Courses
Classes Offered in Greek
Courses for which a knowledge of Greek is not required are listed under Classical Culture and Society.
At Bryn Mawr:
GREK B010, B011 Traditional and New Testament Greek
The first part of this year-long course will focus on introducing standard (Classical) Greek. Once the grammar has been fully introduced, early in the spring semester, the class will begin to develop facility by reading part of the New Testament, selections from Xenophon and, finally, a dialogue of Plato. (Edmonds, Language Level 1)
GREK B101 Herodotus
Selections from Herodotus’ History. (Baertschi, Edmonds, Division III) Offered at Haverford in 2009-10.
GREK B104 Homer
Selections from the Odyssey. A short essay is required. (Barrenechea, Division III)
GREK B201 Plato and Thucydides
The Symposium and the History of the Sicilian Expedition. (Hamilton, Division III)
GREK B202 The Form of Tragedy
(Edmonds, Division III) Offered at Haverford in 2009-10.
GREK B350 Topics in Greek Literature
Open only to advanced undergraduates, this course includes a weekly seminar and a translation session. Three-quarters of the reading will be from primary sources. (staff, Division III) Offered at Haverford in 2009-10.
GREK B398 Senior Conference
A full year course for senior majors in Greek, Latin, Classical Languages, and Classical Studies. The first term is devoted to various fields of Classics (e.g., religion, philosophy, law, social history, literary history), while in the second term students write a long research paper and then present their findings to the group. (Baertschi)
GREK B403 Supervised Work
(staff)
At Haverford College
GREK H001, H002 Elementary Greek
Introduction to ancient Greek, with selected readings in poetry and prose. Completion of the basics of ancient Greek, followed by readings in Lysias and Plato in GREK 002. (Germany)
GREK H101 Introduction to Greek Literature: Herodotus and Greek Lyric
Introduction to the study of Greek literature through readings in Herodotus’ Histories and selections from Greek lyric poetry. Emphasis will be on developing reading skills and on critical interpretation and discussion. Prerequisite: Greek 001-002 or the equivalent (Mulligan)
GREK H202 Advanced Greek: Tragedy
Sophocles, Euripides, and readings in Aristotle’s Poetics. (Roberts)
GREK H350 Seminar in Greek Literature: Translating the Classics: Theory, History, Practice
An advanced seminar in Greek language and literature, with special emphasis on the interpretation and discussion of texts in Greek and the reading of relevant scholarship. Topic to be determined by faculty. May be repeated for credit. GREK 201 or 202 or consent. (Roberts)
GREK H480 Independent Study
(staff)
Classes Offered in Latin
At Bryn Mawr:
Courses for which a knowledge of Latin is not required are listed under Classical Culture and Society.
LATN B001, B002 Elementary Latin
Basic grammar, composition and Latin readings, including classical prose and poetry. (Baertschi, Barrenechea, Language Level 1)
LATN B003 Intermediate Latin
Intensive grammar review and reading in classical prose and poetry. For students who have had the equivalent of two years of high school Latin or are not adequately prepared to take LATN 101. This course meets three times a week with a required fourth hour to be arranged. (Barrenechea, Language Level 2)
LATN B112 Latin Literature: Livy and Horace
Livy and Horace. Prerequisite: LATN 101 or placement by the department. (Scott, Division III)
LATN B202 Advanced Latin Literature: Latin of the Empire
Readings from major authors of the first and second centuries C.E. (Baertschi, Division III) Not offered in 2009-10.
LATN B203 Medieval Latin Literature
Selected works of Latin prose and poetry from the late Roman Empire through the 12th century. (Conybeare, Division III) Not offered in 2009-10.
LATN B205 Latin Style
A study of Latin prose style based on readings and exercises in composition. Offered to students wishing to fulfill the requirements for teacher certification in Latin or to fulfill one of the requirements in the major. (Barrenechea, Division III)
LATN B301 Vergil’s Aeneid
(Baertschi, Division III) Not offered in 2009-10.
LATN B302 Tacitus
(Scott, Division III) Not offered in 2009-10.
LATN B304 Cicero and Caesar
Scott, Division III) Not offered in 2009-10.
LATN B312 Roman Satire
(Conybeare, Division III) Not offered in 2009-10.
LATN B350 Topics in Latin Literature
Open only to advanced undergraduates, this course includes a weekly seminar and a translation session. Topic for semester I: Ovid Fasti. Topic for semester II: Horace Odes and Epodes. Three-quarters of the reading will be from primary sources. Prerequisite: a 200-level Latin course. (Scott, Baertschi, Division III)
LATN B398 Senior Conference
A full year course for senior majors in Greek, Latin, Classical Languages, and Classical Studies. The first term is devoted to various fields of Classics (e.g., religion, philosophy, law, social history, literary history), while in the second term students write a long research paper and then present their findings to the group. (Baertschi)
LATN B403 Supervised Work
(staff)
At Haverford College:
LATN H001, H002 Elementary Latin
Introduction to the elements of Latin grammar, with readings in prose and poetry. This is the first semester of a year-long course. (Mulligan)
LATN H101 Introduction to Latin Literature: The Language of Love and Hate in the Roman Republic
Introduction to the study of Latin literature through readings from Catullus' poetry and Ciceros' Pro Caelio. Class will include some grammar review, but emphasis will be on developing reading skills and on critical interpretation and discussion. Prerequisite: Students should have had either a year of college Latin or very strong high school preparation. For a course with more extensive grammar review, see Bryn Mawr Latin 003. (Roberts)
LATN H102 Introduction to Latin Literature: Comedy
LATN H170 Stilus: Latin Reading and Stylistics
This course is designed to be an ongoing practicum in Latin stylistics. Students will meet once a week in an informal setting where they will learn to use Latin actively, as a supple, living instrument of written expression. Open to all students who have completed Latin 002, regardless of whether they are currently enrolled in any other Latin course; may be repeated indefinitely. (Germany)
LATN H202 Advanced Latin Literature: Ovid
This course we will focus on the culminating and most influential works of this tradition—Ovid’s Amores and Ars Amatoria. The Amores presents all the features of the Elegiac genre: the pathetic lover, the (un)helpful servant, erotic rivals, sexual success, and betrayal. The Ars Amatoria is styled as a verse handbook to the elegiac lover, teaching first men, and then women, how to catch and keep the perfect (and in some cases the adequate) lover. (Mulligan)
LATN H350 Seminar in Latin Literature: Translating the Classics: Theory, History, Practice
LATN H399 Senior Seminar
The first term of this course is a bi-college team-taught seminar devoted to readings in and discussion of selected topics in the various sub-fields of Classical Studies (e.g. literature, religion, philosophy. law, social History); the second term involves the writing and oral presentation of the senior thesis. (Mulligan)
LATN H480 Independent Study
An advanced seminar in Latin language and literature, with special emphasis on the interpretation and discussion of texts in Latin and the reading of relevant scholarship. Topic to be determined by faculty. May be repeated for credit. At least one 200-level Latn course or consent. (Roberts)
Classes Offered in Classical Culture and Society (excluding language courses)
At Bryn Mawr College:
CSTS B110 The World Through Classical Eyes
A survey of the ways in which the ancient Greeks and Romans perceived and constructed their physical and social world. The evidence of ancient texts and monuments will form the basis for exploring such subjects as cosmology, geography, travel and commerce, ancient ethnography and anthropology, the idea of natural and artificial wonders, and the self-definition of the classical cultures in the context of the oikoumene, the “inhabited world.” (Donohue, Division III; cross-listed as ARCH B110) Not offered in 2009-10.
CSTS B115 Classical Art
An introduction to the visual arts of ancient Greece and Rome from the Bronze Age through Late Imperial times (circa 3,000 B.C.E. to 300 C.E.). Major categories of artistic production are examined in historical and social context, including interactions with neighboring areas and cultures; methodological and interpretive issues are highlighted. (Donohue, Division III; cross-listed as ARCH B115, CITY B115 and HART B115) Not offered in 2009-10.
CSTS B125 Classical Myths in Art and in the Sky
New Course: This course explores Greek and Roman mythology using an archaeological and art historical approach, focusing on the ways in which the traditional tales of the gods and heroes were depicted, developed and transmitted in the visual arts such as vase painting and architectural sculpture, as well as projected into the natural environment. Enrollment limited to 30 students, selected by class year and major. (Lindenlauf, Division III; cross-listed as ARCH B125 and HART B125)
CSTS B160 Daily Life in Ancient Greece and Rome
The often-praised achievements of the classical cultures arose from the realities of day-to-day life. This course surveys the rich body of archaeological and literary evidence pertaining to how ancient Greeks and Romans—famous and obscure alike—lived and died. Topics include housing, food, clothing, work, leisure and family and social life. (Donohue, Division III; cross-listed as ARCH B160 and CITY B160) Not offered in 2009-10.
CSTS B191 The Worlds of the Greek Heroes
An introduction to Greek mythology comparing the literary and visual representations of the major gods and heroes in terms of content, context, function, and syntax. (Hamilton, Division III) Not offered in 2009-10.
CSTS B193 The Routes of Comedy
A broad survey, ranging from the pre-history of comedy in such phenomena as monkey laughs and ritual abuse to the ancient comedies of Greece and Rome and their modern descendants, from the Marx Brothers and Monty Python to Seinfeld and South Park. (Hamilton, Division III) Not offered in 2009-10.
CSTS B205 Greek History
A study of Greece down to the end of the Peloponnesian War (404 B.C.E.), with a focus on constitutional changes from monarchy through aristocracy and tyranny to democracy in various parts of the Greek world. Emphasis on learning to interpret ancient sources, including historians (especially Herodotus and Thucydides), inscriptions, and archaeological and numismatic materials. Particular attention is paid to Greek contacts with the Near East; constitutional developments in various Greek-speaking states; Athenian and Spartan foreign policies; and the “unwritten history” of non-elites. (Edmonds, Division III; cross-listed as HIST B205) Not offered in 2009-10.
CSTS B206 Society, Medicine, and Law in Ancient Greece
An introduction to the social context of Greek history in the Classical and Hellenistic periods. Topics include the Greek household, occupations, slavery, literacy and education, sexuality, ancient medical practices, and the working of law in the polis. Ancient sources are emphasized, including orators, technical writers, inscriptions, and papyri. (Edmonds, Division III; cross-listed as HIST B206) Not offered in 2009-10.
CSTS B207 Early Rome and the Roman Republic
The history of Rome from its origins to the end of the Republic with special emphasis on the rise of Rome in Italy, the Hellenistic world, and the evolution of the Roman state. Ancient sources, literary and archaeological, are emphasized. (Scott, Division III; cross-listed as HIST B207) Not offered in 2009-10.
CSTS B208 The Roman Empire
Imperial history from the principate of Augustus to the House of Constantine with focus on the evolution of Roman culture and society as presented in the surviving ancient evidence, both literary and archaeological. (Scott, Division I or III; cross-listed as HIST B208)
CSTS B209 Eros in Ancient Greek Culture
This course explores the ancient Greek’s ideas of love, from the interpersonal loves between people of the same or different genders to the cosmogonic Eros that creates and holds together the entire world. The course examines how the idea of eros is expressed in poetry, philosophy, history, and the romances. (Edmonds, Division III)
CSTS B212 Magic in the Greco-Roman World
Bindings and curses, love charms and healing potions, amulets and talismans—from the simple spells designed to meet the needs of the poor and desperate to the complex theurgies of the philosophers—the people of the Greco-Roman world made use of magic to try to influence the world around them. This course will examine the magicians of the ancient world and the techniques and devices they used. We shall consider ancient tablets and spell books as well as literary descriptions of magic in the light of theories relating to the religious, political, and social contexts in which magic was used. (Edmonds, Division III) Not offered in 2009-10.
CSTS B223 The Early Medieval World
New Course: The first of a two-course sequence introducing medieval
European history. The chronological span of this course is from the
early 4th century and the Christianization of the Roman Empire to the
early 10th century and the disintegration of the Carolingian Empire. (Truitt, Division I or III; cross-listed as HIST B223)
CSTS B255 Show and Spectacle in Ancient Greece and Rome
A survey of the many forms of public entertainment in the ancient world, including theater and dramatic festivals, athletic competitions, games and gladiatorial combats, and processions and sacrifices. Drawing on a wide range of literary and archaeological sources, this course will explore the social, political and religious contexts of ancient spectacle. Special consideration will also be given to modern equivalents of staged entertainment, for instance Japanese Kabuki and Noh theater, televised professional wrestling, and the representation of ancient show and spectacle in contemporary film, as well as to important interpretive approaches such as gaze studies and the theory of the carnivalesque. (Baertschi, Division III; cross-listed as ARCH B255, CITY B260, and HIST B285)
CSTS B270 Classical Heroes and Heroines
An overview of ancient concepts of heroism, focusing on the model and evolution of classical heroism and different types available to men, women, and children. Topics include: social, cultural, and political functions of heroism; heroic legacies; epic vs. tragic heroes; dangers heroes and heroines may pose; personal costs of heroism; anti-heroes and heroic failures; historical ‘heroes’ and their literary representation; ancient vs. modern forms of heroism. (Baertschi, Division III; cross-listed as COML B270) Not offered in 2009-10.
CSTS B274 From Myth to Modern Cinema: Greek Tragedy in Contemporary Film
This course explores how contemporary film, a creative medium appealing to the entire demographic spectrum like Greek drama, looks back to the ancient origins. Examining both films that are directly based on Greek plays and films that make use of classical material without being explicitly classical in plot or setting, we will discuss how Greek mythology is rewritten, re-assessed and appropriated for modern audiences and how the classical past continues to be culturally signifcant. In addition to literary-historical interpretation, particular attention will be paid to feminist theory, film and gender studies, and psychoanalysis. (Baertschi, Division III; cross-listed as COML B274) Not offered in 2009-10.
CSTS B359 Topics in Classical Art and Archaeology
A research-oriented course taught in seminar format, treating issues of current interest in Greek and Roman art and archaeology. Prerequisites: 200-level coursework in some aspect of classical or related cultures, archeology or art history. (Donohue, Division III; cross-listed as ARCH B359 and HART B358) Not offered in 2009-10.
CSTS B368 Topics in Medieval History: 2008/09 topic: Dark Arts: Medieval Magic
What is magic? What does it mean to refer to magic as “the occult” or “the Dark Arts”? In medieval Europe, magical knowledge was hotly contested—widely practiced at all social levels, yet often decried as morally and intellectually suspicious. In this seminar we will investigate the definitions and practices of magic and examine what they can reveal about the traditional divides between high and low culture, as well as between licit and illicit knowledge. Enrollment limited to 15 students.(Truitt, Division III; cross-listed as HIST B368) Not offered in 2009-10.
CSTS B369 Topics in Medieval History
(Truitt, Division III; cross-listed as HIST B369 and ARCH B369) Not offered in 2009-10.
CSTS B375 Interpreting Mythology
The myths of the Greeks have provoked outrage and fascination, interpretation and retelling, censorship and elaboration, beginning with the Greeks themselves. We will see how some of these stories have been read and understood, recounted and revised, in various cultures and eras, from ancient tellings to modern movies. We will also explore some of the interpretive theories by which these tales have been understood, from ancient allegory to modern structural and semiotic theories. (Edmonds, Division III; cross-listed as COML B375)
B398 Senior Conference
A full year course for senior majors in Greek, Latin, Classical Languages, and Classical Studies. The first term is devoted to various fields of Classics (e.g., religion, philosophy, law, social history, literary history), while in the second term students write a long research paper and then present their findings to the group. (Baertschi)
CSTS B403 Supervised Work
(staff)
CSTS B425 Praxis III
(staff)
At Haverford College:
CSTS H119 Culture and Crisis in the Golden Age of Athens
Team-taught study of the Athenian achievement in literature, politics and philosophy from the Persian wars to the trial and death of Socrates,largely through primary sources. The last third of the semester will feature an open-ended, student-led simulation of the aftermath of the Peloponnesian Wars, in which students will debate social reconciliation after the expulsion of the tyrants, the organization of Athenian government, the expansion of citizenship, the future of the Athenian empire, and the fate of Socrates. (Germany, Mulligan)
CSTS H219 Rites of Laughter: Ancient Comedy and its Legacy
A survey of Greek and Roman comic theater, from its ritual origins to its classical role in civic cultural life. Special emphasis will be given to related modern forms of entertainment and to ancient and modern theories of the comic. Cross-listed in Comparative Literature. Lottery preference to CSTS, LATN, GREK, & COML Majors. (Germany)
CSTS H293 Translation and other Transformations: Theory and Practice
An exploration of the theory and practice of translation (both historical and current) and of other forms of rewriting. Theoretical readings include works by Dryden, Schleiermacher, Arnold, Benjamin, Venuti, and others; examples of translation will be drawn from a variety of texts in different languages. Students will have the opportunity to work on translation projects of their own. (Roberts)
CSTS H399 Senior Seminar
The first term of this course is a bi-college team-taught seminar devoted to readings in and discussion of selected topics in the various sub-fields of Classical Studies (e.g. literature, religion, philosophy. law, social History); the second term involves the writing and oral presentation of the senior thesis. (Roberts)
CSTS H480 Independent Study
(Staff)
