| Course | Title | Instructor | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| CLASSIC 37B | ROMAN EMPIRE | ZISSOS, P. | The course is a survey of some of the highlights of Roman civilization during the early centuries of the Roman empire (end of the first century BCE to the third century CE). In this period, the Roman world was ruled by emperors who increasingly came to have absolute power. We will look not only at political history, but also at social history, literature, art and architecture and religion. The course will consider a number of questions, including the political and social consequences of living under absolute an absolute ruler - especially when, as was often the case, he was unbalanced. This is the period of "bread and circuses" in which the emperors bought off the lower classes by providing the grain dole and spectacular free entertainment such as chariot races and gladiatorial contests. We will also look at how the emergence of Christianity affected the Roman world, and how complex social systems and entrenched institutions such as slavery evolved over time. The early centuries of the empire were a time of great prosperity in which Roman power reached its zenith; it was a period of relative stability but also, in some respects, a time of decadence, which has been a source of both admiration and loathing for almost all subsequent ages, including our own. Rel Std Category: 1 |
| CLASSIC 45A | THE GODS | KARANIKA, A. | Classics 45A is the first part of a three-quarter course on Classical Mythology. This class will be an introduction to the most important Greek and Roman myths, their historical and religious context, various interpretations and influence upon ancient and modern art, film and literature. Some of the topics we will discuss are: the creation of the universe, relations between gods and mortals, gender and sexuality, love, marriage, death and afterlife. We will use a standard textbook, but we will also read selected passages from primary sources such as Hesiod's Theogony, Ovid's Metamorphoses and selections from Greek tragedy. The course will make regular use of ancillary visual materials, especially computer resources. The grade for this course will be based on a combination of multiple-choice quizzes and short essay exams. Classics 45A is the first part of the Classical Mythology series (45ABC), which satisfies the Humanities General Education Requirement IV. Rel Std Category: 2 |
| CLASSIC 99 | SPEC STDS:CLASSICS | STAFF | |
| CLASSIC 160 | GLORIOUS VILLAINS | BLUM, J | This course will look at the different depictions of heroism in a range of genres throughout the Greco-Roman tradition. Starting from Homer, we will explore paradigms of “negative” heroism, tracing models of deception, betrayal, revenge, and violence from Homer to Seneca. We will begin with the Iliad and the Odyssey, exploring the interaction of different types of heroism and villainy on the plains of Troy and on the journey home to Greece. Following Homer, the tragedies of Classical Athens raise the question of how the violence of Homer’s protagonists translates into democratic society, and how traditional ideals operate in a changing world. Moving into the Hellenistic and Roman periods, we will consider the interactions between community and individual, looking at how personal fame comes into conflict with communal interests, and the problems raised by celebrating morally questionable deeds. Through this course’s broad temporal scope, we will think about how heroism is portrayed diachronically, reflecting the values of the different societies in which these works originate. By engaging with questions of individual and community, violence and justice, the class will offer a window into how the ancient world has informed contemporary concepts of heroism, and the role of such heroic narratives in shaping the values of those who create and read them. In turn, we will consider fame and infamy in the modern world, how what we choose to glorify or condemn reflects and shapes our own identity and values. |
| CLASSIC 220 | THE AGE OF NERO | ZISSOS, A | |
| CLASSIC 280 | INDEPENDENT STUDY | ZISSOS, P. | |
| CLASSIC 280 | INDEPENDENT STUDY | PANTELIA, M. | |
| CLASSIC 280 | INDEPENDENT STUDY | KARANIKA, A. | |
| CLASSIC 280 | INDEPENDENT STUDY | GIANNOPOULOU, Z. | |
| CLASSIC 280 | INDEPENDENT STUDY | CLAXTON, C. | |
| CLASSIC 290 | RESEARCH IN CLASSIC | CLAXTON, C. | |
| CLASSIC 290 | RESEARCH IN CLASSIC | GIANNOPOULOU, Z. | |
| CLASSIC 290 | RESEARCH IN CLASSIC | KARANIKA, A. | |
| CLASSIC 290 | RESEARCH IN CLASSIC | PANTELIA, M. | |
| CLASSIC 290 | RESEARCH IN CLASSIC | ZISSOS, P. |