Current Courses

Greek

102s (01) Elementary Greek: Homer's Iliad
An introduction to the ancient Greek language and epic meter through the study of the Iliad. The grammar of the Iliad, originally an oral poem, is relatively uncomplicated. By the middle of the first semester, therefore, students will begin to read the poem in Greek. By the end of the year they will have read a portion of the Iliad, Book I.
P. Debnar
Meets language requirement; does not meet a distribution requirement
4 credits
MTuWF 10:00-10:50

222s (01) Classical Greek Prose and Poetry
This course focuses on Attic Greek, the dialect in which the tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, the comedies of Aristophanes, Thucydides' History, and Plato's dialogues were composed. Each year the readings will focus on a particular theme as it is treated in prose and poetry, such as: Socrates (Plato, Xenophon, Aristophanes); Athenian law courts (Lysias, Plato, Aristophanes); Medea (Euripides and Apollonius); Alcibiades (Thucydides, Plato, Plutarch).
Greek 222 may be taken at the 300 level (see Greek 322).
Meets either language requirement or Humanities I-A requirement
P. Debnar
4 credits
Time TBA

322s (01) Classical Greek Prose and Poetry
This course focuses on Attic Greek, the dialect in which the tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, the comedies of Aristophanes, Thucydides' History, and Plato's dialogues were composed. Each year the readings will focus on a particular theme as it is treated in prose and poetry, such as: Socrates (Plato, Xenophon, Aristophanes); Athenian law courts (Lysias, Plato, Aristophanes); Medea (Euripides and Apollonius); Alcibiades (Thucydides, Plato, Plutarch). Students in this course attend class meetings for Greek 222.
Meets either language requirement or Humanities I-A requirement
P. Debnar
4 credits
Time TBA

Latin

102s (01) Elementary Latin
Offers study and practice in the grammar and syntax of classical Latin.
Meets language requirement; does not meet a distribution requirement.
M. Landon
4 credits
MTuWF 10:00-10:50

102s (02) Elementary Latin
(Same as above)
G. Ryan

222s (01) Intermediate Latin II
Includes the life and literature of the early Roman empire, as seen in selected works of authors such as Petronius, Ovid, Pliny, and others. Offers further review of grammar and syntax.
Meets either language requirement or Humanities I-A distribution requirement
M. Landon
4 credits
MWF 11:00-12:15

313s (01) The Roman Historians: Tacitus
In this course we will read selections from books I and IV of Tacitus’ Annales, his history of the early Roman empire, with particular focus on the court intrigue surrounding Tiberius’ principate. We will consider in particular Tacitus’ style, his historical aims and methods, and the reliability of his text as a source for the history of the early empire.
G. Sumi
MW 2:40-3:55

Classics and Ancient Studies

208s Ancient Greek Sanctuaries
A detailed examination of the history, art, and archaeology of several major Greek cult centers, including the Sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia, the Sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi, and the Sanctuary of Asklepios at Epidauros, together with a briefer consideration of other sacred sites around the Greek world. The approach is primarily archaeological, with special attention to the surviving monuments and the results of excavation, but topics to be discussed also include ancient Greek religious practice, panhellenic festivals and athletic competitions, and the role played by Greek sanctuaries in the international political rivalries of the ancient Mediterranean world.
Meets Humanities I-A requirement
M. Landon
MW1:15-2:30

232s (01) From Hoplites to Legions: Warfare in the Ancient World
Greeks and Romans viewed warfare as an abiding part of the human condition. The literature and artwork of this period are filled with images of the two faces of war:  it conferred great glory on the victors but caused tremendous horror and suffering on all involved. In this course we will examine warfare from archaic Greece and the rise of the city-state (c. 800 B.C.E.) to the fall of the Roman Empire in the west (c. 476 C.E.). We will consider such topics as the culture and ethics of war and imperialism, logistics and strategies of warfare, as well as armor, weaponry and battlefield tactics, by closely reading a variety of primary sources and secondary materials.
Meets Humanities I-A requirement
G. Sumi
Tu/Th 1:15-2:30

Hist *** Sport, Society, and Politics in the Roman World [offered at Smith College]
The Colosseum is a symbol both of Rome’s grandeur and its decadence. Constructed over a period of 10 years and dedicated in the year 80 C.E., it was a tremendous architectural achievement in its day that still dominates the landscape of the modern city. But it was also the venue for such public spectacles as gladiatorial combat (munera) and wild beast shows (venationes), in which slaves and criminals fought for their lives or were executed and wild animals were hunted and killed. Another venue for public entertainment was the Circus Maximus which may have held up to 250,000 spectators for chariot races that were both breath-taking and perilous. Most Roman entertainers (gladiators, charioteers, and actors) were slaves or otherwise déclassé, but there is substantial evidence that they could achieve celebrity status. Lamps, reliefs, mosaics and other works of art—even a baby bottle—bearing images of gladiators have been unearthed, while poems, inscriptions and graffiti celebrate their careers. The evidence is also clear that the meteoric careers of these athletes often ended abruptly, in death on the floor of the arena.

This course will examine the complex phenomenon of public entertainment in Roman society against a backdrop of social and political history. We will begin with a discussion of political and social institutions in Rome, including the roles of men and women in Roman society, slaves and slavery, the Roman family, and life in the city. The core component of the course will be a discussion of spectacles in Roman society, not only as entertainment but also as a form of social control and a forum for political communication. The course readings will include ancient sources in translation (e.g., literary texts, inscriptions, and papyri) as well as works of modern scholarship.
G. Sumi
MW9:00-10:20

See also the listings in the departments of Art History, History, and Religion.