CLASSICS
CLSC 220 – Art and Literature in the Classical Tradition I: Renaissance and Baroque (14th to 17th Centuries) – 3 Credits
Florin Berindeanu T.R. 10:00-11:15
(Limit 40. Cross-listed as WLIT 220.) Through lectures, varied assignments, and visits to the Cleveland Museum of Art, this course will introduce students to the major issues in the study of early modern art and literature. The emphasis will inevitably be on Italy, as the place where the physical remains of ancient Rome and Florence challenged and inspired visitors from Petrarch in the 14th century to Michelangelo, Bernini, and a host of remarkable artists and intellectuals in the 16th and 17th centuries. As the capital of the western church and seat of the papal court, resources flowed to Rome, and many popes relied on the arts to bolster the sacred authority that they claimed. As such, Rome was an important model for other cities and courts.
This was also a period of grave conflicts and tensions, not least in the intellectual sphere as new cosmologies were elaborated (the idea of a solar system!), and the place of humans in the universe placed in question, while the known earth itself expanded. A new political formation, the nation state, dominated Europe. We will move between the court and the city, between scenes of often-endangered order and scenes of sometimes-productive disorder, in which classical models provided a key cultural and even psychological resource in challenging times. No prerequisites; recommended preparation: CLSC 232.
CLSC 231 – Greek Civilization – 3 Credits
Rachel Sternberg M.W. 11:30-12:20
(Cross-listed as HSTY 231) This course provides a comprehensive view of the more important aspects of Greek civilization and its legacy to Western culture. We will cover approximately 3,000 years of Minoan and Greek Civilization on a wide variety of topics including history, archaeology, art, architecture, athletics, slavery, literature, gender roles, philosophy, and political institutions.
CLSC 302 – Ancient Greece: Archaic to Hellenistic Periods – 3 Credits
Rachel Sternberg, T.R. 10:00 – 11:15
(Cross-listed as HSTY 302) This course constitutes the first half of a GER Humanities Sequence on Classical History (for second course in sequence, see CLSC 304). It treats rise of Hellenic thought and institutions from the eighth to the third centuries B.C., the rise of the polis, the evolution of democracy at Athens, the crises of the Persian and Peloponnesian Wars, fifth-century historiography, the growth of individualism, and the revival of monarchy in the Hellenistic period. Lectures and discussion. Fulfills Global and Cultural Diversity Requirement.
CLSC 305 – Sanskrit Religious Texts – 3 Credits
Deepak Sarma T.R. 1:15-2:30
(Cross-listed as RLGN 305) This class is an introduction to Sanskrit language and culture. Students will learn basic Sanskrit grammar and syntax, both of which are inextricably linked to the culture of ancient South Asia. No previous knowledge of Sanskrit is required.
CLSC 314 – The Poetics of Eros: Love Poetry from Sappho to Shakespeare and Beyond – 3 Credits
Ricardo Apostol T.R. 2:45-4:00
(Cross-listed as WLIT 314) Our purpose in this class will be to come to terms with love (a little word with a big concept behind it) in all its multiplicity of meanings and changes over time from its first appearances in Near Eastern poetry (Song of Songs) and Greek lyric (the titular Sappho) through its various elaborations, Roman, Medieval, Renaissance, and Romantic, right up through Modernist poetry and into pop culture today. We’ll read some hot poetry, do heavy-duty intellectual history, and try to answer some of the big questions for the human condition, such as: What is love? How do I get it? What’s love got to do (got to do) with “It”? Is it a natural thing we all feel (i.e. “real”), or is it a cultural construct (a “second-hand emotion”)? And many, many more. No foreign languages or familiarity with Tina Turner required. Fulfills Global and Cultural Diversity Requirement.
CLSC 333 – GREEK & ROMAN PAINTING – 3 Credits
Jenifer Neils M.W. 12:30-1:45
From the Minoan frescoes of the Bronze Age to the wall paintings that graced Roman villas and the catacombs, this course traces the development of painting in the classical world. Because most monumental painting of ancient Greece is lost, the first half of the course focuses on vase painting, with special attention to the collection in the Cleveland Museum of Art. The second half will spotlight ancient Pompeii where the vast majority of Roman frescoes and mosaics are preserved. Issues relating to narrative, landscape, patronage and iconography will be investigated. Archaeological contexts (tombs, temples, houses, palaces and villas), when known, will contribute to an understanding of the decisive role of painting in the ancient world. Cross-listed as ARTH 333/433.
GREEK
GREK 101 — Elementary Greek I – 3 Credits
Rachel Sternberg, M.W.F. 10:30-11:20
(Limit 20.) Learn the language of Sophocles and Plato! The first semester of Greek provides an introduction to Ancient Greek grammar, syntax, and vocabulary. Emphasis is placed on reading continuous texts, while the reading material invites students to explore the culture and history of Greece in the Classical period.
GREK 201/401 — Greek Prose Authors – 3 Credits
Timothy Wutrich, T.R. 1:15-2:30
(Cross-listed as WLIT 201/401. Prerequisite: GREK 102 or equivalent.) In this course we will read short passages from Plato’s dialogues Republic, Timaeus, Euthyphro, and as much of the Apology as possible in the original Greek. The primary aim of the course is to solidify the grammar learned in GREK 101 and 102 by reading continuous prose passages of real Ancient Greek. Much of the course, therefore, will involve reviewing Attic Greek. We will also discuss Greek philosophy and daily life in Athens during the life of the historical Socrates (c. 470 – 399 B.C.)
GREK 380/480 – Advanced Topics in Greek Literature: Hesiod – 3 Credits
Peter Knox, T.R. 10:00-11:15
We will read the two surviving poems by Hesiod, Theogony and Works and Days, as well as fragments from his Catalogue of Women. There will be additional readings from ancient writers on myth as well as a wide variety of sources on Hesiod’s life, works, and reception.
LATIN
LATN 101 – Elementary Latin I – 3 Credits
Timothy Wutrich, M.W. F 2:00-2:50
An introduction to the elements of Latin; pronunciation, forms, syntax, vocabulary, and reading (both LATN 101 and 102 must be completed to obtain credit).
LATN 201/401 — Latin Prose Authors: Cicero and Caesar – 3 Credits
Timothy Wutrich, T.R. 4:30-5:45
(Cross-listed as WLIT 241/441. Prerequisite: LATN 102 or equivalent.) This course is designed to finish the grammar not completed in LATN 102. We will read continuous prose texts from Cicero and Caesar. Our main objective, therefore, is 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. LARGE SCALE VOCABULARY ACQUISITION is a major course objective. To further this, we will work through the Basic Latin Vocabulary in the course of the semester. We will also talk about life in Rome during the late Republic.
LATN 305/405 – Literature of the Republic – 3 Credits
Ricardo Apostol T.R. 11:30 – 12:45
(Cross-listed as WLIT 334/434. Prereq: LATN 200-level course or equivalent.) The Twelve Tables; the Song of the Salii; Ennius, Naevius, the Elder Cato – these are names most students of Latin will recognize, but whose texts undergraduates (and even graduate students) rarely get to read. In this course we will focus on archaic Latin authors, our earliest extant sources for understanding Roman society before the late Republic. In doing so, we will not only gain a familiarity with these puzzling, fascinating, and rarely-read texts, as well as a window into Republican Rome – we will also get to the heart of fundamental questions as to the meaning of “literature” and its development among the Romans. Texts will includeArchaic Latin Verse, Archaic Latin Prose, and a play of Plautus.