A chronological introduction to Western and non-Western literatures from the Ancient world through the Renaissance. This course juxtaposes Greek, Roman, English literature from the Old English, Middle English, and Renaissance periods with contemporaneous literatures from India, China, Japan, Middle-Eastern, and other non-Western cultures.
This epic class will include Achilles’ anger, the polytropos Odysseus, “arms and the man”, the pius Aeneas, but will take you far beyond those borders. Can a hero be a hero just because he is gorgeous? Why would a textbook be called an epic poem? What were the epic writers churning out in that famous Library at Alexandria? Please note that at least one epic does not have the gods interfering, some consider the Confessions of Augustine to be epic literature, and still others wave a hand to the Vitae Sanctorum. Did Cicero really write an epic poem and what are the Periochae Homeri? Finally, where have all the epic writers gone? A glance at the writings of Jean Auel may give a clue and certainly also the modern Ovidian writer Roberto Calasso.
This course is a chronological survey of the archaeology of Syria-Palestine in which material culture provides a window on the history of society, economy, and religion from the Neolithic to Hellenistic times. Special topics include the emergence of farming and pastoral societies, the formation and dissolution of Bronze Age city-states, and the rise and fall of Iron Age kingdoms such as Israel, Moab, and Edom.
Classical Athens is all too often glibly cited as the archetypal democracy; our task will be to scrutinize this fabled political system and set it within its complex historical context. In particular, we will focus on the ways in which geographical location, governance institutions and procedures, military and foreign policies, financial concerns, social stratification, religious practices, and broad cultural tendencies all intersected to produce the Athens of Pericles, the Parthenon, and Plato.
The ancient Stoics defined the goal of life as living according to nature. They believed that this meant living according to reason, and that the perfection of reason was virtue. They argued that only the true Stoic, the Sage, is free since only the Sage is consistently virtuous, and so enduringly happy, even when penniless, without friends or family, physically ill, or tortured on the rack. In Tom Wolfe's latest novel, A Man in Full, Epictetus' Stoicism provides the deliverance of the two main male characters by transforming their conception of manliness. In northwest Greece in the late 1st and early 2nd centuries CE, in his own school Epictetus taught Stoicism as the way to live. A record of his teachings written by one of his students is an excellent text for the study of ancient Stoicism. Epictetus' lectures or 'discourses' inspired Marcus Aurelius to rule Rome as he believed a Stoic should. We will also study selections from Marcus' personal journal known as the Meditations. Marcus Aurelius is a key figure in Ridley Scott's recent film Gladiator, and we will closely study the dramatic Stoic motifs in this film. Finally, we will discuss a selection from a book soon to be published on Harry Potter and Stoicism. By understanding its historical roots and early development, we will be in a position to appreciate and scrutinize the impact of Stoicism on popular culture today.
In the year 2004, the modern Olympics return to Greece. Prepare yourself by learning about athletics and recreation in the ancient Mediterranean world. Visit the major game sites. You may be shocked to learn about the brutality of boxing and the pancration. You may also be pleasantly surprised to read some of the beautiful poetry written about the most skilled of the athletes. Shifting from Greece to Rome, the world of the arena and the gladiators and even the x-rated theater will be explored. Finally, the course will cover civilized board games, ball games, pure recreation, and even children’s games.
Ever wonder why translations of the Bible can be so different? In this course students become thoroughly familiar with the history of Bible translations from the earliest ones to the most recent. They learn about differing approaches to translation, and they develop skills in evaluating Bible versions. Students also gain insight into how translators work and the impact Bible translations have on their own and subsequent societies. Additionally, students will meet Bible translators and have the opportunity to interview them.
This class will complete the study of basic grammar (vocabulary, syntax, and morphology). By the end of this semester of Greek you will be able to begin exploring the beauties of Greek literature by Homer, Herodotus and Sappho. P: GRK 101 or equivalent.
I am offering NT by popular demand. We will read (with context) the parallel texts in Matthew and Luke which scholars assign to the common source called "Q". This will offer us an opportunity to investigate the textual history of the synoptic gospels and to engage in some of the "form criticism" hinted at in the official course description.
This course seeks to provide you with a comprehensive review of morphology and an advanced understanding of syntax via the time-honored paedagogy of writing in ancient Greek. We will closely analyze works from several classical prose authors with an emphasis on the ways they utilize the resources of the language. We will also attempt to imitate their various styles in our own compositions. In addition to producing dramatic gains in your knowledge of ancient Greek, the course will also significantly further your understanding of the workings of the English language.
What is a laparotomy? Unlock the secrets of medical jargon. For those students who want to understand the origins and correct usages of the terminology of science. Study Greek and Latin prefixes, suffixes, stems, derivatives, word combinations, and related expressions. Recommended for students preparing for the health professions. P: So. Stdg.
In this course, students develop facility in reading, comprehending, and translating the Greek of the Septuagint (LXX). They become familiar with different theories about the origins and development of the Septuagint and gain knowledge of the LXX as an example of koine and of translation Greek. They also consider the exegetical (interpretive) nature of the LXX in its own right and as a key to greater understanding of both the Hebrew Old Testament and the New Testament.
There are no courses in Hebrew scheduled for the Spring 2003 semester. If you are interested in taking Hebrew please contact either Prof. Leonard Greenspoon or Prof. Ron Simkins.
This class will complete the study of basic grammar (vocabulary, syntax, and morphology). By the end of this semester you will be able to start reading ancient authors such as Vergil, Catullus, and Livy. Continue to improve your English grammar and vocabulary and appreciate Roman language, literature, and culture. P: LAT 101 or equivalent.
Need a little romance in your life? Learn the best ways to pick up girls! Are you lovesick? Learn the cures for love! The Roman elegiac poet Ovid is full of advice. In this class we will read selections from Ovid's Ars Amatoria and the Remedia Amoris with an eye to improving your Latin, learning about the genre, and beginning the study of meter. P: LAT 201 or equivalent.
What is a laparotomy? Unlock the secrets of medical jargon. For those students who want to understand the origins and correct usages of the terminology of science. Study Greek and Latin prefixes, suffixes, stems, derivatives, word combinations, and related expressions. Recommended for students preparing for the health professions. P: So. Stdg.
We will look at the parallel accounts of the opening phases of the terrible Civil War of 49 BC as it is exposed in the letters of Cicero and the commentaries on the Civil War by Caesar: both eyewitness participants. We shall see the strengths and weaknesses of both sources, and use them in conjunction to try to reconstruct as accurately as possible the events in the late 50s and 49. We will read parallel accounts by other authors (Greek and Roman) in translation to provide supplementary material. This course will thus be hands-on historical sourcework.
Continuation of Arabic 111. Doubled verbs, defective verbs; the subjunctive, passive, and imperative; the passive voice; complex syntax; the masdar, active and passive participles; the adverb; conditional sentences; exclamations; oral and written exercises; reading. Open only to non-native speakers of the language. P: ARA 111 or IC.