] (1)
This course explores the way male and female roles are defined and
viewed in ancient literature in both the private sphere of the family
and in the public sphere. In addition to discussing literary texts where
gender roles are central to the content, we put the definitions and
points of view expressed in these texts next to the evidence for the
actual conditions of daily life, as far as they can be reconstructed,
and next to the constructions of gender which emerge in myths about
divine figures. Literary texts we read may include the Odyssey,
the Oresteia, poems of Sappho, Sophocles' Women of Trachis,
Euripides' Hippolytus, Aristophanes' Lysistrata and Women
of the Assembly, Plato's Symposium, poems of Catullus, Propertius,
and Tibullus, plays of Plautus and Terence, Ovid's Art of Love
and love poems, and Apuleius' Golden Ass. In addition, we look
at speeches from law courts and archaeological remains as evidence for
daily life and the Homeric Hymns and Ovid's Metamorphoses for
the comparative evidence of divine models. Ms. Kitzinger.
Open to all classes.
Not offered in 2001/02.
l05a. The Rome of Caesar Augustus: Politics, Art, and the Creation
of the Empire (1)
The rise and reign of the first Roman Emperor, Caesar Augustus (43
BCE–14CE), was an age of complex contradictions, nuanced evolutions,
and ongoing experimentation. It stood between Republic and Empire, when
"liberty" became dynastic monarchy. It was marked by domestic
harmony, economic growth, and government sponsored cultural excellence
in the arts; it was also a time of imperial conquests, book burnings,
and the brutal repression of political opponents, including Augustus's
own daughter and granddaughter. This class approaches the Rome of Augustus
from several directions, considering history, literature, art architecture,
religion, the economy, and politics. We read Augustus's autobiographical
epitaph; the works of Virgil, Horace, and Ovid; and the historical and
biographical treatments of Velleius, Tacitus, and Suetonius. More humble
inscriptions left to us by the urban populace are also an important
source for the period. Finally we evaluate the claim that Augustus "found
Rome a city of brick and left it a city of marble" by considering
his major building projects and the programmatic reshaping of Rome into
a capital city for the Emperor and the Empire. Mr. Brown.
106b. Crosscurrents: History and Culture of the Ancient Mediterranean
(1)
The axiom of Ancient History that navigable water enables communication
is nowhere so true as with the Mediterranean Sea, around which there
grew up in antiquity the cultures of, e.g., Egypt, Greece, Rome, Asia
Minor, Syria, and North Africa. This course provides an introduction
to the ancient Mediterranean from the earliest cultures of Mesopotamia
and Egypt (c. 3000 BCE) to the beginnings of the Christian Middle Ages.
Topics such as trade, migration, immigration, conquest, and imperialism
are used to illustrate both historical developments and complex cultural
interactions. Through primary and secondary readings, students are asked
to consider questions like: How do cultures 'interact'? What does it
mean for one culture to 'borrow' from another? What 'belongs' to a culture?
How do cultures conceive of their debts to, and interactions with, other
cultures? Mr. Lott.
Open to all classes.
180b. From Homer to Omeros (1)
In this age of postcolonialism, when the study of Classics repeatedly
comes under fire for being the irrelevant and outdated province of "dead
white males," the work of the Carribean poet, Derek Walcott, reminds
us that it is possible to be engaged in a study of the Classical tradition
from a critical yet creative perspective. One of the most recent and
most exciting poets to seek a direct relationship with the Homeric poems
in his work, Walcott has authored both a stage version of the Odyssey
and a modem epic, Omeros. In this course we devote ourselves
to a close reading of these works alongside the appropriate sections
of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, with a view towards understanding
some of the complexities of Walcott's use of the Homeric models. Ms. Friedman.
II. Intermediate
[210b. Greek Art and Architecture] (1)
(Same as Art 210)
Not offered in 2001/02.
211b. Roman Art and Architecture (1)
(Same as Art 211)
216a. The Formation of Greek Culture: Greece from the Bronze Age
through the Persian Wars (1)
(Same as History 216) This course examines the formative period of
ancient Greek culture from the decline of the Bronze Age civilization
of the twelfth century BCE to the beginnings of the Classical period
in the early years of the fifth century BCE. This period set the stage
for the achievements of Classical Greek civilization. It was in the
pre–Classical era that Greek society became both historical and
political; that many of the social values which shaped Greekand consequently
our ownculture and thought were first expressed; that trade and settlement
around the Mediterranean forged close contacts between Greeks and other
peoples; and that, finally, the Greeks engaged with the neighboring
Persian Empire in a desperate military struggle which defined the identities
of "Greeks" and "barbarians" as important cultural
concepts. The stories of this war and its antecedents were recorded
by the fifth century Greek, Herodotus, the "Father of History."
The class concludes with a close examination of the Histories
of Herodotus. We consider in particular what he thought he was doing
as he came up with the notion of writing history, Ms. Dewald
Prerequisite: 1 unit in Classics, Greek, or Latin, or 1 unit in History.
[217a. Democracy and Imperialism: Athenian Democracy, The Peloponnesian
Wars, and the Aftermath] (1)
(Same as History 217) A survey of Greek history from the end of the
Persian Wars to the rise of Macedon is combined with intensive study
of selected problems and texts, especially Thucydides' History of
the Peloponnesian Wars. Topics include: the growth of Athenian imperialism;
social and constitutional history of Athens; Aristophanic comedy; sophistic
thought and the Platonic response; the trial of Socrates; the Athenian
agora; and the diffusion of Hellenism through the conquests of Alexander
the Great. Mr. Lott.
Prerequisite: 1 unit in Classics, Greek, or Latin, or 1 unit in history.
Not offered in 2001/02.
218b. Republican Rome: From the Foundation through the Age of Augustus
(1)
(Same as History 218) A survey of Roman history from its beginnings
to the death of Augustus, as revealed in the writings of historians
such as Livy, Polybius, Sallust, and Caesar, as well as other literary
and nonliterary ancient sources. Topics include: the evolution of the
Roman constitution; the status of nobles, equestrians, plebeians, women,
slaves, and foreigners in the social hierarchy; Roman warfare and the
struggle with Carthage for supremacy in the western Mediterranean; the
influence of Greece on Roman literature, thought, and private life;
abuses of Roman government; and the political strife that led to the
collapse of the Republic and the establishment of autocracy under Julius
Caesar and Augustus. Mr. Lott.
Prerequisite: 1 unit in Classics, Greek, or Latin, or 1 unit in history.
[219b. The Roman Empire: From the Julio–Claudian Era through
the Fall] (1)
(Same as History 219) A survey of Roman history from the first emperors
to the dissolution of the empire, as revealed in the writings of historians
such as Tacitus, Suetonius, and Ammianus Marcellinus as well as other
literary and nonliterary ancient sources. Topics include: the developing
relations of the emperor and imperial family with the senate, army,
and people; politics, intrigue, and excess amongst the wealthy classes;
private life as illustrated by archaeological discoveries at Pompeii
and elsewhere; the diverse provinces of the empire, from Britain to
North Africa and from Spain to Judaea; social, intellectual, and religious
changes (culminating in the triumph of Christianity); and the reasons
for the decline and fall of the western empire and the survival of Byzantium.
Prerequisite: 1 unit in Classics, Greek, or Latin, or 1 unit in history.
Not offered in 2001/02.
300 a or b. Seminar in Classical Civilization (1)
The seminar treats a significant topic in Greek and Roman history and
culture through the study of literary sources and their theoretical
constructs. Possible topics include: orality and literacy; comparative
mythology; gender and status; slavery, cults and sanctuaries; sexuality;
insiders and outsiders. Since the topic changes every year, the course
may be taken for credit more than once.
Topic for 2001/02b: Ancient Money: Greek and Roman Coins in the
Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center. This course examines what one particular
kind of artifact, coins, can tell us about society in Greece and Rome.
The course investigates ancient coins from an economic, political, and
artistic point of view. We question how and why so many coins have survived
to us from antiquity, and we learn how they are catalogued and displayed
in museums today. The course focuses on a collection of 1,500 coins
owned by Vassar College and students' help to design and produce
an exhibition for these coins. Mr. Lott.
310b. Seminar in Ancient Art
(Same as Art 310)
B. 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. Kitzinger.
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. Ms. Friedman.
Prerequisite: Greek 105–106 or by permission of 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 forms in this period and the growth
of prose out of oral poetry. Social, religious, and political issues
surrounding the texts are discussed. Mr. Kitzinger.
Prerequisite: Greek 215 or by permission of instructor.
Reading Courses
297.01a or b. Mythology and Religion (1/2)
Readings on the mythology and religion of Greece.
Prerequisite: declaration of a Greek major or correlate sequence, or
by permission of instructor.
297.02a or b. Literary History (1/2)
Readings on the literary history of Greece.
Prerequisite: declaration of a Greek major or correlate sequence, or
by permission of instructor.
298a or b. Independent Work (1/2 or 1)
III. Advanced
Greek 300 and 301 are 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.
300a or b. Senior Project (1)
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 ouevre 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 2001/02: Hellenistic Poetry. The conquests of Alexander
the Great and the foundation of Alexandria created the milieu for a
fresh, self–consciously modernistic approach to poetry that redefined
traditional genres and invented new ones. The course is based on readings
from the chief poets associated with this trend, whose works we interpret
against their literary and social background. Works which may be included
are the Hymns of Callimachus, the Idylls of Theocritus,
and the Argonautica of Apollonius Rhodius, as well as a sample
of Hellenistic epigrams from the Greek Anthology. Mr. Brown.
[302a. Greek Tragedy] (1)
A reading of a play by Sophokles or Euripides. Careful study of the
text helps us understand the playwright's style. We also consider how
the play examines and responds to the historical, social and political
conditions of Athens in fifth century BCE.
Not offered in 2001/02.
303a. Homer (1)
Extensive selections from the Illiad, the Odyssey, and/or
Homeric Hymns with attention given to oral theory, thematic structure,
and social issues raised by the poeMs. Ms. Friedman.
399a or b. Senior Independent Work (1/2 or 1)
C. Courses in Latin Language and Literature
I. Introductory
105a–106b. Elementary Latin (1)
Introduction to the language. Readings in classical prose and poetry.
Mr. Brown.
Open to all classes; four 50–minute periods.
II. Intermediate
215a. Republican Literature (1)
Authors may include Plautus, Terence, Caesar, and Sallust. The selection
of readings is designed to consolidate knowledge of grammar, provide
an introduction to the translation of continuous, unadapted Latin, and
highlight interesting features of Roman culture in the last two centuries
of the Republic. Ms. Kitzinger.
220b. Literature of the Empire (1)
Authors may include Horace, Livy, Ovid, Seneca, Petronius, and Suetonius.
Readings are selected to illustrate the diversity of literary forms
that flourished in the early Empire and the interaction of literature
with society, politics, and private life. Ms. Friedman.
Reading Courses
297.01a or b. Mythology and Religion (1/2)
Readings on the mythology and religion of Rome.
Prerequisite: declaration of a Latin major or correlate sequence, or
special permission.
297.02a or b. Literary History (1/2)
Readings on the literary history of Rome.
Prerequisite: declaration of a Latin major or correlate sequence, or
special permission.
298a or b. Independent Work (1/2 or 1)
III. Advanced
Latin 300 and 301 are offered every year, 302–304 in rotation;
the topic of 301 changes annually. Prerequisite for all advanced courses:
2 units in 200–level courses in the language or special permission.
300a or b. Senior Project (1)
301b. Topics in Latin Literature (1)
The 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 Roman satire or the Roman novel, the relationship between the diverse
works of a single author like Horace or Seneca, or a theme such as the
depiction of slaves, the evolution of love poetry, or Roman attitudes
toward death. Since the topic changes every year, the course may be
taken for credit more than once.
Topic for 2001/2: The Satiric Eye. The Romans are said to have
invented the genre of satire as a as a way of looking critically and
humorously at the follies of their society and human nature. In this
course we explore satires of Juvenal and Horace, as well as other examples
of satirical comment on Roman society, both to understand what makes
satire an effective form of social commentary and what aspects of human
behavior the Romans considered worthy of satirical treatment. Parallels
in contemporary American culture allow us to compare the use of satire
then and now. Ms. Kitzinger.
302a. Vergil (1)
Selections from the Eclogues, Georgics, or Aeneid of
Rome's greatest poet. Subjects of study include the artistry of the
Vergilian hexameter, the relationship of Vergil's works to their Greek
models, and general topics such as his conception of destiny, religion,
and the human relation to nature. Mr. Brown
[303a. Tacitus] (1)
Close readings from the works of the imperial historian and ethnographer
Tacitus. In connection with further developing students' reading skills,
the class focuses on particular literary, cultural, or historical issues.
Mr. Lott.
Not offered in 2001/02.
[304a. Roman Lyric and Elegy] (1)
Poems of Horace, Tibullus, Propertius, Catullus and Ovid with attention
given to poetic form, the influence of poets on each other, and the
view they give us of Roman society in the first century BCE. Mr. Brown.
Not offered in 2001/02.
399a or b. Senior Independent Work (1/2 or 1)