CLASSICS
CLSC 203 – Gods and Heroes in Greek Literature
TR 11:30-12:45, Timothy Wutrich
(Cross-listed as WLIT 203) his course examines major works of Greek literature and sets them in their historical and cultural context. Constant themes are war, wandering, tyranny, freedom, community, family, and the role of men and women within the household and the ancient city-state. Parallels with modern life and politics will be explored. Lectures and discussions. Fulfills Global and Cultural Diversity Requirement.
CLSC 220 – Art & Literature in the Classical Tradition, Pt 1: Renaissance and Baroque (14th to 17th centuries)
TR 11:30-12:45, Florin Berindeanu
(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 literatures. The emphasis will inevitably be on Italy, as the place where the physical remains of ancient Rome confronted and inspired such remarkable masters as Michelangelo (as poet and artist), Palladio, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Nicholas Poussin (Bernini and Poussin are represented in the CMAI), though some artists — notably Leonardo — resisted the lure of the classical past. From Italy new ideas spread to the rest of Europe and beyond. We will not have much time to study Shakespeare in the course, but we will not be able to ignore the greatest author of the Renaissance period. Like Shakespeare, 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. Recommended preparation: CLSC 112. Fulfills Global and Cultural Diversity Requirement.
CLSC 224 – Sword and Sandal: The Classics in Film
TR 11:30-12:45, Evelyn Adkins
(Cross-listed as WLIT 224) Gladiator. Alexander. The 300. Contemporary society’s continuing fascination with putting the ancient world on the big screen is undeniable; and yet the causes underlying this phenomenon are not quite so readily apparent. In this course we will watch and discuss a number of movies about the ancient world, running the gamut from Hollywood classics such as Ben-Hur and Spartacus to more recent treatments (the aforementioned 300 and Gladiator, for starters), and from the mainstream and conventional (Clash of the Titans, Disney’s Hercules) to the far-out and avant-garde (Fellini’s Satyricon, anyone?). As we do so we’ll learn quite a bit about the art and economics of film, on one hand, and the ancient world, on the other. And yet what we’ll keep coming back to are the big questions: what does our fascination with the ancient Mediterranean tell us about ourselves as a society? Why do such movies get made, and what kinds of agendas do they serve? To what extent can we recapture the past accurately? And if we can’t, are we doomed to just endlessly projecting our own concerns and desires onto a screen, and dressing them in togas? No knowledge of ancient languages is required for this course.
CLSC 231 – Athens to Alexandria: The World of Ancient Greece
TR 1:00-2:15, Paul Iversen
(Cross-listed as HSTY 231) This course constitutes the first half of a year-long sequence on classical civilization. It examines the enduring significance of the Greeks studied through their history, literature, art, and philosophy. Lectures and discussion. (For the second course in the sequence, see CLSC 232 and HSTY 232.) Fulfills Global and Cultural Diversity Requirement.
CLSC 301 – Ancient Philosophy
TR 3:20-4:35, Chin-Tai Kim
(Cross-listed as PHIL 301) Western philosophy from the early Greeks to the Skeptics. Emphasis on the pre-Socratics, Plato and Aristotle. Recommended preparation: PHIL 101 and consent of department.
CLSC 304 – Ancient Rome: Republic & Empire
MWF 10:35-11:25, Paul Hay
This course constitutes the second half of a GER Humanities Sequence on Classical History (although it may be taken without having taken, or before having taken, the first in the sequence, CLSC 302). It covers the growth and development of the Roman state from the unification of Italy in the early 3rd century B.C. to the establishment of the oriental despotism under Diocletian and Constantine. The growth of empire in the Punic Wars, the uncertain steps toward an eastern hegemony, the crisis in the Republic from the Gracchi to Caesar, the new regime of Augustus, the transformation of the leadership class in the early Empire, and the increasing dominance of the military over the civil structure. Lectures and discussion. Fulfills Global and Cultural Diversity Requirement. Cross-listed as HSTY 304.
CLSC 324/424 – The Sublime and Grotesque in Literature
TR 1:00-2:15, Florin Berindeanu
(Cross-listed as WLIT 324/424) Early on in Western culture the question of sublime and grotesque was addressed by philosophers and writers. Aristotle and especially Longinus initiated the debate over what exactly made a work of art “sublim” or “Grotesque.” This debate eventually in the 18th century gave birth to the discipline of aesthetics, which is one of the main foci of this course. To that end, in this course we will examine a few literary works in light of the most representative theories around the concept of sublime and grotesque: Aristotle, Longinus, Kant, Burke, Baumgartner, Nietzsche and Kierkegaard. Their theories will be applied to some of the most celebrated literary masterpieces written by Homer, Ovid, Dante, Cervantes and others. Fulfills Global and Cultural Diversity Requirement.
CLSC 329/429 – Marvels of Rome: Monuments and Their Decoration in the Roman Empire
MW 12:45-2:00, Maggie Popkin
(Cross-listed as ARTH 329/429) This course examines some of the most famous monuments of the Roman Empire, including Nero’s Golden House, the Colosseum, the Pantheon, Hadrian’s Villa at Tivoli, and the lavish villa of Piazza Armerina in Sicily. We will study each monument in depth, delving into the architecture, paintings, sculptures, mosaics, and social functions of each monument. Students will learn how to analyze artistic and archaeological evidence, ancient textual evidence (poems, prose, and inscriptions), and secondary scholarship to reconstruct the visual appearances and historical and cultural contexts of the monuments in questions. Throughout the course, students will gain a new appreciation and deeper understanding of some of the most iconic buildings of the classical tradition. Fulfills Global and Cultural Diversity Requirement.
AKKADIAN
Akkadian 102 – Beginning Akkadian II
MW 4:50-6:05, Maddalena Rumor
This course, the second in a two-semester sequence, completes the introduction to the grammar of Akkadian and the most common cuneiform signs. Via grammar and exercises, we will continue to familiarize ourselves with some of the more important genres of Akkadian writing as well as the history and culture of Mesopotamian civilization.
GREEK
GREK 102 – Elementary Greek II
MWF 9:30-10:20, Rachel Sternberg
Beginning course in Greek language, covering grammar (forms and syntax) and the reading of elementary selections from ancient sources. Makes a start toward reading Greek authors.
GREK 202/402 – Introduction to Greek Poetry
MWF 4:25-5:15, Paul Hay
(Cross-listed as WLIT 202/402) Primarily readings from Homer, Hesiod, and Theocritus. Selections from Greek lyric may be introduced at the instructor’s discretion. Prerequisite: GREK 102 or equivalent.
GREK 306/406 – Tragedy
MWF 12:45-2:00, Rachel Sternberg
(Cross-listed as WLIT 306/406) Reading and interpretation of selected plays of Aeschylus, Euripides, and Sophocles. Prerequisite: 200-level GREK or equivalent.
LATIN
LATN 101 – Elementary Latin I
MWF 2:15-3:05, Timothy Wutrich
An introduction to the elements of Latin: pronunciation, forms, syntax, vocabulary, and reading.
LATN 201/401 – Latin Prose Authors
TR 4:00-5:15, Evelyn Adkins
(Cross-listed as WLIT 241/441) Reading and discussion of such prose authors as Cicero, Caesar, Livy or Pliny. Prerequisite: LATN 102 or equivalent.
LATN 354/454 – Drama
TR 11:30-12:45, Paul Iversen
(Cross-listed as WLIT 354/454) Reading of at least one play each by Plautus and Terence. Attention to the history of Latin and Greek New Comedy, and the contrasting styles of the two authors. Prerequisite: 200-level LATN or equivalent.