Classical Studies courses – CLAS
Knowledge of Greek and Latin is NOT required for these courses, and students majoring in other fields are encouraged to enroll.
Courses taught in other departments that may be counted toward the CLAS, GREK, or LATN majors can be found at the bottom of this page.
Current course offerings are available in the Schedule of Classes.
CLAS 1010 The Rise of Rome (3)
Prof. Frazel, Prof. Kehoe. Not open to senior history majors. This survey devotes itself to the emergence of Hellenistic civilization and the growth of Roman power in the Mediterranean. Special attention is given to the Hellenistic impact upon Rome, the evolution of Roman institutions, and the transition from republic to empire. In the Core Curriculum, this course fulfills the Cultural Knowledge requirement for either Humanities or Social Sciences; it also fulfills the Western Traditions requirement. May be counted towards the major in History.
CLAS 1030 The Greeks (3)
Prof. Boehm, Prof. Brumbaugh, Staff. A look at life in ancient Greece. Topics include war, politics, religious festivals, athletics, courts and trials, wealth and poverty, freedom and slavery, gender and sexuality, theater, family life, education, and science. In the Core Curriculum, this course fulfills the Western Traditions requirement.
CLAS 1040 Mythology (3)
Prof. Frazel, Prof. Brumbaugh. A study of the origins of Greek mythology and the importance of myth for Greek and Roman culture.
CLAS 2200 New Testament: An Historical Introduction (3)
Staff. This course is a literary and historical introduction to the canonical New Testament. It will engage issues of authorship, dating, theology, genre, and special problems related to the "scientific" (or scholarly) study of the New Testament. There will be some engagement with literature outside of the canonical New Testament but only as it relates to special issues and topics in New Testament interpretation.
CLAS 2320 Greek Temples and Festivals (3)
Prof. Oddo. In this course we will look at ancient Greek religious behavior and what it can tell us about Greek society when studied in its historical context. Topics include mythology and the gods, sanctuaries, temples, and offerings, ritual and cult activities, festivals, civic religion, and belief and the individual. In the Core Curriculum, this course fulfills the Cultural Knowledge requirement for either Humanities or Social Sciences; it also fulfills the Western Traditions requirement. May be counted towards the major in History.
CLAS 2330 Alexander the Great: History and Legend (3)
Prof. Boehm. Alexander the Great (356-323), the king of Macedon, is justifiably one of the most celebrated figures of antiquity. Conquering all of the Greek world and Asia from the Mediterranean to the Indus River in Pakistan by the age of 30, he unquestionably changed the world, bringing Greeks, Macedonians, Persians, Egyptians and Jews into close contact and exchange. But who was the historical Alexander? Was he a charismatic strategist, a genius and visionary? Or a paranoid, alcoholic, and violent megalomaniac who brought about the end of his dynasty and left his empire, and much of the world, in chaos? What were his aims and aspirations? The problematic nature of the ancient sources presents serious difficulties in reconstructing an account of the ‘historical’ Alexander. Over the course of the semester we will examine the historical figure of Alexander, his achievements and empire, along with his rich afterlife as a malleable and contested figure in legend and literature. We will explore various genres (history, fiction, myth, biography) and sources (literary, visual, archaeological) to analyze critically the sources and uses of Alexander in various periods and places of world history. In the Core Curriculum, this course fulfills the Western Traditions requirement.
CLAS 2810 Special Topics (3)
Staff. Topics are at an introductory level appropriate for first-year students and sophomores. Subject areas will be interdisciplinary and combine material from such fields as ancient literature, cultural studies, archaeology, religion, and history.
CLAS 3020 The High Roman Empire (3)
Prof. Kehoe. This course introduces the institutional, social, and cultural changes of the empire from Augustus to Diocletian. Emphasis is placed upon the birth of imperial administration, cultural change and continuity, and the rise of Christianity. In the Core Curriculum, this course fulfills the Cultural Knowledge requirement for either Humanities or Social Sciences; it also fulfills the Western Traditions requirement. May be counted towards the major in History.
CLAS 3060 Greek Tragedy and Comedy (3)
Prof. Brumbaugh. Plays by Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes read in the light of Aristotle’s Poetics and of modern criticism. In the Core Curriculum, this course fulfills the Western Traditions requirement.
CLAS 3080 Inventing Socrates (3)
Prof. Brumbaugh. Socrates has for centuries been considered emblematic of the intellectual accomplishments of ancient Greek civilization. His name and his eponymous method of inquiry are familiar to every student of the western tradition and yet he left behind no record of his teachings. Instead, his image and indeed his legacy has been shaped by the accounts of others - former students, bemused comedians, admirers and even a few detractors. Plato is of course foremost among these, employing his great teacher as the central figure in most of his philosophical works. In this course, we will examine the many faces of Socrates bequeathed to us by his contemporaries, investigate the world of 5th century Athens in which he lived, and survey important moments in his posthumous reception from antiquity to the present. In the Core Curriculum, this course fulfills the Western Traditions requirement.
CLAS 3090 Law and Society in Ancient Rome (3)
Prof. Kehoe. This course investigates the social and cultural values of the Roman world by studying Roman private law. The course also examines the development of Roman courts in the empire and the influence of Roman law on modern legal systems. In the Core Curriculum, this course fulfills the Cultural Knowledge requirement for either Humanities or Social Sciences; it also fulfills the Western Traditions requirement. May be counted towards the major in History.
CLAS 3120 Etruscans and Early Rome (3)
Prof. Lusnia. A survey of the cultures of pre-Roman Italy from the Bronze Age to the fall of Veii. The course focuses on the material cultures of Etruscan and Latin Settlements from ca. 900 to 300 B.C.E. Topics include: Etruscan language, economy and trade, sculpture, painting, and Etruscan religion, as well as major social and historical developments in Etruria, Latium, and archaic Rome. In the Core Curriculum, this course fulfills the Cultural Knowledge requirement for either Humanities, Fine Arts, or Social Sciences; it also fulfills the Western Traditions requirement. May be counted towards the major in Art History.
CLAS 3140 Jews in the Greco-Roman World (3)
Prof. Boehm. This course will explore Jewish interaction and conflict with Greeks and Romans from the Babylonian exile through the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem. We will examine the rich body of literature and material culture from this period to reconstruct the Jewish experience in both Palestine and the Diaspora communities in Egypt, Asia Minor, and Rome. The course will consider texts written by Jews as well as Greeks and Romans, representing both sides of this exchange, and archaeological evidence that sheds light on daily life in the period. Topics will include: the Maccabean Revolt, the Hasmonean dynasty, Herod the Great, the Alexandrian riots of 38 CE, Jewish religion and sectarianism, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the Jewish Revolts. In the Core Curriculum, this course fulfills the Western Traditions requirement. May be counted towards the majors in Jewish Studies and History .
CLAS 3160 The Aegean Bronze Age (3)
Prof. Oddo. The cultures of the Cycladic Islands, Crete, and the Greek mainland during the Bronze Age (ca. 3200-1150 B.C.E.). Emphasis is on the major and minor arts of the Minoans and Mycenaeans and how this material can be used to reconstruct the societies, cultures, and religions of the Aegean Bronze Age.In the Core Curriculum, this course fulfills the Cultural Knowledge requirement for either Humanities, Fine Arts, or Social Sciences; it also fulfills the Western Traditions requirement. May be counted towards the major in Art History.
CLAS 3170 Greek Art and Archaeology (3)
Prof. Emmerson, Prof. Lusnia, Prof. Oddo. Greek arts (architecture, sculpture, and painting) and material culture in the light of social, intellectual, and historical developments from the end of the Bronze Age (ca. 1200 B.C.E.) to the end of the Hellenistic period (31 B.C.E.). In the Core Curriculum, this course fulfills the Cultural Knowledge requirement for either Humanities or Fine Arts; it also fulfills the Western Traditions requirement. May be counted towards the major in Art History.
CLAS 3180 Roman Art and Archaeology (3)
Prof. Emmerson, Prof. Lusnia, Prof. Oddo. Architecture, sculpture, and painting in Rome and the Roman Empire, their sources, and their history from the Etruscan period (ca. 900 BCE) through the 4th century C.E. In the Core Curriculum, this course fulfills the Cultural Knowledge requirement for either Humanities or Fine Arts; it also fulfills the Western Traditions requirement. May be counted towards the major in Art History.
CLAS 3190 Pompeii: Life in a Roman Town (3)
Prof. Emmerson, Prof. Lusnia. A survey of Roman culture through the study of the town destroyed by Mt. Vesuvius in 79 C.E. The focus is on the society, politics, religion, domestic life, entertainment, economy, and art of Pompeii and the surrounding region in the early imperial period. In the Core Curriculum, this course fulfills the Cultural Knowledge requirement for either Humanities, Fine Arts, or Social Sciences; it also fulfills the Western Traditions requirement. May be counted towards the major in Art History.
CLAS 3200 Greek Religion (3)
Staff. This course examines Greek religion in its social and historical context, utilizing an interdisciplinary approach incorporating archaeological, artistic, literary, and epigraphic evidence. The course begins with a survey of the major concepts connected with Greek religion, including the types of beings offered worship, the delineation of sacred space, and the forms of ritual. Emphasis is placed on the social and political function of ritual, that is, on ritual as the enacted representation of cultural values and social roles. The second section of the course investigates the major Greek divinities, their iconography, mythology, and cult. The course concludes with a study of the phenomenon of mystery cults, surveying the forms of these cults in the Greek world and discussing their continuation under the Romans. In the Core Curriculum, this course fulfills the Cultural Knowledge requirement for either Humanities or Social Sciences; it also fulfills the Western Traditions requirement.
CLAS 3230 Ancient Christianity (3)
Prof. Kehoe. This course is designed to introduce students to the history of the Ancient Christian movement within the Roman Empire. It illustrates the historical developments through the discussion of the use of the scripture, the production of new literature and emergence of the canon of the New Testament writings from the second through the fourth centuries. In the Core Curriculum, this course fulfills the Western Traditions requirement.
CLAS 3310 Tyrants and Democrats in Ancient Greece (3)
Prof. Boehm. This course examines the origins and characteristics of basic Greek forms of government in their historical context, concentrating on tyranny and democracy in the archaic and classical periods. The course stresses the development of Greek political institutions and political thought. In the Core Curriculum, this course fulfills the Cultural Knowledge requirement for either Humanities or Social Sciences; it also fulfills the Western Traditions requirement. May be counted towards the major in History.
CLAS 3320 The Greek Way of Death (3)
Staff. Death-ritual was an important social institution in ancient Greece. Through their funerals and tombs, the ancient Greeks negotiated social relationships and political ideologies, celebrated the state and the legacies of individuals, and grappled with the uncertainties and fragility of life. In this course we will look at textual and archaeological evidence from the ancient Greek world as we explore attitudes toward life and death and how important customs, rituals, and traditions function in society.
CLAS 3510 The Ancient Novel (3)
Prof. Frazel. We are all familiar today with the literary form called the novel: a lengthy fictional narrative in prose. It was ancient Greek and Latin authors, however, who first created this form. Many of these works survive and they always intrigue and delight readers with their highly sophisticated plotting of love affairs, comical depictions of pirates, and teasing explorations of sexuality. We will closely read, in English translation, the major ancient novels and some of their literary predecessors in order to understand the originality of the form and content of the novels. The class concludes with a consideration of the ancient novel’s contribution to the development of fiction in the West.
CLAS 3610 Sex and Gender in Antiquity (3)
Staff. Through readings and discussions of primary sources (literature, legal texts, medical texts, inscriptions, art) and recent scholarship, we will explore the ideals and reality of gender roles and sexuality within the historical context of ancient Greece and Rome. Topics will include the history of sexuality, laws pertaining to gender roles, homosexuality, bisexuality, sexual practices, representations of gender and sex in literature and art, family, biology and attitudes about gender and sex. In the Core Curriculum, this course fulfills the Cultural Knowledge requirement for either Humanities or Social Sciences; it also fulfills the Western Traditions requirement.
CLAS 3810 Special Topics (1-3)
Staff. Topics will focus on particular areas and issues in the fields of ancient culture, religion, and history.
CLAS 3880 Writing Practicum (1)
Staff. Corequisite: three-credit departmental course. Prerequisite: successful completion of the First-Year Writing Requirement. Fulfills the school intensive-writing requirement.
CLAS 4060 Classical Epic (3)
Prof. Frazel. Homer, Apollonius of Rhodes, Virgil, and Lucan, with selected prose belonging to the heroic tradition. A comparison with primitive epics of other cultures and with later literary epics.
CLAS 4080 Seminar in Ancient Society and Economy (3)
Prof. Kehoe. Topics include: The Family in Ancient Rome; Roman Imperial Society and Economy; Greeks, Romans, Barbarians. In the Core Curriculum, this course fulfills the Cultural Knowledge requirement for either Humanities or Social Sciences; it also fulfills the Western Traditions requirement. May be counted towards the major in History.
CLAS 4130 Egypt Under the Pharaohs (3)
Staff. The culture of ancient Egypt from the pre-dynastic period through the end of the New Kingdom. The course emphasizes the sculpture, architecture, and painting of the pharaonic periods. Other areas covered are: Egyptian literary and historical documents, Egyptian religion, and major social developments. In the Core Curriculum, this course fulfills the Cultural Knowledge requirement for either Humanities, Fine Arts, or Social Sciences; it also fulfills the Outside the Western Traditions requirement. May be counted towards the major in Art History.
CLAS 4190 Seminar in Aegean and Greek Archaeology (3)
Prof. Oddo. Topics include: Problems in Aegean Archaeology; Major Monuments in Greek Sculpture; Greek Vase-Painting; The Athenian Acropolis. In the Core Curriculum, this course fulfills the Cultural Knowledge requirement for either Humanities or Fine Arts; it also fulfills the Western Traditions requirement. May be counted towards the major in Art History.
CLAS 4200 Seminar in Roman Art and Archaeology (3)
Prof. Emmerson, Prof. Lusnia. Topics include: Ancient Painting and Mosaics; Building the City of Rome; Roman Sculpture in Context (when linked with CLAS 5110 as a co-requisite, this topic satisfies the capstone requirement). In the Core Curriculum, this course fulfills the Cultural Knowledge requirement for either Humanities or Fine Arts; it also fulfills the Western Traditions requirement. May be counted towards the major in Art History.
CLAS 4320 War and Power in Ancient Greece (3)
Prof. Boehm. Prerequisite: CLAS 3310 or HISA 3080. In this course we will look at ancient Greek warfare and state formation, including how states developed and changed, how and why the ancient Greeks interacted and fought with each other and with outsiders, and what were the immediate outcomes and long-term consequences of endogenous and exogenous power struggles. Students will gain an understanding of the particular roles played by factors such as geography, military innovations, socio-political institutions, individual leaders, ideological shifts, and specific series of decisions and events. In the Core Curriculum, this course fulfills the Cultural Knowledge requirement for either Humanities or Social Sciences; it also fulfills the Western Traditions requirement. May be counted towards the major in History.
CLAS 4810 Special Topics (3)
Staff. Topics will focus on particular areas and issues in the field of ancient culture, religion, and history.
CLAS 4880 Writing Practicum (1)
Staff. Corequisite: three-credit departmental course. Prerequisite: successful completion of the First-Year Writing Requirement. Fulfills the school intensive-writing requirement.
CLAS 4900 Senior Capstone in Greek and Roman Culture (4)
Staff. A seminar on a broad topic in Greek and Roman culture. The course fulfills the writing-intensive requirement for the School of Liberal Arts. Topics include: War and Power in Ancient Greece, Civic Ideals in the Greek and Roman Worlds, The World of Augustus. Note: This course fulfills the department's capstone requirement but is also open to non-majors. It may be taken again with a different subject. In the Core Curriculum, this course fulfills the Western Traditions requirement.
CLAS 4910, 4920 Independent Studies (3, 3)
Staff. Open to superior students provided approval of department is granted and an appropriate faculty director is available.
CLAS 4930 Directed Undergraduate Research (3)
Staff. This course involves independent study based on work that the student has done during the previous summer, such as in an archaeological excavation.
CLAS H4990-H5000 Honors Thesis (3, 4)
Admission by approval of department and Honors Committee.
CLAS 5010 Special Readings in Classics (3)
Staff.
CLAS 6080 Seminar in Ancient Society and Economy (3)
Prof. Kehoe. Topics include: The Family in Ancient Rome; Roman Imperial Society and Economy; Greeks, Romans, Barbarians. In the Core Curriculum, this course fulfills the Cultural Knowledge requirement for either Humanities or Social Sciences; it also fulfills the Western Traditions requirement. May be counted towards the major in History.
CLAS 6190 Seminar in Aegean and Greek Archaeology (3)
Prof. Oddo. Topics include: Problems in Aegean Archaeology; Major Monuments in Greek Sculpture; Greek Vase-Painting; The Athenian Acropolis.In the Core Curriculum, this course fulfills the Cultural Knowledge requirement for either Humanities or Fine Arts; it also fulfills the Western Traditions requirement. May be counted towards the major in Art History.
CLAS 6200 Seminar in Roman Art and Archaeology (3)
Prof. Emmerson, Prof. Lusnia. Topics include: Ancient Painting and Mosaics; Building the City of Rome; Roman Sculpture in Context. In the Core Curriculum, this course fulfills the Cultural Knowledge requirement for either Humanities or Fine Arts; it also fulfills the Western Traditions requirement. May be counted towards the major in Art History.
CLAS 6320 War and Power in Ancient Greece (3)
Prof. Boehm. In this course we will look at ancient Greek warfare and state formation, including how states developed and changed, how and why the ancient Greeks interacted and fought with each other and with outsiders, and what were the immediate outcomes and long-term consequences of endogenous and exogenous power struggles. Students will gain an understanding of the particular roles played by factors such as geography, military innovations, socio-political institutions, individual leaders, ideological shifts, and specific series of decisions and events. In the Core Curriculum, this course fulfills the Cultural Knowledge requirement for either Humanities or Social Sciences; it also fulfills the Western Traditions requirement. May be counted towards the major in History.
CLAS 6810 Special Topics (3)
Staff. Topics will focus on particular areas and issues in the fields of ancient culture, religion, and history.
Courses in other departments that may be counted in the CLAS, GREK, & LATN majors
HISA 1000 The Ancient Near East and Greece (3)
Prof. Harl. In the light of the growth of civilization in the Near East, this survey course covers Greek political, intellectual, and cultural developments to 323 B.C.E. Emphasis is given to the archaic and classical periods of Greece.
HISA 3100 Select Topics in Greek History (4)
Prof. Harl. Readings and discussion of select topics in classical Greek history: Homer and the Trojan War; Athenian Empire (480-404 B.C.E.); Sparta and Macedon in the Age of Hegemonies (404-323 B.C.E.); or Greek Leagues and Macedonian Kings in the Hellenistic World (323-133 B.C.E.).
HISA 3110 Select Topics in Roman History (4)
Prof. Harl. Readings and discussion of select topics in Roman history: The Making of Roman Italy (509-264 B.C.E.); The Punic Wars (264-146 B.C.E.); Roman Revolution (133-27 B.C.E.); or Rome and the Jews (167 B.C.E.- 135 C.E.).
HISA H4000 Colloquium in Ancient History (4)
Prof. Harl. Interdisciplinary seminar compares classical civilization of Greece or Rome with contemporary civilization of Near East, Central Asia, and East Asia. Stress is on political and military contact, cultural exchange, and comparison of institutions. Topics include The Birth of City-States in the Mediterranean and Near East (1000-500 B.C.E.); Greeks, Macedonians, and Persians: Birth of the Hellenistic World (600-250 B.C.E.); The Greeks in Iran and India (500 B.C.E.- 200 C.E.); or Imperial Rome and Imperial China (200 B.C.E.- 200 C.E.). Fulfills the school intensive-writing requirement.
HISA H4010 Colloquium in Late Antiquity (4)
Prof. Harl. Interdisciplinary seminar on the transformation of classical civilization into the institutions and values of early Medieval and Byzantine societies. Topics include Rome and the Northern Barbarians (100 B.C.- A.D. 700); Rome and Iran (100 B.C.- A.D. 650); The Conflict of Pagans and Christians in the Roman Empire (A.D. 30-565); or the Great Transformation of Society and Economy (A.D. 100-1100). Fulfills the school intensive-writing requirement.
HISA 6000 Seminar in Select Topics in Greek History (4)
Prof. Harl. Research seminar on select topics in Greek history: Archaic Greece (750-480 B.C.E.); Athenian Constitutional History; or Alexander the Great.
HISA 6010 Seminar in Select Topics in Roman History (4)
Prof. Harl. Roman Imperialism and Transmarine Expansion (264-50 B.C.E.); Roman Principate; Roman Provinces; Roman Imperial Army; or Later Roman Empire.
HISA 6090 Seminar in Select Topics in Byzantine History (4)
Prof. Harl. Research seminar on select topics in Byzantine history: The Age of Justinian (518-565); The Byzantine Dark Age (610-1025); The Iconoclastic Controversy; or Byzantium and the Crusades (1025-1204).
PHIL 2010 History of Ancient Philosophy (3)
Prof. Burger. A study of ancient Greek philosophy, focusing on the thought of the Pre-Socratics, Plato, and Aristotle.
PHIL 2110 Classics of Political Philosophy I (3)
Prof. Burger. This course is devoted to a study of classical works of political philosophy in the Western tradition, primarily Plato’s Republic and Aristotle’s Politics.
PHIL 3200 Plato (3)
Prof. Burger. Prerequisite: PHIL 2010 or approval of instructor. An in-depth reading of one or more of the Platonic dialogues.
