CLSC 204 — Heroes and Hustlers in Latin Literature (3 hrs) Ricardo A. Apostol, T.R. 2:45-4:00
(Cross-listed as WLIT 204..)
The Romans were a lot of things – Greek speakers and Latin speakers, Christians, Jews, and every sort of pagan you could possibly imagine – but when they wrote, they were invariably sophisticated, witty, and very, very alien. This course offers a window into the diversity of ancient Rome and its literary sensibilities, whether you want to be titillated by the erotic verse of Ovid and Catullus, chortle at the misadventures of Lucius as he wanders around the Mediterranean in the shape of a donkey, thrill at the stories of Rome’s foundation as depicted by Vulcan on the shield of Aeneas, or stand stupefied before the deeds of historical ne’er-do-wells like Clodia and Antony. In addition to learning about major works and trends in Roman literature, we’ll also take a crash course on the basics of literary study and especially contemporary criticism and theory as we try to come to terms with 400 years’ worth of the glory and the squalor of the Eternal City.
CLSC 222 — Classical Tradition 2: The Birth of Archaeology (3 hrs) Charles Burroughs, Florin Berindeanu, T.R. 1:15-2:30
(Limit 30. Cross-listed as WLIT 222.)
In this course, students will study major literary and theoretical texts, including revolutionary attempts to map the history of various branches of human activity and cognition, as well as key artistic and architectural monuments. This is one of three courses intended to orient students in different epochs of European cultural history, especially in the reception of antiquity. These courses are designed to be key elements of a proposed Classical Tradition track in the Classics major; all will continue to be electives in the existing Classics major. We envisage the course as co-taught by colleagues with different expertise.
CLSC 232 – Roman Civilization: Experiencing an Ancient City (3 hrs) Kevin Dicus, M.W.F. 4:00-4:50
(Limit 50. Cross-listed as HSTY 232.)
Ancient Rome excites the imagination of people throughout the modern world, but how did the city resonate with its ancient inhabitants? How did both the elite and common classes live in, use, and experience the urban setting in which they found themselves? This course approaches such questions in two quite different but complementary ways. Firstly, we will trace the development of Rome over nearly 1000 years, from its foundation on a marshy land beside the Tiber River, to its rise as one of the most complex and powerful cities in the ancient world, to ultimately, its decline. We will examine the architecture through a perspective of engineering and design, as works of art, and as assertions of political authority. Secondly, the bulk of the course will examine primary texts (in translation) that insert people within this setting. Passages from contemporaneous historians, poets, playwrights, politicians, and satirists reveal vivid, and often contradictory, observations of what it meant to be and act “Roman” in Rome. Particular topics will include the use of urban space as political theater; domestic space as markers of prestige; ritual performance and sacred space; the dangers and hardships suffered by the urban poor; the role of women; and leisure time in the city, including love and romance, dining and drinking, and attending gladiatorial games.
CLSC 295 — Greek and Latin Elements in English
Section A: Basic Course (1.5 hrs)
Section B: Biomedical Terminology (1.5 hrs)
Timothy R. Wutrich, M.W. 12:30-1:00
(Limit 10 for each section. Prerequisite to CLSC 295B: Previous or concurrent registration in CLSC 295A.)
This course, available on CWRUnet, utilizes self-paced computer-assisted instruction and is directed to students of all academic backgrounds who wish to acquire a solid foundation in English etymology.
The course is comprised of two parts. The first (CLSC 295A, 1.5 credits) emphasizes Greek and Latin suffixes, prefixes, and verb roots. Through the recognition of these elements the student will become familiar with word concepts and word-building processes in the English language. At the successful completion of CLSC 295A, the student may elect to take the second section (CLSC 295B, also 1.5 credits). The design of this section is the presentation of the etymology and precise word meanings of high-frequency terminology in the biological and medical fields.
CLSC 304 — Ancient Rome: Republic and Empire (3 hrs), Kevin Dicus, M.W.F. 3:00-3:50
(Cross-listed as HSTY 304.)
This course traces the history of Rome from the 3rd century BCE and its expansion over Italy; to the height of its Mediterranean-wide empire in the 2nd century CE; and up to the establishment of a new Roman capital in the East under Constantine. In addition to our textbook, we will supplement the readings with primary texts that reveal ancient perspectives about Rome, Roman (and foreign) identity, and the Roman place in the expanding empire. Material and visual culture will also contribute a large component of the class as we analyze how Roman artistic and technological achievements transformed the Mediterranean world.
CLSC 315 — The Writing of Desire: Erotic Literature, Ancient to Modern (3 hrs) Florin Berindeanu, T.R. 10:00-11:15
(Cross-listed as WLIT 317.)
Eroticism and desire are fundamental human components and therefore continually present as artistic expressions. This course will take into account both fictional and theoretical inquiries into the nature and purpose of desire both physically and aesthetically. The authors explored in this course – from Longus’ Daphnis and Chloe, Abelard’s epistolary, Aucassin and Nicolette’s satire, mystical voices, Platonic treatises or modern contributions like those of Roland Barthes and Georges Bataille – will illustrate how the libidinal (whether mythological, subjective or Freudian) is inseparable from the aesthetic. Cross-listed as WLIT 317.
CLSC 316/416 – Greek Tragedy in English Translation (3 hrs) Timothy R. Wutrich, T.R. 8:30-9:45
(Cross-listed as WLIT 316/416.)
In this course we read, study, and discuss in English translation selected works by Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. Our objective is to understand the plays as literature composed for performance, so we investigate both literary elements and theatrical possibilities inherent in the texts. We consider the plays in their historical context, in order to investigate the plays’ reflection of myth, religion, and society in ancient Athens. Throughout we think about how these tragic dramas and the theater in which they were performed have continued to inspire literature and theater for thousands of years. Coursework includes reading primary texts and criticism, lectures, discussions, and films of selected plays. Students take three hour-tests, write a paper, and work on a creative dramatic group project.
CLSC 332 — Art and Archaeology of Ancient Italy: Pompeii (3 hrs) Jennifer Neils, T.R. 10:00-11:15
(Cross-listed as ARTH 332/432.)
Held in conjunction with the CMA exhibition, The Last Days of Pompeii: Decadence, Apocalypse, Resurrection (February 24, 2013-May 19, 2013) this lecture course will examine the amazing remains – architectural, material, inscriptional – from the cities buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in 73 AD and thereby survey Roman history, society, politics, daily life, art, and religion. The houses and bars, furniture and sculpture, graffiti and even bodies preserved in plaster from Pompeii and Herculaneum illuminate the ways in which the inhabitants of these towns utilized public and private spaces and how that use was conditioned by the class, gender, and ethnic origin of the inhabitants. We will also consider the impact of the sensational discovery of Pompeii on European and American art from the 18th century to the present.
CLSC 381 — Directed Readings (1 to 3 credits) Staff, Times as arranged
(Limit 30. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.)
Directed readings on specific themes or authors selected to serve the individual interests and needs of undergraduate students.
CLSC 382 — Classics Senior Honors Thesis (3 hrs) Paul Iversen, Times as arranged
(Limit 30. Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor & CLSC 381)
A course of independent study and research culminating in the preparation of a thesis on a topic approved by the supervising faculty member. Enrollment in this course must be approved by the Chair of the Department.
CLSC 395 — Directed Readings (1 to 3 credits) Staff, Times as arranged
(Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.)
Directed readings on specific themes or authors selected to serve the individual interests and needs of undergraduate students.
GREK 102 — Elementary Greek II (3 hrs) Rachel H. Sternberg, T.R. 10:30-11:20
(Prerequisite: GREK 101 or equivalent.)
This course continues to teach elementary Ancient Greek with written and oral exercises to ensure mastery of grammar and vocabulary. Readings included passages adapted from classical authors, as well as the occasional unadapted passage.
GREK 202 — Introduction to Greek Poetry (3 hrs) Rachel H. Sternberg, M.W.F. 4:00-4:50
(Prerequisite: GREK 101 or equivalent.)
In this course we will read selections from Homer’s Odyssey, especially the Great Wanderings recounted in Book 9-12. The central aim of the course will be to help students become proficient readers of Greek oral hexameter verse, but we will also review Attic Greek while comparing it with the Homeric dialect. Scansion included. We will explore themes of trickery, revenge, homecoming, family, love, loss, and death, and we will discuss the relationship of Homeric heroes to the historical worlds in which their stories were sung.
GREK 306 — Tragedy Rachel H. Sternberg, M.W.F. 3:00-3:50
(Prerequisite: GREK 202 or equivalent.)
In this course, we will read two plays by Sophocles and Euripides, consulting commentaries and exploring what literary critics have had to say about the plays. Students devote 80% of effort to reading Greek, 20% to secondary literature.
LATN 102 — Elementary Latin II (3 hrs) Staff, M.W.F. 3:00-3:50
This is the first half of a two-semester introduction to Latin, with primary emphasis on grammar, syntax, and vocabulary.
LATN 201 — LATIN PROSE AUTHORS: CICERO AND CAESAR (3 hrs) Kevin Dicus, M.W.F. 11:30-12:20
(Prerequisite: LATN 101 or equivalent.)
Latin 102 is the second semester in the elementary Latin sequence. The course will continue to cover the fundamental components of the language, in particular the varied types of dependent clauses, and verbs forms, including the passive voice and tenses of the subjunctive mood. We will also be working quite a bit with English and language issues in general. Students will be introduced to increasingly intricate Latin readings with the ultimate goal of translating Latin with greater confidence and fluency.
LATN 202 — Vergil (3 hrs) Timothy R. Wutrich, T.R. 10:00-11:15
(Prerequisite: LATN 201 or equivalent.)
In this course we read and discuss selections from Vergil’s poetry, looking briefly at the Eclogues and Georgics, but dealing primarily with the Aeneid, especially Books 1, 4, and 6. We consider language, style, and meter, and continue to build Latin vocabulary and reinforce the command of Latin grammar. Literary analysis and interpretation of the Aeneid as well as the performance aspect of Latin epic also features in class meetings. In addition to daily translation, course work includes vocabulary quizzes, two exams (midterm and final), a passage to memorize and recite, and a paper.
LATN 352 — History: Much Ado About Claudius (3 hrs) Ricardo A. Apostol, T.R. 11:30-12:45
(Prerequisite: LATN 202 or equivalent.)
How would you like to be sandwiched between Caligula and Nero? The emperor Claudius had it rough, from a childhood of abuse and neglect as the stuttering, seemingly slow-witted black sheep in the Julio-Claudian family, to his disastrous marriages to the promiscuous Messalina and the devious Agrippina (Nero’s mom, with whom Nero was rumored to have had improper relations). Even Claudius’ posthumous deification was cause for hilarity at his expense among members of the imperial household. This semester we will catch a glimpse into this fascinating period in Roman history by reading Suetonius’ account of the life of the emperor; Seneca’s mock-celebratory poem, the Apocolocyntosis, or “pumpkinification” of Claudius; and a portion of Lucan’s near-contemporary historical epic on a key moment in the foundation of the dynasty, the Bellum Civile, starring such worthies as Pompey, Cato, and Julius Caesar.
LATN 395 — Directed Readings (1-3 hours) Staff, Times as arranged
(Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor.)
Directed readings in authors selected to serve the individual interests and needs of undergraduate students.