The more important classical myths read in english translations of Greek and latin authors; their expression in ancient literature; what myth is, what it is for, how myths work and what they reveal about the history, culture, and values of the society which used them. V.2.

This course covers the history, literature, and culture of the roman people from the period of etruscan influence to the end of the republic and beginning of the reign of the first emperor Augustus (seventh through first centuries B.C.). Primary emphasis will be on the last century of the republic, the “roman revolution” from 133 to 31 B.C., which also saw the flowering of classi- cal latin literature and culture. Attention will be given to the influence of etruscan and especially Greek culture on the development of roman civilization, especially in the areas of literature, religion, art and political thought. Authors read include: Plautus, terence, livy, Catullus, Cicero and sallust. offered alternate years. May be counted as an auxiliary course toward the minor in gender studies. V.1, V.2

This course will cover roman material culture (art and architecture) including its roots in etruscan architecture and sculpture (8th-6th century B.C.), the development of portraiture during the republic, the art and architecture of the roman empire (including Pompeii), and the art and architecture of the Constantinian period (4th c. A.D.). Included will be readings and discussions regarding the problems of chronology and dating of ancient artifacts, as well as the use of ancient literary sources to place artifacts in their context. students will do a project utilizing sweet Briar’s classical antiquities collection. Offered alternate years. May be counted toward the major and minor in archaeology. V.1, V.6a.

In this course we will explore the emergence of the Greek novel during the Roman Empire and the cultural context that produced this nascent genre. Through tales of true love, romance, faked deaths, and encounters with pirates, we will investigate questions of genre, gender, and status as well as examine the nature of Greek life and literature under Roman rule. V.2.

Prerequisites: One CLAS course and permission of the instructor. The study of introductory level material by an individual student or by a small group of students under the immediate supervision of a faculty member.

Prerequisite: Sophomores admitted by permission; a 100- level course in classical studies or in gender studies is recommended. Study of the cultural constructs of sex and gender as seen in the literature, law and material culture of Greek and Roman societies (including Egypt and the Near East in the Greco-Roman period). Explores societal stereotypes regarding women’s abilities and behavior and the strategies devised by women in response to those stereotypes. Attitudes toward marriage and the family, homosexuality, and fertility control will also be treated. Emphasis will be on interpretation of ancient texts, literary, legal and documentary (all in English translation), and current scholarship. Topic and time period will vary. Offered alternate years. May be counted as an auxiliary course toward the minor in gender studies. III.O, V.5

Prerequisite: First-year students and sophomores with permission; at least one course in classical civilization is strongly recommended. This course investigates themes and issues in classical civilization, drawing from a wide variety of sources including literary, philosophical, and historical writings, inscriptions, papyri and artistic modes of production (e.g., vase paintings, sculpture, etc.). Topics will vary, with future topics including the paradoxical status of gladiators in imperial Rome; Greek conceptions of the grotesque; and ideas of death, commemoration, and the afterlife.

Prerequisites: Three credits in CLAS and permission of instructor, department chair, and dean. This course is graded P/CR/NC only.

Prerequisites: One 100-level CLAS course, one 200-level CLAS course, and permission of the instructor. Pursuit of an upper level research project determined in advance by the student in consultation with a faculty member who will act as the sponsor.

Prerequisite: GREK 101. Fundamentals of the classical Greek language in preparation for reading literary works, with written exercises and translation. Offered alternate years.

Prerequisite: GREK 201. Readings from Homer’s Odyssey. Offered alternate years. V.3

Prerequisite: GREK 202. This course explores themes in Greek literature and draws on a wide variety of authors and genres. Topics will include Love and Lament, Comedy and Invective, Greek Lyric Poets, Hellenistic Poetry and Politics, and the Second Sophistic. Texts will range from Greek epitaphs and curse tablets through the worlds of epic, lyric, historiography, comedy, tragedy, and the Greek Novel. V.2, V.3

Prerequisite: GREK 202. One or two plays studied in detail, with special attention to their relevant cultural contexts, poetic and dramatic structure, use of mythical material, and treatment of character. V.2, V.3

Prerequisites: One 100-level GREK course, one 200-level GREK course, and permission of the instructor. Pursuit of an upper level research project determined in advance by the student in consultation with a faculty member who will act as the sponsor.

Prerequisite: LATN 101. Fundamentals of the language in preparation for reading literary works, with written exercises and translation.

Prerequisite: LATN 201. Readings from Latin poetry. V.3

Prerequisite: One 200-level course in Latin. Selections from Livy or Tacitus. Offered alternate years. V.2, V.3

Prerequisite: LATN 202. This course explores themes of love, wit, invective, and urbanity that figure prominently in these versatile poetic genres. Beginning with the world of Catullus, this course moves through the Roman elegies of Propertius, Tibullus, and Ovid, and at the occasional poems of Martial. V.2, V.3

Prerequisite: LATN 202. In this course we will draw upon the post-Augustan authors of the Roman Empire. Genres will vary and possible authors include Lucan, Seneca, Pliny, Tacitus, Martial, and Juvenal. V.2, V.3

Prerequisite: LATN 202. This course explores the comedies of Plautus and Terence. Through reading their plays both in the original Latin and in translation, we will consider their generic antecedents, performative context, and the colloquial and archaic quality of their Latin. V.2, V.3

Prerequisites: 100-level LATN course and permission of the instructor. The study of an intermediate level topic by an individual student or by a small group of students under the immediate supervision of a faculty member.