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Introduction. Due to the early and central position of Greek and Roman civilization in the development of the western tradition, acquaintance with classical thought and culture is an important part of a liberal arts education. The Department offers courses in Classical Civilization covering aspects of literary creation, historical and social process, and the Greek and Roman contribution to areas such as philosophy, religion, and government. No knowledge of Greek or Latin is required. These courses provide a broad background for all areas of literary and humanistic study. The Department offers courses in Greek and Latin language and literature for students who wish to develop a deeper understanding of the works and the capacity for making independent judgments about them. Acquisition of the languages is a prerequisite for advanced work. Elementary courses in the languages are designed to enable students to approach significant material as soon as possible. Advanced Placement. Students who have been enrolled in this program in high school will be assigned advanced placement in accordance with the results of the qualifying examinations. A score of 4 or 5 in the examination is required for the award of college credit. Entry-Level Course Sequence Suggestions. Students just beginning to approach the classics should begin with Classics 100 (Myth and Hero in the Greek Epic), or with Latin 101 or Greek 101. Students are encouraged to enroll in any language course for which they are qualified. All entering students who have studied Latin or Greek previously should consult with a member of the Department before enrolling in any course in Latin or Greek. Students with four years of secondary-school Latin (including Vergil) will ordinarily be eligible for Latin 202 (Catullus and Cicero) offered in the second semester. Such students especially should consider beginning the study of Greek in the fall semester. Students with two or three years of secondary-school Latin will ordinarily be eligible for Latin 201 (Vergil). Students whose preparation in Latin is deficient will be advised to enroll in or audit Latin 101, or to devote a Winter Term to review in order that they may enroll in Latin 102. It should be noted that well-motivated students have done the equivalent of Greek 101 or of Latin 101 during a Winter Term and have then participated successfully in Greek 102 or Latin 102 in the spring. Students considering a major in Greek or Latin should include in their freshman and sophomore programs four semesters of work in the language, Classics 100, and either Classics 103 (History of Greece) or 104 (History of Rome). Students who plan to major in Classical Civilization should take Classics 100, Classics 103 and two semesters of either Greek or Latin. Early consultation with the Classics Department concerning proposed plans of study is advisable, particularly for those who contemplate spending part of the junior or senior year in Rome or in Athens. Major. A major in classics can serve as the central focus of a widely ranging undergraduate curriculum since it includes many areas of human activity and creativity, and it has so served for students who have gone on to careers in medicine, law, writing, etc. Classics as a major or as a component part of an interdisciplinary or double major is pre-professional training for those who intend to engage in research and teaching at the university or college level in such fields as classics, classical archeology, comparative literature, religion, linguistics, medieval studies, philosophy, and many others. An undergraduate major in classics in whole or in part is also preparation for those who intend to teach languages, literatures, or humanities in junior colleges or secondary schools. Interested students are advised to consult with the chairperson in devising a major or partial major program which will meet with their needs and desires. Great flexibility is possible. The Department of Classics offers three majors: Classical Civilization, Latin Language and Literature, and Greek Language and Literature. 1. The major in Classical Civilization includes Classical Civilization 100, 103, 104, 206, at least two courses in Greek or Latin, and 15 hours in Classics or "Related Courses" (see below). Students with a preprofessional interest should select one of the majors below. Work in the other language and literature is strongly recommended. Attention is called to the possibility of a minor in the other language and literature (see below). 2. The major in Latin Language and Literature includes 12 hours in Latin above Latin 102, plus Classical Civilization 100, 104, 206, and six hours in Classics or "Related Courses." 3. The major in Greek Language and Literature includes 12 hours in Greek above Greek 102, plus Classical Civilization 100, 103, 206, and six hours in Classics or "Related Courses." With the permission of the major advisor, additional work in Greek or Latin or appropriate courses from other departments in the College may be substituted for some of the above. Minor. Students may receive a minor in Greek or Latin upon completion of approved programs of study. Such programs will consist of at least 15 hours of courses in Classical Civilization, Greek Language and Literature, Latin Language and Literature, ancient philosophy, and classical art and archeology, and will ordinarily include Greek 202 or the equivalent for the minor in Greek and Latin 202 or the equivalent for the minor in Latin. Interested students are advised to consult the chairperson. Honors. To be eligible for admission to the Honors Program, a student must have completed by the end of the junior year: 1. Two 300-level courses in either Greek or Latin and at least the 102-level course in the other classical language; or one 300-level course in Greek and one 300-level course in Latin; and 2. Classical Civilization 103 (Greek History) or 104 (Roman History); and 3. Two of the following: Classical Civilization 100, 206, 210, 215. The Department may invite qualified students to apply at the end of their junior year, but would also welcome applications from interested majors. Admission is based on overall academic distinction and outstanding work within the Department. To be awarded honors, a student must: 1. complete a major in Latin or Greek; 2. complete satisfactorily in the first semester of the senior year, a reading list devised in consultation with a member of the Department and approved by the Department which includes primary (ancient) and secondary (critical, historical) readings; 3. complete satisfactorily a research project designed in consultation with members of the Department; 4. pass an oral examination on the reading list and research project. (This examination may be conducted by an outside examiner, who would also pass judgment on the honors project.) Students participating in the Honors Program should register for Greek or Latin 501 and 502 for three units of credit each semester. Related Courses. The Classics Department normally awards major credit for selected courses with material related to Classical antiquity in the following departments and programs: Archaeology, Art, English, History, Philosophy, Politics, and Religion. Consult the chair of Classics for details. Archeology. Students interested in classical archeology as a profession should note the availability of a concentration in Classical Archeology in Archeological Studies including both the relevant courses in classical art and archeology and basic training in the classical languages and literatures. For further information, see the separate listing under Archeological Studies above, or consult Ms. Kane in the Art Department. Study Abroad. Oberlin College is a participating member of the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome. A semester of study in Rome during the junior or senior year is available for qualified students majoring in the Department. There is also a program in Athens. Consult the chairperson for details. Transfer of Credit. No more than half the hours credited toward the major may be granted for work at other recognized institutions. Winter Term. The following faculty are particularly interested in sponsoring Winter Term projects as indicated. Mr. Ormand: intensive beginning Greek. Mr. Van Nortwick: Classics in translation, comparative epic and/or drama. Many other topics are also possible. The Martin Classical Lectures are delivered annually at Oberlin College by an eminent visiting scholar. Thirty-six volumes in this distinguished series have appeared. The lecturer for 2003-2004 will be Professor Michael Putnam of Brown University.
100. Myth and Hero in the Greek Epic 3 hours 3HU, WR First Semester. The critical study of the Iliad and the Odyssey, the first major literary works of ancient Greece, which were of enormous influence on Greek and Roman literary and cultural ideals and are thus crucial for the understanding of Western civilization in general. The heroic figures of Achilles, Hector, and Odysseus represent early and powerful versions of the tragic and comic heroes. Lecture and discussion. Enrollment Limit: 60. Mr. Van Nortwick 103. History of Greece 3 hours 3SS Next offered 2004-2005. 104. History of Rome 3 hours 3SS First Semester. A survey of the history of Rome, from its prehistoric origins to its "decline and fall" in the fifth century A.D. Attention will be given to the evolution of social and political structures in Rome from the Republic to the Principate, Roman imperialism and the transition from paganism to Christianity. Readings from the ancient sources will provide the basis for our discussions of the issues. May count toward a history major. Enrollment Limit: 55. Mr. Lee 206. Greek and Roman Drama in Translation 3 hours 3HU, WR Second Semester. Close reading (in translation) of plays by the Greek dramatists Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and Aristophanes, and the Romans Seneca, Plautus, and Terence, plus selected plays by Shakespeare. Some secondary readings, participation in class discussion and scene work, papers, and final exam required. Enrollment Limit: 55. Mr. Van Nortwick 210. Greek and Roman Mythology 3 hours 3HU, WR Second Semester. We will study the myths of Greece and Rome as they are presented in ancient sources (tragedies, religious hymns, poetry, and mythographical anthologies). We will also emphasize modern approaches to understanding myth, including psychoanalytic, semiotic, and social-historical readings. Enrollment Limit: 55. Mr. Ormand 215. Ancient Literature and the Meaning of Life 3 hours 3HU, WR Next offered 2004-2005. 219. Sexuality in Ancient Greece and Rome 3 hours 3HU, WR First Semester. Study of the construction of gender and sexual identities in ancient Greece and Rome. Emphasis will be on primary texts that demonstrate notions of sexual practice and/or identity, such as Aristophanes' Thesmophoriazousae, Plato's Symposium, Lucian's Dialogue of the Courtesans, Aeschines' Against Timarchos, Catullus, Martial, Juvenal. We will also read modern critical theorists (Foucault, Halperin, Richlin, Rubin), and will interrogate the accuracy of their arguments. Prerequisite: CLAS 100. Enrollment Limit: 30. Consent of instructor required. Mr. Ormand 501. Senior Project 2-3 hours 2-3HU Intensive work on a topic selected in consultation with a member of the department, culminating in a presentation of a paper or other project. Prerequisites: Senior major standing and invitation of the department. Consent of instructor required. 995. Private Reading 1-3 hours 1-3HU Consent of instructor required.
101. Elementary Greek 4 hours 4HU, CD First Semester. The essentials of the classical Greek language, with emphasis on reading. Enrollment Limit: 25. Mr. Ormand 102. Elementary Greek II 4 hours 4HU, CD Second Semester. Continuation of Elementary Greek, completing the study of basic Greek grammar and syntax. We will read selections from Greek prose authors in the second half of the semester. Prerequisite: GREK 101 or equivalent. Mr. Ormand 201. Homer's Iliad 3 hours 3HU, CD First Semester. Reading and translation of selections from Homer's Iliad, with discussion of relevant critical issues and historical background. Prerequisite: GREK 102 or equivalent. Mr. Van Nortwick 202. Introduction to Greek Tragedy 3 hours 3HU, CD Second Semester. Reading, translation, and discussion of Euripides' Medea, supplemented by readings from the critical literature and of other tragedies in translation. Prerequisite: GREK 201 or consent of instructor. Mr. Lee 303. Thucydides 3 hours 3HU, CD Next offered 2004-05. 304. Lyric Poetry 3 hours 3HU, CD Next offered 2004-05. 305. Sophocles 3 hours 3HU, CD Second Semester. Readings, discussion, and papers on the tragedy of Sophocles. Close analysis of Oedipus Tyrannus and a survey of the criticism and scholarship dealing with Sophocles. Prerequisite: GREK 202 or the equivalent. Mr. Van Nortwick 307. Comedies of Aristophanes 3 hours 3HU, CD First Semester. We will read one of Aristophanes' comedies in Greek, and many other plays in English translation. We will also review recent scholarship on Aristophanes, with a particular focus on his comedies as political commentary, as literary criticism, and as evidence for social and sexual norms in Classical Athens. Prerequisite: GREK 202 or the equivalent. Mr. Ormand 501, 502. Senior Honors 3-5 hours 3-5HU Intensive work on a topic selected in consultation with a member of the department, culminating in a presentation of a paper or other project. Prerequisites: Senior major standing and invitation of the department. Consent of instructor required. 995. Private Reading 1-3 hours 1-3HU Consent of instructor required.
101. Elementary Latin 3 hours 3HU, CD First Semester. The essentials of the Latin language, with emphasis on reading. This course is intended for students with no previous training in Latin. Enrollment Limit: 35. Mr. Lee 102. Introduction to Latin Prose 3 hours 3HU, CD Second Semester. Continuation of LATN 101. Completion of the study of the essentials of Latin grammar and reading of a variety of Latin prose, such as the younger Pliny's account of the eruption of Vesuvius, and selections from the letters of Abelhard and Heloise and the Carmina Burana. Prerequisite: LATN 101 or equivalent. Mr. Lee 201. Introduction to Latin Literature: Vergil's Aeneid 3 hours 3HU, CD First Semester. A careful reading selected books of the Aeneid, with attention to stylistic and literary issues. Prerequisite: LATN 102 or equivalent. Mr. Van Nortwick 202. Catullus and Cicero 3 hours 3HU, CD Second Semester. Readings from the erotic lyrics of Catullus in conjunction with the Pro Caelio of Cicero. Discussion of gender roles and politics in late Republican Rome, and in particular the role of Clodia. Prerequisite: LATN 102 or equivalent. Mr. Ormand 301. Augustine's Confessions 3 hours 3HU, CD Next offered 2004-05. 302. Horace 3 hours 3HU, CD Second Semester. Close study of Horace's Odes in their literary, historical, and cultural context. Some secondary critical readings, oral reports, and papers. Prerequisite: LATN 202 or the equivalent. Mr. Van Nortwick 307. Latin Love Elegy 3 hours 3HU, CD First Semester. Selections from the elegies of Tibullus, Propertius, Ovid, and Sulpicia, as well as relevant scholarly essays on and modern poetic interactions with these texts. Special attention to critical theory, particularly genre, gender, and the poet's representation of subjectivity. Two exams, class presentation and a final paper. Prerequisite: LATN 202 or equivalent. Mr. Lee 501, 502. Senior Honors 3-5 hours 3-5HU Intensive work on a topic selected in consultation with a member of the department, culminating in a presentation of a paper or other project. Prerequisites: Senior major standing and invitation of the department. Consent of instructor required. 995. Private Reading 1-3 hours 1-3HU Consent of instructor required. |
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