Classical Studies

Director of Undergraduate Studies: To be announced
Departmental Secretary: Kathleen M. Fox, Cl 22B, 702-8514

E-mail: classics-department@uchicago.edu

Program of Study

The Bachelor of Arts program in classical studies offers the opportunity to gain competence in Greek and Latin and provides a broad introduction to the culture of the Greeks and Romans: their philosophy, religion, history, politics, and art, and especially their literature. The curriculum is flexible and interdisciplinary. It serves the needs both of students who want a broad general knowledge of classical culture and of those who wish to pursue the study of classics at the graduate level.

Program Requirements

Candidates for the B.A. in classical studies may choose to concentrate either in Greek or in Latin, to the exclusion of the other language, or they may choose to concentrate in one language and minor in the other. The program assumes that students begin their language study in college. However, those who have a strong high school background in either Latin or Greek can gain admission to intermediate-level courses by achieving a satisfactory grade on the placement examination.

Undergraduates who intend to continue classical studies at the graduate level are advised to satisfy the course requirements under the preprofessional variant described below.

Course Requirements. The course requirements for the concentration are as follows:

1. Nine courses in Greek or Latin, of which at least six must be taken in the same language. This requirement is satisfied by taking Greek and Latin courses numbered 101 to 206 and 211 to 290. The first three courses in Greek (Greek 101 to 103 or Greek 111 to 113) or the first four courses in Latin (Latin 101 to 204 or Latin 111 to 204) fulfill the Common Core foreign language requirement. Any course for which a student has received placement credit may be counted toward the nine courses required.

2. Three courses in Greek or Roman history, philosophy, science, religion, or art, with courses divided between at least two fields, and with approval of the director of undergraduate studies. Courses that carry a classical civilization listing between Classical Civilization 201 and 259 satisfy this requirement, as do several courses offered in the areas of art history, philosophy, political science, or the like. These courses should be chosen in consultation with the director of undergraduate studies. Courses in ancient history, philosophy, science, religion, or art may be substituted with permission.

3. Three departmental courses based on the study of classical literature in translation. The purpose of this requirement is to encourage wider reading and more active reflection about classical literature than usually occurs in Greek and Latin language courses, and to help stimulate thinking about possible subjects for a bachelor's paper. Courses that satisfy this requirement are Classical Civilization 260 to 295. Courses that are comparable to those listed (but not more than one reading course) may be substituted with the permission of the director of undergraduate studies.

4. An independent study course (Classical Civilization 299) on the subject of the bachelor's paper. This course is to be taken at least one quarter before the quarter in which the student expects to graduate.

No course that is used to satisfy a requirement under one of these categories may be used simultaneously to satisfy a requirement under any other.

Summary of Requirements

Concentration

5-6	courses in Latin or 6 courses in Greek
3	courses in Greek or Roman history, philosophy, science, religion, or art
3	departmental courses on classical literature in translation (see above description for distribution requirements)
1	ClCiv 299 (bachelor's paper)
12-13

The Preprofessional Variant. College students who intend to continue classical studies at the graduate level are advised to elect a program that gives them greater linguistic proficiency and a grounding in both classical languages. In the preprofessional variant, six language courses are added to the basic requirements and two other courses are subtracted. The courses required in this variant are:

1. Nine courses in one classical language (either Greek or Latin), and six courses in the other.

2. Two courses in Greek or Roman history, philosophy, science, religion, or art.

3. Two departmental courses (Classical Civilization 260 to 295) based on the study of classical literature in translation.

4. An independent study course (Classical Civilization 299) on the subject of the bachelor's paper.

Except for the number of courses, the requirements within each category are the same as those set out in the preceding section.

Summary of Requirements
(Preprofessional Variant)

Concentration

11	courses in Latin and Greek
2	courses in Greek or Roman history, philosophy, science, religion, or art
2	departmental courses on classical literature in translation
1	ClCiv 299 (bachelor's paper
16

Bachelor's Paper. All candidates for the Bachelor of Arts degree in classical studies are required to write a bachelor's paper. By May 15 of the junior year, students must submit a proposal that states the topic of the bachelor's paper and is signed by the faculty member who has agreed to direct it. Students are expected to read on the topic of the bachelor's paper during the summer. In the autumn of the senior year, students are required to take an independent studies course supervised by the faculty director of the bachelor's paper. This course is devoted to research and the preparation of a draft of the bachelor's paper. As part of the course, students attend biweekly meetings with other seniors to discuss their work on the bachelor's paper. The grade for the independent studies course is based both on participation in the course and on the completed bachelor's paper. The bachelor's paper is due on May 1 of the senior year. Copies must be submitted to the faculty supervisor, a second reader, and the director of undergraduate studies.

Grading. The first-year sequences in Latin and Greek (Latin 101-102-103, and Latin 111-112-113, Greek 101-102-103, and Greek 111-112-113) and the courses in Greek and Latin composition are open for P/N grading for students not using these courses to meet the College or concentration language requirements. All courses taken to fulfill requirements in the concentration must be taken for letter grades.

Honors. To be recommended for an honors degree, a student must maintain an overall grade point average of 3.0 or better and must demonstrate superior ability in the bachelor's paper to interpret Greek or Latin source material and to develop a coherent argument. In order for a student to be recommended for honors, the bachelor's paper must be judged worthy of honors both by the faculty supervisor and the second reader.

The John G. Hawthorne Prize in Classical Studies. The John G. Hawthorne Prize in Classical Studies is a cash award made annually to the graduating senior with the best record of achievement in classical languages, literatures, or civilization. All students concentrating in classical studies are eligible for consideration, although nominations are not limited to concentrators in classical studies.

Faculty

DANIELLE S. ALLEN, Assistant Professor, Department of Classical Languages & Literatures and the College

MICHAEL I. ALLEN, Assistant Professor, Department of Classical Languages & Literatures and the College

ELIZABETH ASMIS, Professor, Departments of Classical Languages & Literatures and New Testament & Early Christian Literature, Committee on the Ancient Mediterranean World, and the College

HELMA DIK, Assistant Professor, Department of Classical Languages & Literatures and the College

CHRISTOPHER A. FARAONE, Associate Professor, Departments of Classical Languages & Literatures and New Testament & Early Christian Literature, Committee on the Ancient Mediterranean World, and the College

JONATHAN HALL, Assistant Professor, Departments of Classical Languages & Literatures and Department of History

NANCY PEARCE HELMBOLD, Professor Emerita, Departments of Classical Languages & Literatures and New Testament & Early Christian Literature, Committee on the Ancient Mediterranean World, and the College

JAMES M. REDFIELD, Howard L. Willett Professor of Classical Languages & Literatures, Committee on Social Thought, and the College; Chairman, Committee on the Ancient Mediterranean World

D. NICHOLAS RUDALL, Associate Professor, Department of Classical Languages & Literatures, Committees on the Ancient Mediterranean World and General Studies in the Humanities, and the College

RICHARD SALLER, Professor, Departments of Classical Languages & Literatures and History, Committee on the Ancient Mediterranean World, and the College; Dean, Division of Social Sciences

LAURA SLATKIN, Associate Professor, Department of Classical Languages & Literatures, Committee on the Ancient Mediterranean World, and the College

PETER WHITE, Professor, Departments of Classical Languages & Literatures and New Testament & Early Christian Literature, Committee on the Ancient Mediterranean World, and the College

DAVID WRAY, Associate Professor, Department of Classical Languages & Literatures and the College

Courses

Courses designated "Classical Civilization" do not require knowledge of Greek or Latin.

Classical Civilization

201/301. Athenian Democracy and Its Critics (=ClCiv 201, Class 301, PolSci 201/304). This course examines the workings of Athenian democracy and the criticisms lodged at that particular form of politics by the city's playwrights, orators, and philosophers. We look at institutional history, law court speeches, and tragedy to uncover the ways in which the Athenian democrats understood concepts crucial to their politics, such as equality, rhetoric, autonomy, anger, gender relations, slavery, and reciprocity. We also discuss texts that take positions critical of the democracy and/or critical of some of its conceptions of justice (e.g., Thucydides, Euripides, Aristophanes, Xenophon, and Plato). D. Allen. Winter.

207. The Ancient Mediterranean World I. ClCiv 207, along with ClCiv 208 and 209, fulfills the Common Core requirement in civilizational studies. This course surveys the social, economic, and political history of Greece, concentrating on the period from the Persian Wars (480 B.C.) to the death of Alexander the Great (323 B.C.). The main topics considered include the development of the institutions of the Greek city-state, the Persian Wars and the rivalry of Athens and Sparta, the social and economic consequences of the Peloponnesian War, and the eclipse and defeat of the city-states by the Macedonians and Romans. Students read ancient sources and selected modern views. Texts in English. Staff. Autumn.

208. The Ancient Mediterranean World II. ClCiv 208, along with ClCiv 207 and 209, fulfills the Common Core requirement in civilizational studies. The following themes in the history of the Roman Republic (509 to 27 B.C.) are considered: the evolution of Roman political institutions, Rome's conquest of the Mediterranean lands, the consequences of imperialism for Roman society and economy, and the "Roman revolution" and the fall of the republic. Students read ancient sources and selected modern views. Texts in English. Staff. Winter.

209. The Ancient Mediterranean World III. ClCiv 209, along with ClCiv 207 and 208, fulfills the common Core requirement in civilizational studies. This course covers the five centuries between the establishment of imperial autocracy in 27 B.C. and the fall of the Western empire in the fifth century after Christ. Themes include (1) the organization of imperial rule and administration; (2) the developing social, political, and administrative unity of the empire; (3) the victory of Christianity over the traditional state religion of the Romans; (4) the hierarchy of social rank and classes; and (5) the economic organization of the empire. R. Saller. Spring.

212/312. History and Theory of Drama I (=ClCiv 212/312, ComLit 305, Eng 138/310, GS Hum 242/342). PQ: May be taken in sequence with Eng 139/311 or individually. This course is a survey of major trends and theatrical accomplishments in Western drama from the ancient Greeks through the Renaissance: Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes, medieval religious drama, Marlowe, Shakespeare, and Jonson, along with some consideration of dramatic theory by Aristotle, Horace, Sir Philip Sidney, and Dryden. The course features optional but highly recommended end-of-week workshops in which individual scenes are read aloud dramatically and discussed. The goal is not to develop acting skill but, rather, to discover what is at work in the scene, and to write up that process in a somewhat informal report. Students have the option of writing essays or putting on short scenes in cooperation with some other members of the class. D. Bevington, N. Rudall. Autumn.

242. The Art of the Ancient World (=ArtH 195, ClCiv 242, NECiv 242). This course is intended to provide students with a basic introduction to a broad spectrum of the arts of the ancient world. Beginning with the art of the Neolithic Near East and ending with Late Antiquity, the course examines the art and architecture of cultures that include Sumerian, Assyrian, Egyptian, Minoan, Mycenaean, Greek, Etruscan, and Roman. C. Faraone, I. Rowland, K. Wilson. Spring.

245/345. The Child in Greek and Roman Religion. The child played a central role in many Greek and Roman cults, functioning as savior, initiate, oracular being, sacrificial victim, and heroic figure, whose death was celebrated with sacrifices and contests. Later developments include divine birth stories for kings and emperors and its use in the early Christian Church. We examine literary, epigraphical, and archaeological sources for the light they shed on the figure of the child. Texts in English. E. Gebhard, J. Redfield. Winter.

287/387. Greek Religion (=ClCiv 287, Class 387, GS Hum 294/394). This course surveys the history of Greek religion from Homer to the early Hellenistic period and includes inquiries into religious practices (such as animal sacrifice, divination, purifications, and burial rites) and beliefs about fundamental issues such as the proper relationship between the human and the divine, the creation of the cosmos, and the nature of human existence after death. Sources include literary texts and inscriptions as well as archaeological materials, especially Greek vase-painting. Texts in English. C. Faraone. Spring.

297. Reading Course. PQ: Consent of faculty sponsor and director of undergraduate studies. Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. Staff. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

299. Preparation for Bachelor's Paper. PQ: Consent of faculty sponsor and director of undergraduate studies. Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. In consultation with a faculty member, students devote an independent study course to preparing a bachelor's paper. The grade for this course is that of the bachelor's paper. Staff. Autumn, Winter.

Greek

101-102-103. Introduction to Attic Greek I, II, III. This course sequence covers the introductory Greek grammar in twenty-two weeks and is intended for students who have more complex schedules or believe that the slower pace allows them to better assimilate the material. Like Greek 111-112-113, this sequence prepares students to move into the second-year sequence (Greek 204-205-206) and fulfills the Common Core foreign language requirement.

101. Introduction to Attic Greek I. PQ: Knowledge of Greek not required. This course introduces students to the basic rules of ancient Greek. Class time is spent on the explanation of grammar, translation from Greek to English and from English to Greek, and discussion of student work. D. Allen. Autumn.

102. Introduction to Attic Greek II: Prose. PQ: Greek 101. The remaining chapters of the introductory Greek textbook are covered. Students apply and improve their understanding of Greek as selections from Xenophon are read. H. Dik. Winter.

103. Introduction to Attic Greek III: Prose. PQ: Greek 102. This course fulfills the Common Core foreign language requirement. Students apply the grammatical skills taught in Greek 101-102 by reading a continuous prose text by a classical author such as Lysias, Xenophon, or Plato. The aim is familiarity with Greek idiom and sentence structure. Staff. Spring.

111-112-113. Accelerated Introduction to Attic Greek I, II, III. This course sequence covers the introductory Greek grammar in fifteen weeks. Like Greek 101-102-103, this sequence prepares students to move into the second-year sequence (Greek 204-205-206) and fulfills the Common Core foreign language requirement.

111. Accelerated Introduction to Attic Greek I. PQ: Knowledge of Greek not required. This course introduces students to the basic rules of ancient Greek. Class time is spent on the explanation of grammar, translation from Greek to English and from English to Greek, and discussion of student work. Staff. Autumn.

112. Accelerated Introduction to Attic Greek II. PQ: Greek 111. The remaining chapters of the introductory textbook are covered. Students then apply and improve their knowledge of Greek as they read selections from Xenophon. Staff. Winter.

113. Accelerated Introduction to Attic Greek III. PQ: Greek 112. This course fulfills the Common Core foreign language requirement. Students apply the grammatical skills taught in Greek 111-112 by reading a continuous prose text by a classical author such as Lysias, Xenophon, or Plato. The aim is familiarity with Greek idiom and sentence structure. Staff. Spring.

204. Plato: Apology. PQ: Greek 103 or equivalent. The text is read in Greek with careful attention to syntax and vocabulary, and the setting of the work. D. Allen. Autumn.

205. Sophocles: Antigone. PQ: Greek 103 or equivalent. This course includes analysis and translation of the Greek text, discussion of Sophoclean dramatic technique, and relevant trends in fifth-century Athenian intellectual history. D. N. Rudall. Winter.

206. Introduction to Homer. PQ: Greek 103 or equivalent. An introduction to the Homeric dialect and to the convention of oral epic through a study of the Iliad. J. M. Redfield. Spring.

211/311. Elegiac Poetry. PQ: Greek 206 or equivalent. Poems composed over a number of centuries in the elegiac meter are studied, beginning with some of the works of Archilochus and Callinus and continuing through a selection of the poems in M. L. West's Iambi et elegi Graci ante Alexandrum cantati to poems drawn from the Greek Anthology. The poems are discussed in some detail following the method used in Poetic Craft in the Early Greek Elegists. C. Faraone. Autumn.

212/312. Plato Symposium. PQ: Greek 206 or equivalent. A close reading of the text, with discussion of the themes and arguments of the dialogue. Some of the questions that are discussed include: What are the dramatic and rhetorical features of the dialogue? What problems does Plato raise about the nature of love and beauty? What is the character of Socrates? Related works (such as Plato's Phaedrus) are read in translation. E. Asmis. Winter.

213/313. Aeschylus: Prometheus. PQ: Greek 206 or equivalent. This is an introduction to Aeschylean drama in general, seen through the special problems posed by the play. Lectures and discussions are concerned with the authenticity of Prometheus Bound, its dating, and the chronology of Aeschylus's extant works; the reconstruction of the hypothetical promethia trilogy; the role of Zeus and the religious significance of Aeschylean drama; the development and early form of Attic drama; and the philosophical material (in the original languages) and modern Aeschylean scholars are also read and discussed. L. Slatkin. Spring.

248/348. Issues in Greek and Latin Linguistics. This research-oriented course is an introduction to much-debated issues in contemporary Greek and Latin linguistics and to the tools and methodology of work in this field. The first half of the course focuses on method and the question of what constitutes linguistically sound argumentation. We do this by evaluating recent work on tense and aspect in Greek, and on word order in Latin. For the remainder of the course, participants are encouraged to work on topics of their own choice, on anything from Greek particles to Latin infinitives or vice versa. H. Dik. Winter.

297. Reading Course. PQ: Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. Staff. Autumn, Winter.

344. Greek Prose Composition. PQ: Consent of instructor. This course is intended to strengthen and refine understanding of Greek syntax and style. Students translate a variety of passages from English to Greek. Greek texts are analyzed according to style, and students emulate these styles in their own writing. Not offered 1998-1999; will be offered 1999-2000.

Latin

101. Introduction to Classical Latin I. PQ: Knowledge of Latin not required. The sequence Latin 101-102-103 has essentially the same aims as Latin 111-112-113, and both sequences use the same introductory text; upon completing either sequence a student is prepared to move on to the second-year sequence (Latin 204-205-206). The sequence Latin 101-102-103, however, covers the introductory grammar at a slower pace, taking approximately twenty-two weeks to complete the text (as opposed to fifteen in Latin 111-112): it is intended for students who have more complex schedules or believe that the slower pace will allow them to better assimilate the material. Latin 101 introduces students to the basic rules of classical Latin. Class time is spent on the explanation of grammar, translation from Latin to English and from English to Latin, and discussion of student work. Staff. Autumn.

102. Introduction to Classical Latin II: Prose Writings. PQ: Latin 101. This course continues the presentation of basic Latin, with translations and exercises in grammar. Staff. Winter.

103. Introduction to Classical Latin III: Cicero. PQ: Latin 102. After completing the remaining chapters of the introductory textbook, students apply and improve their linguistic skills as they read a variety of Latin prose texts. Staff. Spring.

111. Accelerated Introduction to Classical Latin I. PQ: Knowledge of Latin not required. This course covers the first half of the introductory Latin textbook (Wheelock). Classes are devoted to presentation of grammar, discussion of problems in learning Latin, and written exercises. D. Wray. Autumn.

112. Accelerated Introduction to Classical Latin II. PQ: Latin 111. This course begins with the completion of the basic text begun in Latin 111 and concludes with readings in Latin from Cicero, Caesar, or other prose. M. Allen. Winter.

113. Accelerated Introduction to Classical Latin III. PQ: Latin 112. This course involves the reading of a complete speech by Cicero. The course seeks to consolidate knowledge of Latin grammar and syntax and to increase the ability to read Cicero's prose, which has had a lasting influence on European literary expression. Staff. Spring.

204-205-206. This three-course sequence is designed to make the transition from intermediate Latin to upper-level language and literature courses. Students normally complete the Common Core foreign language requirement by taking Latin 204. However, any of the courses from the Latin 204-205-206 sequence fulfill the requirement. Students planning to proceed to advanced literature courses should complete the entire sequence.

204. Livy. PQ: Latin 103 or equivalent. This course fulfills the Common Core foreign language requirement. The purpose of this course is twofold: to review Latin grammar, and to give students experience in reading portions of the thirty-fourth book of Livy. There are weekly grammar quizzes related to Latin readings in class. Students are expected to conduct their own grammar review but with specific directives from the instructor. They are asked to read a certain amount of modern material concerning Roman Republican history in order to give the Latin reading a more intelligible context. Staff. Autumn.

205. Virgil: Selections from the Aeneid. PQ: Latin 103 or equivalent. This course fulfills the Common Core foreign language requirement. A reading of selections from the first six books of the Aeneid. Emphasis is on Virgil's language and versification. Students are also required to read in English translation those books of the poem that are not read in Latin. D. Wray. Winter.

206. Horace and Catullus. PQ: Latin 103 or equivalent. This course fulfills the Common Core foreign language requirement. Selected poems of Catullus and Horace are read, with special emphasis on style and form. P. White. Spring.

211/311. Roman Elegy. This course examines the development of the Latin elegy from Catullus to Ovid. The major themes of the course are the uses of motifs and topics and their relationships to the problem of poetic persona. D. Wray. Autumn.

212/312. Roman Novel: Apuleius, The Golden Ass. In this course we read selected sections of Apuleius's novel, including the story of Cupid and Psyche, and the initiation into the cult of Isis. The novel is studied in the context of the history of the ancient novel. Special attention is given to Apuleius's own contribution as a magician and philosopher. E. Asmis. Winter.

213/313. Vergil: Aeneid. PQ: Latin 206 or equivalent. Extensive readings in the Aeneid are integrated with extensive selections from the newer secondary literature to provide a thorough survey of recent trends in Vergilian criticism of Latin poetry more generally. Staff. Spring.

250/350. Seneca (=DivRE 332, Latin 250/350, Philos 358). In this class we study Seneca, the Roman politician and Stoic philosopher who was one of the most complex and influential thinkers of the Roman world. We place him in the context of both the Claudian and the Neronian courts and the history of Stoic philosophy, by reading On Anger (selections), selected Moral Epistles, and one tragedy, probably Hercules Furens. Texts in Latin. M. Nussbaum. Autumn.

261/361. Latin Paleography II. Much of our understanding of Antiquity and the Middle Ages depends on hand-written artifacts. The evolution of Latin script mirrors and mediates the cultural signs and meanings studied as literature, philosophy, history, and art. After a glance backward, we consider the new regional and specialized Latin book-scripts (Gothic and later) that developed out of the triumph of Carolingian reform script (ca. 1000) down to ca. 1450. Weekly practical exercises feature classical Latin authors and a consecutive transcription from Jocelin of Brakelond's Chronicle. We also examine real medieval and Renaissance manuscripts in Chicago collections. M. Allen. Winter.

277/377. Medieval Latin Literature. This survey traces developments and continuities in Latin literature from the late-fourth century to the tenth. We examine new Christian literary idioms, such as hymnody, hagiography, and the theological essay, as well as reinterpretations of classical forms of poetry, epistle, biography, and historical writing. We consider the peculiarities of "medieval" Latin. Attention is paid to how and where literature was cultivated. M. Allen. Winter.

297. Reading Course. PQ: Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. Staff. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

344. Latin Prose Composition. PQ: Consent of instructor. This is a practical introduction to the styles of classical Latin prose. After a brief and systematic review of Latin syntax, the course combines regular exercises in composition with readings from a variety of prose stylists. The course is intended to increase the students' awareness both of the classical artists' skill and their own command of Latin idiom and sentence structure. Not offered 1998-1999; will be offered 1999-2000.