Classical Traditions Initiative
The Classical Traditions Initiative at Northwestern (CTI) is a forum for the discussion of the cultures of classical antiquity and their reception in medieval through contemporary Western culture.
CTI is comprised of a cluster of faculty and graduate students in a variety of Northwestern departments (our affiliates include members of the departments of classics, philosophy, art history, history, religion, theater, English, political science, and comparative literature).
We sponsor programming and courses designed to examine the importance of classical studies today and to place classical sources in a relationship of fruitful, reciprocal, and provocative tension with later, indeed contemporary, creative appropriations of elements of Greek and Roman antiquity. Programming includes Mellon Workshops in Classical Traditions at the Kaplan Institute for the Humanities, visiting lecturers, undergraduate and graduate curriculum development, and Greek and Latin reading groups.
In March 2006, we hosted a Teagle Forum in Liberal Education entitled Classical Antiquity and American Popular Culture. Click here to go to the Teagle Foundation website where you will find a podcast of our event featuring Daniel Mendelsohn, Danielle Allen, and Kirk Ormand.
Also in 2006-07, we offered a series of events related to the interpretation of Aeschylus' Persians featuring Daniel Mendelsohn, Rush Rehm, Edith Hall, and Robert Auletta as well as several NU faculty members (see Events Archive).
In 2007-08, we hosted events on Plato's Symposium: its historical context, importance in the interpretation of Plato's moral psychology, and afterlife in Western literature and art (see Events Archive).
CTI also coordinates opportunities for graduate students in various fields to include training in classical studies, reception studies, and ancient languages in their programs of study. Students are encouraged to participate in these activities via The Graduate School's Interdisciplinary Cluster Initiative.
Please note that, as of Friday, September 21, 2007, graduate students interested to take a Classics (or any other department's) CTI course/s, may override the "career restriction" notification on CAESAR by obtaining a permission number from the department offering the course. An Add/Drop slip is no longer required.
We also support efforts to design innovative curriculum development for undergraduates, including the new Classical Studies Minor.
We sponsor extensive programming. For more information, please contact Linda Koops, Classics Department and CTI Assistant.
