CLASSICS

Classics Department Courses (Fall 2009)
 

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FALL 2009

This course examines the more important aspects of Greek civilization and their legacy to Western culture, including history, archaeology, art, architecture, athletics, slavery, literature, gender roles, philosophy, and political institutions. We will cover approximately 3,000 years of Minoan and Greek Civilization on a wide variety of topics.

CLSC 201 - The Ancient World (3 hrs) Ricardo Apostol, M.W.F. 4:00-4:50 PM, Clark Hall 302
(Cross-listed as HSTY 200.)

This course is designed as an introduction to the history and culture of the more important ancient Near-Eastern and Western civilizations, including Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Minoan, Mycenaean, Greek, and Roman. We will examine the historical, cultural (literary and artistic), and, to a lesser extent, the archaeological record to see what, if anything, they can tell us about the specific cultures listed above. We will ask fundamental questions, such as "What is civilization or what makes a culture civilized?" "How do these various civilizations differ from each other and from our culture(s)?" Classes will be a mixture of lecture and viewing of slides. We will begin with the origins of civilization in the Ancient Near East (Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Israel). From there we will look at Minoan civilization and the rise of the Greeks, the invention of democracy, and the diffusion of Greek culture throughout the Hellenistic world. Lastly, we will turn to the Roman world and the rise of Christianity in the West.

CLSC 203 - Gods and Heroes in Greek Literature (3 hrs) Paul Iversen, M.W. 12:30-1:45 PM, Sears 350
(Cross-listed as WLIT 203.)

Students read selected works of Homer, Hesiod, Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes and Menander in English translation to explore the nature and significance of Greek myth, hero-making, and dramatic performance. The original social and historical context of these works will be examined, and we will also notice the power that mythic narratives have continued to hold over the western imagination. Mixed lecture and discussion.

CLSC 210 - The Byzantine World: 300-1453 (3 hrs) Elizabeth Todd, T.R. 10:00-11:15 AM, Mather Memorial 125
(Cross-listed as HSTY 210.)

This course will trace the development of the Byzantine empire from the Emperor Constantine's conversion to Christianity and founding of the eastern capital at Constantinople to the fall of that city to Turkish forces in 1453. In a history spanning over a millennium, the empire faced constant military challenges on all sides. In addition, political and administrative intrigue were interwoven with religious controversy. Topics and figures to be explored will include iconoclasm, monophysitism, Procopius' Secret History, Greek fire, eunuchs, Basil the Bulgar-Slayer, and Nicephorus Phocas, Pale Death of the Saracens. Byzantine civilization will be explored its own sake, and not just as a factor in the development of "more successful" western European culture.

CLSC 221 - Building on Antiquity (3 hrs) Charles Burroughs, T.R. 10:00-11:15 PM, Sears 542
(Cross-listed as ARTH 221.)

The history of European and Euro-American architecture and urban planning is, with few intervals, the history of the creative imitation and development of so-called classical forms and ideas that emerged in the ancient civilizations of Greece and Rome. This course will begin with the exploration of Greek and Roman architecture, especially the emergence and use of the orders of architecture, as well as key building types. Cleveland is an especially good place to study the American deployment of classicism; since we are here and while the good weather lasts we will study actual buildings and spaces. We will then return (virtually) to Europe and trace different responses to classicism in contrasting cultural and political contexts, both in the service of state power and, less often, in connection with radical, even revolutionary agendas. Grading will depend on quizzes, a final exam, and a research paper, as well as some group work involving oral presentations.

CLSC 301 - Ancient Philosophy (3 hrs), Chin-Tai Kim, T.R. 2:45-4:00 PM, Clark Hall 205
(Cross-listed as PHIL 301. Prerequisite: PHIL 101 and consent of instructor.)

The Pre-Socratics, Plato, Aristotle, and the three major Post-Aristotelian schools of philosophy, Skepticism, Stoicism, and Epicureanism will be studied in some philosophical depth. A special effort will be made to show how some of the themes of Pre-Socratic thought such as reality and appearance, being and becoming, unity and plurality, and nature and culture contributed to the grand philosophical designs of Plato and Aristotle, as well as to explain the lasting significance of the issues these two philosophers addressed for subsequent epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, aesthetics, and political theory. Selected translated works of the philosophers covered will be read.

CLSC 313 - Thinking Communication in Ancient and Medieval Literature (3 hrs) Florin Berindeanu, TR 1:15 AM - 2:30 PM, Mather House 107

The ancients were much concerned with the nature and validity of signs: important decisions depended on the flight of birds or the coloration of the liver of a sacrificial victim. The relationship of language to truth, i.e., a reality beyond the contingent, was a crucial issue, not least because of the rise of sophistic rhetoric: for an orator, language was a tool in a contest rather than a means to true understanding. The discipline of medicine, developed by such important figures as Galen and Hippocrates, depended on the interpretation of physical signs to diagnose and treat ailments of mind and body. The term for the theory of signs – semiotics -- is derived from the Greek term for "sign," and for many Greek philosophers and their Roman and medieval successors the sign was a key issue. For Christians especially, new forms of vision and discerning truth presented particular problems: after all, the Christian God revealed his intentions through "portents" that had to be read and interpreted. And even if sacred scripture was in some way understood as encapsulating the whole world, there were countless passages requiring clarification or adaptation to contemporary situations. In other words, the concern was with the relationship between a universe of structured signs (the subject of semiotics) and structures of interpersonal communication (pragmatics).

CLSC 316/416 - Greek Tragedy in English Translation (3 hrs). Timothy Wutrich, T.R. 4:30-5:45 PM, Clark Hall 104
(Cross-listed as WLIT 315/416)

In this course we shall read, study, and discuss in English selected works by Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. Our objective is to understand the plays as literature composed for performance, so we shall investigate both literary elements within the plays and theatrical possibilities inherent in the texts. We shall also consider what the plays can tell us about myth, religion, and society in ancient Athens; so we shall consider the plays in their historical context. Finally, we shall think about how these tragic dramas and the theater in which they were performed have continued to inspire literature and theater for thousands of years.

CLSC 395 - Directed Readings (1-3 hrs), Times as arranged
(Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.)

Directed readings on specific themes or authors selected to serve the individual interests and needs of undergraduate students.

GREK 101 - Elementary Greek I (3 hrs) Rachel Sternberg, M.W.F. 9:30-10:20 AM, MTHH 408
(Both GREK 101 and GREK 102 must be completed to obtain credit.)

The first semester of Greek provides an introduction to Greek grammar, syntax, and vocabulary. Emphasis is placed on reading continuous texts. The reading material also invites students to explore the culture and society of Greece in the Classical period.

GREK 201 - Greek Prose Authors, Herodotus (3 hrs) Paul Iversen, M.W. 9:00-10:15 AM, Clark Hall 103
(Prerequisite: Greek 102 or equivalent)

In this course we will read selections from the Histories of Herodotus, who has often been called "the father of history". Much of the course will involve reviewing Attic Greek and comparing it with Herodotus' Ionic Greek. In order that the class not become monkish, we will, however, take many an excursus on topics such as the claim that Herodotus was the "father of lies", Herodotus' working methods, his use of sources, his rationalization of mythology, the Persian wars, Athenian History, Spartan History, and the ethnographic tradition.

GREK 306 - Tragedy (Euripides) (3 hrs) Rachel Sternberg,M.W.F. 3:00-3:50 PM, Clark Hall 210
(Prerequisite: Greek 202 or equivalent)

Students will read (in Greek) select passages from Thucydides and then one or possibly two plays by Euripides.

GREK 381 - Senior Seminar (3 hrs) Paul Iversen, Times be arranged
(Approved SAGES Capstone. Cross-listed as LATN 381 Prerequisite: Any 300-level GREK course.)

This course is designed to introduce graduating seniors to ancillary disciplines for the study of Greek and Latin literature and history, especially palaeography and epigraphy. A major component of the course will involve reading primary literary and epigraphical documents that must be deciphered before they can be understood. The course can be taken as either a Greek or Latin course, depending on student preference.

GREK 395 - Directed Readings (1-3 hrs) Staff, times as arranged
(Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.

Directed readings in authors selected to serve the individual interests and needs of undergraduate students.

LATN 101 - Elementary Latin I (3 hrs) Ricardo Apostol, M.W.F. 2:00-2:50 PM, Guilford House 323
(Both LATN 101 and LATN 102 must be completed to obtain credit.)

This is the first half of a two-semester introduction to Latin, with primary emphasis on grammar, syntax, and vocabulary.

LATN 201 - Latin Prose Authors (3 hrs) Timothy Wutrich, T.R 10:00-11:15 AM, Mather House 107
(Prerequisite: LATN 102 or equivalent.)

This course is designed to finish the grammar not completed in first-year Latin and to introduce the finer points of grammar not covered by McKeown. We will read continuous prose texts from Cicero. Our main objective is therefore to gain a routine in reading real Latin, to understand easy sentences almost without translating every word, and to analyze complex sentences so as to understand fully how they fit together. A major concomitant of these objectives is LARGE SCALE VOCABULARY ACQUISITION. To further this, we will work through the Basic Latin Vocabulary in the course of the semester.

LATN 307 - Livy (3 hrs) Ricardo Apostol, T.R. 1:15-2:30 PM, Mather House 408
(Prerequisite: LATN 202 or equivalent.)

In this course students will read selections of Livy's Ab urbe condita, especially from Books I (early Roman history) and XXI (Hannibal's passage over the Alps). Prereq: LATN 202 or equivalent.

LATN 381 - Senior Seminar (3 hrs) Paul Iversen, Times be arranged
(Approved SAGES Capstone. Cross-listed as GREK 381 Prerequisite: Any 300-level LATN course.)

This course is designed to introduce graduating seniors to ancillary disciplines for the study of Greek and Latin literature and history, especially palaeography and epigraphy. A major component of the course will involve reading primary literary and epigraphical documents that must be deciphered before they can be understood.

LATN 395 - Directed Readings (1-3 hrs) Staff, Times as arranged
(Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.)

Directed readings in authors selected to serve the individual interests and needs of undergraduate students.