CLA 101-7 College Seminar: American Classics: Ancient Greece and Rome in Modern Culture and Film
In this course we will examine, and learn how to write about, the role of Ancient Greece and Rome in American film and culture. Preliminary steps in this study will involve introductions to various historic eras of the ancient Greco-Roman world as well as important elements of ancient culture. Our emphasis will, however, not be analysis of antiquity itself but rather of recent American engagement with that antiquity, particularly in film. We will examine not just how antiquity perseveres in American culture, but how popular art creatively and critically engages with inherited Classical traditions. We will also consider engagement with Classical antiquity in some non-cinematic media as well, such as the graphic novel and even the architecture of the city of Chicago.
In addition to the scholarly elements of this course, it will also serve as an introduction to college life itself. We will learn about specific resources on campus that exist to enable student success as well as discuss student well-being and personal success strategies. Your instructor will be your academic advisor this term and this will incorporate advising related activities to help students succeed not only in this class but at the university generally.
CLA 260 Classical Mythology: Gods and Heroes of Greek Myths
Drawing on a vast repertoire of god and hero names, narrative motifs, and plots, ancient Greek storytellers developed myths that circulated through antiquity in various media and continue to inspire creative artists—from novel writers through theater performers to ad designers—today. This course offers an introduction to major figures and plots from Greek myths. In the first part of the term, we will study various incarnations of major Greek gods across time, space, and storytelling genres. In the second part of the course, we will focus on stories related to the Trojan War and its aftermath as narrated in the two epic poems transmitted under the name of Homer, the Iliad and the Odyssey, and in Athenian tragedy.
CLA 310 Archaeology of the Ancient Mediterranean: The Archaeology of Athens
Athens was a renowned center of politics, art, religion, and culture throughout antiquity, and even today many of the ancient city’s archaeological features remain as prominent landmarks. This course will examine the topography, archeology, and history of Athens from the Late Bronze Age to the Roman period. In particular, the course will explore how ancient Athenian notions of identity, nationalism, and aesthetics were formed, perpetuated, and challenged through the city’s rich material footprint and urban development. We will ask questions including: How did the religious, political, and social topographies of the city interact with one another? How did certain spaces develop over time to suit the city’s changing needs? How were canons of aesthetics formed and integrated into the city-state’s fabric? In this course, we will also survey Athenian funerary and festival practices, discuss cultural institutions like the theater and the gymnasium, and examine how Athenian gender norms were reflected in material culture. Finally, we will discuss the benefits and limitations of material culture as evidence and how Euro-American receptions of Athens have shaped the field of Classics (the issue of Atheno-centrism).
Ancient Rome is visible in Chicago—walk the city and learn to “read” the streets, buildings, and monuments that showcase Chicago’s engagement with the classical past! You’ll gain digital mapping and video editing skills as you collaborate on a virtual walking tour mapping Chicago’s ongoing dialogue with antiquity. With a combination of experiential learning and rigorous research methodologies, you’ll explore architecture, history, visual arts, and urban topography in this quintessential modern American city.
GREEK 201-1 Introduction to Greek Literature: New Testament
This first course of the second-year Greek series is designed to build fluency and proficiency in reading ancient Greek through the introduction of students to works of Greek literature. This course will introduce students to the Greek New Testament, particularly the Gospel of Mark, the oldest and shortest of the Gospels. We will read Mark nearly in its entirety as we review the grammar, vocabulary, and morphology learned in first-year Greek. Additionally, we will read selections from other New Testament texts and apocrypha as we investigate how this unique genre functions.
GREEK 301 Readings in Greek Literature: Prometheus Bound: Theology and Technology in Fifth-Century BCE Athens
As our 21st-century human lives become increasingly enmeshed with technology, Prometheus Bound, performed in Athens about 2,500 years ago, offers a defamiliarizing lens to reflect on the role of artefacts in human societies. The tragedy dramatizes the conflict between Zeus, newly installed ruler of the gods, and the Titan Prometheus, dispenser of fire and inventor of all human techniques. As Prometheus gets brutally bound to a rock at the edges of the world, then gradually imagines a way to negotiate his freedom, _Prometheus Bound_ offers “one of the greatest plays about tyranny and oppression that the theater knows” (R. Rehm), as well as a study in empathy, and a demonstration of the powers of human language and intellect. Its original production would have amounted to a spectacular performance, complete with a flying entry by the river Oceanus, a virtuoso piece of solo dancing by the cow-maiden Io, and a terrifying earthquake. We will read most of the tragedy in Greek and discuss its significance in its original fifth-century BCE context, when architects, sculptors, potters, and doctors came to play an increasingly important cultural and social role in Athens.
Latin 101-1 is the first quarter of the year-long Elementary Latin sequence designed to introduce students to the basic principles of classical Latin grammar and syntax. In addition to the mastering of these basic tools, the course will focus on vocabulary acquisition and the development of translation skills and reading competency necessary to read, understand, and translate simple passages in both adapted and unadapted Latin. In addition to the exercises and readings included in the textbooks, students will see and read Latin as it appeared on ancient monuments, walls, coins, and everyday objects. By uniting the study of language and culture, this course provides unique insight into the daily life of the people who spoke Latin in the Roman world.
LATIN 201-1 Introduction to Latin Literature: Cicero's Pro Caelio
This first course of the second-year Latin series is designed to build fluency and proficiency in reading Latin through the introduction of students to major works of Latin literature. In this course, students will be introduced to the work of Marcus Tullius Cicero, who, in the late Republic, emerged as Rome’s most skilled public speaker. Students will read one of Cicero’s most famous speeches, Pro Caelio, in which Cicero defends the aristocratic Marcus Caelius Rufus, notably by attacking the (allegedly) debauched lifestyle and reliability of Caelius’ former lover Clodia. Time in class will be spent reading the Latin text and reviewing essential points of grammar and syntax, as well as discussions that will deepen students’ appreciation of Roman oratory, Cicero’s style, and the political and social context of the late Roman Republic.
LATIN 310 Readings in Latin Literature: The Young Achilles
Who was Achilles before his wrath took hold in Troy? At the end of the first century CE, the epic poet Statius set out to tell us, along with the whole story of Achilles' life. His Achilles harasses centaurs in Thessaly, has a rocky relationship with his parents, and passes as a maiden to avoid joining the war. Cut short by the poet's death, the poem leaves us to wonder how this Achilles could ever have become the Achilles of the Iliad. A mere book and a quarter and long neglected in scholarship, the Achilleid offers an opportunity for students to read the entire poem and develop real mastery over its contents and landmark secondary scholarship. In terms of language pedagogy, the class will focus on building reading comprehension and vocabulary recall.
