Undergraduate Courses
Scroll below for courses in Classics (CLSICS), Greek, and Latin.
CLSICS 161,
Word Power
3 units
The debt our language owes to Latin and Greek. An introductory consideration of English vocabulary, word formation, and word origins. Attention is given to medical terminology. The course is suggested as an aid to basic skills development and to general language awareness.
CLSICS 162, Grammar Power
3 Units
Study of the fundamental structure and patterns of English grammar, with emphasis on developing a conceptual framework for analysis of language. Some attention to comparison of English structures with those of other languages. Designed to serve, with or without Classics 161, to facilitate study of foreign language, increase general language awareness and enhance verbal skills and reasoning in English.
CLSICS 172,
The Romans
3 units
CLSICS 175G,
Athenian Democracy
4 units
The Athenians of the fifth century BC were the first to develop a form of government that allowed all citizens to participate in decision-making. This course examines the historical developments that led to this democracy and its fruitful consequences in art, comedy, and philosophy. Please note: Students may receive credit either for this course or for CORE C110 (Cultural History), but not for both.
CLSICS 210G,
The Greeks
3 units
Many of today's debates-the role of women in society, how to share political power, our role in a seemingly chaotic world-were formulated by the Greeks 2500 years ago. In this course participants analyze and discuss literary, philosophical, historical, and artistic works in order to see what solutions the Greeks arrived at. Capabilities addressed: Critical reading, critical thinking, and clear writing.
CLSICS 212G,
Women in Ancient Greece
3 units
This course will introduce students to depictions of women in visual, literary, and documentary sources from Ancient Greece. We examine the roles women played in religion, medicine, society, and the family. We also consider philosophical inquiries into the role of men and women and look at the influences of slavery and war in Greek society.
CLSICS 215G,
Women of Rome
3 units
This course introduces students to the world of women in ancient Rome. Through a close, interdisciplinary analysis of the evidence-including depictions of women in visual, literary, and documentary sources, in addition to the growing body of secondary literature-participants become acquainted with the basics of feminist theory and some of the most important works of Roman art and literature. This course may count toward the major in classics. Capabilities addressed: Critical reading, critical thinking, clear writing, information technology
CLSICS 220G,
Myth in Literature and Drama: Orestes
3 units
The course studies ancient and modern versions of the myth of Orestes, who killed his mother to avenge his father, along with discussion of its religious, psychological, social, and political meanings. Homer, Pindar, Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Seneca, TS Eliot, Eugene O'Neill, and Jean-Paul Sartre are among the authors read. The role of myth in culture is discussed. This course may count toward the major or minor in classics. Capabilities addressed: Critical reading, critical thinking, clear writing, oral presentation.
CLSICS 273,
Hellenistic Art and Culture
3 units
This course introduces students to the Hellenistic period-the three centuries between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 B.C. and the defeat of Cleopatra at Actium in 31 B.C.-primarily through a close examination of the visual arts. Attention is also paid to contemporary poetry and philosophy in order to arrive at a full portrait of the age.
Distribution II: WC
CLSICS 280,
Special Topics
3 units
Special Topics
CLSICS 281,
Greek Civilization
3 units
A consideration of the major periods of Greek civilization through the reading of literary masterpieces supplemented by a text and lectures on cultural and historical backgrounds. Discussion of Homer, the tragedians (Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides), Aristophanes, Plato. Introduction to archaeological and artistic materials.
Distribution I: H
Distribution II: WC
CLSICS 282,
Roman Civilization
3 units
A consideration of the major periods of Roman civilization through the reading of literary masterpieces supplemented by a text and lectures on cultural and historical backgrounds. Discussion of Cicero, Catullus, Virgil, Ovid, Petronius (Rome). Introduction to archaeological and artistic materials.
Distribution I: H
Distribution II: WC
CLSICS 284,
Greek and Roman Mythology
3 units
The analysis, background, and lasting influence of Greek and Roman myths. Some consideration of the ancients' beliefs about divinity, worship and ritual practices. Both primary (ancient authors) and secondary (modern) sources are used.
Distribution I: P
Distribution II: HU
CLSICS 285,
Greek and Roman Tragedy
3 units
A survey of the monumental dramatic production of fifth-century Athens, including the works of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. Background on period, tragic genre and theater conventions; influence on Rome and tragedies of Seneca.
Distribution I: AR
Distribution II: AR
CLSICS 286,
Greek and Roman Comedy
3 units
The origins of Western comedy through a reading of selected works (Aristophanes and Menander-Greece; Plautus and Terence-Rome).
Distribution I: AR
Distribution II: AR
CLSICS 287,
Women in Greek Society and Literature
3 units
Readings in English translation of works of Greek literature dealing with women and their place in society. Particular attention is given to the social, historical, religious and economic forces that shaped gender roles in Greek society, and to the gulf between the roles of women in society and their images in literature. Not open to students who have taken CLSICS G212.
Distribution I: H
Distribution II: HU
International Diversity
CLSICS 288,
Image and Reality: The Women of Rome
3 units
Readings in English translation of works of Roman literature dealing with women and their place in society. Consideration of the social structures and forces that affected gender roles in Roman society. Particular attention is given to typologies of women in Roman literature. Not open to students who have taken CLSICS G215.
Distribution I: H
Distribution II: HU
International Diversity
CLSICS 289,
Rome in Hollywood
3 units
This course focuses principally on the treatment of Rome in American films. It compares ancient sources with their adaptations into film. The ways Romans change in the transition from page to screen furnish clues to America's view of itself, providing a case study of how ideology distorts history.
Distribution I: H
Distribution II: HU
CLSICS 290,
The Novel in Antiquity
3 units
This course considers the novels of Apuleius, Petronius and a variety of Greek authors. Participants discuss questions of genre (Are these "novels," "romances," or something else?), the literary precedents for the prose narratives, and their influence on later literature.
CLSICS 291,
Sport and Spectacle in Greece and Rome
3 units
This course will examine the competitive games of antiquity-especially athletics, chariot racing, and gladiatorial combat-and analyze the place they had in the religious and cultural lives of Greeks and Romans. Topics include athletic training, the Pan-Hellenic festivals, praise poetry, prizes, professionalism, nudity, the participation of women, amphitheaters, and the cult of violence in Rome.
Distribution I: H
Distribution II: HU
CLSICS 292,
Alexander the Great and His Legacy
3 units
At age twenty, Alexander became king of Macedonia; at age thirty-three, he died the master of an empire that stretched from Greece to India. This course explores the personality that shaped his achievements, his self-presentation, the responses of conquered people to overwhelming power, and cultural identity among Greeks, Macedonians, Persians, and Egyptians.
Distribution I: H
Distribution II: HU
CLSICS 380,
Special Topics
3 units
Special Topics
CLSICS 383,
Heroes, Wars and Quests
3 units
The Iliad and Odyssey of Homer, the Aeneid of Virgil; intensive study of the background, meaning, and influence of ancient epic poetry, with some attention to minor ancient epics and developments of epic poetry in later periods.
Distribution II: AR
CLSICS 385,
Greek and Roman Religion
3 units
The ancients' belief in, and worship of, the ancient gods; oracles, mysteries, cults. Both primary sources (ancient authors in translation) and modern secondary sources are used.
Distribution II: WC
CLSICS 387, The Golden Age of Athens
3 units
An intensive study of the politics, society, culture, and philosophy of fifth-century Athens, which was revolutionized by the introduction of democracy. We also compare Athens with democratic institutions that have emerged in other cultures.
Distribution II: WC
CLSICS 388,
The Golden Age of Rome
3 units
"All roads lead to the Aeneid": a consideration of Augustan literature, with attention to the literary, philosophical, and historical backgrounds contributing to its unique character. Readings in Cicero, Lucretius, Catullus, Virgil, Horace, the elegiac poets, and Livy.
CLSICS 391,
Greek and Roman Historiography
3 units
Major Greek/Roman historians. Consideration of development of historical writing, historians' concepts of causation, literary techniques; primary and secondary sources.
CLSICS 395,
Ancient Lyric Poetry
3 units
The poetry of Sappho, Alcaeus, Pindar and other Greek lyricists; their influence on Catullus and Horace; historical, religious, social and political background of ancient lyric poetry.
CLSICS 397,
Special Topics
3 units
This course will cover selected topics in Classical Studies, taught by staff or visiting lecturers.
CLSICS 478,
Independent Study
1 unit min / 3 units max
Selected research topics organized in consultation with individual students.
CLSICS 479,
Independent Study
1 unit min / 3 units max
Selected research topics organized in consultation with individual students.
CLSICS 480,
Special Topics
3 units
Special Topics
CLSICS 490,
Honors Program
3 units
Extensive reading in one broad segment of classical culture culminating in an honors thesis.
CLSICS 491,
Honors Program
3 units
Extensive reading in one broad segment of classical culture culminating in an honors thesis.
CLSICS 495,
Senior Seminar
3 units
Senior Seminar
CLSICS 499,
Honors Thesis
3 units
Honors Thesis
CLSICS 597,
Special Topics
3 Units
Special Topics
Undergraduate Courses in Greek
Greek 101: Elementary Greek I
Fundamentals of ancient Attic Greek, designed to complete a standard, basic textbook with Greek 102.
Distribution I Area: Foreign Languages.
Distribution II Area: World Languages.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
Greek 102: Elementary Greek II
Continuation of Greek 101.
Distribution I Area: Foreign Languages.
Distribution II Area: World Languages.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
Greek 211: Intermediate Greek
Review of basic grammar with introductory reading of a prose author such as Plato or Lysias.
Distribution I Area: Foreign Languages.
Distribution II Area: World Languages.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
Greek 222: Intermediate Greek II: Homer
Introductory reading in the Iliad or Odyssey; continuation of Greek 211. Note: either Greek 222 or Greek 224 is a prerequisite for all Greek courses at or beyond the 300 level. Students may not receive credit for both Greek 222 and 224.
Distribution I Area: Foreign Languages.
Distribution II Area: World Languages.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
Greek 224: Intermediate Greek II: Plato
Introductory reading in the Apology; continuation of Greek 211; credit may be applied toward any departmental major. (This course is offered if Pharr’s Homeric Greek was used in Elementary Greek)
Note: either Greek 222 or Greek 224 is a prerequisite for all Greek courses at or beyond the 300 level. Students may not receive credit for both Greek 222 and 224.
Distribution I Area: Foreign Languages.
Distribution II Area: World Languages.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
Greek 301: Attic Orators
Selected readings in Lysias, Demosthenes, and othe rmajor orators; background and scholarship.
Distribution II Area: World Languages.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
Greek 302: Plato
Reading of selected dialogues; background and scholarship.
Distribution II Area: World Languages.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
Greek 303: Aeschylus
Reading of selected tragedies; background and scholarship.
Distribution II Area: World Languages.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
Greek 304: Sophocles
Reading of selected tragedies; background and scholarship.
Distribution II Area: World Languages.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
Greek 305: Euripides
Reading of selected tragedies; background and scholarship.
Distribution II Area: World Languages.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
Greek 306: Aristophanes
Reading of selected comedies; background and scholarship.
Distribution II Area: World Languages.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
Greek 307: Herodotus
Reading of selected books of the Histories; background and scholarship.
Distribution II Area: World Languages.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
Greek 308: Thucydides
Reading of selected books of the Peloponnesian War; background and scholarship.
Distribution II Area: World Languages.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
Greek 309: Lyric Poetry
Selections from lyric and elegiac poets; background and scholarship.
Distribution II Area: World Languages.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
Greek 310: Epic Poetry
Advanced reading of Homer’s Iliad and/or Odyssey; background and scholarship.
Distribution II Area: World Languages.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
Greek 478, 479: Independent Study
Directed projects in Greek language and literature.
Hrs by arrangement, 1-3 credits
Greek 490, 491: Honors
Special projects in Greek language and literature for honors candidates.
Hrs by arrangement, 1-3 credits
Undergraduate Courses in Latin
Latin 101: Fundamentals of Latin I
Designed to complete a standard basic textbook with Latin 102.
Distribution I Area: Foreign Languages
Distribution II Area: World Languages
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
Latin 102: Fundamentals of Latin II
Continuation of Latin 101.
Distribution I Area: Foreign Languages
Distribution II Area: World Languages
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
Latin 115: Intensive Elementary Latin
An intensive course aimed at developing reading skills in Latin. This course covers a year’s worth in one semester. Open to students with no previous training.
Distribution I Area: Foreign Languages
Distribution II Area: World Languages
6 Lect Hrs, 6 Credits
Latin 211: Intermediate Latin (prose)
Review of basic principles and introductory reading of a prose author such as Caesar or Pliny. Students with 3 years of high school Latin may qualify.
Distribution I Area: Foreign Languages
Distribution II Area: World Languages
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
Latin 222: Ovid-Metamorphoses
Continuation of Latin 211. Credit may be applied to major.
Distribution I Area: Foreign Languages
Distribution II Area: World Languages
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
Latin 301: Cicero
Reading in Cicero’s orations, philosophical, or rhetorical works; background and scholarship.
Distribution II Area: World Languages
3 Lect Hrs, 3 credits
Latin 302: Caesar
Reading in the works of Caesar; background and scholarship.
Distribution II Area: World Languages
3 Lect Hrs, 3 credits
Latin 303: Roman Comedy
Reading in the plays of Plautus and Terence; background and scholarship.
Distribution II Area: World Languages
3 Lect Hrs, 3 credits
Latin 304: Catullus
Reading in the poems of Catullus; background and scholarship.
Distribution II Area: World Languages
3 Lect Hrs, 3 credits
Latin 305: Roman Elegy
Reading in Tibullus, Propertius, and other Latin elegiac poets; background and scholarship.
Distribution II Area: World Languages
3 Lect Hrs, 3 credits
Latin 306: Tacitus
Reading in the historical works of Tacitus; background and scholarship.
Distribution II Area: World Languages
3 Lect Hrs, 3 credits
Latin 307: Sallust
Reading in the historical works of Sallust; background and scholarship.
Distribution II Area: World Languages
3 Lect Hrs, 3 credits
Latin 308: Livy
Reading in the historical works of Livy; background and scholarship.
Distribution II Area: World Languages
3 Lect Hrs, 3 credits
Latin 309: Lucretius
Reading in On the Nature of Things; background and scholarship.
Distribution II Area: World Languages
3 Lect Hrs, 3 credits
Latin 310: Virgil
Reading in the works of Virgil with primary emphasis on the Aeneid; background and scholarship.
Distribution II Area: World Languages
3 Lect Hrs, 3 credits
Latin 311: Petronius
Reading in the Satyricon; background and scholarship.
Distribution II Area: World Languages
3 Lect Hrs, 3 credits
Latin 312: Horace
Reading in the works of Horace; background and scholarship.
Distribution II Area: World Languages
3 Lect Hrs, 3 credits
Latin 313: Juvenal
Reading in the Satires of Juvenal; background and scholarship.
Distribution II Area: World Languages
3 Lect Hrs, 3 credits
Latin 314: Catullus and Horace
Readings in the poetry of Catullus and Horace; background and scholarship. This course is required for undergraduate certification in Latin and Classical Humanities.
Distribution II Area: World Languages
3 Lect Hrs, 3 credits
Latin 320: Latin Letters
This course offers a survey of the epistolary genre in Latin literature. Readings will focus on Cicero, Seneca and Pliny; short examples from Horace, Ovid, Fronto and Petrarch will also be included. Letters will be considered in their historical, social and literary contexts. Students will evaluate the structure, content and evolution of the genre.
Distribution II Area: World Languages
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
Latin 325: Literature in the Age of Nero
Readings in Latin authors from the age of Nero. Selections may include Seneca, Petronius, Lucan or Persius.
Distribution II Area: World Languages
3 Lect Hrs, 3 credits
Latin 415: Methods of Teaching the Latin Language
This course explores the theory and practice of teaching Latin in the schools. We will discuss the new pedagogical approaches that have been developed in recent decades and the textbooks they have produced. Members of the class will develop imaginative activities and techniques for reaching students.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
Latin 478, 479: Independent Study
Directed projects in Latin language and literature.
Hrs by arrangement, 1-3 Credits
Latin 490, 491: Honors
Special projects in Latin language and literature for honors candidates.
Hrs by arrangement, 1-3 credits
