Spring 2022
An introduction to the history, literature, and society of the ancient Romans.
Broad-based introduction to the archaeology of the ancient Romans.
An introduction to the myths of the ancient Greeks and Romans, covering ancient and modern tellings of these traditional stories. Fulfills L&S Breadth in Arts & Literature or Philosophy & Values. 3 hours lecture, 1 hour discussion section.
Introduction to ancient Greek philosopy through study of Plato, Aristotle, the Epicureans, and the Stoics.
An introduction to the political thought of Ancient Greece through study of Thucydides, Plato, and Aristotle.
Witches, holy men, love spells, and mystery religions in ancient Greece and Rome. What did the practice of magic mean in its ancient cultural context?
A survey of the painting in the ancient Greek world, on a variety of materials, from its beginnings in prehistory to its height of international fame and accomplishment in the Hellenistic period, focusing on: techniques, materials, continuity and development in styles and use, the interrelationship of the various media, decorative vs. narrative meaning, regional and chronological trends, the craft vs. the art.
Second semester of introductory ancient Greek.
Study, in ancient Greek, of Aeschylus’ Agamemnon.
Selections from Caesar and Cicero with the aim of learning to read Latin with understanding and enjoyment. Review of morphology, syntax, and vocabulary to improve reading facility. Fulfills L&S Breadth in Arts & Literature or Historical Studies.
Readings in Latin from the second half of the Aeneid.
Survey of Greek Literature (part 2)
Reading and discussion of Statius' Achilleid and Silvae.
In the current return to formalism, the humanities have seen a re-evaluation of poetic form in terms of its capacity for unruly, queer ways of being and becoming, or unbecoming. The unsettling geometries of poetic form—its breaks and cuts, as well as its power of obstruction through repetition, congestion, expansion, and contraction—create a potential for resistance or willfulness, or wild escapes from meaning. In this seminar we will familiarize ourselves with various radical formalisms through conversations with various guests who will send us a short chapter beforehand to discuss in class. The guests will be: Lucy Alford, Stephen Best, Tom Geue, Sean Gurd, Laura Jansen, Sarah Nooter, Ellis Neyra, Sarah Olsen, Victoria Rimell, Victoria Wohl. The assignment of each week will thus include primary readings (in Greek, Latin, and English) relevant to the guest’s chapter and theoretical secondary readings helpful to understand and discuss the particular approaches or angles privileged by the guest.
This graduate level seminar will explore mortuary archaeology in the Aegean and Greek worlds from the prehistoric to historic periods.