· Congratulations to the Brandeis Class of 2008, which graduated on May 18, 2008, and to our graduating majors and minors! Majors: Matthew A. Brown · Kevin E. Goscinak · Lloyd S. Kleiman · Justin A. Matthews · Colin R. Nickels · Joshua P. Nudell · Ashley E. Ruskiewicz · Benjamin P. Stevens · Jenny A. Zimmer . Minors: Alexander d'Anjou · Emily A. Bullock · Mark S. Folickman · Christopher R. Guillory · Yaniv D. Harel · Alice D. Ittelson · David M. Miyashiro · Jessica C. Stone. We are so proud of each and every one of you! See the Photo Gallery (below) for those photographs of the Commencement we have received from participants.

· Jenny A. Zimmer '08 was the recipient of the 2008 Eunice M. Lebowitz Cohen Award for Excellence in Classical Art and Archaeology, an award that carries a $500 prize. Jenny, who was a Classical Studies Intern from 2007-08 and completed an independent study working with CLARC artifacts compiled excellent archaeological skills, including collection management and restoration techniques. She was a teaching assistant for Professors Ann Olga Koloski-Ostrow and Robert B. Meyer in their spring 2008 hands-on Clasical Studies/Physics interdisciplinary "Roman Technology" course, which she had taken previously. Jenny graduated in May with a degree in the Classical Archaeology and Ancient History track of the Classical Studies major.

· Matthew A. Brown '08 received the 2008 Eunice M. Lebowitz Cohen Award in Classical Literature, which carries a prize of $500, as he graduated magna cum laude with High Honors in Classical Studies. His thesis explored "The Ideal Roman Statesman As Exhibited in the Letters of Cicero, Seneca and Pliny." Matt is a former Eunice M. Lebowitz Cohen Fellow (2006-08) and a Classical Studies Undergraduate Departmental Fellow (2006-08).

· Kevin E. Goscinak '08 won the 2008 David S. Wiesen Memorial Prize, which was established to honor our late colleague, who taught here from 1966-1975. Kevin, who was a Lebowitz Cohen Fellow in 2006-07 and a UDR and Lebowitz Cohen Scholar this year, completed the Classics track for his BA in Classical Studies.

· Joshua P. Nudell '08 graduated cum laude with High Honors in both Classical Studies and History. A double major in Classical Studies (Classical Art and Ancient History track) and History, Josh wrote his senior thesis on "Champions, Friends, Soldiers: The Macedonian Aristocracy, the Officers of Alexander and the Creation of Hellenistic Kingdoms."

· Congratulations to Classical Studies minor Alice D. Ittelson '08, who received the Dorothy Blumenfeld Moyer Memorial Award at Commencement! A former Eunice M. Lebowitz Cohen Fellow (2006-07), Alice graduated summa cum laude with Highest Honors in Philosophy.

· Finally, our thanks goes out to Teaching Fellow and Classical Studies graduate Claudia P. Filos '94, currently working on her Graduate Certificate in Ancient Greek and Roman Studies. For more about the Classical Studies graduate certificate program, see our Graduate Certificate webpage.

· We were glad to hear from Classical Studies minor Laura Mariani '06 that she was accepted into Emory University's Ph.D. program in Neuroscience, and is beginning classes this fall. She wrote recently to say "I couldn't have done it without you. I'll never forget the support I received from the classicists at Brandeis as I continue on my path as a scientist. The subject of classics came up in more than one neuroscience graduate interview! People still respect a liberal arts education." Hear, hear! We couldn't do it without students like Laura!

· Joel Christensen '01, who completed his Ph.D. in Classics at New York University in 2006, is now an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas, San Antonio, where he is charged with the establishment of an Ancient Greek Studies program. Congratulations, Joel!

· Dianne J. Ma '09 and Lee A. Marmor '10 join veteran Undergraduate Departmental Representative (UDR) Alexander J. Smith '09 as 2008/09 UDRs, while we say goodbye to graduating senior UDRs Matt Brown '08 and Kevin Goscinak '08. For more about Alex and Dianne and Lee, see our Department Reps page.

· Each year Classical Studies holds an undergraduate competition for three positions as Classical Studies Interns in the CLAS Artifact Research Center (CLARC). After a vigorous competition last spring, Sarah Costrell '10, Caitlin Dichter '09, and Lee Marmor '10 were selected to work with Classical Studies Archaeologist and Chair Ann Olga Koloski-Ostrow at the center throughout 2008/09. For more about the program and the artifacts with which these Interns will be working, see our CLARC webpage.

· The Department of Classical Studies proudly announces the winners of the spring competition for Eunice M. Lebowitz Cohen Fellowships in Classical Studies. During the 2008/09 academic year, the following students will work with a Classicist professor-mentor on a project of their own design. Alexander J. Smith '09 will work on his senior thesis, "Roman Archaeology and the Creation of an Italian Fascist Identity," with mentor and senior thesis adviser Ann Olga Koloski-Ostrow. L. Aimée Birnbaum '10 will research "A Myth through the Ages: The Story of Theseus and Ariadne" with mentor Patricia A. Johnston. Chosen for his second Lebowitz Cohen fellowship, Theodore Tibbitts '09 will research and write his senior thesis, "The Practical Side to Roman Wine," with mentor and thesis advisor Ann Olga Koloski-Ostrow. Dianne J. Ma '09 will work with mentor Cheryl L. Walker on "The Psychological and Cultural Influences on Ancient Roman Feasting." Congratulations to all! Next year's competition will be held in spring 2009. For more information, please contact Janet Barry at jbarry@brandeis.edu. Applications for the 2009 competition and complete information about the program will be available to download on our Research Classics page next term. We are profoundly grateful, as always, for the support and generous contributions of the fellowship's namesake, Eunice M. Lebowitz Cohen. She is the sine qua non of our Fellows Program and so many other undergraduate opportunities in Classical Studies!

· Professor Eirene Visvardi, who joined the Department last fall as the Florence Levy Kay Fellow in Ancient Greek Theater, will complete her 2-year appointment to the Departments of Classical Studies and of Theater Arts this year. With Professor Leonard Muellner, this fall she is co-teaching "Ancient Greek Drama" (GRK 115B), in which students will translate Euripides' Hecuba from Ancient Greek into English. The resulting work will be used in spring 2009, when she joins Professor Eric Hill of Theater Arts to team-teach a special one-time offering of "Euripides' Hecuba in Performance" (THA 180B). Offering an in-depth interpretation of the play, the course will introduce students to the world of Ancient Greek theater. Working with the newly translated play, adapted for the stage, students will also be trained in the Suzuki acting method (different levels offered for students of different backgrounds) and learn how it applies to Greek tragedy. THA 180B is cross-listed in Classical Studies and earns school distribution credit in both Humanities and Creative Arts. In April, Professor Visvardi will speak in the Classical Studies Symposium. See our Colloquia page for more details. For more information about Professor Visvardi, see her home page: http://www.brandeis.edu/departments/classics/faculty/visvardi.html.]

· From 28 July - 9 August 2008, Professor Ann Olga Koloski-Ostrow co-directed (with Professor Steven E. Ostrow, MIT) a summer archaeological tour on the Bay of Naples at the Villa Vergiliana in Cumae. Among the 15 students attending were two from Brandeis, Stephen Chow '09 and Lee Marmor '10. The group explored antiquities in Capua, Herculaneum, Pompeii, Pozzuoli, Paestum, Naples, and the island of Capri, among other sites. A paperback edition of The World of Pompeii (John J. Dobbins and Pedar W. Foss, eds., Routledge Press, 2007), which includes Professor Koloski-Ostrow's chapter on "The City Baths in Pompeii and Herculaneum," was released this year.

· Professor Leonard Muellner was awarded the prestigious Jeanette Lerman-Neubauer '69 and Joseph Neubauer Prize for Excellence in Teaching and Mentoring for 2008. In a witty and thoughtful acceptance speech at the annual "Teaching at Brandeis" dinner on 4th September 2008, he said that in his view, "the real reason that I am standing here is the subject that I teach: the language and literature and culture of Ancient Greece." Well, we agree with half of that statement, but we know his students would include Professor Muellner as an equal factor in his selection for this prize. Congratulations, Lenny! See http://www.brandeis.edu/das/committees/cst/teaching-awards/neubauer.html for more on the Jeanette Lerman-Neubauer '69 prize.

· Professor Cheryl L. Walker reports that she ran into her own Rubicon between semesters: "I spent the summer drowning in home improvement projects (given the amount of rain, more literally than I care for)," she said, "from a new roof to a new lens in my right eye. Academically, I was sandbagged by a fascinating but tangential study of Republican cognomina, in which the proportion of insulting or demeaning terms was higher than might have been expected for the most elite members of Roman society." With all the rain and assorted hardships, clearly this sounds like an appropriate topic to study.

· From 18-21 June 2008, Professor Patricia A. Johnston directed the thirteenth annual Symposium Cumanum at the Villa Vergiliana in Cuma, Italy: "Greeks in Rome and Romans in Greece: diversa exsilia et desertas quaerere terras (Aeneid 3.4)." Focusing on the theme of exile and adjustment to exile, the event was co-sponsored by the Brandeis Office of the Dean of Arts and Sciences, the Vergilian Society, and the Provincia di Napoli. Professor Johnston, who also organized the symposium, presented a paper on "Juno, Moneta, and Hera."

Upcoming Events: Fall 2008

The Jennifer Eastman Lecture: Spring 2008
Professor Gregory Crane on Classics in a Digital Age

The spring term Jennifer Eastman Lecture was held on February 14th with Professor Gregory Crane's presentation of Classics in a Digital Age. Dr. Crane, a Professor of Classics at Tufts University and the editor-in-chief of the Perseus Project, addressed a large crowd of interested students, faculty members, and friends of the Classical Studies Department. Professor Crane focused his attention on the future of Classics research, his dynamic online Perseus Project, and our increasingly interconnected world.

Professor Crane began by discussing intellectual access and the Global Age. The Internet has revolutionized how people access information and perform research, and Classical scholarship is no exception in its use of and demand for this exponentially expanding resource. Professor Crane addressed the problem of languages and cross-cultural information sharing in the Global Age, and the necessity to make scholarly information available to all who wish to view it. The Perseus Project [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/] focuses on sharing scholarship, and by moving far beyond the limitations of printed resources, makes its information easily accessible online. Professor Crane emphasized the importance of collaboration in a digital age, noting that Classical Studies must reach beyond its own infrastructure to other disciplines and countries in order to survive in this new era of information. With the Internet's increasingly accessible scholarship, competing needs of various cultures and languages have ensued. Dr. Crane outlined two strategic goals for online Humanities: increasing knowledge through enhanced scholarship, while simultaneously promoting intellectual access by providing ideas and information to new audiences.

With these two goals in mind, Professor Crane demonstrated how this digital environment might be achieved. Most Classical Studies scholarship is published in books, he said, but in order to achieve a higher level of collaboration and access, these resources must be published digitally. Digitized post-incunabular and exclusively digital materials become dynamic online, as links permit books to interact with each other. Dr. Crane used Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia open to public editing, as an example. He stated that this website allows users to access keyword links in encyclopedic entries that then lead to other entries in a never-ending progression of related data. Professor Crane envisions libraries and databases such as Perseus linking books, paintings, and other media in a similar way. Currently, millions of books are being scanned into databases for public access, creating the beginnings of such a dynamic linking of resources. The Internet permits an infinite amount of space for libraries, easy access, and a massive audience.

Professor Crane broke down the four classes of service pertaining to a digital database. These include catalogue services, namable entity services, contribution services, and personalization services. These resources allow a database to evolve to the needs of the user through customization and user input. Professor Crane stressed that the Humanities need to minimize their domain-specific technology and to maximize the number of post-incunabular documents. Collaborative projects along with open access and inter-operability are all important principles of digital technology and scholarship. The future holds many opportunities for Classical studies, he asserted. With the Perseus Project, Professor Crane is spearheading a digital movement that will provide a new kind of open, customized, and dynamic scholarship.

-- Alexander J. Smith '09, in his second year as a Classical Studies UDR, is double majoring in Classical Studies (Classical Archaeology and Ancient History track) and Anthropology.

The Martin Weiner Lecture: Spring 2008
Professor Ruth Scodel on "A Spectacle Worth of Caesar": Film Versions of Quo Vadis

On March 6th, Ruth Scodel, Professor Greek and Latin at the University of Michigan, delivered the spring 2008 Martin Weiner Lecture, " A Spectacle Worthy of Caesar: Film Versions of Quo Vadis". Published in 1896 by the Nobel Prize-winning Polish author Henryk Sienkiewicz, the novel takes place during the final years of Nero's reign and intertwines three stories: that of the fictitious Marcus and Ligia; that of the historical Nero and his courtier Petronius (converted here into Marcus' uncle); and that of St. Peter, based on an apocryphal story in which Christ appears to him as he flees from Rome, and Peter asks him "Quo vadis?" ("Where are you going?"). Like most Poles of his time, Sienkiewicz was a devout Catholic, Professor Scodel said, and wrote the novel as a metaphor against the Italian limitations on papal political power.

Professor Scodel based her talk on Whither Quo Vadis?: Sienkiewicz's Novel in Film and Television, the forthcoming monograph she has co-authored with Anja Bettenworth. Because they are not admirers of the novel, she said, they did not feel beholden to the original work, making it easier for them to study the film adaptations of the book.

Quo Vadis was adapted for the screen four times (1912, 1935, 1951 and 2001) and for television once (1985). In 1912, film was still too new a medium for screenwriters and directors to feel wholly comfortable with the process of adaptation, Professor Scodel explained. The resulting work -- the "first international megahit"-- was thus overly faithful to the book. The only change was the addition of a chariot race (because Rome isn't Rome without chariot races).

The 1925 version established the decadent emperor archetype in film. It remained largely faithful to the book and to the previous film, only replacing the chariot race with a bizarre execution of Christians. In 1951, MGM made the third adaptation -- a sword-and-sandal movie in which, as befits the 50s, the chariot race was transformed into a car chase. The multi-ethnicity of Rome was washed over and the Christianity described was more generic than pro-Catholic. The 1985 television miniseries was heavily influenced by Fellini's Satyricon,, in reference to the Petronius character, who is commonly thought to have authored the original Roman work that inspired the Fellini film. Finally, the Polish version made in 2001 was the most expensive Polish film in history. Pope John Paul II, born in Poland, was given a special premiere!

Throughout her descriptions and analyses of the adaptations, Professor Scodel stressed how the difficulties of adapting books into movies are further compounded when the book in question is historical fiction. If the original text is inaccurate, which is more important -- what actually happened, or what was written? In any event, she concluded, historical fiction is often more powerful in the public consciousness than authentic history . . . for good or for ill.

-- Matthew A. Brown '08 graduated magna cum laude in May with a BA in Classical Studies (Classics track) and History.

The Classical Studies Colloquium: Spring 2008
Professor Umit Singh Dhuga On Translating Homer, Again

On the 1st of April, in the last talk of our spring semester colloquium series, Professor Umit Singh Dhuga, a visiting lecturer in Classics for fall 2007 and spring 2008, discussed translations of Homer. At the core of his talk was the sense that "from Fitzgerald to Fagles and Lawrence to Lattimore, translators of the Iliad and of the Odyssey have had their merits and their shortcomings." Seeking to determine what makes a good or bad translation of Homer and how often new translations are "needed," Professor Dhuga also covered specific matters such as diction, meter, rhyme, syntax, etc. As a contributor to the forthcoming Norton Anthology of Greek Poetry in Translation, he also shared some of the strategies he has used -- with varying degrees of failure and success, he said -- in his own renditions of passages from Homer.

Throughout his lecture, Dr. Dhuga emphasized the balance that a good translator must necessarily strike between faithfulness to the original text and producing a translation with poetic value in English. He enumerated certain rules essential for a readable English rendition, such as avoiding a translation into cumbersome dactylic hexameter or simple prose (whether or not the translator bothers to hit the 'Enter' key after each line so as to make it appear like lines of verse). An ear not only for verse but also for modern language is required of the poet: care must be taken not to employ language that, in a modern context, carries additional connotations not present in the original. In an example he cited from a modern translation of the Odyssey, the description of Odysseus' shedding of his disguise before the suitors appeared almost humorous in its choice of language, illuminating what a modern audience might see as underlying sexual connotations. Some artistic liberties are inevitable, Dr. Dhuga reminded, such as the addition of words, but this is only to be done judiciously and in keeping to the content of the original; one should never, for example, add words that prejudice the reader in a way not merited by the text or give emphasis to a word not in the original or, though in the original, not stressed therein -- as commonsensical as these rules seem.

Crucial, too, he said, is the tone of the translation. Is it in keeping with the original? For example, one who has translated Aeschylus with a style close to Aeschylus's own will find that the same style does not apply equally well to the epic poems. Sometimes this is a result of the translator's own poetic tendencies, whereas at other times it arises from the translator's general choices. A salient example of the latter was given in the alteration of a subjunctive to an imperative (here, the difference between 'may Apollo give me glory' and 'Apollo, give me glory'), which imparted a tone that was not native to the text. On a more general stylistic note, Dr. Dhuga observed that the correspondence of verse endings with those in Homer is a necessary component of a translation seeking to capture the epic style.

Dr. Dhuga also treated the audience to a sample of his own translations, which, of course, showed close attention to the high standards set forth in his lecture. The audience appreciated this immensely insightful discussion of the labor and skill that a responsible translation for the modern reader requires.

-- Emrys Bell-Schlatter '10 is a junior majoring in Classical Studies.

The Senior Thesis Presentations: Spring 2008

Matthew A. Brown '08: "The Ideal Roman Statesman As Exhibited in the Letters of Cicero, Seneca and Pliny"
Kevin E. Goscinak '08: "Good Grief: A Study of Akhos, Algos, Penthos, and Oizus in Homer"
Joshua P. Nudell '08: "Champions, Friends, Soldiers: The Macedonian Aristocracy, the Officers of Alexander and the Creation of Hellenistic Kingdoms"

On April 7th, 2008, three graduating seniors pursuing honors theses in Classical Studies addressed a large audience of majors, minors, friends, and faculty members of the department. Matthew A. Brown, Joshua P. Nudell, and Kevin E. Goscinack presented their thesis findings to a crowded classroom of Classical Studies enthusiasts. (The photograph shows Joshua P. Nudell at the podium as Kevin E. Goscinak and Matthew A. Brown stand by.)

Matt Brown began the presentation by outlining his honors thesis: "The Ideal Roman Statesmen As Exhibited in the Letters of Cicero." Matt used the letters of Cicero, Seneca, and Pliny to compare and contrast what ancient Roman philosophers considered to be the ideal traits for a Roman statesman. After researching each author's historical period, his political and social positions, and the circumstances of his publications, Matt constructed each philosopher's sense of the ideal Roman statesman. Matt concluded that although these three men wrote at different times in Roman history, the words they used were very similar. What differed were the definitions of those words throughout the changing political circumstances of the Roman era.

Josh Nudell then presented his honors thesis: "Champions, Friends and Soldiers: The Macedonian Aristocracy, the Officers of Alexander and the Creation of Hellenistic Kingdoms." Working in conjunction with the History Department, Josh studied the army of Alexander the Great -- specifically the three distinct groups of officers therein. The first group comprised Phillip II's older, more experienced officers; the second, Alexander's childhood friends; and the third, officers from Alexander's army with no previous connection to the leader. Josh documented the hatred each of these groups had for the other, and concluded that Alexander was all the greater a leader for his ability to keep his army together and to prevent these officers from tearing each other apart. Eventually members from each distinct category would inherit various Hellenistic kingdoms across Alexander's conquered lands.

Kevin Goscinak presented the third and final honors thesis: "Good Grief: A Study of Akhos, Algos, Penthos, and Oizus in Homer." Kevin analyzed four forms of the ancient Greek word for grief as it appears in the Iliad and the Odyssey. By analyzing the frequency and context of occurrence, Kevin found that each of the four words can have a different, subtle meaning beyond its simple English translation. Words of grief gravitate toward both Achilles and Odysseus in each text as, between the two epics, grief appears 210 times in its various forms. Kevin found that within the oral tradition for epic poetry, an orator could maintain the traditional formula for epic poetry, while at the same time introducing subtle changes in meaning by varying the use of these different words for grief.

After the presentations, Matt, Joshua, and Kevin answered questions about their topics, the preparation process, and the experience of writing a senior honors thesis. The three agreed that a senior thesis is a rigorous academic experience that you must want to do. As Matt asserted, you must choose a subject you can study for a whole year, for over the course of that year, the thesis will become your life.

-- Alexander J. Smith '09 -- Classics UDR 2007-09, CLARC Intern 2007-08, and Eunice M. Lebowitz Cohen Fellow 2008-09 -- plans to write a senior thesis this year.

The Fall 2008 Classical Film Series: New Films from the Classical Studies Film Library

The fall Classical Studies Film Series begins on Wednesday, September 24th, and features films new to the Classical Studies Film Library. This term's screenings include six episodes of HBO's Rome, Season 1 (two one-hour episodes will be shown on each of 3 different nights; we'll complete the first season shows next term), Disney's animated Hercules, and the 2007 retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae: 300. This year we have changed our film night to Wednesdays. Films are shown in Shiffman 219 and there's pizza! Don't miss these great movies. All are welcome! Check our online Colloquia page for changes to the calendar, or contact Janet Barry at jbarry@brandeis.edu. The current list schedule follows.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
The Classical Studies Film Series
HBO's Rome, Season 1 (2005): Episodes 1 and 2
Kevin McKidd, Ray Stevenson, Indira Varma, Ciarán Hinds, James Purefoy, Kenneth Cranham, Kerry Condon, Polly Walker, Max Pirkis, Lindsay Duncan, Tobias Menzies
Location: Shiffman 219

Wednesday, October 15, 2008, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
The Classical Studies Film Series
Disney's Hercules (1997)
[voices] Tate Donovan, Josh Keaton, Roger Bart, Danny DeVito, James Woods
Location: Shiffman 219

Wednesday, October 29, 2008, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
The Classical Studies Film Series
HBO's Rome, Season 1 (2005): Episodes 3 and 4
Kevin McKidd, Ray Stevenson, Indira Varma, Ciarán Hinds, James Purefoy, Kenneth Cranham, Kerry Condon, Polly Walker, Max Pirkis, Lindsay Duncan, Tobias Menzies
Location: Shiffman 219

Wednesday, November 12, 2008, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
The Classical Studies Film Series
300 (2007)
Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, Dominic West, David Wenham, Vincent Regan
Location: Shiffman 219

Wednesday, November 19, 2008, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
The Classical Studies Film Series
HBO's Rome, Season 1 (2005): Episodes 5 and 6
Kevin McKidd, Ray Stevenson, Indira Varma, Ciarán Hinds, James Purefoy, Kenneth Cranham, Kerry Condon, Polly Walker, Max Pirkis, Lindsay Duncan, Tobias Menzies
Location: Shiffman 219

Photo Gallery: Spring 2008 Lectures, Thesis Presentations, and Commencement Ceremonies!

Included below are photographs documenting and celebrating Classical Studies spring term events: the Jennifer Eastman Lecture (14 Feb 2008), the Martin Weiner Lecture (06 Mar 2008), a Classical Colloquium Series talk (01 Apr 2008), CLAS Senior Presentations (07 Apr 2008), along with assorted shots of Lebowitz Cohen fellows, CLAS interns, the Faculty Appreciation Reception and Commencement ceremonies (19 May 2008), and assorted other venues.

THE SPRING 2008 JENNIFER EASTMAN LECTURE

The annual spring Jennifer Eastman Lecture drew a large and lively group of faculty, students, and guests of a classical persuasion to hear Tufts Professor Gregory Crane discuss the where scholarship in Classics fits into our digital age. A reception followed.




Row One (above, from left to right): Scenes from the Jennifer Eastman Lecture in February. (1) Jennifer Eastman and Professor Ann Olga Koloski-Ostrow; (2) Professors Koloski-Ostrow and Cheryl Walker among the throng of students and guests; (3) Noam Sienna '11, Alyssa Thomas '11, Zach Margulies '10, Amy Ostrander '10; (4) Jenny Zimmer '08, Alex Smith '09, Nirja Parekh of the Rabb Summer School Program, and Brenda Green-Sisson '10. In the background, Professor Leonard Muellner talks with Noam Sienna '11.



Row Two (above, from left to right): (4) Classics donor Jennifer Eastman '68 flanked by current majors Alyssa Thomas '10, Zach Margulies '10, and Noam Sienna '11; (5) Two guests to our Classical Colloquium series, John Humphrey (editor of the Journal of Roman Archaeology) and his wife, Laura, with Jennifer Eastman; (6) Barbara Harrison, Director of the Greek Studies in the Schools Program, and Stephen Coren, technician for the program.



Row Three (above, from left to right): (7) Professor Cheryl Walker with Josh Nudell '08, CLAS Graduate Certificate Program candidate Claudia Filos '94, and Emrys Bell-Schlatter '10; (8) Cheryl Walker and students; (9) Florence Levy Kay Fellow Eirene Visvardi with Josh Nudell '08 and Claudia Filos '94.



Row Four (above, from left to right): (10) Lea Giddins in foreground with Rachel Berman-Vaporis seated behind her; (11) Cheryl Walker and Stephen Chow '09 at the reception; (12) Leonard Muellner, Gayle M. McElvain '07 and Greg Crane at the reception.



THE SPRING 2008 MARTIN WEINER LECTURE

The University of Michigan's Ruth Scodel gave the spring 2008 Martin Weiner Lecture, in which she traced the film history of Quo Vadis. A group of faculty, students, and guests to campus attended the March lecture and the reception held directly after Professor Scodel's talk.




Row One (above, from left to right): Scenes from the Martin Weiner Lecture Reception in March. (1) After the lecture, Professor Scodel answered questions from students; (2) Lee Marmor '10, Kevin Goscinak '08, Matt Brown '08, Professor Scodel, and Alex Smith '09; (3) Graduating seniors Jenny Zimmer '08 and Kevin Goscinak '08.




Row Two (above, from left to right): (1) Professors Scodel, Koloski-Ostrow, and Walker; (2) Christopher Richards, Latin teacher at Belmont Hill School, with Professor Ann Olga Koloski-Ostrow.



Row Three (above, from left to right): (1) Jack Bouchard '10 and Cheryl Walker; (2) Jenny Zimmer '08 with Cheryl Walker.

THE CLASSICAL STUDIES COLLOQUIUM SERIES

On 1st April 2008, Umit Singh Dhuga spoke on translating Homer to an appreciative group of students and faculty.




Above, from left to right: (1) Amy Ostrander '10, Brenda Green-Sisson '10, and Zach Margulies '10; (2) Kay Fellow Eirene Visvardi and Professor Dhuga with Josh Nudell '08; (3) Matt Brown '08 with Ann Olga Koloski-Ostrow.




SENIOR THESIS PRESENTATIONS

A great throng of students, faculty, and other classicists attended the Spring 2007 Senior Presentations in April, at which threee Classical Studies majors shared their thesis writing experiences, research, and advice.




Row One (above, from left to right):(1, 2, 3) Seniors Kevin E. Goscinak '08, Matthew A. Brown '08, and Joshua P. Nudell '08 take the podium.




Row Two (above, from left to right): (4) An appreciative audience listens; (5) Will Friedman '09, Celia Kaplan '10, Amy Marsh '08, and Alex Braver '09.




Row Three (above, from left to right): (6) Kendra Fortmeyer '08 and Colin Nickels '08; (7) Professor Leonard Muellner and CLAS UDR Alex Smith '09.




Row Four (above, from left to right): (8) Stefanie Aucoin with Lynn Guthrie of the Rabb Summer School Program; (9) Sarah Klein '08 and Elizabeth Moguel '10 share a word while Ethan Feuer '07 peruses a presentation handout.




THE FLORENCE LEVY KAY LECTURE SERIES

On 16th April 2008, Eirene Visvardi, our own Florence Levy Kay Fellow in Ancient Greek Theater, gave a talk on Public Expressions of the Inner Self: Emotion and the Tragic Chorus at the annual luncheon lecture series.




Above, from left to right: (1) Brandeis Trustee and Kay Fellow donor Stephen Kay with Professor Visvardi; (2) Eirene Visvardi with Robin Feuer Miller, Edytha Macy Gross Professor of Humanities.




SCENES FROM THE SPRING 2008 ROMAN TECHNOLOGY COURSE

In spring 2008, Classical Studies again offered the highly popular topics course "Roman Technology and Art (or How to Think Like the Romans)." Class and individual student projects exceeded expectations!




Row One (above, from left to right): (1) Gary Berkson '09 lines up his groma and chorabates project; (2) Aaron Louison '11 constructed a model of the Pont du Gard; (3) Robert Culver '11 created this floor mosaic.



Row Two (above, from left to right): (4) A representation of the Ponte Rotto by Shannon Mouzon '08; (5) A mosaic of "Cave Canem" made by Courtney Choate '11; (6) Emilie Schuler '11 baked bread in a typical Roman oven.


THE 2007-08 EUNICE M. LEBOWITZ COHEN FELLOWS & MENTORS GALA DINNER

At the final event of the 2007-08 Lebowitz Cohen fellowship year, Mentors and Fellows celebrated their year-long research association.




Row One (above, from left to right): (1) Ted Tibbitts '09 with the Roman meals he researched and cooked for his Lebowitz Cohen project; (2) the Roman entrees: (left) eggs and peas, garum basted boar meat, and (right) Cato's cheese bread along with ostrich covered in garum sauce; (3)




Row Two (above, from left to right): (3) Ted Tibbetts '09, Dianne Ma '09, Zach Margulies '10, and Josh Nudell '08, at the buffet; (4) Josh Nudell '08, Dianne Ma '09; Zach Margulies '10, Professor Charles McClendon (Fine Arts), Ted Tibbetts '09 at dinner.



Row Three (above, from left to right): (5) Alex Smith '09; (6) Charles McClendon; (7) Professor Ann Olga Koloski-Ostrow with Josh Nudell '09.




AND FINALLY, GRADUATION!

Prior to Commencement, students were given an opportunity to thank faculty members at the annual Faculty Appreciation Reception, the Department graduated 9 majors and 8 minors in Classical Studies. These photographs document a portion of each of those events.

Row One (above, from left to right): At the Faculty Appreciation Reception. (1) Kevin Goscinak '08 at the podium; (2) Graduating seniors Matt Brown '08 and Kevin Goscinak '08 are flanked by Classical Studies Professors Patricia A. Johnston and Leonard C. Muellner.

Row Two (above, from left to right): At the Commencement, (3) Matt Brown '08 with Leonard Muellner; (4) Patricia Johnston, Matt Brown '08, and Cheryl Walker.

Nota Bene

The title illustration on this e-newsletter was constructed from contiguous reversed images of Acanthus Leaves with Birds, a mosaic border from the pavement pool of a Roman bath. Originally found in Via San Lorenzo in Panisperna, the work is now housed in Museo Montemartini in Rome. Photographic Credit: Ann Raia, 1999, courtesy of the VRoma Project: http://www.vroma.org/images/raia_images/mosaic.jpg.

Unless otherwise noted, event photographs are by Ann Olga Koloski-Ostrow.

Photo Gallery Credits. Jennifer Eastman Lecture: Photos 1 and 13 by Laura Humphrey. Martin Weiner Lecture: all photos by Alex Smith '09. CLAS Colloquium Lecture with Umit Singh Dhuga: all photos by Alex Smith '09. Symposium 2007 photos, including that of Weiner Lecturer Barbara Boyd, by Brandeis Slide Librarian Jennifer Stern '91. Lebowitz Cohen Fellows & Mentors: Photo 7 by Alex Smith '09. Faculty Appreciation Reception: Photos 1 and 2 by Matt Brown '08, photo 3 by Jeff Brown. Post-Graduation: Photos by Jeff Brown.

The quotation following our title is taken from Eunuchus, by 2nd century BCE Roman playwright Publius Terentius Afer (Terence).

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Department of Classical Studies, September 2008.