University Bulletin (2019-2020)

• Minor
• Major (BA)
• Master of Arts

The Department of Classical Studies offers courses in the cultures, languages, literatures, history, and archaeology of ancient Greece and ancient Rome and the global and historical frameworks that have shaped their reception. These cultures and their products have been the object of scholarly inquiry were foundational in the formation of cultural identities in Europe and the Western Hemisphere. As aesthetic objects, these cultures continue to inspire critical response and popular imagination. As cultural forces, however, the legacies of Greece and Rome are complex, interwoven with historical patterns that include war, violence, and oppression as well as the spirit of the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, and modern Humanism. As a modern discipline, Classical Studies seeks to provide students with the ability to develop critical knowledge of the past and the inspiration to shape a better future.

Undergraduate Major in Classical Studies

A major in Classical Studies offers the opportunity to learn about all aspects of life in ancient Greece and Rome. Aside from its intellectual value, this study can have practical use as well: for example, the study of Latin and Greek can considerably improve communication skills in English and in the Romance languages; moreover, Latin and Greek have long been, and continue to be, sources of technical concepts and vocabulary in all fields of study, from medicine and biology to political theory.

A major in classical studies also enhances preparation for a wide number of professional fields, including law and medicine, as well as for the graduate study of literature, history, fine arts, archaeology, anthropology, philosophy, religion, and classics itself. The requirements for the major are designed to be flexible so that individual students can focus their program around a particular interest like art and archaeology, history, or literature.

Master of Arts in Ancient Greek and Roman Studies

The department offers an interdisciplinary degree program that allows students considerable flexibility to organize their course of study around those aspects of Classical Studies that most interest them. There are two tracks within the Master of Arts program: Track 1 ("Ancient Greek and Roman Civilization") and Track 2 (Ancient Greek and Latin Languages and Literatures"). Track 1 is designed for preparation for elementary and secondary school education or advanced graduate work in Classical Archaeology or Ancient History with less emphasis on Greek and Latin languages. Students who have taken RSEM 161 (The Examined Life) at the Rabb School of Continuing Education may “count” this course towards their Master’s degree. Other practicing professionals in the area can continue their professional education in the Master’s program to gain professional development points, and to advance their school careers.

Track 2 is designed for preparation for advanced graduate work in Classics or Greek or Latin languages and literatures. The Master of Arts program offers a limited number of course teaching assistantships (assigned by merit to students in good academic standing, i.e. with a GPA of 3.25 or higher) that can defray the cost of graduate study. To obtain the Master’s degree, students must take a total of eight courses, five of which must be taught by CLAS faculty, including the proseminar course, CLAS 200A. See details below.

Undergraduate Major in Classical Studies

The Department of Classical Studies is fundamentally interdisciplinary, offering courses in the languages, literatures, history, art, archaeology, mythology, and religions of ancient Greece and Rome. The breadth of material and skills and the depth of available courses offers undergraduate students an array of choices to pursue their interests and foster their intellect and creativity. Taken together and explored either through traditional or interdisciplinary approaches, the topics in Classical Studies offer undergraduate students a detailed knowledge of life in the ancient Mediterranean, Near East, northern Europe, and north Africa over a period of more than 4,000 years (3,000 B.C.E. to 1,000 C.E.).

Students are given the opportunity to learn both from the literary works of each culture in the original languages or in translation, and from the historical and archaeological records of these cultures. The subjects of inquiry range from iconic art and architecture like the Parthenon frieze, the dome of the Pantheon, or the Colosseum, right down to the forces that shaped—and continue to shape—everyday life, like politics, violence, ethnicity, gender and sexuality, slavery, prostitution, medical practices, and diseases.

Despite its pedigree as part of an ancient educational curriculum, the field of Classical Studies remains vibrant and adaptive to new discoveries, methodologies, interpretations, and relationships with other disciplines (including Anthropology, Computer Science, Fine Arts, History, Linguistics, Physics, Religious Studies, and Women and Gender Studies in recent years, to name but a few). At the same time, the disciplines within Classical Studies continue to explore and examine critically their own cultural role in the shaping of colonial, racist, and exclusive features of “Western Civilization”.

Through these studies, students learn to clarify and assess meanings from both canonized and underrepresented texts and artifacts in order to understand them better in their own ancient context and to reveal their continuing impact on modern life.

As majors, students will complete several elements of the Brandeis Core directly through their major. Through their course work and projects in their classes, students will meet the following learning goals:

1. Fundamental Concepts: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental facts and frameworks covered by Classical Studies
2. Language and Cultural Understanding: Students will develop competence in one or more of the languages of the Classical World.
3. Understanding Difference and Cultural Ethics: Students will demonstrate an understanding of cultural differences between the Classical World and subsequent eras and their ethical implications.
4. Communications Skills: Students will demonstrate competence in communicating professionally in oral presentations and analytical writing.
5. Research: Students will demonstrate the ability to conduct and complete research appropriate to the expectations of the discipline.

Fundamental Concepts: Understand historical and cultural context

Demonstrate an understanding of the range of disciplines represented in Classical Studies (archaeology, history, law, literary genres, philosophy, mythology, politics, and religion); demonstrate a basic understanding of Greek and Roman history; be able to articulate in your own words the impact of Ancient Greek and Roman culture on subsequent history and and the modern world

Courses: CLAS 100a; HIST 103a; CLAS 133a; CLASS 134b; CLAS 115b

Assessment method: Evaluation of exams in core classes according to the Fundamental Concepts Rubric

Language and Cultural Understanding: Global Engagement: World Languages and Cultures

Develop intermediate or higher competency in Ancient Greek or Latin reading; demonstrate intermediate knowledge of either language’s morphology and vocabulary.

Courses: Completion of GRK 30a or LAT 30a or higher

Assessment method: Evaluation of translations embedded in exams based on CLAS Language Learning Goals Rubric

Understanding Difference; Cultural Ethics: Difference and Justice in the World

Identify and evaluate differences and values in the ancient and modern worlds; articulate problematic cultural inheritances from antiquity including but not limited to racism, misogyny, classism, and slavery; articulate diversity and multiplicity of thought in Ancient Greece and Rome.

Courses: CLAS 144b; CLAS 145b; CLAS 151b; CLAS 160a; CLAS 165a; CLAS 170a; CLAS 192b

Assessment method: Evaluation of essay embedded on exam

Communication: Writing Intensive and Oral Communication

Analyze and evaluate information critically from ancient and modern sources (texts, scholarship and material culture); summarize and synthesize ancient ideas and modern theories with clarity and precision in writing.

Courses: Completion of OC practicum CLAS 45a

Assessment method: Completion of a WI seminar or course in CLAS or submission of an approved portfolio evaluated by two faculty members according to CLAS Writing Rubric or attainment of intermediate or higher on CLAS OC rubric

Research: Understand historical and cultural context think critically, Digital Literacy, and Writing Intensive

Use print and media sources critically for research and writing; demonstrate the ability to design and execute disciplinary appropriate research methodology; write analytically oriented papers with effective use of evidence; compose and defend clearly stated theses.

Courses: Completion of DL practicum in Classics CLAS 46a

Assessment method: Attainment of intermediate or higher on CLAS DL rubric

Social Justice and the Classics

Undergraduate and Graduate students have exposure to many of the major questions, ethical issues, and current methodologies of Classical Studies in order to act as informed citizens in a global society, understand diversity, and engage in service.

1. Students understand what it means to be human through the lens of classical antiquity.
2. Students apprehend and can communicate the rich diversity of ancient Greece and Rome and how those cultures responded to ethnic, linguistic, and intellectual diversity.
3. Students investigate how inequality (through slavery, between the sexes, among classes, etc.) affected ancient cultures and helps us understand how it still affects modern societies.
4. Students develop familiarity with the geography, mythologies, literatures, political thinking, philosophies, religions, daily life practices, material culture, architectural remains, and art of the civilizations of the ancient Mediterranean and their impact on modern societies.
5. Students learn how to engage critical responses to culture across time and geographical space in pursuit of important questions

Master of Arts in Ancient Greek and Roman Studies

Knowledge

The M.A. program in Ancient Greek and Roman Studies is designed to be flexible, so that individual students can focus their program around a particular interest like art and archaeology, history, literature, or mythology, and fully explore their intellectual creativity through their studies.

Students successfully completing graduate study culminating in the M.A. demonstrate:

1. Foundational mastery of the methodologies, perspectives, and theories implicit in the field of Classical Studies, which are outlined in CLAS 250b, the graduate capstone course, and include ancient languages (Greek and Latin), ancient history, and archaeology.
2. The ability to plan, propose, and execute a major culminating project, which may be a thesis, comprehensive exams, or a major paper or project completed in consultation with a faculty supervisor.
3. The ability to communicate effectively to both lay and academic audiences through oral, written, and visual means.
4. The ability to create professional and scholarly networks with faculty, staff, and peers by interacting with them at the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in both teaching and research.

Graduate Outcomes

1. Focusing on languages, archaeology, and culture, the department's coursework provides students with ample preparation for further graduate work or career enhancement.
2. The program prepares students to earn placement in top-tier Ph.D. programs which follow traditional Classical Studies curricula such as Classical Archaeology, Ancient History, and Anthropology.
3. In connection with other graduate programs, students are well-prepared to teach a range of subjects in private and public K-12 settings.
4. This program also provides students with the knowledge base to excel in non-instructional academic positions.
5. Students are also prepared with skills well-matched for a variety of related positions in, museums, libraries, and cultural heritage organizations.

Many of the courses in the Department of Classical Studies fulfill elements of the Brandeis Core including school distribution requirements (in three of the schools), Writing Intensive (WI), and Global Engagement through foreign language classes, and several options for fulfilling the Diversity and Justice in the World (DJW) requirement. Classical studies affords students many opportunities to explore interdisciplinary connections between Greece and Rome and with many other civilizations, both ancient and modern. Besides the opportunity to study two ancient languages and literatures, the department offers comprehensive courses in the art, archaeology, and history of the Greeks and Romans. We encourage students who have had some background in Greek or Latin to resume their study of those languages as soon as possible after entering Brandeis, as those skills are more difficult to retrieve after a passage of time. Brandeis has a placement test to determine the level of instruction at which a student should begin his/her study of Latin. The test, which cannot be "self-scored," can be downloaded from the Website of the Office of the University Registrar; follow the submission directions indicated. Students who have had no background in Greek or Latin languages should try to begin one of them as soon as possible after entering Brandeis.

Candidates for admission should have a bachelor’s degree in any subject. The general requirements for admission to the Graduate School, specified in an earlier section of the Bulletin, apply to candidates for admission to graduate study in ancient Greek and Roman studies. Admission decisions are based primarily on the candidate's undergraduate academic record, two letters of recommendation, and the personal statement that is part of the application form. Applicants to the certificate program need not have completed an undergraduate major in classics. Students are encouraged, though not required, to visit the campus and to talk to the director of the program.

Joel Christensen, Chair
Greek Epic and Archaic Poetry. Rhetoric and Literary Theory. Linguistics. Mythology.

Caitlin Gillespie (on leave fall 2019)
Early Imperial Latin Literature. Gender and Power in the Ancient World. Roman Britain. Roman Exemplarity.

Ann O. Koloski-Ostrow, Director of Graduate Studies
Roman and Greek art and archaeology. Latin texts. Pompeii. Ancient technology. Mythology in classical art.

Alexandra Ratzlaff
Classical Studies.

Cheryl L. Walker, Undergraduate Advising Head (on leave spring 2020)
Roman and Greek history. Caesar. Alexander the Great. Medieval literature and culture.

Affiliated Faculty (contributing to the curriculum, advising and administration of the department or program)
Bernadette Brooten (Near Eastern and Judaic Studies)
William Kapelle (History)

Five courses are required for the minor. These may be any combination of ancient language courses at level 30 or higher and any CLAS or cross-listed courses. Three of the five courses in the minor must be taught by members of the Department of Classical Studies or affiliated faculty. No course with a final grade below C- can count toward fulfilling the minor requirements in Classical Studies. No course taken pass/fail may count toward the minor requirements.

1. Required of all majors: A minimum of ten semester courses in classical studies, to include one course in Greek or Latin, level 30 or higher; one course in history appropriate for the language chosen (for Greek, CLAS 100a; for Roman, HIST 103a); one course in the art and archaeology of the appropriate culture (for Greek, CLAS 133a; for Roman, CLAS 134b).
2. Foundational Literacies: As part of completing the Classical Studies major, students must:
   • Fulfill the writing intensive requirement by successfully completing one of the following: Any CLAS course approved for WI or students may submit a portfolio of essays from multiple CLAS or approved cross-listed courses to the UAH and Chair for approval according to the rubric presented above.
   • Fulfill the oral communication requirement by successfully completing: 2-credit practicum CLAS 45a in conjunction with a CLAS 100-level course or senior thesis or essay.
   • Fulfill the digital literacy requirement by successfully completing: 2-credit practicum CLAS 46a in conjunction with a CLAS 100-level course.
3. Graduation with honors in classical studies may be achieved by completing a senior essay in one semester (CLAS 97a or b; LAT 97a or b; or GRK 97a or b) or by taking a year-long course (CLAS 99d or LAT 99d or GRK 99d) culminating in a senior thesis. One semester course credit from this year-long two-semester course may be counted toward the nine required courses with the consent of the thesis adviser.
4. We strongly urge classical studies majors to work in both Greek and Latin languages. In special circumstances students may petition for exemptions within the spirit of the disciplines of classical studies. We encourage students to think creatively about their programs. An approved summer archaeological excavation, study tour, or museum internship, completed for credit, may be counted as fulfilling one course requirement for the major. The education program can provide licensure (formerly certification) for teaching Latin and classical humanities in high schools in Massachusetts and several other states, including Connecticut and New York. Such licensure can be obtained concurrently with the Brandeis bachelor's degree by additionally completing approved courses in the education program. Interested students should meet with the director of the education program early in their course of study to ensure sufficient time to take the course sequence.
   
   Classical studies majors must choose one of three tracks of study. The first track in classics includes both Greek and Latin, languages and literatures, whereas the second track, in Greek or Latin literature, requires just one core language and literature. The third track in classical archaeology and ancient history, places less emphasis on language and more upon courses in ancient history, ancient art, and archaeology. With departmental approval, various archaeological excavation programs may be substituted for some required courses.
5. No course with a final grade below C- can count toward fulfilling the major requirements in Classical Studies.
6. No course taken pass/fail may count toward the major requirements.

Classics Track

1. Five additional language courses numbered 30 or higher with at least two in each language (Greek and Latin).
2. Students must complete both history courses in Greek and Roman history (CLAS 100a and HIST 103a). If CLAS 100a (Greek History) completed the core requirement, HIST 103a (Roman History) must also be taken, and vice versa.

Greek or Latin Literature Track

1. Three semester courses in Greek or Latin numbered 30 or higher.
2. A combination of three semester courses selected from courses taught in or cross-listed by the Department of Classical Studies, where such courses have a significant classical component, as approved by the student's departmental adviser.

Classical Archaeology and Ancient History Track

1. Students must complete both history courses in Greek and Roman history (CLAS 100a and HIST 103a) and both art and archaeology courses in the art and archaeology of Greece or Rome (CLAS 133a and CLAS 134b).
2. A topics course (CLAS 115b or CLAS 145b).
3. A combination of three semester courses selected from courses taught in or cross-listed by the Department of Classical Studies, where such courses have a significant classical component, as approved by the student's departmental adviser.

Independent Interdisciplinary Major in Classical and English Literature

A student interested in an Independent Interdisciplinary Major in classical and English literature may petition for such through the Office of Academic Services. Generally, an independent major in classical and English literature requires a minimum of five courses in English, five courses in Greek and/or Latin at level 30 or higher, and a senior essay.

Program of Study

Students in either Track 1 (Ancient Greek and Roman Civilization)  or Track 2 (Ancient Greek and Latin Languages and Literatures) must complete CLAS 200b, the graduate proseminar course, which is taught by all the members of the Department of Classical Studies. This foundational course delves into the methodologies, perspectives, and theories implicit in the field of Classical Studies. (Students who choose to participate in archaeological excavation or study abroad programs during the summer (with approval from our faculty) may gain graduate credit from these experiences by taking CLAS 251a (Directed Reading) in the semester immediately following the summer experience.)

In addition, all candidates for the Master of Arts degree must meet the following requirements:

1. Complete a program of study consisting of seven additional elective courses designed around their specific interests in Classical Studies, selected with approval of a faculty advisor or the program director. Faculty in the Department of Classical Studies must teach at least five of the total eight courses required. In general, these courses will be in the undergraduate curriculum, with special assignments added for the graduate students.
2. Master’s research paper requirements:

Track 1 students are required to write a Master's paper or thesis (to be decided officially no later than two semesters into the program) of professional quality to be read by two members of the classical studies faculty. Completing a Master’s Thesis is a privilege for students (a) who have excelled in their coursework and (b) who have demonstrated research competence prior to their third semester. Students who desire to complete a Thesis must declare this intention and name their Faculty advisor by the end of their second semester. The Master’s paper should be 30 pages in length; the Thesis should be over 40 pages in length and requires an oral defense.

The paper or thesis should demonstrate competency in one of the subfields of classical studies, for example:

• Greek and/or Roman Art/Archaeology
• Greek and/or Roman History
• Latin Language and Literature in translation
• Greek Language and Literature in translation
• A specialized area of the student's choice, made in consultation with a faculty mentor on one of several topics in which the department has strength, for example, Classical Mythology, Homeric studies, Vergilian studies, etc.

The Master's paper or thesis is generally submitted toward the end of a student's completion of the Master's program and at least four weeks prior to a student's receipt of his or her degree. There is no comprehensive exam in Track 1, unless specially requested. 

Track 2 students are also required to submit a 25-50 page Master's paper or thesis (to be decided officially no later than two semesters into the program) -- research of professional quality to be read by two members of the classical studies faculty or, in lieu of a Master's paper or thesis, to pass a comprehensive exam in two of the following five areas:

• Greek and/or Roman Art/Archaeology
• Greek and/or Roman History
• Latin Language and Literature
• Greek Language and Literature
• A specialized area of the student's choice, made in consultation with a faculty mentor on one of several topics in which the Department has strength, for example, Latin Epigraphy, Classical Mythology, Homeric studies, Vergilian studies, etc.

The Master's paper or thesis for Track 2 is generally submitted (and the Track 2 comprehensive exam is taken) toward the end of a student's completion of the Master's program and at least four weeks prior to a student's receipt of the degree. 

In lieu of a Master’s paper, candidates in either track may opt to pass a comprehensive exam in two specific areas of Classical Studies (chosen from about five major areas in conjunction with a faculty advisor or the program director). The exam topics and related reading lists must be selected by the student and approved by the Director of Graduate Studies and an advisor before the beginning of the semester in which the exams will be taken.

Language Requirement

Track 1 (Ancient Greek and Roman Civilization) has no language requirement for admission or for completion of the program. Students may take elementary ancient Greek and/or Latin courses while in the program, but only courses at level 30 or higher count towards completion of the MA degree.

Entry into Track 2 (Ancient Greek and Latin Languages and Literatures) requires at least two years of ancient Greek and/or Latin at high school level or two semesters of ancient Greek and/or Latin at college level. We expect that most of the required eight courses will be taken in ancient Greek and/or Latin language and literature.

Residence Requirement

There is a one year residency requirement for full-time students. The program may take an additional one or two semesters to complete as an Extended Master's student.

CLAS 45a Practicum in Oral Communication
[ oc ]
Corequisite: One course in Classical Studies and permission of the instructor. Yields half-course credit. Fulfills the oral communication requirement for Classical Studies majors under the Brandeis Core.
Provides students with discipline appropriate training in viewing and designing oral presentations. Usually offered every semester.
Staff

CLAS 46a Practicum In Digital Literacy
[ dl ]
Corequisite: One course in Classical Studies and permission of the instructor. Yields half-course credit. Fulfills the digital literacy requirement for Classical Studies majors.
Provides students with subject-specific exposure and training in research and applied use of technology. Specific methods and topics will change according to student interest and technological development. Usually offered every semester.
Staff

CLAS 92a Internship
Two semester-hour credits; yields half-course credit.
Usually offered every year.
Ann Koloski-Ostrow

CLAS 97a Senior Essay
Staff

CLAS 98a Directed Reading
Usually offered every year.
Staff

CLAS 98b Directed Reading
Usually offered every year.
Staff

CLAS 99d Senior Research
Majors will be guided by their thesis adviser as they write their honors paper. Usually offered every year.
Staff

CLAS 100a Survey of Greek History: Bronze Age to 323 BCE
[ hum ]
Surveys the political and social development of the Greek city-states from Bronze Age origins to the death of Alexander. Usually offered every second year.
Cheryl Walker

CLAS 115b Topics in Greek and Roman History
[ hum wi ]
Topics vary from year to year and the course may be repeated for credit with permission of the instructor. Topics include the Age of Alexander the Great, the Age of Pericles, the Greekness of Alexander, and Imperialism in Antiquity. See the Schedule of Classes for the current topic. Usually offered every year.
Cheryl Walker

CLAS 120a Age of Caesar
[ hum wi ]
The life and times of Gaius Julius Caesar (100-44 BCE) viewed through primary texts in a variety of genres: from Caesar himself to contemporaries Cicero and Catullus and biographers Plutarch and Suetonius. Usually offered every third year.
Cheryl Walker

CLAS 121b Money, Markets and Society in the Ancient Mediterranean
[ hum wi ]
Examines the complex interactions between economic and social systems in the ancient Mediterranean, especially Greece and Rome, through literature, documents, and artifacts. Readings in English. Usually offered every third year.
Cheryl Walker

CLAS 133a The Art and Archaeology of Ancient Greece
[ ca hum ]
Surveys the main forms and styles of Greek art and architecture from the Bronze Age through the Hellenistic period in mainland Greece and on the islands of the Aegean. Archaeological remains and ancient literary evidence help explore the relationships between culture, the visual arts, and society. Usually offered every second year.
Ann O. Koloski-Ostrow or Staff

CLAS 134b The Art and Archaeology of Ancient Rome
[ ca hum ]
Surveys the art and architecture of the ancient Romans from the eighth century BCE to the end of the empire in Sicily, mainland Italy (with focus on Rome, Ostia, Pompeii, and Herculaneum), and in the Roman provinces. Usually offered every second year.
Ann O. Koloski-Ostrow or Staff

CLAS 136b Ancient Technology and Modern Approaches
[ hum ]
Examines the greatest technological discoveries from the classical world. How did these engineering and technological marvels turn the tides of war and alter the trajectory of civilizations? In hands-on modules, this course will introduce modern technology such as 3D Scanning & Printing, XRF, Virtual Reality, Drones and others, as a means of analyzing the ancient world. Usually offered every third year.
Ann O. Koloski-Ostrow or Staff

CLAS 140a Women, Gender, and Sexuality in Greek and Roman Art and Text
[ ca djw hum wi ]
An exploration of women, gender, and sexuality in ancient Greece and Rome as the ideological bases of Western attitudes toward sex and gender. Includes, in some fashion, Greek and Roman myth, literature, art, architecture, and archaeological artifacts. Usually offered every third year.
Ann O. Koloski-Ostrow

CLAS 144b Archaeological Ethics, Law and Cultural Heritage
[ djw hum ]
The material culture of the past is imbued with multitude of meanings and values for different groups, often at odds with each other. This class explores the ethical and legal context of heritage as well as the conservation, protection, or stewardship of our shared human experience. Usually offered every second year.
Alexandra Ratzlaff or Staff

CLAS 145b Topics in Greek and Roman Art and Archaeology
[ ca hum ]
Topics vary from year to year and the course may be repeated for credit. Topics include daily life in ancient Rome; Greek and Roman technology and art; Rome, City of Marble; and Athens and the golden age of Greece. See Schedule of Classes for the current topic and description. Usually offered every second year.
Ann O. Koloski-Ostrow or Staff

CLAS 150b Pompeii: Life in the Shadow of Vesuvius
[ ca hum ]
Examines Pompeii and Herculaneum, buried by Vesuvius in 79 CE, using the ancient cities' art, architecture, and wall writings to understand the social, political, economic, and religious realities of Roman life on the Bay of Naples, especially in the first century CE. Usually offered every third year.
Ann O. Koloski-Ostrow

CLAS 160a Race and Ethnicity in the Ancient World
[ djw hum ]
Introduces students to ancient attitudes toward race and ethnicity. Students will be challenged to consider how these categories are presented in literature and artistic works of Greece and Rome, and how ancient thinking remains current and influential today. Usually offered every second year.
Caitlin Gillespie

CLAS 165a Roman Sex, Violence, and Decadence in Translation
[ hum wi ]
Famous Roman texts (200 BCE-200 CE) are read from social, historical, psychological, literary, and religious viewpoints. The concept of "Roman decadence" is challenged both by the Roman literary accomplishment itself and by its import on subsequent periods. Usually offered every third year.
Ann O. Koloski-Ostrow

CLAS 167b Classical Myths Told and Retold
[ hum wi ]
Surveys several major literary works of the ancient Greeks and Romans in order to study their mythological content, variant myths, and the influence of mythology on later literature and modern cinema. Usually offered every third year.
Ann O. Koloski-Ostrow

CLAS 170a Classical Mythology
[ hum ]
An introduction to Greek and Roman mythology. Considers ancient song cultures, and the relationship between myth, drama, and religion. Also explores visual representations of myth. Usually offered every second year.
Joel Christensen

CLAS 171a Leadership in Ancient Greece and Rome
[ hum ]
Examines concepts of leadership in Ancient Greece. Readings from poetry, history and philosophy in translation alongside modern scholarship and leadership theory facilitate critical reconsiderations of the use of literature and the relationship between politics and education. Usually offered every second year.
Joel Christensen

CLAS 172a Ancient Athenian Drama in Translation
[ hum ]
Examines the genre of tragedy and comedy in ancient Athens. All texts read in English. Usually offered every third year.
Joel Christensen or Staff

CLAS 190b Ancient Mysteries, Cults, and Myths
[ hum ]
An investigation of the phenomenon of the ancient mystery cults as preserved in the surviving art and literature of antiquity. Usually offered every third year.
Staff

CLAS 192b Slavery in the Roman World (1st-4th C. CE)
[ hum ]
Analyzes the world's first society with massive enslavement. Topics include sources of slavery, slavery's economic role, Roman, Jewish, and Christian legal regulation, gender difference and sexuality, religious teachings, daily life, punishment, incentives, and resistance, and slavery's effects on the freeborn. Usually offered every third year.
Staff

CLAS 200a Proseminar
Topics vary from year to year. May be repeated twice for credit.
A graduate seminar touching on the specialties of the faculty of Classical Studies. Topics vary from year to year. May be repeated twice for credit. Usually offered every fall.
Staff

CLAS 250b Capstone Course
A graduate seminar of specialized topics taught in rotation by the faculty of the department. Examples of topics include Latin Epigraphy, Greek Poetics, Historiography, Manuscript Tradition, and Archaeological Theory. Usually offered every spring.
Staff

CLAS 298a Independent Study
Staff

CLAS 299a Master's Thesis
Specific sections for individual faculty members as requested.
Staff

All Greek and Latin courses numbered 30 or higher require reading knowledge of the respective language.

GRK 10a Beginning Ancient Greek
Three class hours per week.
The basics of ancient Greek language and an initiation into the artistic, religious, social, political, and psychological dynamics of ancient Greece. After taking its sequel, GRK 20b, students can read Homer or Plato in the original. Students must earn a C- or higher in GRK 10a in order to enroll in a 20-level Greek course. Usually offered every year.
Joel Christensen or Staff

GRK 20b Continuing Ancient Greek
Prerequisite: A grade of C- or higher in GRK 10a. Three class hours per week.
Fundamentals of Greek grammar through reading. Students must earn a C- or higher in GRK 20b in order to enroll in a 30-level Greek course. Usually offered every year.
Staff

GRK 30a Intermediate Ancient Greek: Literature
[ fl ]
Prerequisite: A grade of C- or higher in GRK 20b or equivalent or instructor's permission. Three class hours per week.
Readings from Plato's Apology and Herodotus's Histories in Greek. Students must earn a C- or higher in GRK 30a in order to enroll in a higher-level Greek course. Usually offered every year.
Cheryl Walker or Staff

GRK 97a Senior Essay
Staff

GRK 98a Directed Reading
Generally reserved for those students who have exhausted regular course offerings. Usually offered every year.
Staff

GRK 98b Directed Reading
Generally reserved for those students who have exhausted regular course offerings. Usually offered every year.
Staff

GRK 99d Senior Research
For seniors writing an honors thesis under direction. Usually offered every year.
Staff

GRK 110b Greek Epic
[ fl hum ]
Prerequisite: GRK 20b or equivalent or instructor's permission.
Selections from Homer's Iliad or Odyssey, in Greek. Usually offered every third year.
Joel Christensen or Staff

GRK 115b Ancient Greek Drama
[ fl hum ]
The plays of Aeschylus, Aristophanes, Euripides, and Sophocles, in Greek. A different playwright is studied each year. See Schedule of Classes for current topic. Usually offered every fourth year.
Staff

GRK 120b Greek Prose Authors
[ fl hum ]
Selections from Herodotus, Thucydides, Plato, Aristotle, Demosthenes, and other prose authors, in Greek. See Schedule of Classes for current topic. Usually offered every third year.
Joel Christensen or Staff

GRK 125a Greek Lyric Poetry
[ fl hum ]
Prerequisite: GRK 30a or equivalent.
Close reading and interpretation of mainly fragmentary poems, several of them newly recovered from Hellenistic papyri, of Archilochus, Alcman, Solon, Sappho, and Simonides, along with selected epinicians of Pindar and his nephew, Bacchylides; reconstruction of the poetics of lyric performance. Usually offered every third year.
Joel Christensen or Staff

GRK 298a Independent Study
Staff

LAT 10a Beginning Latin
Three class hours per week.
An introduction to Latin grammar, based on Latin authors. Usually offered every year.
Staff

LAT 20b Continuing Latin
Prerequisite: A grade of C- or higher in LAT 10a or permission of the instructor. Three class hours per week.
See LAT 10a for course description. Usually offered every year.
Staff

LAT 30a Intermediate Latin: Literature
[ fl ]
Prerequisite: A grade of C- or higher in LAT 20b or permission of the instructor. Three class hours per week.
An introduction to Latin literature; selections of Latin prose and verse from various periods. Usually offered every year.
Cheryl Walker

LAT 97a Senior Essay
Staff

LAT 98a Directed Reading
Generally reserved for those students who have exhausted regular course offerings. Usually offered every year.
Staff

LAT 98b Directed Reading
Generally reserved for those students who have exhausted regular course offerings. Usually offered every year.
Staff

LAT 99d Senior Research
For seniors writing an honors thesis under direction. Usually offered every year.
Staff

LAT 115a Roman Drama
[ fl hum ]
Selected plays of Plautus and Terence, in Latin. Usually offered every fourth year.
Staff

LAT 116b Roman Satire
[ fl hum ]
The satires of Horace and Juvenal, in Latin. Usually offered every fourth year.
Staff

LAT 117a Lucretius, De Rerum Natura
[ fl hum ]
Close reading (in Latin) and discussion of poetic and philosophical dimensions of the poem. Usually offered every fourth year.
Staff

LAT 118a Latin Lyric and Elegiac Poetry
[ fl hum ]
Selections from Catullus, Horace, Propertius, Tibullus, and Ovid, in Latin. Usually offered every third year.
Staff

LAT 119b Ovid: Metamorphoses
[ fl hum ]
Selections from Ovid's mythological-poetic history of the universe, in Latin. Usually offered every fourth year.
Staff

LAT 130b Roman Letters
[ fl hum ]
Prerequisite: LAT 30a or the equivalent.
Explores Roman letters as one of the most diversified literary forms in the ancient world. Readings are drawn from a range of authors and texts, including Cicero, Ovid, Seneca, Pliny the Younger, and the Vindolanda tablets. Usually offered every third year.
Calitlin Gillespie

LAT 298a Independent Study
Staff

ANTH 1a Introduction to the Comparative Study of Human Societies
[ djw nw ss ]
Examines the ways human beings construct their lives in a variety of societies. Includes the study of the concept of culture, kinship, and social organization, political economy, gender and sexuality, religion and ritual, symbols and language, social inequalities and social change, and globalization. Consideration of anthropological research methods and approaches to cross-cultural analysis. Usually offered every semester.
Jonathan Anjaria, Elizabeth Ferry, Sarah Lamb, or Janet McIntosh

ANTH 60a Archaeological Methods
[ ss ]
Focuses on the exploration of archaeological sites on and near campus to offer a practice-oriented introduction to field methods, including surface-survey, mapping, and excavation of archaeological features. Other topics include principles of stratigraphy and relative/chronometric dating methods. Usually offered every second year.
Charles Golden or Javier Urcid

ANTH 60b Archaeological Analysis
[ ss ]
An introduction to archaeological laboratory methods and analyses, emphasizing hands-on experience. Students engage in discussion of field and laboratory methods, ethical issues, and the challenges of interpreting human behavior from material remains. Students conduct independent analyses ancient artifacts in the classroom and also conduct independent research in surrounding communities in locations such as the Boston area's graveyards. Usually offered every second year.
Charles Golden or Javier Urcid

ANTH 129a Culture in 3D: Theory, Method, and Ethics for Scanning and Printing the World
[ dl ss ]
Designed to train students in the methods needed for the successful application of 3D modeling and printing for the documentation, conservation, and dissemination of cultural patrimony. Students will acquire the technical skills and engage in the ethical debates surrounding ownership and reproduction of such patrimony. Usually o0ffered every second year.
Charles Golden and Ian Roy

ANTH 137a GIS: Mapping Culture from Land, Air and Space
[ dl ss ]
Designed to train undergraduate students in basic methods of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sense (RS) technologies in archaeology. Students will design and present a geodatabase. Usually offered every third year.
Charles Golden

ENG 41a Critical Digital Humanities Methods and Applications
[ deis-us dl hum ]
Introduces critical digital humanities methods and applications. Considers both theory and praxis, the issues of open and accessible scholarship and work, and the centrality of collaboration. We will investigate power relations, inclusivity, and the ethics of social justice. Usually offered every second year.
Dorothy Kim

FA 30a History of Art I: From Antiquity to the Middle Ages
[ ca ]
Surveys the artistic and architectural traditions of the peoples of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East from prehistory to the end of the Middle Ages with an emphasis on their cultural context, meaning and stylistic characteristics. Usually offered every year.
Charles McClendon

FA 145a St. Peter's and the Vatican
[ ca ]
The history, growth, and development of Christendom's most famous shrine, with particular concern for the relationship between the design and decoration of the Renaissance/baroque church and palace complex and their early Christian and medieval predecessors. Usually offered every second year.
Charles McClendon

HIST 103a Roman History to 455 CE
[ hum ss ]
Survey of Roman history from the early republic through the decline of the empire. Covers the political history of the Roman state and the major social, economic, and religious changes of the period. Usually offered every year.
William Kapelle

HIST 110a The Civilization of the Early Middle Ages
[ ss ]
Survey of medieval history from the fall of Rome to the year 1000. Topics include the barbarian invasions, the Byzantine Empire, the Dark Ages, the Carolingian Empire, feudalism, manorialism, and the Vikings. Usually offered every second year.
William Kapelle

HUM 10a The Western Canon
[ hum ]
May not be taken by students who have taken FYS 18a in prior years.
Foundational texts of the Western canon: the Bible, Homer, Vergil, and Dante. Thematic emphases and supplementary texts vary from year to year.
Staff

NEJS 129a Gender, Sex, and the Family in Ancient Near East and Beyond
[ hum ]
In the ancient world, the family was a critical site for the construction of gender, sex, and sexuality of its members. In this course, we will explore how identities such as father, mother, and child were constructed in ancient discourse. We will use feminist and queer perspectives to unpack texts from the ancient Near East, the Greco-Roman world, the Hebrew Bible, and the New Testament. Special one-time offering, spring 2020.
Sari Fein

PHIL 161a Plato
[ hum ]
Prerequisite: PHIL 1a or permission of the instructor.
An introduction to Plato's thought through an intensive reading of several major dialogues. Usually offered every second year.
Palle Yourgrau

PHIL 162b Aristotle
[ hum ]
Prerequisite: PHIL 1a or permission of the instructor.
An introduction to Aristotle's philosophy through an intensive reading of selected texts. Usually offered every second year.
Palle Yourgrau

POL 186b Classical Political Thought
[ hum ss ]
Major ancient political philosophers and the meaning and implications of their work for contemporary political issues. Usually offered every third year.
Bernard Yack