CLAS 101
Approaches to the Ancient Mediterranean World
3 Credits          Weekly (3-0-0)

This course introduces students to the study of classical history with a particular emphasis on the principles of research and writing in Classics. Students learn and practice the processes of interpreting texts, monuments, and artifacts from the ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern worlds through an in-depth focus on two topics or time periods chosen by the instructor; the topics may draw on aspects of ancient history, classical literature, or classical archaeology. Students are introduced to the process of writing a research paper in Classics.

CLAS 102
Greek and Roman Mythology
3 Credits          Weekly (3-0-0)

In this survey course, students learn the most significant myths and sagas of Greece and Rome. Selected readings from ancient literature and illustrations from Classical art emphasize the cultural, historical, and religious contexts of the myths within ancient society. The continuing influences of the myths as a source of inspiration for some of the major themes in Western art and culture are discussed. The course also examines ancient and modern theories and interpretations of the myths.

CLAS 200
Classics and Film: Classical Reception in the Cinema
3 Credits          Weekly (3-0-0)

This lecture course uses Classics-themed films to explore the literature and history of the Classical Period. By analyzing cinematographic interpretations of the ancient world, students examine on a critical level canonical myths, literature, and historical events/figures in their original contexts as well as modern assessments and interpretations of their themes and significance. The course analyzes three to five films.

CLAS 208
History of Ancient Greece
3 Credits          Weekly (3-0-0)

This course surveys the history of Greece from the Bronze Age down to the death of Alexander the Great. Through reading and discussion of ancient sources, students study the major political, social, and economic factors which shaped the ancient Greek world. Students will also examine the ways that ancient Greek historians and authors thought about and wrote history.

CLAS 209
History of Ancient Rome
3 Credits          Weekly (3-0-0)

In this course, students study the major events, figures, and trends in Roman history. This course studies Roman history from its foundation in the eighth century BC though to the reign of Diocletian in the fourth century AD. Through examination and discussion of the ancient evidence, as well as modern scholarship, students study the major political, social, and economic factors which shaped the Roman world. Students will also examine the ways that ancient historians and authors thought about and wrote Roman history.

CLAS 221
Literature of Greece and Rome
3 Credits          Weekly (3-0-0)

This intermediate survey course introduces students to the detailed study of major works from Greek and Latin literature in English translation. Students read and interpret epic poems, prose, lyric poetry and dramatic plays in their cultural, historical and literary contexts. Students are introduced to the general moral, aesthetic and social values of the Greeks and Romans through their literature.

CLAS 225
Greek and Roman Drama
3 Credits          Weekly (3-0-0)

In this course, students are introduced to the genres of tragedy and comedy as literary genres and as pieces of social and political commentary. By reading both Greek and Roman examples of tragedy and comedy, students explore the development of tragedy and comedy as genres from fifth-century Athens to imperial Rome while they also analyze the plays’ plots, characters, themes, and the mechanics behind ancient dramatic productions. The course will also address the socio-political function of drama in its historical contexts.

CLAS 233
Greek and Roman Religion
3 Credits          Weekly (3-0-0)

This course surveys and examines the religious beliefs and ritual practices of the ancient Greeks and Romans in both public and private contexts. Through the relevant documentary, epigraphic, and literary evidence, alongside the relevant material culture, students consider a wide range of topics and themes ranging from the worship of Olympian and Chthonic deities, oracles, the ancient Greek and Roman pantheons, orgiastic and mystery religions, festivals and sacrifices, ruler and Imperial cults, through to the rise of monotheistic religions, and the issues of toleration and subjugation.

Prerequisite: A minimum grade of C- in any CLAS course or permission of department.

CLAS 252
Ancient Art and Architecture
3 Credits          Weekly (3-0-0)

This course surveys the most important artwork and architectural monuments created in Greece and Rome. Through the evidence of archaeological finds, students study the earliest examples of art in sculpture, pottery and painting as well as the beginnings of urban and monumental architecture in Greece. Students examine the development of these and innovations upon these in the Roman and Byzantine periods. They also consider the legacy of ancient art and architecture on western civilization.

CLAS 261
Women in the Ancient World
3 Credits          Weekly (3-0-0)

This course surveys the history of women in the Graeco-Roman world, ranging historically from the second millennium BC to the fourth century AD. Students examine the portrayals of women in literary and historical documents to assess women's roles in family life, marriage customs, religious cults, and legal problems. Students analyze the abundant representations of women by men and the few surviving representations of women by other women in literary, epigraphic and artistic evidence.

CLAS 270
Greek Civilization
3 Credits          Weekly (3-0-0)

This course is an introduction to Greek cultural history illustrated by reference to contemporaneous literature and artefacts, as well as archaeological discoveries. Students study the origins of Greek culture in the Bronze Age and its development through the Archaic and Classical Periods, especially in fifth-century Athens. Students also consider the effects of Alexander the Great’s campaigns on Greek culture during the Hellenistic Period.

CLAS 271
Roman Civilization
3 Credits          Weekly (3-0-0)

This course is an introduction to Roman civilization. Students consider the culture, literature, and history of Ancient Rome, from the mythological foundation of city down to the imperial period. The lectures, readings, and assignments draw on contemporary literary, artistic, or archaeological evidence in order to illustrate and explain various Roman cultural values, practices, and norms.

CLAS 272
Byzantine Civilization
3 Credits          Weekly (3-0-0)

This course is an introduction to the culture, literature, art and history of the Byzantine (or Eastern Roman) Empire, during the period from the foundation of Constantinople in AD 324 to the Ottoman conquest of the city in AD 1453. Topics covered include government, family, religion, law, education, philosophy and entertainment; all presented in their historical context. Students also consider Byzantine literature, history and art, and the role of Byzantine scholars, artists and rulers in preserving many of the cultural achievements of the Greeks and Romans through the barbarian invasions which put an end to the Roman Empire in the west in AD 476.

CLAS 274
The Hellenistic World
3 Credits          Weekly (3-0-0)

This course considers the political, social, and cultural development of the Hellenistic world from c.335-30 BCE. In it, students will examine the principal sources for the period and the difficulties they present as they study the disintegration of the empire of Alexander the Great into several separate kingdoms. This study will set the rise of the Hellenistic kingdoms against the background of the social, cultural, and economic upheaval that came in the wake of Alexander’s death. Themes include the development of art, diplomatic relations, the economy, kingship, literature, philosophy, religion, science, and trade.

CLAS 280
Identity and Belonging in Antiquity
3 Credits          Weekly (3-0-0)

The question of who belongs is timeless. Greek and Roman communities generated a variety of responses and reactions to this question, some harshly exclusionary, some surprisingly liberal. Belonging was configured differently for men and women, adults and children, citizens and non-citizens, slaves and free people, and was mediated through social and cultural institutions. This course explores several of the institutions by which Greek and Roman societies and individuals defined themselves, and may include concentrations on social organization, law, or cultural and religious practices related to identity.

Prerequisite: A minimum grade of C- in CLAS 101 or any 200-level CLAS course.

CLAS 305
Comparative Mythology
3 Credits          Weekly (3-0-0)

In this course students compare Greek and Roman mythology to other world mythologies such as Norse or Native American myth. One or more bodies of mythology are selected for particular attention in each offering of the course. Students identify the common features shared by various bodies of myth, as well as important differences and their significance. Students also examine a number of explanatory theories of myth and their application to specific problems.

Prerequisites: Minimum grade of C- in CLAS 102.

CLAS 309
The Roman Provinces
3 Credits          Weekly (3-0-0)

This course considers the social, political, or economic history of a specific Roman province, a series of Roman provinces, or the provincial system under the Republic and Empire. Focusing on the ancient evidence from these provinces, this course considers the place of the Roman province(s) in the wider context, assessing several themes in ancient history, ranging from colonization, cultural interaction, and economic forces through to ethnicity, governance, identity, imperialism, and religion. More broadly, this study allows students to explore the manners in which indigenous and Roman cultures mixed or clashed and to evaluate how and whether the results of our examination of specific regions of the Roman world can be applied in broader ways to further our understanding of antiquity.

Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in CLAS 209 or CLAS 271 or department consent.

CLAS 314
Topics in Ancient Greek History
3 Credits          Weekly (3-0-0)

This course explores themes and trends in the history of ancient Greece from the Mycenaean age to the Roman imperial period. Each offering of the course concentrates on a specific theme, process, or period, and varies from year to year. Students analyze problems and questions in Greek social, political, and/or cultural history on the basis of primary and secondary source material. Note: This course may be taken up to three times, provided the course topic is different.

Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in one of CLAS 208, CLAS 210, CLAS 270, CLAS 274, or CLAS 280.

CLAS 315
Topics in Roman History
3 Credits          Weekly (3-0-0)

This course explores themes and trends in the history of ancient Rome from the republican period to the late empire. Each offering of the course concentrates on a specific theme, process, or period, and varies from year to year. Students analyze problems and questions in Roman social, political, and/or cultural history on the basis of primary and secondary source material. Note: This course may be taken up to three times, provided the course topic is different.

Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in CLAS 209, CLAS 210 or CLAS 271; or a minimum grade of C- in CLAS 280 and permission of instructor.

CLAS 316
Ancient Biography
3 Credits          Weekly (3-0-0)

In this course, students examine ancient biographical writing as a literary and historical genre. Through careful and close readings of translated Greek and/or Latin biographical authors, students explore the literary and moral purposes of ancient biography. Attention is also paid to the methodology of ancient biographers, including their reinterpretation and reorganization of source material to suit their historical, literary, and biographical purposes. The course may concentrate on biographies dedicated to figures from a particular period in the ancient world, survey biographies written in and about different periods, or examine different types of biographies (e.g., political, hagiographical).

Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in at least one of CLAS 208, CLAS 209, CLAS 270, or CLAS 271.

CLAS 320
Greek Literature in Translation
3 Credits          Weekly (3-0-0)

This course discusses Greek verse and prose in the era from Homer to late antiquity. Each offering of the course concentrates on a specific significant genre, theme, or period and varies from year to year. Students examine the works read in their social, cultural, intellectual, and historical contexts, and apply various theoretical and comparative models to the texts.

Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in one of CLAS 221, CLAS 225, or CLAS 270.

CLAS 321
Topics in Greek and Latin Literature in Translation
3 Credits          Weekly (3-0-0)

The cities of ancient Greece and Rome reflect a world of song, dance, and papyrus rolls: this is the world of Homer, Sappho, Herodotus, and Aesop, of Virgil, Sulpicia, Terence, and Tacitus, that grows into the world of Egeria, Augustine, Procopius, and Anna Komnene. This topics course examines ancient poetry and prose from the Greek Archaic period and the Roman Republic through to Late Antiquity. Each offering focuses on a single topic in Greek or Latin literature, treating the literary traditions in isolation or in composition. As students analyse the literary productions of ancient Greece, Rome, and the late antique world in their socio-cultural contexts, students also learn how to apply analytical and theoretical methods to the study of ancient literature.

Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in one of CLAS 221, CLAS 225, CLAS 270, CLAS 271, CLAS 274, or CLAS 272.

CLAS 333
Topics in Greek and Roman Religion
3 Credits          Weekly (3-0-0)

In this course, students analyze a topic in Greek or Roman religion, related to religious belief, cultic practice, or public religion. This course typically focuses on literary evidence, but may also draw on archaeological material, to examine the influence of religion on social, cultural, and intellectual life in Greece and Rome. Topics may include, but are not limited to, personal religion in the ancient world, mystery cults, classical philosophical responses to and interpretations of classical religion. Note: Students may take this course up to three times, provided that the topic is different.

Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in one of CLAS 233, CLAS 270, or CLAS 271.

CLAS 353
Art and Architecture of Augustan Rome
3 Credits          Weekly (3-0-0)

This course examines the artistic, religious and historical trends of ancient Rome during the Augustan Age as manifested in the art and architectural monuments of the city and empire. Students consider Augustus’ use of architectural and cultural patronage to shape public perceptions of political change. Students also examine primary literature in order to understand the social and cultural milieux of the late Roman Republic and early Roman Empire. Students with credit in CLAS 354 cannot receive credit in CLAS 353.

Prerequisites: Minimum grades of C- in CLAS 252 or CLAS 271.

CLAS 355
Life and Culture in Ancient Rome
6 Credits          Weekly (6-0-0)

In this senior-level course, students study Roman society, history and culture in Rome. Students read accounts of Rome, its art and its architecture, and study the archaeological remains of the ancient city, from a historical, cultural and architectural perspective. Students examine sites and monuments from three distinct phases of Roman history: the Republican period, the early Empire and the Christian empire. The course runs for 21 days in Rome, during which the students attend lectures of two professors in situ. Note: Tuition and fees for this course cover the expenses of room and board; students are responsible for their own airfares.

Prerequisites: Consent of the Department (Students with credit in CLAS 110, CLAS 252 or CLAS 271 will be given preference).

CLAS 361
Ancient Family
3 Credits          Weekly (3-0-0)

This senior level course in ancient social history focuses on in-depth analysis of the ancient Greek and Roman families in their historical and cultural contexts. Students consider the Graeco-Roman family in comparison to Near Eastern and Egyptian antecedents. The nuclear and extended families are emphasized, as are interventions in the family through law. Through reading of ancient sources and analysis of archaeological evidence, students also examine gender roles within the family and social and familial expectations of the household.

Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in one of CLAS 270, CLAS 271, CLAS 233, CLAS 252, CLAS 261, or CLAS 280.

CLAS 380
Race & Ethnicity in the Ancient Mediterranean
3 Credits          Weekly (3-0-0)

This course examines the issue of race and ethnicity in the ancient Mediterranean and surrounding areas. Students will consider ways of defining “race” and “ethnicity,” the relationship between the two, and how racial/ethnic categories are applied to different groups. By examining the historical and social dimensions of definitions of “race” and “ethnicity” in the ancient Mediterranean, students will explore the ways racial/ethnic categories impact relationships within an ethnic group and between ethnic groups. In so doing, they will examine Greek/ Roman relationships with indigenous peoples outside of Greece and Rome and how Greek/ Roman ethnic and racial categorizations impacted those relationships.

Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in one of CLAS 280, CLAS 208, CLAS 209, CLAS 270, CLAS 271, or CLAS 274.

CLAS 398
Independent Study
3 Credits          Total (0-0-45)

This course permits an intermediate-level student to work with an instructor to explore a specific topic in depth through research or directed reading in primary and secondary sources. The student plans, executes and reports the results of their independent research or study project under the direction of a faculty supervisor. To be granted enrollment in the course, the student must have made prior arrangements with a faculty member willing to supervise his or her project. This course can be taken twice for credit.

CLAS 498
Advanced Independent Study
3 Credits          Total (0-0-45)

This course permits a senior-level student to work with an instructor to explore a specific topic in depth through research or directed reading in primary and secondary sources. The student plans, executes and reports the results of their independent research or study project under the direction of a faculty supervisor. To be granted enrollment in the course, the student must have made prior arrangements with a faculty member willing to supervise his or her project. This course can be taken twice for credit.