James Patterson

Say "Ancient Greece", and the words conjure up timeless images of shining white temples among olive trees, bronze-armored heroes, and bearded philosophers discussing the nature of the universe. Our popular vision of the ancient Greeks makes them seem both familiar and irrelevant to the modern world. In fact, however, Greek culture is deeply alien to our own, and at the same time surprisingly relevant. On the one hand, ancient Greek society is just as confusing, shocking, and easy to misinterpret as any other culture is for an outside observer -- even more so, because we are separated from it not only by space but by time. On the other hand, we have the Greeks to thank for much of the way we think today about politics, art, science, and the meaning of life.

This course is meant to introduce students to this complex and intriguing culture and to its legacy in our own society. We will look at ancient Greece on its own terms through the examination of primary sources of all types -- literary, artistic, archaeological -- in an attempt to develop a more detailed and nuanced understanding of Ancient Greek society and culture between the Bronze Age and the Hellenistic period. We will also place the discussion of these sources in the context of the shifting meaning of Ancient Greece in the modern world, from the Homeric romanticism of Heinrich Schliemann to the meaning of democracy in the 21st century. Within a roughly chronological framework, lectures will examine Greek literature to discover what the Greeks said about themselves; Greek art and archaeology to understand how people lived and to hear the voices of those -- women, children, slaves, foreigners and outsiders -- who left no written testimony; and modern controversies to see what the Greeks say about us.

Fulfills the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.

Carries the Global Cultures flag.

Fulfills the Cultural Expression, Human Experience, & Thought Course area requirement.

Say "Ancient Greece", and the words conjure up timeless images of shining white temples among olive trees, bronze-armored heroes, and bearded philosophers discussing the nature of the universe. Our popular vision of the ancient Greeks makes them seem both familiar and irrelevant to the modern world. In fact, however, Greek culture is deeply alien to our own, and at the same time surprisingly relevant. On the one hand, ancient Greek society is just as confusing, shocking, and easy to misinterpret as any other culture is for an outside observer -- even more so, because we are separated from it not only by space but by time. On the other hand, we have the Greeks to thank for much of the way we think today about politics, art, science, and the meaning of life.

This course is meant to introduce students to this complex and intriguing culture and to its legacy in our own society. We will look at ancient Greece on its own terms through the examination of primary sources of all types -- literary, artistic, archaeological -- in an attempt to develop a more detailed and nuanced understanding of Ancient Greek society and culture between the Bronze Age and the Hellenistic period. We will also place the discussion of these sources in the context of the shifting meaning of Ancient Greece in the modern world, from the Homeric romanticism of Heinrich Schliemann to the meaning of democracy in the 21st century. Within a roughly chronological framework, lectures will examine Greek literature to discover what the Greeks said about themselves; Greek art and archaeology to understand how people lived and to hear the voices of those -- women, children, slaves, foreigners and outsiders -- who left no written testimony; and modern controversies to see what the Greeks say about us.

Fulfills the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.

Carries the Global Cultures flag.

Fulfills the Cultural Expression, Human Experience, & Thought Course area requirement.

Myths accompanied Greek and Roman culture as a constant from the pre-literate era before the Homeric epics through the hyper-literary myths of the Roman period. These myths helped the ancient Greeks and Romans to make sense of their world and to address issues with regard to religion, philosophy, and even early attempts at natural science. In different forms, myths still inform our understanding of the world, and Classical mythology in particular has continued to influence western art and literature up to the present day. This class begins with an examination of the Greek understanding of the creation of the world, the pantheon of gods, and the creation of humanity. Time will also be spent on the origins of Greek mythology, looking to the mythologies of Near Eastern cultures, which have influenced Greek thought. Throughout the course attention will be given to particular gods, goddesses, heroes and heroines and the myths which surround them in both the Greek and Roman traditions.

Fulfills the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.

Carries the Global Cultures flag.

Fulfills the Cultural Expression, Human Experience, & Thought Course area requirement.

This course continues the introduction to reading Ancient Greek begun in Greek 506.  Starting with a brief review, we shall complete the basic grammar and move on to read passages from various Greek authors.

Daily assignments covering grammar, vocabulary, composition, and translation will enable the diligent student to acquire a firm grasp of Attic Greek.  Regular attendance is essential.

Prerequisite:  Greek 506 or equivalent (i.e. one semester of Greek).

This course can be counted for partial fulfillment of foreign language requirements.

Course will start out online and will return to the classroom after a few weeks if campus conditions warrant. Office hours will be held by Zoom or outdoors on campus, weather and safety permitting.

This course is a survey of the social, intellectual, philosophical, religious, political, military, scientific, artistic, and literary history of ancient Greece, from its prehistory through classical antiquity to the rise of Christianity, the Byzantine Empire, and the emergence of a country called Greece. Our study will emphasize the so-called Golden Age of Athens (5th century BC, or more precisely 480-404). This is what we might normally think of when we hear the phrase “ancient Greece,” since it is the period of democracy and cultural flourishing we tend to consider the “foundation of Western civilization.” But this “Golden Age” is really just a blip in time and space, and to focus solely on it would be a disservice to our understanding of what the ancient Greek world was about. So we will expand our range, both chronologically and geographically, to cover an historical period from roughly 3,000 BC to 1453 AD and beyond, studying several different Greek cultures (there were dozens of them) as well as the foreign cultures with whom they interacted (including the Akkadians, Sumerians, Egyptians, Etruscans, Phoenicians, Scythians, Persians, Bactrians, Parthians, Jews, Romans, Arabs, and Turks). We will find that the ancient Greek world was far more complex and diverse than one might think. And, by examining not only the similarities but also (and in many ways more importantly) the differences between their cultures and our own, we will better understand how we definitely are and definitely are not related to them.

One of our focuses will be on what is called “the history of ideas,” or how thoughts, worldviews, and beliefs—whether good or bad—change and develop over time. In particular, we will emphasize the development of religious, philosophical, and scientific ideas and see how they influence (and are influenced by) art, literature, and politics. We will also study conceptions of ethnicity and identity. These conceptions tend to develop and be defined in contrast to adversaries, or “others.” Throughout most of antiquity, there was no sense of a Greek culture (in fact, “Greece” is a Roman concept, not a Greek one). In a Texan context, Houston, Dallas, and Austin would all be distinct “nations,” and an ancient Greek would call us all barbarians because, among other things, we wear pants and wash ourselves with soap. Insofar as we can, we will get into the minds of the Greeks themselves and study their world as they saw it. We will do the same with the various ways the modern world has interpreted this ancient history, for history is created by those who look back on it as much as it is by those who live it. Thus, this course offers a unique opportunity to understand not only who the ancient Greeks were but also who we think we are now in light of them.

Course will start out online and will return to the classroom after a few weeks if campus conditions warrant. Office hours will be held by Zoom or outdoors on campus, weather and safety permitting.

This course is a survey of the social, intellectual, philosophical, religious, political, military, scientific, artistic, and literary history of ancient Greece, from its prehistory through classical antiquity to the rise of Christianity, the Byzantine Empire, and the emergence of a country called Greece. Our study will emphasize the so-called Golden Age of Athens (5th century BC, or more precisely 480-404). This is what we might normally think of when we hear the phrase “ancient Greece,” since it is the period of democracy and cultural flourishing we tend to consider the “foundation of Western civilization.” But this “Golden Age” is really just a blip in time and space, and to focus solely on it would be a disservice to our understanding of what the ancient Greek world was about. So we will expand our range, both chronologically and geographically, to cover an historical period from roughly 3,000 BC to 1453 AD and beyond, studying several different Greek cultures (there were dozens of them) as well as the foreign cultures with whom they interacted (including the Akkadians, Sumerians, Egyptians, Etruscans, Phoenicians, Scythians, Persians, Bactrians, Parthians, Jews, Romans, Arabs, and Turks). We will find that the ancient Greek world was far more complex and diverse than one might think. And, by examining not only the similarities but also (and in many ways more importantly) the differences between their cultures and our own, we will better understand how we definitely are and definitely are not related to them.

One of our focuses will be on what is called “the history of ideas,” or how thoughts, worldviews, and beliefs—whether good or bad—change and develop over time. In particular, we will emphasize the development of religious, philosophical, and scientific ideas and see how they influence (and are influenced by) art, literature, and politics. We will also study conceptions of ethnicity and identity. These conceptions tend to develop and be defined in contrast to adversaries, or “others.” Throughout most of antiquity, there was no sense of a Greek culture (in fact, “Greece” is a Roman concept, not a Greek one). In a Texan context, Houston, Dallas, and Austin would all be distinct “nations,” and an ancient Greek would call us all barbarians because, among other things, we wear pants and wash ourselves with soap. Insofar as we can, we will get into the minds of the Greeks themselves and study their world as they saw it. We will do the same with the various ways the modern world has interpreted this ancient history, for history is created by those who look back on it as much as it is by those who live it. Thus, this course offers a unique opportunity to understand not only who the ancient Greeks were but also who we think we are now in light of them.

This course is an introduction to reading ancient Greek - the language of some of the world’s oldest and best loved writings, including Homer, Herodotus, Plato, and the New Testament. We will cover enough basic grammar and vocabulary for you to begin reading short passages from a wide range of ancient Greek writers.

Greek 506 is the first half of a two-semester sequence that continues with Greek 507 and prepares students to advance to Intermediate Greek (GK 311 and 312), where students read selected works by authors like Plato and Homer.

Grades will be based on participation, homework, weekly quizzes, and four tests (three midterms and a final).

This course is a history of Roman Africa with emphasis on what is now Tunisia and northern Algeria. Our focus is on the 2nd-5th centuries CE when competing brands of Christianity were taking root and Africa gave birth to what is now called “Catholic” theology. However, we begin with the Phoenician colonization of the African coast in the 9th century BCE and move from there through the fall of Carthage and the rise of the Kingdom of Numidia to the complete provincialization of Africa by Rome. We study the amalgamation of various ethnic groups over time, including Libyans (Berbers?), Punics, and Romans. Ancient Africa was arguably the greatest melting pot the Mediterranean had ever seen. Our study connects North Africa to Sub-Saharan Africa via Berbers and Ethiopians, Asia via Phoenicians, Medes, and Persians, and Europe via Italians, Iberians, and Vandals.

Most ancient histories written about Africa were colonialist and Roman. These histories have informed modern Eurocentric narratives that, like their ancient predecessors, cast Africa as barbaric yet claim African intellectual products as their own. This course looks through these narratives to uncover the reality of life in Roman Africa. We examine African identities in contrast to colonial mythologies and explore the ways this rich history has been received in Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco. To this end, we study ethnography, colonialism, post-colonialism, racialization, immigration, and emigration, among other topics, both in antiquity and today.

Your grade is determined by two written exams (20% each x 2 = 40%), regular quizzes (30%), a presentation on an historical topic (10%), a report on a topic of modern reception (10%), participation (10%), and attendance.

Among the ancient authors we read are Vergil, Livy, Polybius, Sallust, Pseudo-Caesar, Tertullian, Cyprian, various African martyr narratives, Augustine, and Procopius. The course concludes with Fawzi Mellah’s Elissa, a creative and distinctly Maghribi take on the ancient myth of Dido. Along the way, the course also exposes you to the literature of Assia Djerbar, Frantz Fanon, Abdelaziz Ferrah, Tahar Ben Jelloun, Albert Memmi, and other modern North African authors.

This course invites us to consider real questions of moral leadership proposed by and explored in more
than a dozen major works of ancient, Elizabethan, and modern drama. Thus, this course has two components: the literary and theatrical, on the one hand, and the practical, on the other. While we
examine the literary beauty of these classic plays, the course also asks you to consider actual questions
of moral leadership relevant to our daily lives.

This course invites us to consider real questions of moral leadership proposed by and explored in more
than a dozen major works of ancient, Elizabethan, and modern drama. Thus, this course has two components: the literary and theatrical, on the one hand, and the practical, on the other. While we
examine the literary beauty of these classic plays, the course also asks you to consider actual questions
of moral leadership relevant to our daily lives.

This course is a survey of the social, intellectual, philosophical, religious, political, military, scientific, artistic, and literary history of ancient Greece, from its prehistory through classical antiquity to the rise of Christianity, the Byzantine Empire, and the emergence of a country called Greece. Our study will emphasize the so-called Golden Age of Athens (5th century BC, or more precisely 480-404). This is what we might normally think of when we hear the phrase “ancient Greece,” since it is the period of democracy and cultural flourishing we tend to consider the “foundation of Western civilization.” But this “Golden Age” is really just a blip in time and space, and to focus solely on it would be a disservice to our understanding of what the ancient Greek world was about. So we will expand our range, both chronologically and geographically, to cover an historical period from roughly 3,000 BC to 1453 AD and beyond, studying several different Greek cultures (there were dozens of them) as well as the foreign cultures with whom they interacted (including the Akkadians, Sumerians, Egyptians, Etruscans, Phoenicians, Scythians, Persians, Bactrians, Parthians, Jews, Romans, Arabs, and Turks). We will find that the ancient Greek world was far more complex and diverse than one might think. And, by examining not only the similarities but also (and in many ways more importantly) the differences between their cultures and our own, we will better understand how we definitely are and definitely are not related to them.

One of our focuses will be on what is called “the history of ideas,” or how thoughts, worldviews, and beliefs—whether good or bad—change and develop over time. In particular, we will emphasize the development of religious, philosophical, and scientific ideas and see how they influence (and are influenced by) art, literature, and politics. We will also study conceptions of ethnicity and identity. These conceptions tend to develop and be defined in contrast to adversaries, or “others.” Throughout most of antiquity, there was no sense of a Greek culture (in fact, “Greece” is a Roman concept, not a Greek one). In a Texan context, Houston, Dallas, and Austin would all be distinct “nations,” and an ancient Greek would call us all barbarians because, among other things, we wear pants and wash ourselves with soap. Insofar as we can, we will get into the minds of the Greeks themselves and study their world as they saw it. We will do the same with the various ways the modern world has interpreted this ancient history, for history is created by those who look back on it as much as it is by those who live it. Thus, this course offers a unique opportunity to understand not only who the ancient Greeks were but also who we think we are now in light of them.

This course is a survey of the social, intellectual, philosophical, religious, political, military, scientific, artistic, and literary history of ancient Greece, from its prehistory through classical antiquity to the rise of Christianity, the Byzantine Empire, and the emergence of a country called Greece. Our study will emphasize the so-called Golden Age of Athens (5th century BC, or more precisely 480-404). This is what we might normally think of when we hear the phrase “ancient Greece,” since it is the period of democracy and cultural flourishing we tend to consider the “foundation of Western civilization.” But this “Golden Age” is really just a blip in time and space, and to focus solely on it would be a disservice to our understanding of what the ancient Greek world was about. So we will expand our range, both chronologically and geographically, to cover an historical period from roughly 3,000 BC to 1453 AD and beyond, studying several different Greek cultures (there were dozens of them) as well as the foreign cultures with whom they interacted (including the Akkadians, Sumerians, Egyptians, Etruscans, Phoenicians, Scythians, Persians, Bactrians, Parthians, Jews, Romans, Arabs, and Turks). We will find that the ancient Greek world was far more complex and diverse than one might think. And, by examining not only the similarities but also (and in many ways more importantly) the differences between their cultures and our own, we will better understand how we definitely are and definitely are not related to them.

One of our focuses will be on what is called “the history of ideas,” or how thoughts, worldviews, and beliefs—whether good or bad—change and develop over time. In particular, we will emphasize the development of religious, philosophical, and scientific ideas and see how they influence (and are influenced by) art, literature, and politics. We will also study conceptions of ethnicity and identity. These conceptions tend to develop and be defined in contrast to adversaries, or “others.” Throughout most of antiquity, there was no sense of a Greek culture (in fact, “Greece” is a Roman concept, not a Greek one). In a Texan context, Houston, Dallas, and Austin would all be distinct “nations,” and an ancient Greek would call us all barbarians because, among other things, we wear pants and wash ourselves with soap. Insofar as we can, we will get into the minds of the Greeks themselves and study their world as they saw it. We will do the same with the various ways the modern world has interpreted this ancient history, for history is created by those who look back on it as much as it is by those who live it. Thus, this course offers a unique opportunity to understand not only who the ancient Greeks were but also who we think we are now in light of them.

Calderwood Seminars in Public Writing: Who Cares about Antiquity?

We who study antiquity get asked “What is that good for?” all the time. In this Calderwood Seminar we will see that the skills you have learned are broadly applicable in our daily lives and by no means limited to the classroom. Through a variety of writing activities, from blog posts to movie reviews and editorials, you will learn how to engage popular audiences in conversations relevant to our material. As political discourse increasingly appeals to antiquity for one argument or another, there is dire need for specialists like you who can discuss the material responsibly. What is the study of antiquity good for? As we will see, most everything. You will also learn how to apply your skillsets in non-academic settings, from job applications to social media. Classes will focus on collaborative editing, critical feedback, and revision to hone your writing. This seminar is designed for all students interested in the ancient world who want to become better writers. 

Tentative Selection of Course Readings:

Beard, M. 2014. Confronting the Classics: Traditions, Adventures, and Innovations.  Liveright.

Zuckerberg, D. 2018. Not All Dead White Men: Classics and Misogyny in the Digital Age.

Harvard University Press.

Smil, V. 2010. Why America Is Not a New Rome. MIT Press. 

Studies major tragedies, comedies, and historical plays from various epochs, including at least one of Shakespeare's plays. Explores themes related to ethics, politics, and human nature, as well as the craft of the playwright. Students attend and discuss at least one play performance.

Studies major tragedies, comedies, and historical plays from various epochs, including at least one of Shakespeare's plays. Explores themes related to ethics, politics, and human nature, as well as the craft of the playwright. Students attend and discuss at least one play performance.

This course continues the introduction to reading Ancient Greek begun in Greek 506.  Starting with a brief review, we shall complete the basic grammar and move on to read passages from various Greek authors.

Daily assignments covering grammar, vocabulary, composition, and translation will enable the diligent student to acquire a firm grasp of Attic Greek.  Regular attendance is essential.

Prerequisite:  Greek 506 or equivalent (i.e. one semester of Greek).

This course can be counted for partial fulfillment of foreign language requirements.

"Ancient Mediterranean World" surveys the major civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and Italy from the dawn of the city around 3000 BC through the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 400s AD. Beyond providing a basic historical framework, the course explores the surprising ways in which the various civilizations of the area influenced one another culturally. We will examine interactions between Egyptians, Sumerians, Hittites, Hebrews, Persians, Greeks and Romans, among others. Students will also learn about the different types of evidence, both literary and archaeological, on which knowledge of the ancient world is based. There are two lectures and one discussion section per week.

Carries the Global Cultures flag and fulfills the Cultural Expression, Human Experience, & Thought course area requirement.

For over thirty years, Intensive Summer Greek at UT Austin has been giving students of diverse backgrounds and interests a rapid and deep understanding of the structure of the Greek language and a love of Greek prose and poetry.  You need have no previous knowledge of Greek. If you have had a semester or two or more, the special approach in this  course will strengthen your grasp of how Greek works and why it is so subtle a vehicle for conveying ideas.

You will use *Lexis*, a unique textbook and reader designed by the late Gareth Morgan.  All of its exercises are based on full passages of real, unaltered and unabbreviated Classical Greek.  First readings of Ionic Greek will make you aware of word formation, and that knowledge will enable you to acquire vocabulary quickly.  Ionic Greek also is a main component of the Homeric dialect.  Once you learn it, you can move easily forward to standard Attic authors and Biblical Greek and backward to Greek epic verse.

You will not read one dreary practice sentence made up in clever desperation or desperate ingenuity.  By the sixth day, you will be reading continuous pure Herodotus.  All students who successfully complete the course will be well prepared for sophomore level classes and dedicated students from past intensive courses have been able to go into classes at higher levels.  Students of other subjects have used Greek right away to enrich and inform their studies.

Students must register for both GK W804 and W412.  The course runs through both summer sessions.  It meets for five hours each day for about fifty class days, and, if satisfactorily completed, counts for 12 semester hours. Classes working under these language-saturation conditions have achieved an enthusiasm and spirit conducive to an unusually rich learning experience.   Usually, in the second half, besides ample grammar review, we read Homer's Odyssey IX, Euripides' Medea, Plato's Apology, and some supplementary readings handed out in class.

For over thirty years, Intensive Summer Greek at UT Austin has been giving students of diverse backgrounds and interests a rapid and deep understanding of the structure of the Greek language and a love of Greek prose and poetry.  You need have no previous knowledge of Greek. If you have had a semester or two or more, the special approach in this  course will strengthen your grasp of how Greek works and why it is so subtle a vehicle for conveying ideas.

You will use *Lexis*, a unique textbook and reader designed by the late Gareth Morgan.  All of its exercises are based on full passages of real, unaltered and unabbreviated Classical Greek.  First readings of Ionic Greek will make you aware of word formation, and that knowledge will enable you to acquire vocabulary quickly.  Ionic Greek also is a main component of the Homeric dialect.  Once you learn it, you can move easily forward to standard Attic authors and Biblical Greek and backward to Greek epic verse.

You will not read one dreary practice sentence made up in clever desperation or desperate ingenuity.  By the sixth day, you will be reading continuous pure Herodotus.  All students who successfully complete the course will be well prepared for sophomore level classes and dedicated students from past intensive courses have been able to go into classes at higher levels.  Students of other subjects have used Greek right away to enrich and inform their studies.

Students must register for both GK W804 and W412.  The course runs through both summer sessions.  It meets for five hours each day for about fifty class days, and, if satisfactorily completed, counts for 12 semester hours. Classes working under these language-saturation conditions have achieved an enthusiasm and spirit conducive to an unusually rich learning experience.   Usually, in the second half, besides ample grammar review, we read Homer's Odyssey IX, Euripides' Medea, Plato's Apology, and some supplementary readings handed out in class.

Myths accompanied Greek and Roman culture as a constant from the pre-literate era before the Homeric epics through the hyper-literary myths of the Roman period. These myths helped the ancient Greeks and Romans to make sense of their world and to address issues with regard to religion, philosophy, and even early attempts at natural science. In different forms, myths still inform our understanding of the world, and Classical mythology in particular has continued to influence western art and literature up to the present day. This class begins with an examination of the Greek understanding of the creation of the world, the pantheon of gods, and the creation of humanity. Time will also be spent on the origins of Greek mythology, looking to the mythologies of Near Eastern cultures, which have influenced Greek thought. Throughout the course attention will be given to particular gods, goddesses, heroes and heroines and the myths which surround them in both the Greek and Roman traditions.

Fulfills the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.

Carries the Global Cultures flag.

Fulfills the Cultural Expression, Human Experience, & Thought Course area requirement.

Course Description

            Drama—whether the theater of 5th c. BCE Athens or 21st century CE television and film—invites its audience to explore questions of real ethical, psychological, and political significance. Drama does not usually provide explicit answers to the questions it poses; rather, it challenges us to acknowledge the complexity of situations and—as frustrating as it often is to do—reconsider our natural instinct to see conflict simply as a matter of an unambiguous right versus an unambiguous wrong. The real world is rarely this simple. But drama gives us the opportunity to explore these issues in a safe setting momentarily removed from the world around us.

            The explicit topic of this course is moral character in the context of leadership, where what constitutes “moral character” is often contextually determined. We will compare dramatic portrayals of successful and failed leaders (for instance, Shakespeare’s Henry V and Macbeth, respectively), and we will ask what to make of leaders who succeed but do so with questionable character (for instance, the Odysseus of Sophocles’ Philoctetes). However, we will focus above all on dramatic portrayals of different ethical systems—and thus different conceptions of moral character—that inform the behaviors of leaders, especially in instances when competing worldviews meet and conflict. For instance, we will observe the contention between competing socio-political views in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar; we will examine how conflict unfolds when civic and familial values meet in the mythological world of Sophocles’ Antigone and the real world of Nazi Germany in which Brecht set his version of the same play; and we will see what happens when political and religious duties are pit against each other, as in Euripides’ Bacchae and Ibsen’s Emperor and Galilean. In many instances, we will find that no side is necessarily right or necessarily wrong, as in Bernard Shaw’s Saint Joan and Gilbert & Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance.

            So, how should one lead in any given situation? What reasonably (and unreasonably) informs a leader’s decisions? To what degree must a leader understand the context in which he or she acts? These are a few questions our plays this semester will ask us to consider. As we proceed, we will examine similar questions in the actual social, political, martial, and religious world in which we live today.

Required Texts

Shakespeare, Henry V; Julius Caesar; Macbeth

Euripides, The Bacchae and Other Plays

Sophocles, The Three Theban Plays; Four Tragedies

Antigone: in a Version by Bertolt Brecht

Bernard Shaw, Saint Joan

Ibsen, Emperor and Galilean

Aristophanes, Acharnians, Lysistrata, Clouds

Gilbert & Sullivan, Pirates of Penzance

Assessment

Your grade in the course will be determined by attendance, participation (10%), four written assignments (50%), a dramatic performance (10%), and two exams (30%).

This course is a survey of the social, intellectual, philosophical, religious, political, military, scientific, artistic, and literary history of ancient Greece, from its prehistory through classical antiquity to the rise of Christianity, the Byzantine Empire, and the emergence of a country called Greece. Our study will emphasize the so-called Golden Age of Athens (5th century BC, or more precisely 480-404). This is what we might normally think of when we hear the phrase “ancient Greece,” since it is the period of democracy and cultural flourishing we tend to consider the “foundation of Western civilization.” But this “Golden Age” is really just a blip in time and space, and to focus solely on it would be a disservice to our understanding of what the ancient Greek world was about. So we will expand our range, both chronologically and geographically, to cover an historical period from roughly 3,000 BC to 1453 AD and beyond, studying several different Greek cultures (there were dozens of them) as well as the foreign cultures with whom they interacted (including the Akkadians, Sumerians, Egyptians, Etruscans, Phoenicians, Scythians, Persians, Bactrians, Parthians, Jews, Romans, Arabs, and Turks). We will find that the ancient Greek world was far more complex and diverse than one might think. And, by examining not only the similarities but also (and in many ways more importantly) the differences between their cultures and our own, we will better understand how we definitely are and definitely are not related to them.

One of our focuses will be on what is called “the history of ideas,” or how thoughts, worldviews, and beliefs—whether good or bad—change and develop over time. In particular, we will emphasize the development of religious, philosophical, and scientific ideas and see how they influence (and are influenced by) art, literature, and politics. We will also study conceptions of ethnicity and identity. These conceptions tend to develop and be defined in contrast to adversaries, or “others.” Throughout most of antiquity, there was no sense of a Greek culture (in fact, “Greece” is a Roman concept, not a Greek one). In a Texan context, Houston, Dallas, and Austin would all be distinct “nations,” and an ancient Greek would call us all barbarians because, among other things, we wear pants and wash ourselves with soap. Insofar as we can, we will get into the minds of the Greeks themselves and study their world as they saw it. We will do the same with the various ways the modern world has interpreted this ancient history, for history is created by those who look back on it as much as it is by those who live it. Thus, this course offers a unique opportunity to understand not only who the ancient Greeks were but also who we think we are now in light of them. 

Say "Ancient Greece", and the words conjure up timeless images of shining white temples among olive trees, bronze-armored heroes, and bearded philosophers discussing the nature of the universe. Our popular vision of the ancient Greeks makes them seem both familiar and irrelevant to the modern world. In fact, however, Greek culture is deeply alien to our own, and at the same time surprisingly relevant. On the one hand, ancient Greek society is just as confusing, shocking, and easy to misinterpret as any other culture is for an outside observer -- even more so, because we are separated from it not only by space but by time. On the other hand, we have the Greeks to thank for much of the way we think today about politics, art, science, and the meaning of life.

This course is meant to introduce students to this complex and intriguing culture and to its legacy in our own society. We will look at ancient Greece on its own terms through the examination of primary sources of all types -- literary, artistic, archaeological -- in an attempt to develop a more detailed and nuanced understanding of Ancient Greek society and culture between the Bronze Age and the Hellenistic period. We will also place the discussion of these sources in the context of the shifting meaning of Ancient Greece in the modern world, from the Homeric romanticism of Heinrich Schliemann to the meaning of democracy in the 21st century. Within a roughly chronological framework, lectures will examine Greek literature to discover what the Greeks said about themselves; Greek art and archaeology to understand how people lived and to hear the voices of those -- women, children, slaves, foreigners and outsiders -- who left no written testimony; and modern controversies to see what the Greeks say about us.

Fulfills the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.

Carries the Global Cultures flag.

Fulfills the Cultural Expression, Human Experience, & Thought Course area requirement.

For over thirty years, Intensive Summer Greek at UT Austin has been giving students of diverse backgrounds and interests a rapid and deep understanding of the structure of the Greek language and a love of Greek prose and poetry.  You need have no previous knowledge of Greek. If you have had a semester or two or more, the special approach in this  course will strengthen your grasp of how Greek works and why it is so subtle a vehicle for conveying ideas.

You will use *Lexis*, a unique textbook and reader designed by the late Gareth Morgan.  All of its exercises are based on full passages of real, unaltered and unabbreviated Classical Greek.  First readings of Ionic Greek will make you aware of word formation, and that knowledge will enable you to acquire vocabulary quickly.  Ionic Greek also is a main component of the Homeric dialect.  Once you learn it, you can move easily forward to standard Attic authors and Biblical Greek and backward to Greek epic verse.

You will not read one dreary practice sentence made up in clever desperation or desperate ingenuity.  By the sixth day, you will be reading continuous pure Herodotus.  All students who successfully complete the course will be well prepared for sophomore level classes and dedicated students from past intensive courses have been able to go into classes at higher levels.  Students of other subjects have used Greek right away to enrich and inform their studies.

Students must register for both GK W804 and W412.  The course runs through both summer sessions.  It meets for five hours each day for about fifty class days, and, if satisfactorily completed, counts for 12 semester hours. Classes working under these language-saturation conditions have achieved an enthusiasm and spirit conducive to an unusually rich learning experience.   Usually, in the second half, besides ample grammar review, we read Homer's Odyssey IX, Euripides' Medea, Plato's Apology, and some supplementary readings handed out in class.

Say "Ancient Greece", and the words conjure up timeless images of shining white temples among olive trees, bronze-armored heroes, and bearded philosophers discussing the nature of the universe. Our popular vision of the ancient Greeks makes them seem both familiar and irrelevant to the modern world. In fact, however, Greek culture is deeply alien to our own, and at the same time surprisingly relevant. On the one hand, ancient Greek society is just as confusing, shocking, and easy to misinterpret as any other culture is for an outside observer -- even more so, because we are separated from it not only by space but by time. On the other hand, we have the Greeks to thank for much of the way we think today about politics, art, science, and the meaning of life.

This course is meant to introduce students to this complex and intriguing culture and to its legacy in our own society. We will look at ancient Greece on its own terms through the examination of primary sources of all types -- literary, artistic, archaeological -- in an attempt to develop a more detailed and nuanced understanding of Ancient Greek society and culture between the Bronze Age and the Hellenistic period. We will also place the discussion of these sources in the context of the shifting meaning of Ancient Greece in the modern world, from the Homeric romanticism of Heinrich Schliemann to the meaning of democracy in the 21st century. Within a roughly chronological framework, lectures will examine Greek literature to discover what the Greeks said about themselves; Greek art and archaeology to understand how people lived and to hear the voices of those -- women, children, slaves, foreigners and outsiders -- who left no written testimony; and modern controversies to see what the Greeks say about us.

Fulfills the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.

Carries the Global Cultures flag.

Fulfills the Cultural Expression, Human Experience, & Thought Course area requirement.

Masterworks of World Drama: Leadership and Moral Character

            Drama—whether the theater of 5th c. BCE Athens or 21st century CE television and film—invites its audience to explore questions of real ethical, psychological, and political significance. Drama does not usually provide explicit answers to the questions it poses; rather, it challenges us to acknowledge the complexity of situations and—as frustrating as it often is to do—reconsider our natural instinct to see conflict simply as a matter of an unambiguous right versus an unambiguous wrong. The real world is rarely this simple. But drama gives us the opportunity to explore these issues in a safe setting momentarily removed from the world around us.

            The explicit topic of this course is moral character in the context of leadership, where what constitutes “moral character” is often culturally (and sometimes contextually) determined. We will compare dramatic portrayals of successful and failed leaders (for instance, Shakespeare’s Henry V and Macbeth, respectively), and we will ask what to make of leaders who succeed but do so with questionable character (for instance, the Odysseus of Sophocles’ Philoctetes). However, we will focus above all on dramatic portrayals of different ethical systems—and thus different conceptions of moral character—that inform the behaviors of leaders, especially in instances when competing worldviews meet and conflict. For instance, we will observe the contention between competing socio-political views in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar; we will examine how conflict unfolds when civic and familial values meet in the mythological world of Sophocles’ Antigone and the real world of Nazi Germany in which Brecht set his version of the same play; and we will see what happens when political and religious duties are pit against each other, as in Euripides’ Bacchae and Ibsen’s Emperor and Galilean. In many instances, we will find that no side is necessarily right or necessarily wrong, as in Bernard Shaw’s Saint Joan and Gilbert & Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance.

            So, how should one lead in any given situation? What reasonably (and unreasonably) informs a leader’s decisions? To what degree must a leader understand the context in which he or she acts? These are a few questions our plays this semester will ask us to consider. As we proceed, we will examine similar questions in the actual social, political, martial, and religious world in which we live today.

            Your grade in the course will be determined by participation (10%), four written assignments (50%), a dramatic performance (10%), and two exams (30%). 

Continuation of Greek 311. Extensive selections of Greek prose and/or poetry. Class meetings will be devoted especially to translation, grammar and syntax, and secondarily to discussion of the texts in their cultural context.

Greek 312K and 312L may not both be counted.

Prerequisites Greek 311 with a grade of at least C.

Myths accompanied Greek and Roman culture as a constant from the pre-literate era before the Homeric epics through the hyper-literary myths of the Roman period. These myths helped the ancient Greeks and Romans to make sense of their world and to address issues with regard to religion, philosophy, and even early attempts at natural science. In different forms, myths still inform our understanding of the world, and Classical mythology in particular has continued to influence western art and literature up to the present day. This class begins with an examination of the Greek understanding of the creation of the world, the pantheon of gods, and the creation of humanity. Time will also be spent on the origins of Greek mythology, looking to the mythologies of Near Eastern cultures, which have influenced Greek thought. Throughout the course attention will be given to particular gods, goddesses, heroes and heroines and the myths which surround them in both the Greek and Roman traditions.

Fulfills the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.

Carries the Global Cultures flag.

Fulfills the Cultural Expression, Human Experience, & Thought Course area requirement.

Senecan Drama

In this course, we will focus on two of Seneca's most gripping and influential tragedies, the Medea and the Thyestes. We will also devote some time to the Pseudo-Senecan Octavia. Students enrolled in Latin 385 will be required to read the Medea, Thyestes, Octavia, Oedipus, and Phoenissae in Latin.

The course has three related aims: to examine how Seneca dealt with imperial power; to explore Seneca's distinctive modes of thought and expression; and to improve each student's ability to be an informed and discerning reader of Latin. In addition to reading substantial amounts of prepared Latin during each class meeting, we will learn to scan Senecan verse and discuss a selection of recent secondary scholarship on Senecan drama and its influence on later literary traditions. Latin assignments will range from approximately 40 lines of Latin early in the course to 75 lines by the end of the semester. We will not translate all prepared Latin during class meetings.

365: The final grade will be composed of: class participation and preparation (10% ); in-class presentation (10%); 2 midterm examinations (35%); comprehensive final exam (25%); and a 10-12 pp scholarly research paper (20%).

385: The final grade will be composed of class participation and preparation (10%); in-class presentation (10%); 2 midterm examinations (35%); comprehensive final exam (25% ); and a 12-15 pp scholarly research paper (20%).

This course carries the Writing Flag and the Independent Inquiry Flag.

This introductory-level course covers the cultural and political history of Ancient Rome, from the city’s origins in the Iron Age (c. 800 BCE) to the rise of Augustus and the rule of emperors in the 1st century CE/AD. Students will have the opportunity to learn about Rome’s evolution from a small, hilltop settlement to the head of a world empire. By the end of the course, students will be familiar with the most important buildings, artistic works, events and historical figures of Ancient Rome.

Fulfills the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.

Carries the Global Cultures flag.

This course is an introduction to Latin, the language of ancient Rome and famous writers like Caesar, Cicero, Vergil, and St. Augustine. Latin is also an excellent way to improve your command of other languages: Latin is the source of over 60% of English vocabulary, and also the ancestor of all the “Romance” languages of Europe, including French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Latin 506 introduces basic grammar and vocabulary in an interesting and challenging format, through reading selections from a wide range of Roman authors and exploring aspects of Roman life and culture.  By the end of the semester, students are reading excerpts from famous works and ready to continue into Latin 507.

The course covers chapters 1-27 of Wheelock’s Latin and also selected readings from 38 Latin Stories. There will be daily assignments, regular quizzes, midterm tests, and a final exam.

Prerequisites: None. Note: This course may not be counted by students offering two or more admission units or any previous college credit in Latin.  

Latin 506 partially fulfills the foreign language requirement. A grade of C or higher is required to advance to Latin 507.

Requirements: Class participation, homework, quizzes, midterm tests, and  a final exam.

Students earning a C or better may advance to Latin 507: First-Year Latin II, where they will read selections from Caesar and other authors. 

Texts:

Wheelock, Wheelock's Latin (Harper 6h edition)

Groton & May, 38 Latin Stories (Bolchazy)

Corneau & LeFleur, Workbook to Wheelock's Latin (Harper) optional

Goldman & Szymanski, English Grammar for Students of Latin (Olivia & Hill) (optional)

This course is a continuation of Latin 507 (or 601C).  In Latin 311, students read Book 3 of Caesar’s Civil War.   The aim of the course is to develop students’ Latin reading and comprehension skills through careful translation of assigned and unseen passages; to review the basic morphology and syntax learned in Latin 506 and 507 while introducing students to new forms and syntax as they arise; to build command of basic Latin vocabulary; and to introduce students to the literary and historical context of Caesar’s narrative.

Class time will be devoted to the translation of assigned Latin passages, ranging from 8-10 lines early in the semester to about 25 lines by the end of the semester.  Students will be expected to identify and explain the morphology and syntax of assigned readings.  There will also be regular class discussions of the historical context and literary features of Caesar’s narrative.  Students should expect homework assignments for each class meeting as well as regular quizzes, both announced and unannounced.  Final grades will be determined by attendance and class participation; quizzes; midterm exams; and a comprehensive final exam. 

Latin 311 partially fulfills the foreign language requirement.  A grade of C or higher is required to advance to Latin 312.

The completion of Latin 507 or 601C with a grade of C or higher is a prerequisite for Latin 311.

Textbooks

Kennedy, Caesar: De Bello Civile III, 1^st ed. (Bristol, 2002).  ISBN 185399636X

Bennett, New Latin Grammar, 1^st ed.,  (Bolchazy-Carducci, 2000).  ISBN 978-0-86516-262-7

Traupman, New College Latin and English Dictionary, 3^rd ed. (Bantam, 2007)  ISBN 978-0-553-59012-8

Say "Ancient Greece", and the words conjure up timeless images of shining white temples among olive trees, bronze-armored heroes, and bearded philosophers discussing the nature of the universe. Our popular vision of the ancient Greeks makes them seem both familiar and irrelevant to the modern world. In fact, however, Greek culture is deeply alien to our own, and at the same time surprisingly relevant. On the one hand, ancient Greek society is just as confusing, shocking, and easy to misinterpret as any other culture is for an outside observer -- even more so, because we are separated from it not only by space but by time. On the other hand, we have the Greeks to thank for much of the way we think today about politics, art, science, and the meaning of life.

This course is meant to introduce students to this complex and intriguing culture and to its legacy in our own society. We will look at ancient Greece on its own terms through the examination of primary sources of all types -- literary, artistic, archaeological -- in an attempt to develop a more detailed and nuanced understanding of Ancient Greek society and culture between the Bronze Age and the Hellenistic period. We will also place the discussion of these sources in the context of the shifting meaning of Ancient Greece in the modern world, from the Homeric romanticism of Heinrich Schliemann to the meaning of democracy in the 21st century. Within a roughly chronological framework, lectures will examine Greek literature to discover what the Greeks said about themselves; Greek art and archaeology to understand how people lived and to hear the voices of those -- women, children, slaves, foreigners and outsiders -- who left no written testimony; and modern controversies to see what the Greeks say about us.

Fulfills the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.

Carries the Global Cultures flag.

Fulfills the Cultural Expression, Human Experience, & Thought Course area requirement.

Death and the Afterlife in Graeco-Roman Antiquity

This course explores the conceptual development of, and competing views on, the afterlife from Near Eastern myths and Homer through Greek and Roman antiquity to the early Church Fathers. As we go, we will also discuss how these beliefs influenced ethical systems. This course is multi-disciplinary in that it covers the mythology, religion, philosophy, poetics, science, and material culture of death in Graeco-Roman antiquity.

Required Texts (available at the Coop or online):

• Aristophanes, Frogs and Other Plays (transl. S. Dutta) ISBN-13: 978-0140449693
• Homer, Odyssey (transl. R. Fagles) ISBN-13: 978-0143039952
• Lucan, The Civil War (transl. S. H. Braund) ISBN-13: 978-0199540686
• The Epic of Gilgamesh (transl. A. George) ISBN-13: 978-0140449198
• Petronius, Satyricon and Seneca, The Apocolocyntosis (transl. J. P. Sullivan) ISBN-13: 978-0140444896
• Plato, Great Dialogues of Plato (transl. W. H. D. Rouse) ISBN-13: 978-0451530851
• Vergil, Aeneid (transl. R. Fagles) ISBN-13: 978-0143106296

All other readings are available on Canvas, our course webpage.

Continuation of Greek 507. Introductory readings from classical authors such as Lysias, Plato, and Xenophon. Includes grammar review.

For over thirty-three years, Intensive Summer Greek at UT Austin has been giving students of diverse backgrounds and interests a rapid and deep understanding of the structure of the Greek language and a love of Greek prose and poetry.  You need have no previous knowledge of Greek. If you have had a semester or two or more, the special approach in this  course will strengthen your grasp of how Greek works and why it is so subtle a vehicle for conveying ideas.

You will use *Lexis*, a unique textbook and reader designed by the late Gareth Morgan.  All of its exercises are based on full passages of real, unaltered and unabbreviated Classical Greek.  First readings of Ionic Greek will make you aware of word formation, and that knowledge will enable you to acquire vocabulary quickly.  Ionic Greek also is a main component of the Homeric dialect.  Once you learn it, you can move easily forward to standard Attic authors and Biblical Greek and backward to Greek epic verse.

You will not read one dreary practice sentence made up in clever desperation or desperate ingenuity.  By the sixth day, you will be reading continuous pure Herodotus.  All students who successfully complete the course will be well prepared for sophomore level classes and dedicated students from past intensive courses have been able to go into classes at higher levels.  Students of other subjects have used Greek right away to enrich and inform their studies.

Students must register for both GK W804 and W412.  The course runs through both summer sessions.  It meets for five hours each day for about fifty class days, and, if satisfactorily completed, counts for 12 semester hours. Classes working under these language-saturation conditions have achieved an enthusiasm and spirit conducive to an unusually rich learning experience.   Usually, in the second half, besides ample grammar review, we read Homer's Odyssey IX, Euripides' Medea, Plato's Apology, and some supplementary readings handed out in class.

James Patterson and Chuck Oughton are veterans at teaching Greek according to the Lexis method.  Teaching assistants are chosen for their excellence at Greek and their skills as instructors.   Outside of class we have informal play and poetry readings. Come join us.

For over thirty years, Intensive Summer Greek at UT Austin has been giving students of diverse backgrounds and interests a rapid and deep understanding of the structure of the Greek language and a love of Greek prose and poetry.  You need have no previous knowledge of Greek. If you have had a semester or two or more, the special approach in this  course will strengthen your grasp of how Greek works and why it is so subtle a vehicle for conveying ideas.

You will use *Lexis*, a unique textbook and reader designed by the late Gareth Morgan.  All of its exercises are based on full passages of real, unaltered and unabbreviated Classical Greek.  First readings of Ionic Greek will make you aware of word formation, and that knowledge will enable you to acquire vocabulary quickly.  Ionic Greek also is a main component of the Homeric dialect.  Once you learn it, you can move easily forward to standard Attic authors and Biblical Greek and backward to Greek epic verse.

You will not read one dreary practice sentence made up in clever desperation or desperate ingenuity.  By the sixth day, you will be reading continuous pure Herodotus.  All students who successfully complete the course will be well prepared for sophomore level classes and dedicated students from past intensive courses have been able to go into classes at higher levels.  Students of other subjects have used Greek right away to enrich and inform their studies.

Students must register for both GK W804 and W412.  The course runs through both summer sessions.  It meets for five hours each day for about fifty class days, and, if satisfactorily completed, counts for 12 semester hours. Classes working under these language-saturation conditions have achieved an enthusiasm and spirit conducive to an unusually rich learning experience.   Usually, in the second half, besides ample grammar review, we read Homer's Odyssey IX, Euripides' Medea, Plato's Apology, and some supplementary readings handed out in class.

This course continues the introduction to reading Ancient Greek begun in Greek 506. We will complete Luschnig’s Introduction to Ancient Greek and then, if time permits, we will read selections from ancient Greek authors, with an emphasis on Attic Greek (Xenophon, Plato, and the orators). There will be daily assignments on grammar, vocabulary, and translation. Regular attendance and active participation are essential.

Grades: TBA

Texts: TBA

This course is the second half of a two-semester introduction to the basic forms, syntax, and vocabulary of Latin.  Translating passages from ancient writers also introduces students to fundamental features of Roman culture. Students who successfully complete this course will be able to reproduce paradigms of all Latin noun, adjective, adverb, and verb forms; to parse and explain the function of Latin words in context; to demonstrate fluency in basic Latin syntax and a growing vocabulary; to master standard pronunciation of Latin; and to translate accurately from Latin into English. In the latter part of the semester, students read selections from the writings of Julius Caesar in the original Latin.

Class time will be devoted to the introduction of new material, reviewing assigned homework, and practice exercises.  Students should expect daily homework assignments and regular quizzes, both announced and unannounced.  Final grades will be determined by attendance and class participation; quizzes; three midterm exams; and a comprehensive final exam. 

Latin 507 partially fulfills the foreign language requirement. A grade of C or higher is required to advance to Latin 311. 

The completion of Latin 506 with a grade of C or higher is a prerequisite for Latin 507. Students who have recently had more than two years of high school Latin, or more than two semesters of college Latin should normally take Latin 311.

Textbooks

Wheelock, Wheelock’s Latin, 7th ed. (Harper Collins, 2011).  ISBN 978-0-06-199722-8

English and Irby, A Little Latin Reader, 1st ed. (Oxford: OUP, 2012).  ISBN 978-0-19-984622-1

Groton, Thirty-Eight Latin Stories, 5th ed. (Bolchazy-Carducci 1995).  ISBN 978-0-86516-289-1

Comeau and LaFleur, Workbook for Wheelock’s Latin, 3rd ed. Rev. (Harper Collins, 2005).  ISBN

0-006-095642-9

Tatum, A Caesar Reader, 1st ed. (Bolchazy-Carducci 2012).  ISBN 978-0-86516-696-7

must also enroll in GK w804 and GK w412

For over thirty-three years, Intensive Summer Greek at UT Austin has been giving students of diverse backgrounds and interests a rapid and deep understanding of the structure of the Greek language and a love of Greek prose and poetry.  You need have no previous knowledge of Greek. If you have had a semester or two or more, the special approach in this course will strengthen your grasp of how Greek works and why it is so subtle a vehicle for conveying ideas.

You will use *Lexis*, a unique textbook and reader designed by the late Gareth Morgan.  All of its exercises are based on full passages of real, unaltered and unabbreviated Classical Greek.  First readings of Ionic Greek will make you aware of word formation, and that knowledge will enable you to acquire vocabulary quickly.  Ionic Greek also is a main component of the Homeric dialect.  Once you learn it, you can move easily forward to standard Attic authors and Biblical Greek and backward to Greek epic verse.

You will not read one dreary practice sentence made up in clever desperation or desperate ingenuity.  By the sixth day, you will be reading continuous pure Herodotus.  All students who successfully complete the course will be well prepared for sophomore level classes and dedicated students from past intensive courses have been able to go into classes at higher levels.  Students of other subjects have used Greek right away to enrich and inform their studies.

Students must register for both GK W804 and W412.  The course runs through both summer sessions.  It meets for five hours each day for about fifty class  days, and, if satisfactorily completed, counts for 12 semester hours. Classes working under these language-saturation conditions have achieved an enthusiasm and spirit conducive to an unusually rich learning experience.   Usually, in the second half, besides ample grammar review, we read Homer's Odyssey IX, Euripides' Medea, Plato's Apology, and some supplementary readings handed out in class.

Teaching assistants are chosen for their excellence at Greek and their skills as instructors.   Outside of class we have informal play and poetry readings. Come join us.

Texts:

Gareth Morgan, Lexis (Handout)

Abbott & Mansfield, Primer of Greek Grammar

H.W. Smyth, Greek Grammar

H. Liddell and R. Scott, An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon

Euripides. Elliott, ed. Euripides:  Medea

Homer. Muir, ed. Homer's Odyssey IX

Plato. Helm ed. Apology

John E. Hare, Plato, Euthyphro

This course is a continuation of Latin 507. It has three main aims: to develop proficiency in reading Latin, to strengthen command of Latin grammar and vocabulary, and to explore key features of Roman life and culture. Students read extended selections from Vergil’s Aeneid in the original Latin; and classroom discussion addresses cultural and historical issues while also reviewing grammar, stylistics, and poetics.

Grades will be based on participation, quizzes, written work, midterm tests, and a final exam.

Students earning a C or better may advance to LAT 312 Intermediate Latin II, where they will read selections from Cicero and other authors.

Prerequisite: LAT 507 or equivalent (i.e. first-year beginning Latin).

Latin 311 may be counted as partially fulfilling the foreign language requirement, or the General Culture requirement, or as an elective.

Continuation of Latin 311. This course introduces students to formal Latin prose style, as exemplified in Cicero’s writings. As a powerful statesman, lawyer, orator, and philosopher in the waning days of the Roman Republic, Cicero gives us fascinating insights into a critical and tumultuous period in world history and literature. Readings will include selections from the “Dream of Scipio” and Cicero’s famous speech against the rebel Catilina, the First Catilinarian Oration.

Grades will be based on participation, quizzes, written work, midterm tests, and a final exam.

Prerequisite:  Latin 311 or equivalent with a grade of C or better, or consent of the instructor.

This course can be counted as partial fulfillment of the foreign language requirement, or to fulfill the General Culture requirement, or as an elective.

This course is a continuation of Latin 507 (or 601C).  In Latin 311, students read Book 3 of Caesar’s Civil War.   The aim of the course is to develop students’ Latin reading and comprehension skills through careful translation of assigned and unseen passages; to review the basic morphology and syntax learned in Latin 506 and 507 while introducing students to new forms and syntax as they arise; to build command of basic Latin vocabulary; and to introduce students to the literary and historical context of Caesar’s narrative.

Class time will be devoted to the translation of assigned Latin passages, ranging from 8-10 lines early in the semester to about 25 lines by the end of the semester.  Students will be expected to identify and explain the morphology and syntax of assigned readings.  There will also be regular class discussions of the historical context and literary features of Caesar’s narrative.  Students should expect homework assignments for each class meeting as well as regular quizzes, both announced and unannounced.  Final grades will be determined by attendance and class participation; quizzes; midterm exams; and a comprehensive final exam. 

Latin 311 partially fulfills the foreign language requirement.  A grade of C or higher is required to advance to Latin 312.

The completion of Latin 507 or 601C with a grade of C or higher is a prerequisite for Latin 311.

Textbooks

Kennedy, Caesar: De Bello Civile III, 1^st ed. (Bristol, 2002).  ISBN 185399636X

Bennett, New Latin Grammar, 1^st ed.,  (Bolchazy-Carducci, 2000).  ISBN 978-0-86516-262-7

Traupman, New College Latin and English Dictionary, 3^rd ed. (Bantam, 2007)  ISBN 978-0-553-59012-8

This course is a continuation of Latin 507 (or 601C).  In Latin 311, students read Book 3 of Caesar’s Civil War.   The aim of the course is to develop students’ Latin reading and comprehension skills through careful translation of assigned and unseen passages; to review the basic morphology and syntax learned in Latin 506 and 507 while introducing students to new forms and syntax as they arise; to build command of basic Latin vocabulary; and to introduce students to the literary and historical context of Caesar’s narrative.

Class time will be devoted to the translation of assigned Latin passages, ranging from 8-10 lines early in the semester to about 25 lines by the end of the semester.  Students will be expected to identify and explain the morphology and syntax of assigned readings.  There will also be regular class discussions of the historical context and literary features of Caesar’s narrative.  Students should expect homework assignments for each class meeting as well as regular quizzes, both announced and unannounced.  Final grades will be determined by attendance and class participation; quizzes; midterm exams; and a comprehensive final exam. 

Latin 311 partially fulfills the foreign language requirement.  A grade of C or higher is required to advance to Latin 312.

The completion of Latin 507 or 601C with a grade of C or higher is a prerequisite for Latin 311.

Textbooks

Kennedy, Caesar: De Bello Civile III, 1^st ed. (Bristol, 2002).  ISBN 185399636X

Bennett, New Latin Grammar, 1^st ed.,  (Bolchazy-Carducci, 2000).  ISBN 978-0-86516-262-7

Traupman, New College Latin and English Dictionary, 3^rd ed. (Bantam, 2007)  ISBN 978-0-553-59012-8

This course is an introduction to Latin, the language of ancient Rome and famous writers like Caesar, Cicero, Vergil, and St. Augustine. Latin is also an excellent way to improve your command of other languages: Latin is the source of over 60% of English vocabulary, and also the ancestor of all the “Romance” languages of Europe, including French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Latin 506 introduces basic grammar and vocabulary in an interesting and challenging format, through reading selections from a wide range of Roman authors and exploring aspects of Roman life and culture.  By the end of the semester, students are reading excerpts from famous works and ready to continue into Latin 507.

The course covers chapters 1-27 of Wheelock’s Latin and also selected readings from 38 Latin Stories. There will be daily assignments, regular quizzes, midterm tests, and a final exam.

Prerequisites: None. Note: This course may not be counted by students offering two or more admission units or any previous college credit in Latin.  

Latin 506 partially fulfills the foreign language requirement. A grade of C or higher is required to advance to Latin 507.

Requirements: Class participation, homework, quizzes, midterm tests, and  a final exam.

Students earning a C or better may advance to Latin 507: First-Year Latin II, where they will read selections from Caesar and other authors. 

Texts:

Wheelock, Wheelock's Latin (Harper 6h edition)

Groton & May, 38 Latin Stories (Bolchazy)

Corneau & LeFleur, Workbook to Wheelock's Latin (Harper) optional

Goldman & Szymanski, English Grammar for Students of Latin (Olivia & Hill) (optional)