CLASSIC Course Descriptions for 2010-2011

Archive
Spring Course Descriptions
CourseTitleInstructorDescription
CLASSIC 10SCIENTIFIC TERMINOLSTAFFA study of English terms derived from Greek and Latin and important to contemporary medicine, science and other professions, with emphasis on the development of word-building skills. No prior knowledge of Greek or Latin required. The work is designed to aid undergraduates, particularly those in the sciences, in the development of their technical vocabulary. No prerequisites.
CLASSIC 37CROMAN LEGACYSTAFFA survey of Roman civilization from the crisis of the third century to the so-called 'fall of the Roman empire' in 467. This course will focus on the continuity and changes in politics, society, literature, and art that characterize the later Roman Empire. Classics 37C in the final part of the Roman Civilization series (37A,B,C); it satisfies the Humanistic Inquiry Breadth requirement.
CLASSIC 45CCLASSICAL MYTHOLOGYGIANNOPOULOU, Z.In this course we will examine a few ancient Greek myths, their interpretations, and the influence they have exerted on modern literature and film. Classics 45C is the third course in the series Classics 45A,B,C. It's preferable, but not required, to take this course in sequence. The Classics 45A,B,C series satisfies the Humanistic Inquiry Breadth requirement. The broader objectives of the series are to develop a solid knowledge of the material and to understand some of the ways in which Greeks and Romans used the medium of myth to interpret and deal with their world.
CLASSIC 99SPEC STDS:CLASSICSSTAFF
CLASSIC 140THE SPARTANSKARANIKA, A.This course will examine the development of the history of Sparta from Archaic to Classical Times and we will trace its role int he making of Greek history and the complexity of its government. We will explore gender history and social class and its impact on our understanding of the Spartan society with a focus on women's religion and eduction.
CLASSIC 160SOCRATES&SOCR TRDTNPORTER, J.The class will examine the life of Socrates in the West, from his invention by Plato as the erotic knowledge-and beauty-seeker and social gadfly (Apology, Symposium, Phaedrus, Phaedo), with some neo-Platonic texts to go along with these works (Plotinus on beauty), Aristophanes (Clouds), to his reinvention by later traditions--from the "mad Socrates" of the Cynics (a type), to the hilarious pantomime-critic, Rameau's nephew, in Diderot, to Kierkegaard's elusive master of irony, to Nietzsche's destroyer of all civilized values and life in The Birth of Tragedy, and finally to his recuperation by postmodern thinkers like Foucault today (to be read in brief selections). Issues to be covered in the class will include, but will not be limited to, the role of dialogue and difficulty (aporia) in promoting knowledge; knowing one's self; social critique; self-sacrifice (to tragic extremes); ethical commitment; the power of Greek (or classical) ideals throughout time; irony, as well as the following kinds of puzzles about Socrates: -How could one figure, a bare-footed, snub-nosed Greek philosopher who claimed to "know nothing" be so consistently compelling for so many centuries and even milennia, on a scale comparable only to a shamanic hero or a divinity (like Jesus)? -How could he attract Plato on his own quest for sublime beauty and the highest values known to man? -Who was Socrates? Is it even the self-same figure who is being represented throughout all this time? -What is the contemporary version of Socrates or Socratism today? Prerequisites: None Requirements: Midterm; final; final project; and responses during the terms (posted on blogs, etc.) Contact the instructor if you have any questions about the course.
CLASSIC 160WEURIPIDES AND WARGIANNOPOULOU, Z.In this course we shall read closely six tragedies by Euripides—Hecuba, Andromache, Trojan Women, Helen, Phoenician Women, Suppliants—in order to assess how the classical tragedian portrays war and its effects. Special attention will be paid to the role of women as spoils, the disintegration of family and civic values, the vicissitudes of homecoming, and the place of revenge, pity, and empathy in worlds that have been ravaged by war.
CLASSIC 192BSENIOR CAPSTONECLAXTON, C.Under the guidance of a faculty member, majors design and execute a senior project. This project may be a research paper, dramatic production, school curriculum, etc. All projects must be approved by the faculty mentor. Prerequisite: satisfactory completion of the lower-division writing requirement.
CLASSIC 220LANG-LRN&DIGTLMEDIALEVINE, G.
CLASSIC 220THE SUBLIMEPORTER, J.The seminar will have two aims: to examine the treatise On the Sublime ascribed to Longinus; and to look for predecessors in the traditions of literature, philosophy, criticism, and art in Greece and Rome. The first part of the seminar will be spent getting familiar with Longinus' work through close readings. The next part will be devoted to predecessors. Student presentations will conclude the semester. Knowledge of Greek is helpful but not essential if anyone has a strong interest in the ancient sublime (please contact me in advance). Students will be encouraged to offer frequent reports or presentations, and eventually to find some topic of their own liking that connects up with the seminar's themes. Required text: Russell's OCT (buy this from Amazon new or from Bookfinder.com or Abebooks used). Useful if you can find a copy: Russell's 1964 commentary (which has a Greek text). Other useful texts to buy/obtain: Aristotle's Poetics (OCT); Dion. Hal., Critical Essays I (Loeb).
CLASSIC 280INDEPENDENT STUDYZISSOS, P.
CLASSIC 280INDEPENDENT STUDYPORTER, J.
CLASSIC 280INDEPENDENT STUDYPANTELIA, M.
CLASSIC 280INDEPENDENT STUDYKARANIKA, A.
CLASSIC 280INDEPENDENT STUDYGIANNOPOULOU, Z.
CLASSIC 280INDEPENDENT STUDYCLAXTON, C.
CLASSIC 290RESEARCH IN CLASSICCLAXTON, C.
CLASSIC 290RESEARCH IN CLASSICPANTELIA, M.
CLASSIC 290RESEARCH IN CLASSICZISSOS, P.