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Professors: Robert D. Brown (Chair), M. Rachel
Kitzingerab, Robert L. Pounder (Assistant to the
President); Assistant Professor: J. Bertrand Lott;
Visiting Assistant Professor: Rachel Friedman;
Blegan Research Fellow: Kathryn Chew (University of
California, Irvine).
abAbsent on leave for the year.
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 1999/00 is 100a.
100a. The Blegen Lecture Course: "Representations of
Women in Late Antiquity" (1)
This course investigates the lives and representations of
women during the mid to late Roman empire, an often
neglected period, but one significant for the transition of
women from classical to medieval times. We explore literary
and legal sources and examine the evidence from material
culture for issues relevant to women, both socially, such as
marriage, literacy, health and employment, and personally,
such as religion, Christian asceticism, chastity, sexuality
and suffering. Also of interest are women's rolesphysician,
merchant, prostitute, priestess, empress, holy woman, wife.
We consider how women participated in the social and
historical movements of the time and how these movements
both shaped women's lives and opened up opportunities for
changes in their lives. The readings include a selection of
primary texts (historians, novels, saints' lives) and
scholarly books and articles. Ms. Chew.
Open to all classes.
101a. Civilization in Question (1)
(Same as College Course 101)
[102b. 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 B.C.E. All materials are in English translation. Ms.
Kitzinger.
Open to all classes.
Not offered in 1999/00.
[103a The Culture of War] (1)
Warfare was ingrained in the civilizations of Greece and
Rome and figures prominently in their mythology and
literature. This course examines literary accounts of two
"epic" warsone mythical, the other historicalthat allow us
to consider the experience and social impact of war from
contrasting perspectives. We begin with the myth of the
Trojan War as represented in Homer's Iliad, the
Trojan Women of Euripides, and Vergil's
Aeneid. Topics include the value system of the
Homeric warrior, its testing in battle, and the importance
of female characters such as Helen and Andromache. We turn
then to the Second Punic War between Rome and Carthage
(218-201 BCE) as narrated in Livy's History of Rome.
In addition to analysis of military strategy and
tactics, topics include the social construction of Roman
manhood, the portrayal of Hannibal, Scipio Africanus, and
Sophonisba, and the repercussions of the war upon women,
slaves, and other noncombatants. Comparison between these
fictional and historical accounts serves as a basis for
exploring the universal realities of war and their different
forms of literary expression. Mr. Brown
Not offered in 1999/00.
[104a. 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 Orestia, poems of Sappho,
Sophocles' Women of Trachis, Euripides'
Hippolytus, Arisivophanes' 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. Instructor to be announced.
Not offered in 1999/00.
l05b. 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.
Lott.
180b. The Myth of Troy (1)
The course surveys the treatment of the Trojan War myth
in Greek literature. Discussion and writing assignments
focus on heroes and heroines such as Achilles, Hector, and
Helen and the moral dilemmas with which they are faced.
Readings include Homer's Iliad and selected tragedies
of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. Mr. Brown.
Open to freshmen only.
182a. The Concept of the Hero(ine) in Greco-Roman Myth
(1)
Myth has been vital this past century since Freud and
Jung discovered that we dream and live myths. Joseph
Campbell, in The Hero with a Thousand Faces, has
integrated multifarious world myths into the "monomyth":
life is an heroic adventure guided and interpreted by myth.
In this course we investigate the alternative to the
lowest-common-denominator lifestyle through a thorough study
of Homer's Achilles and Vergil's Aeneas in light of myth's
developmental psychology. Campbell helped create George
Lucas's "Star Wars". How well does it correspond to Achilles
and Aeneas? Mr. Shive.
II. Intermediate
[210b. Greek Art and Architecture] (1)
(Same as Art 210)
Not offered in 1999/00.
211a. 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) A survey of Greek history from the
Bronze Age to the end of the Persian Wars is combined with
intensive study of selected problems and texts, especially
Herodotus' Histories. Topics include: Greek
interaction with its Mediterranean neighbors in the Bronze
Age and Orientalizing Period; the institutions of early
Sparta; Hoplite warfare; tyranny and the beginnings of
democracy; Herodotus' Hellenism defined in relation to Egypt
and Persia; Delphi; Olympia; and sixth-century Athens. Mr.
Lott.
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 1999/00.
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. Mr.
Lott.
Prerequisite: 1 unit in Classics, Greek, or Latin, or 1
unit in history.
Not offered in 1999/00.
300a 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 1999/00a: Model Lives: Greek and Roman
Biography. The development of classical biography from
its origins in the fourth century BCE to late antiquity and
beyond. How do the ancient biographers conceive of a "life"
and to which of its aspects do they attach the chief
significance? What was the purpose of their work? To what
standard of truthfulness do they conform? How would a
classical author write the life of a 20th-century luminary?
Readings include lives of political, philosophical,
artistic, and religious figures by Xenophon, Plutarch,
Suetonius, Diogenes Laertius, and others. We also consider
how the Gospels fit into the biographical tradition
and read a modern biography for comparison. Mr. Brown.
[310b. Seminar in Ancient Art]
(Same as Art 310)
Not offered in 1999/00.
[381b. Crosscurrents: (Multi)cultural Interaction
in the Ancient Mediterranean] (1)
(Same as History 381b.) The axiom of Ancient History that
navigable water enables communication is nowhere so true as
with the Mediterranean sea, around which grew up in
antiquity the cultures of, e.g., Egypt, Greece, Rome, Asia
Minor, Syria, and North Africa. This course examines the
development of civilization around the ancient Mediterranean
from the earliest cultures of Mesopotamia and Egypt (c. 3000
BCE) to the late antique world of Christianity and Islam (c.
700 CE). We use such topics as trade, migration,
immigration, conquest, and imperialism to address 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? Particularly, the class
reexamines Greece's relationship to Egypt in light of the
controversy surrounding Martin Bernal's Black Athena.
In the end we will understand better the complex unfolding
of Mediterranean civilization that led to Medieval Europe,
the Byzantine East, and Islamic North Africa, Spain, and
Syria. Mr. Lott.
Prerequisite: Juniors and seniors with at least one
200-level course in history or classics; others by
permission of instructor.
Not offered in 1999/00.
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.
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.
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. Lott.
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 1999/00: The Invention of History:
How did the Greeks preserve and thus formulate their
memory of seminal events in their past? In this course we
examine the emergence of a historiographical tradition in
Greece. While our focus is on Herodotus as "the Father of
History," we examine him in the context of both his
predecessors and his successors. We pay particular attention
to understanding how the new genre of history was influenced
by Homeric epic and works in the geographical tradition
including Hecataeus. We end the course with readings from
Thucydides to see how his work responds to and challenges
the model of historical writing established by
Herodotus.
[Greek 302a. Euripides] (1)
A reading of a play of Euripides. Careful study of the
texts helps us understand Euripides' reputation as a
playwright who challenged the dramatic conventions of Greek
tragedy, as well as the social, political and religious
assumptions of his audience. Ms. Friedman.
Not offered in 1999/00.
303a. Sophocles (1)
A reading of a play of Sophocles. In addition to studying
closely Sophokles' style and dramatic technique, we consider
how the play examines and responds to the historical, social
and political conditions of Athens at the time of the play's
production.
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. Friedman.
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. Chew.
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 1999/00: The Latin Love Elegy: The genre
of elegiac love poetry is studied through a sample of poems
by Propertius, Tibullus, and Ovid. Discussion centers on the
interpretation of individual poems and the differing
sensibilities of the three poets but also embraces the
literary, social, and political milieu of Augustan Rome. Mr
Brown.
[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
Not offered in 1999/00.
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.
[304. Catullus and Cicero] (1)
Poems of Catullus are read in relation to Cicero's
speech, Pro Caelio and against the social and
literary background of contemporary Rome. Comparison between
these authors' separate portrayals of Clodia/Lesbia leads
into discussion of the personal mores, forensic
oratory, and poetic innovations of the late Republic.
399a or b. Senior Independent Work (1/2 or
1)
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