AH/CL 266
Special Topics in Ancient Art
Specialized courses offered periodically on specific aspects of the art of the ancient world. Courses are normally research-led topics on an area of current academic concern.
May be taken more than once for credit with different topics.
Satisfies "the Ancient World" core course requirement for Art History majors
AH/CL 352
Rome in the Age of Augustus
(Prerequisite: One previous course in Art History or Classical Studies or permission of the instructor)
The course examines the art and architecture during the dynamic and culturally vibrant period linked to the reign of Rome's first emperor, Augustus. It examines how the change from a Republic to a Principate was articulated in a developing, negotiated relationship between emperor, senate, and people and the manner in which this played out in coopted urban and other visual landscapes. The course will approach the city of Rome as a ‘total site’ investigation in which the relationship between images, spaces, and viewers occupies a central role. It will pose questions not only in regard to the patronage of built spaces and artworks, but equally to their reception and performativity, and to their role in creating an engaged viewing experience.
Satisfies "the Ancient World" core course requirement for Art History majors
AH/CL 366
Special Topics in Ancient Art
(Prerequisite: One previous course in Art History or Classical Studies or permission of the instructor)
Specialized courses offered periodically on specific aspects of the art of the ancient world. Courses are normally research-led topics on an area of current academic concern. May be taken more than once for credit with different topics.
Satisfies "the Ancient World" core course requirement for Art History majors
ARCH/CL 101
The Archaeology of the Ancient Mediterranean World
(Partially on-site; activity fee: €25 or $33)
The course is an introduction to current archaeological research methods, as well as to the history of Classical Archaeology as a field, providing a critical engagement with the material remains of key excavated sites related to the archaeology of the ancient Mediterranean and Near East between c. 3000 BC and AD 500. This includes a focus on the contextualization of these remains in current scholarship, in particular, on how archaeological approaches are expanding the field of investigation. The course includes visits to archaeological sites and museums in Rome for direct investigation of material remains.
CL 260
Classical Mythology
The course examines the principal myths of Classical Greece and Rome, with some reference to their evolution from earlier local and Mediterranean legends, deities and religions. The importance of these myths in the literature and art of the Western World will be discussed.
CL 268
Literature and Society in Ancient Greece
(Prerequisite: EN 110 with a grade of C or above)
This course introduces students to the civilization of the ancient Greeks through an in-depth study of ancient Greek literature and society from the eighth century B.C.E. through the death of Alexander the Great in 323 B.C.E. Topics studied include the role of religion and myth in ancient Greece, politics and warfare, the status of women, the importance of athletics and other subjects pertaining to the ancient Greek World. Readings in translation include selected works of Hesiod, Homer, Pindar, Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes, Herodotus, Thucydides, Plato and Plutarch.
CL 278
Literature and Society in Ancient Rome
(Prerequisite: EN 110 with a grade of C or above *This class can substitute for one of the two EN LIT general distribution required courses. The other EN LIT course must have the EN prefix*)
This course focuses on the literature of Ancient Rome and its role in shaping modern notions about the customs, social practices, and ideas of its citizens. Emphasis will be placed on using Roman literature as a means of studying Roman civilization, while simultaneously examining stylistics and literary techniques particular to the genres of comedy, rhetoric, epic and lyric poetry, satire and history. Texts, which vary, are chosen from Terence, Plautus, Cicero, Catullus, Virgil, Horace, Ovid, Tacitus, and Juvenal. All texts are studied in translation.
CL 281
Independent Study
CL 299
Special Topics in Classical Studies
(Recommended: One previous course in Classical Studies or History)
An in-depth treatment of a current area of special concern within the field of Classical Studies. Topics may vary.
May be taken more than once for credit with different topics.
CL 361
Sexuality, Eroticism and Gender in Myth and Literature of Greece and Rome
(Prerequisite: EN 110 with a grade of C or above. Co-requisites: Recommended: Junior Standing)
This multi-disciplinary (philosophy, literature, history, law, art and archeology) course will examine sexuality and eroticism in antiquity, looking in particular at their role as an initiation to higher levels of thought and cognition; their impetus in defining gender roles; their existence as physiological/psychological needs versus social constructions; how they have invested modern thought, research, and become enduring models interpreting human behavior. Students will carry out a close study of selections from Greek and Roman lyric poetry, Greek drama, philosophy and essays, Roman satire and Ovid’s epics on love and extensive writing to analyze the context and content of the readings and lectures.
CL 381
Independent Study
(Prerequisite: Junior Standing; Corequisite: EN 110)
CL 390
The Physical and Cultural Topography of Ancient Rome
(Prerequisites: At least one previous course in Classical Studies or a related field)
This course explores the major sites of the city of Rome in antiquity. It examines the relationship between the physical development of the city and the evolution of its cultural, social, and political institutions as it grew from a small, Latin city on the banks of the Tiber river into the heart of an empire than encompassed the majority of the Mediterranean. To bring the physical and textual remains of the city into productive discussion, it uses a combination of on-site interpretation and primary source readings. This will help students to examine the ancient city through a multidisciplinary lens and to produce written and oral work that draws together a variety of types of sources to craft historical arguments. Relevant sites may include the Roman Forum and the Capitoline hill, the neighbourhoods of the Palatine, Esquiline, and Caelian hills, and the Appian Way, along with museums throughout the city. For additional context on Roman cities, temples, and villas, the course may also include trips outside Rome to sites such as Tivoli, Palestrina, or Pompeii.
CL 399
Special Topics in Classical Studies
CL 480
Senior Thesis
(Prerequisite: Senior Standing)
Thesis supervision for Classical Studies majors in their final year.
CL/HS 221
Introduction to the History of Ancient Greece
This course examines the history of Ancient Greece from the Archaic Age to the Age of Alexander, the seventh through fourth centuries B.C.E. Focus will be on the rise of Athens and Sparta as the most influential city states in Greece; the development of their respective political, military and social systems; and the causes of the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War that paved the way for the rise of Macedon and domination of the Greek world, first under Philip II, and then his son, Alexander the Great, until his death in 323 B.C.E. Readings in translation will include Herodotus, Aristophanes, Plato, Thucydides, Xenophon, and Plutarch.
CL/HS 231
Introduction to the History of Ancient Rome
This course surveys the history of ancient Rome and Italy, focusing on the origins and metamorphoses of Rome from its archaic foundations as an Italic-Latinate kingship to an imperial city. The course examines the establishment, expansion, and conflicts of the Republican period; the political and cultural revolution of the Augustan ‘Principate’; the innovations of the High Empire; and the transition into Late Antiquity. Course materials include the writings of ancient authors in translation (these may include Polybius, Sallust, Cicero, Livy, Augustus, Suetonius, and/or Tacitus) as well as modern historians and archaeologists, along with considerations of Roman art, architecture, and archaeology.
Satisfies "Ancient History" core course requirement for History majors.
CL/HS 251
The Women Who Built Rome
The study of the Roman world has long revolved around the power, achievements, and intrigues of “Great Men.” Yet many women played important roles in shaping its political, military, social, and economic realities. From the foundation of the city of Rome to the end of its pan-Mediterranean Empire, this course tells the story of Rome through the lives and voices of powerbrokers such as Livia, Cleopatra, and Zenobia against the background of women’s experiences and contributions at all levels of Roman society. Readings may include women’s letters and poetry as well as texts by ancient authors such as Livy, Plutarch, Cicero, or Tacitus in translation, as well as work by modern scholars. Students will develop an understanding of the place of women in the creation and experience of the Roman empire and an ability to think critically about the role of gender in the construction and interpretation of histories more broadly.
Satisfies "Ancient History" core course requirement for History majors.
CL/HS 255
Peoples of the Roman World: Ethnic, Social and Cultural Identities
This course explores the multi-ethnic dimensions of the Roman world with a particular emphasis on the Imperial period (31BCE-476 CE). From Rome's beginnings, its population was characterized by cultural diversity, and one of the Empire's greatest strengths was its ability to integrate diverse peoples into Roman political, social and cultural life. Nevertheless, as the Empire expanded into Europe and the Mediterranean, many peoples who came under Roman rule continued to maintain distinctive ethnic, social and cultural identities. In this course, we will explore the complex processes of social and cultural negotiation between local identities and Romanization that resulted from Roman expansion. In doing so, we will seek a better understanding not only of how and why the cultural identities of such groups differed from mainstream Romanitas, but also the ways in which these interactions contributed to the shaping of Roman identity.
CL/HS 299
Special Topics in Classical Studies and History
(Co-requisites: Recommended: One previous course in classical studies or history)
An in-depth treatment of a current area of special concern within the fields of Classical Studies and History. Topics may vary.
May be taken more than once for credit with different topics.
CL/HS 399
Special Topics in Classical Studies and History
(Co-requisites: EN 110; Recommended: Junior Standing, One previous classical studies or history course)
An in-depth treatment of a current area of special concern within the fields of Classical Studies and History, with an emphasis on research and writing. Topics may vary. May be taken more than once for credit with different topics. Topics taught in the past include Roman Africa, Ethnicity and Identity in the Ancient Mediterranean World, Ancient Imperialism: Persia, Athens, Rome, Classical Athens in the Age of Socrates, and Ancient Empires: Persia, Athens, and Macedonia.
May satisfy "Ancient" requirement, depending on topic
CL/HS-RS 399
Special Topics in Classical Studies and History: The Expansion of Republican Rome
(Co-requisites: EN 110; Recommended: Junior Standing, One previous classical studies or history course)
History Research Seminar: 300-level history courses designated by the prefix HS-RS indicate courses being offered as Research Seminars. These courses are writing-intensive and help to train students to carry out original research by guiding them through the preparation of a significant research paper. History majors are encouraged to take these before their senior year, and especially before the semester in which they prepare their thesis. An in-depth treatment of a current area of special concern within the fields of Classical Studies and History, with an emphasis on research and writing. Topics may vary. May be taken more than once for credit with different topics. Topics taught in the past include Roman Africa, Ethnicity and Identity in the Ancient Mediterranean World, Ancient Imperialism: Persia, Athens, Rome, Classical Athens in the Age of Socrates, and Ancient Empires: Persia, Athens, and Macedonia.
CL/LAW 326
Roman Law
(Prerequisite: Junior Standing. Co-requisite: EN 110)
The course will examine the development of Roman law from the Twelve Tables through the Justinian Code. Readings and discussions of the political and social conditions of the Roman Republic and Empire will contextualize the study of the evolution of the law. These will include chapters from Livy's History of Rome, Cicero's defense and prosecution oratory, as well as selections from Pliny, Tacitus, and others. There will be considerable secondary readings on special topics. Students will be required to analyze cases in the Roman Law of property, the family, torts (delicts), and personal law. The final part of the course will consider the developments of Roman Law since the Justinian Code in the Civil Law Tradition.
CL/RH 372
Classical Rhetoric and Oratory
(Prerequisite: EN 110 with a grade of C or above)
An examination of the nature, purpose, and place of rhetoric in classical antiquity, as conceived and practiced by ancient Greeks and Romans. Readings (in translation) include the use and conceptualization of an art of persuasion by Gorgias, Plato, Isocrates, Aristotle, Demosthenes, Cicero, Quintilian, and Augustine. This course prepares students to evaluate the use (and abuse) of devices and techniques of classical rhetoric in contemporary politics, economics, marketing, media, and visual arts.
CL/RL 288
Religion in the Graeco-Roman World
This course is a survey of the elements of traditional religion in the Graeco-Roman world. It is designed to introduce student to the tenets, beliefs, and spiritual practices of classical antiquity and to familiarize them with the social, cultural and political background surrounding ancient religion. Among the topics covered are the range of religious expressions in Greece and Rome, including the approach to the divine, ritual practices, and the organization of time and space. While the first part of the course is dedicated to Greece, in the second half we will concentrate on Roman religion both as a phenomenon in and of itself and as a factor integrated in the socio-political organization of the empire.
