Classical Languages (CLAS)
Courses in the Department of Classical Languages cover numerous aspects of the ancient Greco-Roman world. While the majority of our courses focus on the study of Greek and Latin literary, historical, and philosophical texts, many also incorporate evidence from material remains such as art, architecture, archaeological remains of daily life, as well as public and private inscriptions. Courses in the languages (Latin and Greek) are designed to provide students with a thorough introduction to the language and literature of ancient Greece and Rome. Courses taught entirely with readings in English (Classics courses) include those centered around literary genres, Greek and Roman history, and topics such as gender and archaeology. Classics 110, Introduction to Classical Studies, provides an in-depth study of Periclean Athens and Early Imperial Rome and is required for the major. Completion of the Greek and Latin sequences, 101, 102, 103, and 204, fulfills the college language requirement.
Requirements for the Major
Classical majors choose one of four tracks:
Classical Studies: This track is intended for students who want a broad introduction to classical civilization. Students anticipating further work in classics should supplement the requirements of this track with more courses in the ancient languages. Requirements: 30 credits of work in Greek and/or Latin, 24 credits of course work beyond the 102 level in the student’s principal language, whether Greek or Latin; six further credits of language courses, either at the upper level of the principal language or at the elementary level in the other language; 36 additional credits in the general area of classical civilization, including Classics 110, 227 and 228. Further courses in the languages may be included in this group. Students must choose a particular focus within the general area of classical civilization and shape their program around it. Normally this will involve a concentration on either Greek or Roman civilization with work in the appropriate language.
Greek: This track is intended for students who want a thorough introduction to the language and literature of Greece; students who intend to go on to graduate work in classics will need to take more work in Latin than this track requires. Requirements: 36 credits in Greek beyond Greek 102. In addition, students must take 30 additional credits in the general area of classical civilization including Classics 110 and 227. Further courses in Greek beyond 102 or Latin at any level may count toward this requirement.
Latin: This track is intended for students who want a thorough introduction to the language and literature of Rome; students who intend to do graduate work in classics will need to take more work in Greek than this major requires. Requirements: 36 credits in Latin beyond Latin 102. In addition, students must take 30 additional credits in the general area of classical civilization including Classics 110 and 228. Further courses in Latin beyond 102 and Greek at any level may count toward this requirement.
Classical Languages: This track is intended for students who plan to pursue graduate work in classics or who want a thorough introduction to the language and literature of both Greece and Rome. Requirements: 30 credits in Latin beyond Latin 102, plus 24 credits in Greek beyond Greek 102; or 30 credits in Greek beyond Greek 102, plus 24 credits in Latin beyond Latin 102. In addition, students must take the following in-translation courses: Classics 110 and either 227 or 228, depending on the language emphasized.
Majors from all four tracks must submit the junior skills portfolio in their junior year, and take Classics 394 and Classics 400 in their senior year.
The College language requirement may be satisfied by completion with a grade of at least C- in any of the Greek or Latin languages numbered 204 or above.
The Classics Departments of Carleton College and St. Olaf College cooperate in a program under which students of either college may elect certain courses on the other campus. This option is especially appropriate for upper level language courses not offered at Carleton. Carleton students should register for St. Olaf courses through the inter-registration process.
The Concentration in Archaeology will interest many students who are attracted to ancient civilization.
Certificate of Advanced Study in Foreign Language and Literature or Foreign Language and Area Studies: In order to receive the Certificate of Advanced Study in Classical Languages students must fulfill the general requirements (refer to Academic Regulations) in the following course distribution: six courses, of which at least three will be in the target language at the 200 level or above. Courses remaining may be from the Classics department or from a list of approved courses offered by other departments (philosophy, art, history, political science, etc.) Although courses for the certificate may be taken on a S/CR/NC basis "D" or "CR" level work will not be sufficient to satisfy course requirements.
Classics Courses (CLAS)
(These courses do not presume knowledge of Greek or Latin)
CLAS 100. Killing Socrates Socrates is revered as the fountainhead for much of Western philosophical thought, so why did a jury of 500 Athenian citizens condemn him to death in 399 BCE? While we tend to think of Socrates strictly as a philosopher, this course will focus more on the type of man he was, and the problems he presented to the city of Athens in the late fifth century. In short, we'll be doing some critical thinking about one of the world's great critical thinkers. Readings from Greek drama, history and philosophy. 6 cr., AI, WR1, Fall—C. Hardy
CLAS 110. Introduction to Classical Studies This course will examine in depth the two most content-rich focal points of Classical antiquity--Periclean Athens and Early Imperial Rome--since they provide a context for so much of what Classics is about and, just as important, what different ages have imagined antiquity to be about. The course will cover Athens and Rome in roughly equal units, providing different perspectives on the material from the variety of approaches that currently make up the study of the Classics: history, archaeology, anthropology, gender studies, literary criticism, philology, religious studies, etc. 6 cr., HU, WR; HI, WR2, Not offered in 2013-2014.
CLAS 111. Classical Mythology Myth was an integral component of thought, both individual and societal, in the ancient cultures of Greece and Rome. We will study a selection of the most famous Classical myths through close reading of Homer, the Greek tragedians, Ovid and other ancient sources. In addition we'll discuss the most prominent of modern modes of myth interpretation, in an attempt to determine how myth speaks -- both to the ancient world and to us. 6 cr., AL; LA, Not offered in 2013-2014.
CLAS 112. The Epic in Classical Antiquity An introduction to the genre of epic poetry from Classical Antiquity. Students will read in translation examples from the Greek, Hellenistic, and Roman traditions in order to trace the development of the major features and themes of this genre and to understand the considerable influence this genre has exerted both during antiquity and thereafter. Authors will include Homer, Apollonius, Virgil, and Lucan. 6 cr., AL, WR; LA, WR2, Fall—C. Zimmerman
CLAS 116. Ancient Drama: Truth in Performance The tragic and comic stage offered the Greeks and Romans a public arena for addressing in an engaging way such fundamental topics as love, family, justice, and the divine. Although the written word has fortunately preserved for us many ancient plays, the proper media for their communication remains, as their authors intended, the stage, the voice, and the body. This course will therefore address a variety of ancient tragedies and comedies with special attention, not only to their themes, but to the manner of their staging and performance. 6 cr., AL; ARP, Not offered in 2013-2014.
CLAS 119. Pompeii and the Cities of Vesuvius Pompeii and the other cities destroyed by Vesuvius are very different from other archaeological sites in terms of their destruction, excavation and preservation. This course aims to introduce students to the wealth of evidence from Pompeii that can be used to examine Roman urban life, but also to make them aware of the problems that affect our knowledge and interpretation of this evidence. Topics will include: the eruption of Vesuvius; history and urban development; architecture; domestic and public life; neighborhoods and villas; graffiti; entertainment; death and burial. We will also look at current conservation issues that affect the archaeological remains. 6 cr., HU; HI, IS, Not offered in 2013-2014.
CLAS 121. Greek Art and Archaeology This course provides a survey of the art, architecture, and archaeology of the ancient Greek world, as well as an introduction to archaeological methods. The evolution and development of Greek material culture will be tracked chronologically from Prehistory to the Hellenistic Age. Major monuments and the minor arts will be examined from sites such as Mycenae, Knossos, Athens, Delphi, and Olympia. The goal of this course is to equip students with the analytical skills necessary to interpret material culture and learn how to use archaeological remains to reconstruct various aspects of culture and society. 6 cr., WR; HI, WR2, Offered in alternate years. Winter—D. Moore
CLAS 125. Love, Death and Destiny: The Ancient Novel The novel is an unfamiliar but delightful area of Greek and Roman literature, with its heyday in the Roman empire of the second century AD. We will study most of the nine Greek ones, which are romantic short novels about ill-fated lovers and their wild, world-wide adventures. We will also read the two Latin ones, Petronius' Satyricon and Apuleius' Metamorphoses, or Golden Ass, which are rich both in satire and an important spiritual dimension. No prerequisites. Read in English. 6 cr., AL; LA, Not offered in 2013-2014.
CLAS 127. Ancient Technology Technology--humanity's efforts to manipulate its physical environment--stands as a central concern of the modern world. This course examines the technology of the ancient world and investigates its integral relationship to other facets of human activity. Theories of technological change will be explored initially in order to develop a socially-informed understanding of technology. In the second part, students will investigate specific ancient technologies using archaeological and textual evidence and present their findings to the class. The goal of this course is to understand technology as a social phenomenon in both the ancient and modern worlds. 6 cr., HI, QRE, Spring—D. Moore
CLAS 173. Sport and Daily Life This course is an exploration of life, death, and entertainment in the ancient world, particularly in Rome. We will focus especially on how and why people take part in sporting events and on how sport intersected with gender, social class, and economic concerns in the ancient world. Topics include the history of sport, slavery and marginal groups, demography, gladiatorial and combat events, and entertainment and politics. Our primary focus in lecture and discussion will be interpretation of a variety of ancient sources, but we will also evaluate modern views of ancient entertainment. 6 cr., HI, IS, QRE, Fall—K. Steed
CLAS 214. Gender and Sexuality in Classical Antiquity In both ancient Greece and Rome, gender (along with class and citizenship status) largely determined what people did, where they spent their time, and how they related to others. This course will examine the ways in which Greek and Roman societies defined gender categories, and how they used them to think about larger social, political, and religious issues. Primary readings from Greek and Roman epic, lyric, and drama, as well as ancient historical, philosophical, and medical writers; in addition we will explore a range of secondary work on the topic from the perspectives of Classics and Gender Studies. 6 cr., WR; HI, WR2, IS, Spring—C. Hardy
CLAS 222. Nature and the Environment in the Ancient World As moderns, we often think of Nature as an ancient concept. But how old is our idea of the Natural exactly, and what did people think about the environment before the advent of environmentalism, Romanticism, and Christianity as prevailing modes of Western thought? This course will explore how Greeks and Romans conceived of and engaged with their natural environment(s), with special attention to the ways in which ancient ideas differ from modern ones. Using textual and material sources, we will examine ancient attitudes towards nature and the environment through literature, philosophy, religion, politics, science, etc. 6 cr., HU, WR, RAD; HI, WR2, IS, QRE, Not offered in 2013-2014.
CLAS 227. Greek History: Greek World From the Rise of the City-State to the Rise of the Hellenistic Kingdom A survey of the civilization of the ancient Greeks, emphasizing the evolution of the city-state as a cohesive social, political, and economic organism. The development of the city-state as a response to the physical environment of Greece will form a component of this study, as will a discussion of the historical method: how do we use the few surviving archaeological remains and little written evidence to reconstruct the history of these people and their institutions? The period covered in depth will run from the beginning of the city-state ca. 750 BC to the conquests of Alexander the Great (336-323 BC) and the legacy of international monarchies that followed. 6 cr., HU, WR; HI, WR2, IS, Winter—K. Steed
CLAS 228. The Roman Republic Introduction to Rome's political and social history from the Etruscan period to the end of the Republic. Topics include Roman political culture, the acquisition of empire, the role of the army, the psychology of Rome, and interpretation of historical evidence. Based largely on primary source readings. 6 cr., HU, WR, RAD; HI, WR2, IS, Not offered in 2013-2014.
CLAS 230. Greeks Go Global: The Hellenistic World This course examines the transformation of the Greek world from the classical city-state to the multicultural Hellenistic monarchy. The first part of the course examines the developments of the fourth century BCE, including classical philosophy, politics, and art; the rise of Macedon; Alexander the Great; and the wars of Alexander's successors. The second part explores the philosophical, cultural, and scientific world of Ptolemaic Egypt. The course focuses throughout on how the Greeks came to grips with a rapidly changing world in which the individual was subordinated to the absolute and impersonal power of kings. 6 cr., HU; HI, IS, QRE, Not offered in 2013-2014.
CLAS 231. The Roman Principate This class is an introduction to the history of Rome from the accession of the first Roman emperor Augustus in 31 BCE to the death of Severus Alexander in 235 CE. It examines the political and military events of the period (including the reigns of individual emperors like Augustus, Nero and Hadrian), as well as themes such as the nature of imperial power and the image of the emperor, social and economic structures, the nature and administration of empire and the relationship between central power and local cultures. Based largely on primary source readings and appropriate visual/material evidence. 6 cr., HU; HI, IS, Not offered in 2013-2014.
CLAS 251. Translation Theory and Practice We live in a world permeated by different languages at every level--from literary texts to multilingual instruction manuals, from newspapers and books to songs and films--and we all translate every day, whether we know it or not. This course aims to examine major issues related to translation, including its history, theory, and practice, as well as what ideological and ethical concerns translation poses today. We will also explore translation's relationship to issues of literature, religion, culture, race and ethnicity, and sex and gender. Prerequisite: Competence in any language other than English beyond four terms of study, or permission of the instructor. 6 cr., HU, WR, RAD; HI, WR2, IS, Not offered in 2013-2014.
CLAS 394. Senior Seminar As part of their senior capstone experience, majors in the classics department will formulate a call for papers developing the current year's theme for a colloquium, and following standard guidelines of the field produce proposals ("abstracts") for their own papers to be presented in the winter term. 3 cr., ND; NE, Fall—C. Zimmerman
CLAS 400. Senior Symposium From proposals ("abstracts") developed in Classics 394, departmental majors will compose a twenty minute presentation to be delivered at a symposium on the model of professional conferences. The talks will then be revised into articles to be submitted to a journal of professional style, accepted and edited by the group into a presentable volume. Prerequisite: Classics 394. 3 cr., S/NC, ND, Winter—C. Zimmerman
Greek Courses (GRK)
(These courses all involve acquiring or using ancient Greek)
GRK 101. Elementary Greek Study of essential forms and grammar, with reading of connected passages. 6 cr., ND; NE, Winter—R. Hardy
GRK 102. Intermediate Greek Study of essential forms and grammar, with reading of original, unadapted passages. Prerequisite: Greek 101 with a grade of at least C-. 6 cr., ND; NE, Spring—C. Zimmerman
GRK 103. Greek Prose Selected prose readings. The course will emphasize review of grammar and include Greek composition. Prerequisite: Greek 102 with a grade of at least C-. 6 cr., ND; NE, Fall—D. Moore
GRK 204. Greek Poetry Selected readings from Homer (in odd-numbered years) or Greek Tragedy (in even-numbered years). Prerequisite: Greek 103 with a grade of at least C-. 6 cr., ND; NE, Winter—K. Steed
GRK 233. Longus' Daphnis and Chloe Readings of selected portions of the novel in Greek and the entire text in translation. Prerequisite: Greek 204 or equivalent. 6 cr., AL; LA, Not offered in 2013-2014.
GRK 240. Xenophon's Oeconomicus Xenophon's Oeconomicus is a fascinating text preserving valuable primary evidence on Classical Athenian attitudes toward gender, household management, marital relations, slavery, urban and rural domestic life, and household religion among many other topics. We will read selections of the Greek and the whole in English, as well as some of the very interesting secondary literature--from Foucault to Leo Strauss--in this unique work. Prerequisite: Greek 204 or the equivalent. 6 cr., AL; LA, IS, Not offered in 2013-2014.
GRK 245. Herodotus's Histories In this course we will read and examine selections from Herodotus's Histories in Greek, as well as the whole of the work in English. We will explore questions about historiography, culture, ethnicity, ancient warfare, contact between Greece and Persia, among other issues. Prerequisite: Greek 204 or the equivalent. 6 cr., AL, WR; LA, WR2, Not offered in 2013-2014.
GRK 248. Ancient Greek Composition Practice in composing Greek prose. Prerequisite: Greek 103 or any higher-level Greek course. 3 cr., AL; NE, Not offered in 2013-2014.
GRK 304. Greek Tragedy for Advanced Students Intensive study of one play in the original and the remaining plays in translation. Offered simultaneously with Greek 204, with additional assignments for the advanced students. Prerequisite: Greek 204. 6 cr., AL; LA, Winter—K. Steed
GRK 305. Homer Intensive study of selections from Homer's Iliad or Odyssey. Offered simultaneously with Greek 204, with additional assignments for the advanced students. Prerequisite: Greek 204 or the equivalent. 6 cr., AL; LA, Offered in alternate years. Not offered in 2013-2014.
GRK 351. Aristophanes Intensive study of one or two plays in the original and of the remaining plays in translation. 6 cr., AL; LA, Spring—D. Moore
GRK 352. Thucydides Study in the original of selections from Thucydides Peloponesian War and in translation of the entire work. Prerequisite: Greek 204. 6 cr., AL; HI, Not offered in 2013-2014.
Latin Courses (LATN)
(These courses all involve acquiring or using Latin)
LATN 101. Elementary Latin Study of essential forms and grammar. This course should be elected by all students who have taken less than two years of secondary school Latin or who have not studied the subject for two or more years before entering college. 6 cr., ND; NE, Fall—R. Hardy
LATN 102. Intermediate Latin Continuation of essential forms and grammar. Prerequisite: Latin 101 with a grade of at least C-; or placement by examination during New Student Week. 6 cr., ND; NE, Winter—C. Hardy
LATN 103. Introduction to Latin Prose and Poetry The course is designed to help students make the transition from the discrete rules of morphology and syntax to the integrated reading of extended passages of Latin prose and poetry with fluency and understanding. The first half of the course will focus on the consolidation of grammar through a systematic review of morphology and syntax based on compositional exercises keyed to passages of medieval Latin and Cicero. The second half will equip students with the basic skills needed to engage ancient Latin poetry, including meter, genre, rhetorical devices and poetic tropes, as encountered in selections from Ovid's mythological epic, Metamorphoses. Prerequisite: Latin 102 or placement. 6 cr., NE, Spring—C. Zimmerman
LATN 204. Latin Prose Review of essential forms and grammar, with introduction to Latin prose through the study of medieval texts, Cicero and elementary Latin prose composition. Prerequisite: Latin 103 with a grade of at least C-. Completes the college foreign language requirement. 6 cr., ND; NE, Fall—D. Moore
LATN 233. Catiline In this course we will explore the life, career, and defeat of L. Sergius Catilina as portrayed in Sallust's Catiline and Cicero's Catilinarian Orations. We will supplement our Latin with reading in translation and secondary articles. Prerequisite: Latin 204 or equivalent. 6 cr., LA, Fall—K. Steed
LATN 242. Apuleius, Selections from the Golden Ass in the original as well as reading the entire work in English translation. Prerequisite: Latin 204. 6 cr., AL; LA, Not offered in 2013-2014.
LATN 243. Medieval Latin Reading from representative works of prose and poetry, and from the Roman liturgy. . Prerequisite: Latin 204 or equivalent; students with a strong high school background of three-four years may also register upon taking the Latin placement exam. 6 cr., AL; LA, Not offered in 2013-2014.
LATN 245. Cicero Representative readings, in Latin, across the range of Cicero's literary activity, including oratory, philosophy, criticism, and correspondence. Prerequisite: Latin 204 or equivalent. 6 cr., AL; HI, Not offered in 2013-2014.
LATN 248. Latin Composition Practice in composing Latin prose. 3 cr., AL; NE, Not offered in 2013-2014.
LATN 253. Seneca the Younger Seneca the Younger was a key figure in the reigns of the Roman Emperors, Claudius and Nero. He was a prolific writer and a major force in shaping the moral philosophy of the later Roman world. This course will examine Seneca's thought and lively writing style by reading samples from a broad selection of his prose works (philosophical essays and letters) as well as his tragedies. There will be a short paper (six-eight pages) in addition to other assignments designed to familiarize students with some of the research tools and practices of the discipline. Prerequisite: Latin 204 or the equivalent. 6 cr., AL; LA, Not offered in 2013-2014.
LATN 255. Tacitus A survey of the works of the Roman Silver Age historian and rhetorician Gaius Cornelius Tacitus, reading Latin excerpts and selections in English translation. Prerequisite: Latin 204 or the equivalent. 6 cr., AL; HI, Not offered in 2013-2014.
LATN 257. Caesar, Lucan, and Civil War This course will examine narratives of the early stages of the Roman Civil War through contemporary prose accounts of Caesar and Cicero and the poet Lucan's Neronian epic on the Civil War. Topics will include manipulation of public opinion and memory, historical reconstruction through text, the relationship between prose history and historical epic, and the literal and metaphorical dissolution of Rome through civil war, as well as stylistic and philosophical concerns specific to each author. Prerequisite: Latin 204 or the equivalent. 6 cr., HU; HI, IS, Not offered in 2013-2014.
LATN 258. Seminar: Horace Selection from Horace's Odes, Epodes, Satires and Epistles in Latin and the remaining works in translation. Prerequisite: Latin 204 or the equivalent. 6 cr., AL; LA, Winter—C. Zimmerman
LATN 259. Seminar: Vergil Intensive study of selections from Vergil. Offered simultaneously with Latin 359 without the supplemental assignments for advanced students. Prerequisite: Latin 204 or the equivalent. 6 cr., AL, WR; LA, WR2, Not offered in 2013-2014.
LATN 345. Roman Comedy Selected readings in the original from Plautus and/or Terence; study in translation of both Roman Comedy and its predecessor Greek New Comedy. 6 cr., AL; LA, Not offered in 2013-2014.
LATN 347. Latin Love Poetry Reading the poetry of Catullus, Tibullus, Propertius, and Ovid in Latin, we will explore how different poets conceived of love by embracing or rejecting cultural, societal, and political expectations in first century BCE Rome. We will examine how Greek literature and thought influenced Roman ideas about love, as well as how Latin authors shaped the course of love poetry and songs in the West. We will also consider a range of topics related to love in antiquity, including sexuality, gender, courtship rituals, marriage, and children. Prerequisite: Latin 204 or the equivalent. 6 cr., AL; LA, Not offered in 2013-2014.
LATN 349. Ovid's Fasti Reading Ovid's Fasti--a poem about the origins, practice, and significance of ancient holidays--we will explore how Romans approached ideas of sacred time and space, both conceptually and practically. We will consider a variety of related issues, including ancient religion, calendars, etymology, and origin stories. We will also examine how issues of sex and gender, public and private worship, politics, propaganda, and competing ideologies are reflected and challenged in the process of creating and explaining holiday and festival occasions. Supplemental readings in Catullus, Vergil, Livy, and other of Ovid's poems. Prerequisite: Latin 204 or the equivalent. 6 cr., AL, WR; LA, WR2, Not offered in 2013-2014.
LATN 359. Vergil Intensive study of selections from Vergil. Offered simultaneously with Latin 259, with additional assignments for the advanced students. Prerequisite: Latin 204 or the equivalent. 6 cr., AL, WR; LA, WR2, Not offered in 2013-2014.