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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 101 (Homer's Iliad and the Myths of Tragedy), or Classics 102 (Homer's Odyssey and the Myths of Comedy), 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 101 or Classics 102, and either Classics 103 (History of Greece) or 104 (History of Rome). Students who plan to major in Classical Civilization should take Classics 101, 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 101, 102, 103, 104, 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 101, 102, 104, 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 101, 102, 103, 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 101, 102, 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. Van Nortwick: intensive beginning Greek. Mr. Lee: intensive beginning Latin. 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 2004-2005 will be Professor Leslie Kurke of the University of California at Berkeley
101. Homer's Iliad and the Myths of Tragedy 3 hours 3HU, WR First Semester. Critical study of Homer's Iliad, the first example of the tragic perspective in western literature, selected tragic dramas by Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Seneca, and Shakespeare, and some modern films. Attention to how the view of human experience established in these works serves to reflect and comment upon recurring themes in western civilization. (Open to those who have taken Classics 100 or 206, but not both.) Lecture and discussion. Enrollment Limit: 60. Mr. Van Nortwick 102. Homer's Odyssey and the Myths of Comedy 3 hours 3HU, WR Next offered 2005-2006. 103. History of Greece 3 hours 3SS First Semester. An introduction to Greek history, from the prehistoric period to the rise of Rome. Special emphasis will be given to the study of the ancient sources, especially Herodotus and Thucydides, as we attempt to reconstruct the political, social, and constitutional history of this tremendously vital period. Offered in alternate years. Note: May count toward a history major. Enrollment Limit: 55. Staff 104. History of Rome 3 hours 3SS Next offered 2005-2006. 209. The Ancient and Modern Novel 3 hours 3HU Second Semester. This course will take as its point of departure the surviving novels of Greek and Roman antiquity. We will read a selection of Greek novels, as well as Petronius' Satyricon and Apuleius' Metamorphoses. To these ancient works we will compare a series of modern novels, especially Epitaph of a Small Winner by Machado de Assis and Kennedy's Confederacy of Dunces. The course will also pursue critical and theoretical issues regarding the genre of the novel raised by Bakhtin, Lukacs, Winkler, and others. All works will be read in translation. Mr. Lee 219. Sexuality in Ancient Greece and Rome 3 hours 3HU, WR Next offered 2005-2006. 304. Sophoclean Tragedy 3 hours 3HU, WR Second Semester. In-depth study, in translation, of the seven surviving tragedies of Sophocles. Careful consideration of these plays as individual realizations, in the context of Fifth-Century Athenian culture, of Greek heroic ideals. Close reading of primary texts as well as secondary critical and theoretical studies. Discussion and occasional student reports. Prerequisite: CLAS 206 or CLAS 101. Enrollment Limit: 20. Consent of instructor required. Mr. Van Nortwick 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. Staff 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. Staff 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' Hippolytus, supplemented by readings from the critical literature and of other tragedies in translation. Prerequisite: GREK 201 or consent of instructor. Mr. Lee 302. Herodotus 3 hours 3HU, CD First semester. Reading and discussion of selections from Herodotus' Histories in Greek, plus the entire work in English. Prerequisite: GREK 202 or the equivalent. Staff 305. Sophocles 3 hours 3HU, CD Next offered 2005-2006. 306. Homer's Odyssey 3 hours 3HU, CD Second semester. Careful reading of selections from the Odyssey, with a survey of the criticism and scholarship on the poem. Special attention to issues of heroism and gender. Prerequisite: GREK 202 or the equivalent. Mr. Van Nortwick 307. Comedies of Aristophanes 3 hours 3HU, CD Next offered 2005-2006. 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: 25. 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. Staff 302. Horace 3 hours 3HU, CD Next offered 2005-2006. 306. Ovid's Metamorphoses 3 hours 3HU, CD Second Semester. Careful reading and discussion of selections from Ovid's Metamorphoses, plus secondary critical material. Special attention to the poem as part of the traditions of Classical epic and didactic poetry. Prerequisite: LATN 202 or the equivalent. Mr. Van Nortwick 307. The Roman Historians 3 hours 3HU, CD First Semester. Study of Sallust and Tacitus, as well as other topics in Roman history or historiography. We will examine the artistic and philosophical elements of the text as products of the social and political history of the Late Republic and the Flavian period. 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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