Department of Classical and Early Mediterranean Studies

(1-99) Primarily for Undergraduate Students

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.

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.

CLAS 92a Internship

Two semester-hour credits; yields half-course credit.

Usually offered every year.

CLAS 97a Senior Essay

CLAS 98a Directed Reading

Usually offered every year.

CLAS 98b Directed Reading

Yields half-course credit.

Usually offered every year.

CLAS 99d Senior Research

Majors will be guided by their thesis adviser as they write their honors paper. Usually offered every year.

(100-199) For Both Undergraduate and Graduate Students

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.

CLAS 105b Introduction to Mediterranean Archaeology
[ hum ]

The Mediterranean region stands as a testament to the intricate tapestry of human history and culture. "Introduction to Mediterranean Archaeology" is an immersive and comprehensive exploration of this diverse and dynamic region. This course offers an interdisciplinary approach, integrating anthropology, history, art history, and environmental studies to unravel the mysteries of the Mediterranean's past. Topics in this course are intended to provide and understanding of the archaeology of the civilizations in the Mediterranean world from the Bronze Age through the Byzantine period. It will emphasize the contributions of studies of material culture to our understandings of social, economic, religious, and political activities and their changes over time. The study of ancient world provides us with a series of snippets of the past into the lives of people within a rich material world, filled with complicated societies remarkably similar to our own. By analyzing their remains, archaeologists investigate ‘big questions’ such as: How did religious practice intersect with political life? Was gender and identity just as dynamic in the ancient world? How was status communicated? The archaeology of ancient Mediterranean provides material evidence for understanding life in a complex past that also illuminates our own world today. Usually offered every year.

CLAS 111a Art and Archaeology of the Hellenistic World
[ hum ]

Surveys the art and archaeology of the Hellenistic world (including Greece, western and central Asia, north Africa, and Italy) focusing on the 4th century Mediterranean leading up to the conquests of Alexander the Great (336-323 BCE) and the kingdoms of his successors until the death of Cleopatra in 30 BCE. A major theme throughout this course will be the global culture of the cosmopolitan world created by Alexander the Great. Other themes will include encounters between varying cultural traditions, how material correlates of identity played out in all levels of society, and how the art, artifacts, and architecture of the Hellenistic communities were used to assert themselves in a rich multi-cultural environment. We will cover the elite, domestic, and funerary architectural remains associated with the Hellenistic kingdoms, as well as their material culture in the forms of mosaics, sculpture, and other portable artifacts. Usually offered every second year.

CLAS 112b Art and Archaeology of the Roman Provinces
[ hum ]

Familiarizes students with the art, architecture, and archaeology of the ancient Romans, from the 1st c. BCE through the 5th c. CE, across the entire extent of the Roman Empire, extending from Lusitania to Dura Europos and Leptis Magna to Britain. This course will focus on the Roman Provinces and their various trajectories of development. We consider monumental, domestic, and military architecture, paintings, mosaics, sculpture, coins and epigraphic evidence, as well as maps and ancient sources. We will seek to know how ancient Roman art and objects of daily life were used, viewed, and appreciated by their original patrons and owners, rather than viewing them through a modern lens, we will strive to contextualize them in their unique circumstances. We will also ask a range of other questions. What makes an empire? How were individual provinces governed and how were the Romans received differently in each province? Who and how did its inhabitants approach religion? How did they feel about their emperor? How were they entertained? Why did the Roman empire ‘decline and fall’ (or did it?)? Are there contemporary lessons to be learned from the Roman experience? How can different theoretical models help us understand life in the Roman provinces. Usually offered every third year.

CLAS 113a Pots, Processes, and Meaning: A Practicum in Archaeological Ceramics
[ dl hum ]

Before plastic, there was pottery--pots and pans, bowls and dishes, jugs and jars--in every place and every society. Pottery lets us see people: It makes their actions and choices visible, anytime, anywhere. Pottery is also a thoroughly human product. Every aspect reflects a purposeful choice: material, mode of manufacture, shape and finish, place and way of use. And pottery is--and was--everywhere. It is the single most abundant type of artifact found on almost all archaeological sites. Archaeologists use pottery to elucidate everything from personal habits to broad social, economic, and political developments. In this course, you learn how to identify, classify, analyze, and interpret pottery in order to better understand the people who made and used it, and the worlds in which they lived. Usually offered every third year.

CLAS 114a The Phoenician and Punic Mediterranean
[ hum ]

Investigates the archaeology and history of the Phoenician and Punic Mediterranean. We will begin by examining the representation of Phoenician and Punic identity in the social, political, and cultural movements of the 19th century onwards. We will dissect how these have impacted the scholarly tradition and the very definition of what we think of as Phoenician and Punic. We will pay particular attention to recent scholarship on the Phoenicians, which has aimed to challenge older positivist and overly simple conceptions of Phoenician and Punic empires. Following this, we will use a variety of archaeological, epigraphic, and historical sources to trace the origins of the Phoenicians in the Levant, their growth and expansion, and later colonization of parts of the eastern and western Mediterranean. An important area of study within this survey of the archaeological and historical development will be discussions of the nature of Phoenician colonization and cultural interaction in “colonial” contexts. The third part of the course explores the emergence of arguably the most famous Phoenician city, Carthage; we will investigate its beginnings as a small Phoenician settlement and its transformation into one of the most influential city-states in the Mediterranean by the 6th century BCE. Additionally, we will trace the formation of its unique brand of Punic identity and its mercantile empire. Topics investigated will include social, political, and religious identities in the Punic world, together with the maritime and economic success of Carthage. The final area of study will focus on the great conflict between Carthage and Rome, known as the Punic Wars, and the subsequent end of Punic hegemony in the Central and Western Mediterranean. Usually offered every year.

CLAS 115b Topics in Greek and Roman History
[ hum ]

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.

CLAS 116b The Archaeology of Imperialism
[ hum ]

Provides an in depth survey of the archaeological material and theory of empires across the ancient world. Usually offered every third year.

CLAS 117a Curating Culture: Theory and Practice in Museum Studies
[ hum ]

Introduces students to the study of museums as cultural, social, and educational institutions while providing hands-on experience with the skills that shape professional museum practice. Through readings, discussions, and practical workshops, students will explore the history and development of museums, the ethics of collecting and display, and the role of museums in preserving and interpreting cultural heritage. Alongside theoretical frameworks, students will gain exposure to key professional practices such as artifact handling, collections care, conservation, digital imaging, exhibition design, and strategies for visitor engagement. By integrating theory with practice, the course prepares students to critically evaluate the place of museums in society and to apply foundational skills essential for careers in museum and heritage work. Usually offered every second year.

CLAS 118b Archaeology of the Holy Land
[ hum ]

For archaeology in Israel, the material remains of the past represent a fundamental aspect of people’s identities and conception of place. In this course, we will survey the archaeological evidence for the development of complex society in the Neolithic through the hegemony of the Romans and the transition into the Byzantine Empire. Over this long era, figures larger than life made history here: King Solomon, Judah Maccabee, Herod the Great, and Constantine, among others. Their stories are set in time but also transcend it, and the land in which they lived was itself transformed from mere geography to the Holy Land. We will address the modern scholars who have conducted archaeological studies from the early days of Biblical Archaeology to the present situation that fosters some of the most interdisciplinary archaeological research in the world. Our focus will be on the study of sites and remains that archaeologists have recovered, consider the relationship of physical remains and written accounts, and learn how material evidence in its varied forms of architecture, art, ceramics, and other objects, helps us better understand ancient life. Discussions will also include recent debates about the future of the discipline and issues of cultural heritage and public history. Usually offered every third year.

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.

CLAS 122a Exploring the Roman Army
[ hum ]

Provides a comprehensive examination of the Roman army, tracing its evolution from a citizen militia to a highly organized professional force responsible for safeguarding a vast empire. We will analyze archaeological and literary evidence to understand the army's equipment, tactics, and the lived experiences of soldiers in battle. As one of the first professional standing armies in history, the Roman army has been the object of much admiration and study. This course will cover the changing organization and role of the army and its fighting techniques from the mid-Republic to the later Imperial period, the lives of the soldiers who served in the various branches of the army, and its effectiveness as a fighting force. Particular attention will be paid to using archaeological and literary evidence in conjunction, and to local resources and evidence for studying the Roman army. Usually offered every second year.

CLAS 123a Sport and Spectacle in the Ancient Mediterranean World
[ djw hum ]

Investigates the origins, settings, events, and rules of sport and spectacle across the ancient Mediterranean (1500 BCE–500 CE). We begin with the events of kings and pharaohs from the Near East and Egypt and proceed to the games of ancient Greece, which are first described by the poet Homer and proceed to the creation of local festivals and major athletic venues such as the Olympics. We continue with the competitions (chariot-racing) and blood sports of Rome (beast hunts, gladiator combat, and spectacular criminal executions) and conclude with the closure of the games in Rome and Constantinople. In addition to sport and spectacle itself, this course also focuses on sport as a vehicle for cultural expression by investigating it through the prism of political, social, and economic status, and discrimination. Usually offered every second year.

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.

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.

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.

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.

CLAS 144b Archaeological Ethics, Law and Cultural Heritage
[ djw hum ]

The material culture of the past is imbued with a 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.

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.

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.

CLAS 155a Mummies, Myths, and Monuments of Ancient Egypt
[ hum wi ]

Surveys Egyptian archaeology and culture from the Predynastic Period to the Late Period. Topics include race and ethnicity in Egypt, mythology, mummification, and a survey of monuments. Course also provides a critical examination of the reception and (mis)use of Ancient Egypt in popular culture over time. Usually offered every second year.

CLAS 156b Living and Dying in Roman and Byzantine Egypt
[ djw hum wi ]

Examines the lived experiences of the Roman and Byzantine inhabitants of Egypt from the Nile valley to the desert oases. Topics include bioarchaeology, childhood, education, religious life, papyrology, important archaeological discoveries/collections, colonial archaeology, mortuary arts, and the journey from childhood to death in antiquity. Class will visit area museums to also examine the artifactual evidence of Roman and Byzantine Egypt. Usually offered every second year.

CLAS 157a Ancient Egypt on the Silver Screen
[ djw hum ]

Explores the relationship between Egyptian history and archaeology from the silent film era to the modern period. Topics include colonial archaeology, the 1922 discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb, modern Egyptian archaeology, race, and ethnicity in telling the story of Egypt's antiquity. Characters and periods examined include the Pyramid Builders of Giza, Joseph, Moses and the Exodus, Akhenaten and Nefertiti, and Cleopatra. Discussions will also examine how archaeological discoveries impacted design, costumes, and Egypt's power. All films and readings are in English or with English subtitles. Usually offered every third year.

CLAS 160a Race and Ethnicity in the Ancient World
[ djw hum ]

Introduces students to ancient attitudes towards race and ethnicity in the early Mediterranean world. Students will be challenged to consider how categories of race and ethnicity are presented in the literature and artistic works of Greece, Rome, and other Mediterranean cultures, and how ancient thinking remains current and influential today. Usually offered every third year.

CLAS 161a The Corrupting Sea: Cities and Communities of the Ancient Mediterranean
[ hum ]

Examines the relationship between people and the natural and built environment in the ancient Mediterranean. A primary aim is to study the ecological and environmental diversity and history of the Mediterranean region over the long durée, from prehistory to the early Medieval period. The course will be broken into thematic sections; firstly, it will consider the geographical and historical conceptualizations of the Mediterranean, particularly questioning an outdated paradigm that it can be understood as a unified region. The second part of the course will study the ancient environment and microecologies through a regional survey. We look at the effects these had on settlement patterns and the development of different types of urban communities. We will also consider connectivity on land, riverways, and on the sea itself. The role of the Mediterranean Sea, its archipelagos and islands will be considered. The third part of the course will focus on the subsistence strategies of Mediterranean communities and cities; this will comprise an analysis of change in agrarian practices and seafaring overtime and the impact of technological innovation, along with studying the history of food systems more generally. An essential part of this will examine the effect of environmental disasters on agrarian societies and the subsequent socio-political effects, including the rise and fall of some of the ancient Mediterranean’s cultures and civilizations. Usually offered every third year.

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.

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.

CLAS 190b Ancient Mystery Cults
[ hum ]

Often shrouded in secrecy, ancient mystery cults appealed to people in ways different from traditional Greek and Roman religion. As indicated by their name, the Mysteries come from the Greek word, mystes, which means 'initiate.' Membership in the Mystery Cults was based on initiation into rituals, kept secret from the outside world. We rely on the archaeological evidence, myths, and literary references to build an understanding of these cults who offered more personal and individualized experience towards death and the afterlife. In this class, we will explore Mystery Cults across the Mediterranean world, beginning in ancient Greece and ending in the Late Roman Empire. This course provides an exploration of ancient religion its art, architecture, belief systems, origins, and evolution, as well as understanding it in its socio-political and cultural context. Usually offered every third year.

CLAS/NEJ 106b Visions of Byzantium
[ hum ]

Focuses on the medieval Roman Empire during what is known as the “Middle Byzantine” period from roughly the ninth century until the conquest of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade in 1204. The course is designed to establish a visual and textual history of the medieval Roman Empire during its height through the analysis of three categories of evidence: documentary sources (papyri, inscriptions); historical narratives (Michael Psellos, Anna Komnena, Michael Attaleiates); and visual culture (excavated material; museum collections). The course also explores the world of historiography surrounding the study of the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth centuries. Usually offered every second year.

CLAS/NEJ 112a Holy Christian Threads! The History and Craft of Making Early Christian Clothing
[ dl hum oc ]

Course explores the history of wool, linen, silk, and cotton fabrics, the raw materials needed for making cloth, and the clothing that Christian communities wore from 300 to 900 CE. Through a combination of research at the Museum of Fine Arts’ Textile Collection, visits to historical farms in the area, visits to active monastic communities, and scholarship on textile history, students will explore the maker culture of early Christian textiles. Class participants will participate in experimental archaeology through designing spindle whorls, needles, and papyrus patterns as well as design a hologram space with 3D images to display and study early Christian textiles. Usually offered eery second year.

(200 and above) Primarily for Graduate Students

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.

CLAS 298a Independent Study

CLAS 299a Master's Thesis

Specific sections for individual faculty members as requested.

CLAS Digital Literacy

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.

CLAS 113a Pots, Processes, and Meaning: A Practicum in Archaeological Ceramics
[ dl hum ]

Before plastic, there was pottery--pots and pans, bowls and dishes, jugs and jars--in every place and every society. Pottery lets us see people: It makes their actions and choices visible, anytime, anywhere. Pottery is also a thoroughly human product. Every aspect reflects a purposeful choice: material, mode of manufacture, shape and finish, place and way of use. And pottery is--and was--everywhere. It is the single most abundant type of artifact found on almost all archaeological sites. Archaeologists use pottery to elucidate everything from personal habits to broad social, economic, and political developments. In this course, you learn how to identify, classify, analyze, and interpret pottery in order to better understand the people who made and used it, and the worlds in which they lived. Usually offered every third year.

CLAS/NEJ 112a Holy Christian Threads! The History and Craft of Making Early Christian Clothing
[ dl hum oc ]

Course explores the history of wool, linen, silk, and cotton fabrics, the raw materials needed for making cloth, and the clothing that Christian communities wore from 300 to 900 CE. Through a combination of research at the Museum of Fine Arts’ Textile Collection, visits to historical farms in the area, visits to active monastic communities, and scholarship on textile history, students will explore the maker culture of early Christian textiles. Class participants will participate in experimental archaeology through designing spindle whorls, needles, and papyrus patterns as well as design a hologram space with 3D images to display and study early Christian textiles. Usually offered eery second year.

NEJS 121a Cloistered Life: Masculinity, Monasticism, and Material Religion
[ djw dl hum ]

Surveys the literature and artifacts related to the early monastic movement in the Eastern Mediterranean world, where monasticism began, and concludes with examinations in the Medieval Roman (Byzantine) and European world. In translation, students read Greek, Syriac, Latin, and Coptic literature of popular Christian authors to investigate how men constructed ideals of masculinity within a religious landscape. We will use gender and materiality theorists to develop reading strategies to understand gender expectations, sexuality, and how monks lived together in their cloistered communities. Students will build a Virtual Reality monastery by building rooms of monks over time based on the texts and artifacts studied in class as part of developing skills in digital literacy. Usually offered every second year.

CLAS Oral Communication

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.

CLAS/NEJ 112a Holy Christian Threads! The History and Craft of Making Early Christian Clothing
[ dl hum oc ]

Course explores the history of wool, linen, silk, and cotton fabrics, the raw materials needed for making cloth, and the clothing that Christian communities wore from 300 to 900 CE. Through a combination of research at the Museum of Fine Arts’ Textile Collection, visits to historical farms in the area, visits to active monastic communities, and scholarship on textile history, students will explore the maker culture of early Christian textiles. Class participants will participate in experimental archaeology through designing spindle whorls, needles, and papyrus patterns as well as design a hologram space with 3D images to display and study early Christian textiles. Usually offered eery second year.

CLAS Writing Intensive

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.

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.

CLAS 155a Mummies, Myths, and Monuments of Ancient Egypt
[ hum wi ]

Surveys Egyptian archaeology and culture from the Predynastic Period to the Late Period. Topics include race and ethnicity in Egypt, mythology, mummification, and a survey of monuments. Course also provides a critical examination of the reception and (mis)use of Ancient Egypt in popular culture over time. Usually offered every second year.

CLAS 156b Living and Dying in Roman and Byzantine Egypt
[ djw hum wi ]

Examines the lived experiences of the Roman and Byzantine inhabitants of Egypt from the Nile valley to the desert oases. Topics include bioarchaeology, childhood, education, religious life, papyrology, important archaeological discoveries/collections, colonial archaeology, mortuary arts, and the journey from childhood to death in antiquity. Class will visit area museums to also examine the artifactual evidence of Roman and Byzantine Egypt. Usually offered every second year.

CLAS Greek and Latin Courses

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.

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.

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.

Introduces students to unadapted Greek text. We will begin with a review of advanced introductory material before transitioning into reading Lysias’ Against Eratosthenes and Against Simon. We will also be learning to use textual commentaries and to understand authorial syntax and style. In addition, we will read other law court speeches as a matter of comparison and secondary scholarship about Lysias in order to situate Lysias within the larger context of Athenian law. Usually offered every year.

GRK 97a Senior Essay

GRK 98a Directed Reading

Generally reserved for those students who have exhausted regular course offerings. Usually offered every year.

GRK 98b Directed Reading

Yields half-course credit. Generally reserved for those students who have exhausted regular course offerings. Usually offered every year.

GRK 99d Senior Research

For seniors writing an honors thesis under direction. Usually offered every year.

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.

GRK 115b Ancient Greek Drama and Comedy
[ 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.

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.

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.

GRK 298a Independent Study

LAT 10a Beginning Latin

Three class hours per week.

An introduction to Latin grammar, based on Latin authors. Usually offered every year.

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.

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.

LAT 97a Senior Essay

LAT 98a Directed Reading

Generally reserved for those students who have exhausted regular course offerings. Usually offered every year.

LAT 98b Directed Reading

Yields half-course credit. Generally reserved for those students who have exhausted regular course offerings. Usually offered every year.

LAT 99d Senior Research

For seniors writing an honors thesis under direction. Usually offered every year.

LAT 115a Roman Drama
[ fl hum ]

Prerequisite: LAT 30a or equivalent.

Selected plays of Plautus and Terence, in Latin. Usually offered every fourth year.
Staff

LAT 118a Latin Lyric and Elegiac Poetry
[ fl hum ]

Prerequisite: LAT 30a or equivalent.

Selections from Catullus, Horace, Propertius, Tibullus, and Ovid, in Latin. Usually offered every third year.

LAT 119b Ovid
[ fl hum ]

Prerequisite: LAT 30a or equivalent.

Selections from Ovid's mythological-poetic history of the universe, in Latin. Usually offered every fourth year.

LAT 120a Vergil
[ fl hum ]

Prerequisite: LAT 30a or equivalent.

Selections from Vergil's Eclogues, Georgics, and the Aeneid in Latin. Usually offered every third year.

LAT 121b Roman Historians
[ fl hum ]

Prerequisite: LAT 30a or the equivalent.

Explores the writing of history in ancient Roman. Readings are drawn from a range of Roman historians including but not limited to Livy, Caesar, Tacitus, and Sallust. Usually offered every third year.

LAT 125a Later and Medieval Latin
[ fl hum ]

Prerequisite: LAT 30a or equivalent.

A reading of Latin texts from Late Antiquity and the Medieval period. Authors vary per offering. Usually offered every fourth year.

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.

LAT 298a Independent Study

CLAS Advanced Biblical Hebrew

NEJS 107a Biblical Prophecy
[ hum ]

Studies ancient Israel and Judah’s early prophetic literature in translation, focusing on prophecy's ancient Assyrian context and the books of Isaiah, Hosea, Amos, and Nahum. Usually offered every third year.

NEJS 110b Psalms in the Hebrew Bible
[ hum ]

Prerequisites: NEJS 10a or 40-level HBRW course or permission of the instructor.

A close reading of selected Psalms in Biblical Hebrew, with study of their poetic, historical, and mythological features and contexts. Usually offered every third year.

NEJS 113a Biblical Aramaic in Context
[ hum ]

Prerequisite: HBRW 122a or b, NEJS 10a, or permission of the instructor.

A study of the Aramaic of the Bible (Daniel and Ezra), with contemporary papyri and inscriptions from ancient Egypt and Syria. Usually offered every second year.

CLAS Cross-Listed in Classical Studies

AAAS 115a Introduction to African History
[ djw nw ss ]

Explores the history of African societies from their earliest beginnings to the present era. Topics include African participation in antiquity as well as early Christianity and preindustrial political, economic, and cultural developments. Usually offered every year.

AAAS/FA 74b Introduction to African Art
[ ca nw ss ]

Surveys the visual artistic traditions of Africa. Investigates the different forms of visual art in relation to their historical and socio-cultural context. Symbolism and complexity of Africa's visual art traditions are explored through analysis of myth, ritual, cosmology, and history. Usually offered every fourth year.

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.

ANTH 5a Human Origins
[ ss ]

Covers the transformation of human biological and cultural endowments through some 7 million years, from hominoids to anatomically modern humans. Topics include the human genome, evolutionary principles, our place in nature, studies of non-human primates, and the hominid fossil record. Key transformations are highlighted, such as the emergence of bipedalism, reliance on organic and stone-based technologies, the control of fire, the appearance of language and material sign systems, and the anthropogenic impacts of the global dispersal of modern humans. Usually offered every year.

ANTH 7a Archaeology and the Human Experience: An Introduction
[ nw ss ]

Introduces archaeology as the anthropological study of humans in the past. Considers foundational theories and methods in archaeology, while exploring the archaeology of economy, warfare, art, systems of power, science, and more. Delves into the ways relationships to environments changed as people domesticated plants and animals, the reasons many moved from a nomadic to settled life, and the origins of great civilizations in the ancient world--Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, Africa, the Americas, and more. Usually offered every year.

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.

ANTH 60b Archaeological Analysis
[ dl ss wi ]

Introduces archaeological laboratory methods and analyses, emphasizing hands-on experience and research design. Students engage in practical materials analysis and research working with genuine archaeological artifacts. Course participants will build their project management skills and consider archaeological methodologies, including artifact recovery, analysis, conservation, and eventual publication. Students will also explore vital archaeological dialogues and theoretical approaches comprising the archaeological process, such as the challenges of interpreting human behavior from material remains, the ethical quandaries of cultural heritage, and the questions of who narrates and owns the past. Usually offered every second year.

ANTH 116a Human Osteology
[ sn ss ]

Anthropology majors have priority for enrollment. Students wishing to enroll during early registration should waitlist themselves.

Skeletal anatomy and application of forensic techniques to archaeological problems. Hands-on laboratory sessions focus on methods of estimating age at the time of death, determining sex, assessing skeletal variability, detecting instances of bone remodeling, and identifying cultural and natural modifications to bony tissue. Case studies exemplify bioarchaeological approaches. Usually offered every second year.

ANTH 118b Culture and Power in the Middle East
[ djw ss ]

Examines the peoples and societies of the Middle East from an anthropological perspective. Explores problems of cross-cultural examination, the notion of the Middle East as an area of study, and the role of anthropology in the formation of the idea of the 'Middle East.' To this end, the course is divided into sections devoted to understanding and problematizing key concepts and themes central to our understanding of the region, including tribe and state, family and kinship, gender and sexuality, honor and shame, tradition and modernity, and religion and secularism. Course materials will include critical ethnographies based on field work in the region as well as locally produced materials such as literature, music, film and other visual arts. Usually offered every fourth year.

ANTH 120b Ecology and Society in the Middle East and the Arabian Peninsula
[ ss ]

Examines how humans interact with the world around them. The course covers the main theories of the relationship between ecology and society, and explores issues related to the environment and agriculture in the Middle East, with a focus on the Arabian Peninsula. Usually offered every third year.

ANTH 121b Archaeology and Environment
[ dl nw ss ]

Provides an introduction to archaeological approaches to the environment. Explores how human history and prehistory have been defined by moments when political, cultural, economics, and ecological systems collide. Topics include climate change, food systems, plant and animal relations, and natural resources. Usually offered every second year.

ANTH 124a Maritime Archaeology: The Salty Relationship Between Society and The Sea
[ dl ss ]

Provides an introduction to maritime archaeology, exploring the entangled relationships between human history, society, and the sea. Utilizing theoretical and technical methods from maritime, nautical and marine/underwater archaeology, this class will provide a practical approach to examining maritime archaeology methods and topics such as trade, boat and ship development and construction, navigation, submerged landscapes, maritime culture, climate and climate change, and legislative issues regarding underwater and coastal heritage. Usually offered every third year.

ANTH 128a Meaning and Material Culture
[ ss ]

Whether indexing identities, exchange valuables, or representations of cultural meanings, objects are seen as means to mediate social interaction and practices. This course focuses on how materials that express culturally coded meanings (whether contextual, formal, or conventional) can be adequately studied in the relative absence of indigenous interpretation. The course has a hands-on component based on the artifact collection in the department's Material Culture Research Center. Usually offered every second year.

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 offered every second year.

ANTH 136a Archaeology of Power: Authority, Prestige, and Inequality in the Past
[ nw ss ]

Anthropological and archaeological research and theory provide a unique, long-term perspective on the development of inequality and rise of hierarchical societies, including the earliest ancient states such as the Moche, Maya, China, Sumerians, Egyptians, and others through 5000 years of human history. A comparative, multidisciplinary seminar examining the dynamics of authority, prestige, and power in the past, and the implications for understanding the present. Usually offered every second year.

ANTH 137a GIS: Mapping Culture from Land, Air and Space
[ dl ss ]

An introduction to the Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sense (RS) technologies that are fundamental for mapping and analyzing spatial data. This course is grounded in archaeological applications, but provides training and research pathways for exploring urban landscapes, environmental dynamics, and more in modern settings. No previous knowledge of GIS or RS is required. Usually offered every third year.

ANTH 153a Writing Systems and Scribal Traditions
[ nw ss ]

Explores the ways in which writing has been conceptualized in social anthropology, linguistics and archaeology. A comparative study of various forms of visual communication, both non-glottic and glottic systems, is undertaken to better understand the nature of pristine and contemporary phonetic scripts around the world and to consider alternative models to explain their origin, prestige, and obsolescence. The course pays particular attention to the social functions of early writing systems, the linkage of literacy and political power, and the production of historical memory. Usually offered every second year.

ANTH 159a Museums and Public Memory
[ oc ss ]

Explores the social and political organization of public memory, including museums, cultural villages, and memorial sites. Who has the right to determine the content and form of such institutions? Working with local community members, students will develop a collaborative exhibition project. Usually offered every second year.

ANTH 165b Anthropology of Death and Dying
[ djw nw ss wi ]

Explores how different societies, including our own, conceptualize death and dying. Topics include the cultural construction of death, the effects of death on the social fabric, mourning and bereavement, and medical issues relating to the end of life. Usually offered every second year.

ANTH 180b Playing Human: Persons, Objects, Imagination
[ ss ]

Examines how people interact with material artifacts that are decidedly not human and yet which, paradoxically, deepen and extend experiences of being human. Theories of fetishism; masking and ritual objects across cultures; play and childhood experience; and objects of imagination, memory and trauma. Usually offered every second year.

ANTH 185a Archaeological Science
[ ss ]

Prerequisites: One year of college-level chemistry, biology, and physics, or the equivalent. Signature of the Brandeis liaison, required. Topics vary from year to year. May be repeated for credit.

A lecture course in which leading experts from the faculty of the seven major Boston-area universities and the Museum of Fine Arts that comprise the Center for Materials Research in Archaeology and Ethnology (CMRAE) consortium discuss how they apply scientific technology and engineering methods to archaeological analysis. Deals with topics such as radioactive and other methods of age determination, archaeological site formation and soil micromorphology, and the study of materials used in ancient building construction. Usually offered every second year.

ANTH 187a Materials Research in Archaeology, I
[ ss ]

Enrollment limited to advanced undergraduate and graduate students. Topics vary from year to year, and the course may be repeated for credit.

A series of courses, each focusing on a specific topic, such as archaeological analysis of animal or plant remains; the analysis of lithic materials, pottery, or metals; GIS; and statistical analysis. Courses are offered each semester, taught by faculty from the Center for Materials Research in Archaeology and Ethnology, a consortium that includes Brandeis, Boston University, Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Museum of Fine Arts, Tufts, University of Massachusetts, Boston, and Wellesley College. Usually offered every year.

ENG 20b Literary Games
[ deis-us dl hum oc ]

Course includes a mandatory lab and yields 6 credits.

Addresses a long durée history of the games through the lens of transmedia. This then is the start pointing to examine how transmedia theory may help unpack issues in what I call 'literary games' from the medieval chess board, dice game, to digital multi-player video games now. Within a discussion of transmedia we will address the various theories about narrative and play that have animated discussions about games from the Middle Ages to contemporary media. This class will also center race, gender, sexuality, disability, class in thinking through the issues of transmedia and the gaming cultures that have most recently been in the political mainstream news in relation to far-right politics. Usually offered every third year.

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.

ENG 43b Medieval Play: Drama, LARP, and Video Games
[ djw hum oc ]

Works with a selection of medieval mystery plays, medieval-themed video games and participatory live-action role play to explore: play structures and design; alternative-world creation by way of immersion; the significance of gender, race, disability, and sexuality in performance. Usually offered every third year.

ENG 103b Medieval Women in Print
[ dl hum wi ]

We will be thinking about reading women, writing women, and the production of female bodies through images, sound, and script. We will be reading about teenage runaways, real and fictional queens, Muslim princesses, business women, warrior women, and transgender women. Usually offered every third year.

ENG 144a Medieval Travel Writing
[ djw dl hum ]

Examining medieval travel literature from the Old English period to the early accounts of sixteenth-century explorers in the New World, this class will consider how the area of medieval travel writing exposes how race is framed in relation to gender, disability, multifaith encounters, critical animal studies, and thick mapping. Usually offered every third year.

FA 30a History of Western Art I: From Antiquity to the Middle Ages
[ ca ]

Open to all students; first-year students and sophomores are encouraged to enroll.

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.

FA 33b Islamic Art and Architecture
[ ca djw nw ]

Through case studies of cities, sites, and monuments, the course presents an overview of the art and the architecture of the Islamic world beginning from the seventh century up to the present. Some of the themes include, but are not limited to, Islamic material culture, orientalist imaginations, systems of governance and the colonial present, search for the local identity, urban modernity and nationalism, and globalization. Usually offered every second year.

FA 42b The Age of Cathedrals
[ ca ]

Architecture, sculpture, and painting (including stained glass) in Western Europe from the twelfth to the fifteenth century, with particular attention to the great churches of medieval France. Usually offered every fourth year.

FA 86b Museum Studies
[ ca dl wi ]

May not be taken for credit by students who took FA 85b in prior years.

An experiential learning seminar focused on the art object in the context of the museum; the history of museums (architecture, educational mission, curatorial presentation); museum ethics and provenance studies; new theories of museums and their expanded role in the community. Usually offered every second year.

FREN 125b Mediterranean Crossings
[ fl hum ]

Prerequisite: FREN 105a or FREN 106b or the equivalent, or permission of the instructor.

Navigating French and Francophone literature and film, we will explore the Mediterranean as a transnational space of multiple circulations, migrations, and cultural crossings in works by Lebanese, Algerian, Moroccan, Tunisian, Greek, Romanian, and French writers and filmmakers. Usually offered every third year.

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.

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.

HIST 110b The Civilization of the High and Late Middle Ages
[ ss ]

Survey of European history from 1000 to 1450. Topics include the Crusades, the birth of towns, the creation of kingdoms, the papacy, the peasantry, the universities, the Black Death, and the Hundred Years' War. Usually offered every second year.

HIST 112b The Crusades and the Expansion of Medieval Europe
[ ss ]

Survey of the relationships between medieval Europe and neighboring cultures, beginning with the decline of Byzantium. Topics include a detailed look at the Crusades, the Spanish reconquista, the Crusader kingdoms, economic growth, and the foundations of imperialism. Usually offered every third year.

HIST 134b The Ottoman Empire: From Principality to Republic by Way of Empire
[ ss ]

Starting around the year 1300, the Ottomans grew from a tiny principality into a global Islamic empire by 1550, and in 1923 transformed into the modern Republic of Turkey. Ottoman history is the history of southeastern Europe, Anatolia, the Middle East, and most of North Africa. This course explores the arc of this 600-year history as it considers what enabled the Ottomans to emerge and flourish, as well as the processes that eventually tore the empire apart. By the end of the course, students will appreciate Ottoman legacies to politics, economics, culture, art, language, and food that are local, regional and global, with a direct influence on over two dozen modern nations. Usually offered every second year.

HIST 173b Digital History, Digital Historians: What's it All About?
[ dl ss ]

"Digital Humanities" are becoming widespread as a research approach to history. These qualitative and quantitative methods offer historians new research insights and efficiencies. This course explores Digital Humanities through reading, discussion, and experimentation to discover their strengths and weaknesses. Usually offered every year.

HUM 10a The Western Canon
[ hum ]

May not be taken by students who have taken NEJS 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.

LING 100a Introduction to Linguistics
[ ss ]

Open to all students.

A general introduction to linguistic theory and the principles of linguistic analysis. Students will construct detailed analyses of data from English and other languages in the areas of phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics, and examine their implications for a theory of language as it is encoded in the human mind. Usually offered every year.

NEJS 3a Religions of Abraham: Judaism, Christianity, Islam
[ hum ]

An introduction to the three major religions originating in the Near East: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Areas of focus include historical development, sacred texts, rituals, and interpretive traditions. Usually offered every second year.

NEJS 10a Biblical Hebrew Grammar and Texts
[ dl fl hum ]

Prerequisite: HBRW 20b or the equivalent as determined by placement examination. Attendance at first lecture is mandatory.

An accelerated grammar course in Biblical Hebrew. Students engage with biblical Hebrew texts from the first class. They build from words and phrases to a literary translation and grammatical analysis of a student’s choice of biblical Hebrew narrative. Topics include: phonology and the Tiberian pronunciation tradition, syllables and stress patterns, nouns, articles, conjunctions, pronouns, adjectives, possession, prepositions, the prefix and suffix conjugations, derived stems, tense and aspect, volitives, infinitives, and irregular roots. The class uses music and digital tools to aid memorization. It builds students’ vocabularies and understanding of the unusual features of biblical grammar and syntax compared with other semitic languages and modern Hebrew. Usually offered every second year.

NEJS 12a Who Wrote the Bible?
[ hum ]

Open to all students.

The Hebrew Bible (Christian “Old Testament”) is a collection of diverse and powerful books that is central to worldwide social, political, and religious experience. Despite this centrality, there are innumerable misconceptions about how the Bible came into being and what it really says. In this class, we will ask and answer questions about the Bible’s historical context and ancient meaning, with a focus on matters of composition and early reception. Who wrote the Bible? When was it written? To what circumstances were its authors responding? Moving beyond the often impossible project of identifying complex texts with individual authors, we will use both biblical and ancient non-biblical sources to situate biblical authors with respect to chronology, geography, institutions, class, gender, and more. Usually offered every second year.

NEJS 25a Introduction to Talmud
[ hum oc ]

Prerequisite: A 30-level Hebrew course or the equivalent is recommended.

An introduction to Treatise Bava Metzia, on the subject of labor law. Topics include: payment for commuting time, eating on the job, benefits a worker can expect from their employer. The course introduces the Babylonian Talmud. Attention is paid to modes of argument, literary form, and development of the Talmudic text. No previous study of Talmud is presupposed. Usually offered every second year.

NEJS 30a Reading the New Testament: Origins and Communities of Faith
[ hum ]

Open to all students.

Introduces the New Testament, its authors, and early Christian communities. The course examines the development of the New Testament in a broader Jewish and Roman context and how communities selected both canonical and non-canonical texts for shaping Christian life. Focus on decolonizing scholarship and scholars of the New Testament with attention to migration, empire, authority, race, ethnicity, gender, personhood, and reading communities within a historical framework. Usually offered every second year.

NEJS 110b Psalms in the Hebrew Bible
[ hum ]

Prerequisites: NEJS 10a or 40-level HBRW course or permission of the instructor.

A close reading of selected Psalms in Biblical Hebrew, with study of their poetic, historical, and mythological features and contexts. Usually offered every third year.

NEJS 115b Gender and Sexuality in the Bible
[ hum ]

Open to all students.

The Bible's depiction of gender, relationships, and social values in narrative, poetry, and law. Topics include the legal status of women, masculinity, prostitution, and how particular readings of the biblical text have shaped modern ideas about gender and sexuality. Usually offered every third year.

NEJS 116a Mesopotamian Mythology
[ hum nw ]

Open to all students.

An introduction to the religion, mythology, and thought of the ancient Near East. Usually offered every third year.

NEJS 122a Magic and Witchcraft in the Ancient Near East
[ hum nw ]

Examines magical literature, rituals, and beliefs in the ancient Near East. Topics such as demonology, illness, prayer, and exorcism are covered; special attention is paid to witchcraft. This course is organized around the close reading of ancient texts. Usually offered every third year.

NEJS 123b Gender, Species, and Ethnicity in Early Judaism
[ djw hum oc ]

Being "human" is defined by distinguishing between and ordering different beings according to race, gender, disability and species. This privileges some in society while diminishing the value of others. This course introduces the main texts of rabbinic literature around fundamental questions of what is a legal "person" and what is not. Usually offered every year.

NEJS 124b Divinity, Difference and Desire: An Introduction to Jewish Mysticism
[ hum ]

A study of Jewish mysticism through history. While investigating the nature of mysticism and the idea of mysticism itself and the transformation of key motifs of Judaism into a mystical key, the course will also be concerned with how to read a Jewish mystical text. All readings are in English. Usually offered every second year.

NEJS 125b Midrashic Literature: Sifre Deuteronomy
[ hum ]

Prerequisite: A 40-level Hebrew course or the equivalent.

An analysis of the midrashic method of the Sifre Deuteronomy. Emphasis will be placed on a close reading of the text, with a view to developing in the students the capacity to do independent analysis. Usually offered every fourth year.

NEJS 126a Intermediate Talmud
[ hum ]

Prerequisite: A 40-level Hebrew course or the equivalent.

Tractate Sanhedrin, chapter three, which deals with the issue of voluntary and compulsory arbitration and the binding nature of gambling agreements. Usually offered every third year.

NEJS 127a Second Temple and Rabbinic Judaism
[ hum ]

A survey course of the Second Temple and rabbinic periods focusing on the Bible, the Apocrypha, the Pseudepigrapha, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the writing of Josephus and Philo, the Mishnah, Talmud, and Midrash. Usually offered every third year.

NEJS 127b The History and Literature of the Jewish Liturgy
[ hum ]

Prerequisite: Reading knowledge of Hebrew.

A study of the literature, theology, and history of the daily and Sabbath liturgy. Emphasis will be placed on the interplay between literary structure and ideational content, along with discussion of the philosophical issues involved in prayer. Usually offered every third year.

NEJS 129b Debating Jesus: Diverse Beliefs in the Early Church
[ hum wi ]

Examines the nature of Jesus, the Trinity, and scripture, both canonical and non-canonical, in the first four centuries of early Christianity. Students analyze material culture and written documents related to a wide array of diverse Christian voices. The course explores scandals, heresies, and dissension along with points of unity and changing alliances within the Early Church in a diverse religious and political landscape. Usually offered every second year.

NEJS 130b Denial and Desires: Gender and Sexuality in Early Christianity
[ hum wi ]

Formerly offered as NEJS 218a.

Investigates how Christians (1st-4th C.) contested and reshaped attitudes toward the family gender expectations (for nonbinary persons, men, and women), sexuality, and aging in cities, the countryside, and in monasteries. Readings include the New Testament, early Christian literature, and modern studies regarding the body, sexuality, and theological frameworks for defining how to maintain the Christian body. Usually offered every fourth year.
Darlene Brooks Hedstrom

NEJS 134a Debating Religion: Muslims, Christians, and Jews in Dialogue and Dispute
[ hum ]

A history of interreligious polemic, disputation, and dialogue among Jews, Christians, and Muslims from antiquity to modernity. The course highlights points of difference and contention among the traditions as well as the ways in which the practice of disputation played a formative role in the coevolution of those traditions. Usually offered every second year.

NEJS 144a Jews in the World of Islam
[ hum nw ]

Examines social and cultural history of Jewish communities in the Islamic world. Special emphasis is placed on the pre-modern Jewish communities. Usually offered every second year.

NEJS 149a The Jews of Muslim and Christian Spain
[ hum ]

A survey of Jewish political, intellectual, and social history in the Islamic and Christian spheres from the beginnings of Jewish life in Spain until the expulsion in 1492. Students develop skills in reading historical, literary, and philosophical texts. Usually offered every second year.

NEJS 186a Introduction to the Qur'an
[ djw dl hum nw ]

Traces the history of the Qur'an as text, its exegesis, and its role in inter-religious polemics, law, theology, and politics. Examines the role of the Qur'an in Islamic teachings and its global impact. Usually offered every second year.

NEJS 191a Biblical Narratives in the Qur'an
[ hum ]

The Qur'an tells versions of stories known from the Hebrew Bible, New Testament, and post-biblical Jewish and Christian literature. Compares the Qur'anic renditions with those circulating in the Near East with a focus on major characters (Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Mary, etc.). Usually offered every third year.

NEJS 195b Early Islamic History from Muhammad to the Mongols
[ hum nw ]

Introduces Islamic history from the birth of Islam in the 7th century to the Mongol invasions of the 13th century. Students will examine trends in political, social, and intellectual history, focusing on three main periods; Islamic Origins, The High Caliphate, and Fragmentation/Efflorescence. Readings will include primary sources in translation, as well as academic analyses from traditional, critical, and revisionist perspectives. Usually offered every second year.

PHIL 161a Plato
[ hum ]

An introduction to Plato's thought through an intensive reading of several major dialogues. Usually offered every second year.

PHIL 162b Aristotle
[ hum ]

An introduction to Aristotle's philosophy through an intensive reading of selected texts. Usually offered every second year.

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.

THA 133b Acting the Classics
[ ca ]

Explores specific approaches to rehearsing and performing in the heightened world of classical texts, including William Shakespeare. The course is designed to release the actor's creative energies by stimulating an appetite for size, power and extravagant physical/vocal communication, to deepen the actor's analytical skills and free the actor for greater intellectual and emotional engagement. You will develop a respect for and understanding of form while gaining ease and joy in the fully realized expression of heightened language texts. Usually offered every second year.

CLAS HAC History

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.

CLAS 114a The Phoenician and Punic Mediterranean
[ hum ]

Investigates the archaeology and history of the Phoenician and Punic Mediterranean. We will begin by examining the representation of Phoenician and Punic identity in the social, political, and cultural movements of the 19th century onwards. We will dissect how these have impacted the scholarly tradition and the very definition of what we think of as Phoenician and Punic. We will pay particular attention to recent scholarship on the Phoenicians, which has aimed to challenge older positivist and overly simple conceptions of Phoenician and Punic empires. Following this, we will use a variety of archaeological, epigraphic, and historical sources to trace the origins of the Phoenicians in the Levant, their growth and expansion, and later colonization of parts of the eastern and western Mediterranean. An important area of study within this survey of the archaeological and historical development will be discussions of the nature of Phoenician colonization and cultural interaction in “colonial” contexts. The third part of the course explores the emergence of arguably the most famous Phoenician city, Carthage; we will investigate its beginnings as a small Phoenician settlement and its transformation into one of the most influential city-states in the Mediterranean by the 6th century BCE. Additionally, we will trace the formation of its unique brand of Punic identity and its mercantile empire. Topics investigated will include social, political, and religious identities in the Punic world, together with the maritime and economic success of Carthage. The final area of study will focus on the great conflict between Carthage and Rome, known as the Punic Wars, and the subsequent end of Punic hegemony in the Central and Western Mediterranean. Usually offered every year.

CLAS 115b Topics in Greek and Roman History
[ hum ]

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.

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.

CLAS 123a Sport and Spectacle in the Ancient Mediterranean World
[ djw hum ]

Investigates the origins, settings, events, and rules of sport and spectacle across the ancient Mediterranean (1500 BCE–500 CE). We begin with the events of kings and pharaohs from the Near East and Egypt and proceed to the games of ancient Greece, which are first described by the poet Homer and proceed to the creation of local festivals and major athletic venues such as the Olympics. We continue with the competitions (chariot-racing) and blood sports of Rome (beast hunts, gladiator combat, and spectacular criminal executions) and conclude with the closure of the games in Rome and Constantinople. In addition to sport and spectacle itself, this course also focuses on sport as a vehicle for cultural expression by investigating it through the prism of political, social, and economic status, and discrimination. Usually offered every second year.

CLAS 190b Ancient Mystery Cults
[ hum ]

Often shrouded in secrecy, ancient mystery cults appealed to people in ways different from traditional Greek and Roman religion. As indicated by their name, the Mysteries come from the Greek word, mystes, which means 'initiate.' Membership in the Mystery Cults was based on initiation into rituals, kept secret from the outside world. We rely on the archaeological evidence, myths, and literary references to build an understanding of these cults who offered more personal and individualized experience towards death and the afterlife. In this class, we will explore Mystery Cults across the Mediterranean world, beginning in ancient Greece and ending in the Late Roman Empire. This course provides an exploration of ancient religion its art, architecture, belief systems, origins, and evolution, as well as understanding it in its socio-political and cultural context. Usually offered every third year.

CLAS/NEJ 106b Visions of Byzantium
[ hum ]

Focuses on the medieval Roman Empire during what is known as the “Middle Byzantine” period from roughly the ninth century until the conquest of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade in 1204. The course is designed to establish a visual and textual history of the medieval Roman Empire during its height through the analysis of three categories of evidence: documentary sources (papyri, inscriptions); historical narratives (Michael Psellos, Anna Komnena, Michael Attaleiates); and visual culture (excavated material; museum collections). The course also explores the world of historiography surrounding the study of the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth centuries. Usually offered every second year.

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.

NEJS 121a Cloistered Life: Masculinity, Monasticism, and Material Religion
[ djw dl hum ]

Surveys the literature and artifacts related to the early monastic movement in the Eastern Mediterranean world, where monasticism began, and concludes with examinations in the Medieval Roman (Byzantine) and European world. In translation, students read Greek, Syriac, Latin, and Coptic literature of popular Christian authors to investigate how men constructed ideals of masculinity within a religious landscape. We will use gender and materiality theorists to develop reading strategies to understand gender expectations, sexuality, and how monks lived together in their cloistered communities. Students will build a Virtual Reality monastery by building rooms of monks over time based on the texts and artifacts studied in class as part of developing skills in digital literacy. Usually offered every second year.

NEJS 122a Magic and Witchcraft in the Ancient Near East
[ hum nw ]

Examines magical literature, rituals, and beliefs in the ancient Near East. Topics such as demonology, illness, prayer, and exorcism are covered; special attention is paid to witchcraft. This course is organized around the close reading of ancient texts. Usually offered every third year.

CLAS HAC Literature

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.

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.

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.

Introduces students to unadapted Greek text. We will begin with a review of advanced introductory material before transitioning into reading Lysias’ Against Eratosthenes and Against Simon. We will also be learning to use textual commentaries and to understand authorial syntax and style. In addition, we will read other law court speeches as a matter of comparison and secondary scholarship about Lysias in order to situate Lysias within the larger context of Athenian law. Usually offered every year.

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.

GRK 115b Ancient Greek Drama and Comedy
[ 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.

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.

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.

HUM 10a The Western Canon
[ hum ]

May not be taken by students who have taken NEJS 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.

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.

LAT 115a Roman Drama
[ fl hum ]

Prerequisite: LAT 30a or equivalent.

Selected plays of Plautus and Terence, in Latin. Usually offered every fourth year.
Staff

LAT 118a Latin Lyric and Elegiac Poetry
[ fl hum ]

Prerequisite: LAT 30a or equivalent.

Selections from Catullus, Horace, Propertius, Tibullus, and Ovid, in Latin. Usually offered every third year.

LAT 119b Ovid
[ fl hum ]

Prerequisite: LAT 30a or equivalent.

Selections from Ovid's mythological-poetic history of the universe, in Latin. Usually offered every fourth year.

LAT 120a Vergil
[ fl hum ]

Prerequisite: LAT 30a or equivalent.

Selections from Vergil's Eclogues, Georgics, and the Aeneid in Latin. Usually offered every third year.

LAT 121b Roman Historians
[ fl hum ]

Prerequisite: LAT 30a or the equivalent.

Explores the writing of history in ancient Roman. Readings are drawn from a range of Roman historians including but not limited to Livy, Caesar, Tacitus, and Sallust. Usually offered every third year.

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.

NEJS 30a Reading the New Testament: Origins and Communities of Faith
[ hum ]

Open to all students.

Introduces the New Testament, its authors, and early Christian communities. The course examines the development of the New Testament in a broader Jewish and Roman context and how communities selected both canonical and non-canonical texts for shaping Christian life. Focus on decolonizing scholarship and scholars of the New Testament with attention to migration, empire, authority, race, ethnicity, gender, personhood, and reading communities within a historical framework. Usually offered every second year.

NEJS 130b Denial and Desires: Gender and Sexuality in Early Christianity
[ hum wi ]

Formerly offered as NEJS 218a.

Investigates how Christians (1st-4th C.) contested and reshaped attitudes toward the family gender expectations (for nonbinary persons, men, and women), sexuality, and aging in cities, the countryside, and in monasteries. Readings include the New Testament, early Christian literature, and modern studies regarding the body, sexuality, and theological frameworks for defining how to maintain the Christian body. Usually offered every fourth year.
Darlene Brooks Hedstrom

PHIL 161a Plato
[ hum ]

An introduction to Plato's thought through an intensive reading of several major dialogues. Usually offered every second year.

PHIL 162b Aristotle
[ hum ]

An introduction to Aristotle's philosophy through an intensive reading of selected texts. Usually offered every second year.

CLAS HAC Culture