Classics Minor
This minor is being discontinued and will not accept new students after September 30, 2020. Students who have declared this minor prior to September 30, 2020 will use these standards to complete the program requirements.
A minor in Classics complements the disciplines of Art History, Creative Writing, English, History, Modern Languages, Political Science, Philosophy, Religious Studies, and it is especially beneficial for students interested in careers in law or medicine.
Curriculum
Students who wish to minor in Classics must meet the following requirements:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Classical Language (CLG or CLL) Required Courses | ||
| Two semesters of Greek or Latin (CLG OR CLL) | 6 | |
| Classics (CLS) Required Courses | ||
| CLS 103 | Greek History | 3 |
| or CLS 104 | Roman History | |
| CLS 205 | Ancient Greece: Culture and Society | 3 |
| or CLS 206 | Ancient Rome: Culture and Society | |
| Classics Electives | ||
| Two upper-level electives from the following: | 6 | |
Any CLG, CLL, or CLS courses at the 200-level or above | ||
| Ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern Art | ||
| Greek and Roman Art | ||
| Total Credits | 18 | |
Courses
Classics (CLS); Greek (CLG); Latin (CLL)
Classics--CLS
CLS 103 Greek History 3 Credits
Social, political, and intellectual history of the Greeks from the end of the Bronze Age to the Hellenistic period.
Fulfills College Core: Field 4 (History), Global Awareness
Offered: every fall.
CLS 104 Roman History 3 Credits
Social, political, and intellectual history of Rome from the foundation of the city to late antiquity.
Fulfills College Core: Field 4 (History), Global Awareness
Offered: every spring.
CLS 205 Ancient Greece: Culture and Society 3 Credits
Fundamental social, political, moral, religious, and intellectual aspects of the human condition as reflected in a variety of Greek writers, art, and artifacts.
Fulfills College Core: Field 3 (Literature and the Arts), Global Awareness
Offered: once a year.
CLS 206 Ancient Rome: Culture and Society 3 Credits
Fundamental social, political, moral, religious, and intellectual aspects of the human condition as reflected in a variety of Roman writers, art, and artifacts.
Fulfills College Core: Field 3 (Literature and the Arts), Global Awareness
Offered: once a year.
CLS 207 Mythology and Literature 3 Credits
Origin, content, and interpretation of the major classical myths. Modern approaches to mythology. Influence upon literature and ethical principles and theories.
Fulfills College Core: Ethics, Field 3 (Literature and the Arts)
Offered: fall & spring.
CLS 209 Greek and Roman Archaeology 3 Credits
History, methods, major sites, and current topics in Greek and Roman Archaeology from the Bronze Age through Late Antiquity.
Fulfills College Core: Field 5 (Social Sciences), Global Awareness
Offered: spring of odd-numbered years.
CLS 211 Archaeology of Pompeii 3 Credits
On August 24th, 79 C.E., Mt. Vesuvius erupted and destroyed the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum, as well as countless farms and villas in the countryside. The ash and pyroclastic flows killed all who had not yet fled, and preserved the cities in the moment of their destruction. Their archaeological rediscovery in the 1700s led to 250 years of excavations which have continued to provide us with astonishing evidence about the people who lived and died in the shadow of Vesuvius. Every aspect of ancient life is represented in these two towns—poor and rich, free and enslaved, work and leisure, religion, politics, art, food, and even sex. If you want to know what it was like to live in the Roman Empire, don’t go to Rome—come to Pompeii!
Prerequisite: None. Corequisite: None.
Fulfills College Core: Field 5 (Social Sciences), Global Awareness
Offered: spring of even-numbered years.
CLS 212 Borders, Walls, and Immigrants in the Ancient World 3 Credits
Examination of momentous migrations and displacements around the Mediterranean (Greek colonization, Roman veteran settlement, Gothic invasions), from the Bronze Age to the Middle Ages; the economic, religious, social, and political motivations; the impact; Greco-Roman concepts of borders and “Frontier”; case studies (Hadrian's Wall); themes in immigration studies, including theories of assimilation/resistance, diaspora, ethnicity, and identity.
Fulfills College Core: Field 5 (Social Sciences), Global Awareness
Offered: occasionally.
CLS 214 Greek and Roman Tragedy 3 Credits
Study of Greek and Roman tragedy, its origins, cultural setting, staging, performance, and influence. Readings from Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Seneca.
Fulfills College Core: Ethics, Field 3 (Literature and the Arts), Oral Communication
Offered: fall & spring.
CLS 216 Race and Ethnicity in the Ancient World 3 Credits
This course will explore ancient theories on race and ethnicity from Homer to Late Antiquity and how these theories have been read and internalized in modern times, with a special emphasis on their influence on the construction of identity and race in the modern United States. Through the study of a broad range of ancient texts in translation, we will investigate how ancient Greeks and Romans talked about, represented, and attempted to understand and categorize human diversity — what we call race and ethnicity.
Prerequisite: none. Corequisite: none.
Fulfills College Core: Field 4 (History)
Offered: fall of even-numbered years.
CLS 220 Greek and Latin Roots of Medical Terminology 3 Credits
An introductory course on the fundamental Greek and Latin roots of medical terminology in preparation for a career in the health sciences professions. Acquire knowledge to understand, speak, and write the language of contemporary medicine by learning how to analyze roots, prefixes, and suffixes, and their predictable patterns of combinations. Material covered includes anatomy, all systems of the human body, psychology and substance terminology, along with basic language history, linguistic principles, and etymology.
Offered: occasionally.
CLS 306 Blood, Pus, and Vomit: Studying Ancient Medicine 3 Credits
This course is a survey of the art of medicine in the ancient Mediterranean: what causes medical problems and what those problems were, how diagnoses were determined, the treatments available and who administered them, and how each society learned from the others. The course begins with ancient Mesopotamia, then turns attention to Egypt, Greece, the Hellenistic world, and finally the Roman empire. Concentration is on the ancient world, but the course includes discussion of the techniques and theories developed then which were still being taught in medical schools in the 19th century and beyond.
Prerequisite: none. Corequisite: none.
Fulfills College Core: Oral Communication
Offered: spring of even-numbered years.
CLS 309 Greek and Roman Religion 3 Credits
Religious thought and action in ancient Greece and Rome from Homer through the 2nd century A.D. Polytheism, anthropomorphism, ritual, cult and sacrifice.
Fulfills College Core: Field 1 (Religious Studies and Theology), Global Awareness, Oral Communication
Offered: every fall.
CLS 311 Alexander the Great 3 Credits
Philip II and the rise of Macedon. Alexander's personality, his conquests, and the social, political, and intellectual consequences of his reign. Hellenistic culture.
Fulfills College Core: Global Awareness
Offered: anticipated spring 2022.
CLS 314 The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire 3 Credits
Imperial crisis and recovery of the third century, Constantine and Christianity, barbarian invasions, social, political, and intellectual developments in the Byzantine East and Latin West. Historiography of the "Decline and Fall."
Offered: anticipated spring 2021.
CLS 499 Independent Study 3-6 Credits
Directed research on a selected topic. Independent studies require an application and approval by the associate dean.
Prerequisite: permission of the instructor, department chair, & associate dean.
Offered: occasionally.
Greek--CLG
CLG 101 Elementary Greek I 3 Credits
Intensive introduction to the grammar, syntax, and vocabulary of classical Greek. Selected readings. Fall.
Offered: every fall.
CLG 102 Elementary Greek II 3 Credits
Intensive introduction to the grammar, syntax, and vocabulary of classical Greek. Selected readings.
Prerequisite: CLG 101 or permission of instructor.
Offered: every spring.
CLG 201 Intermediate Greek I 3 Credits
Intermediate Greek
Prerequisite: CLG 102 or permission of instructor.
Offered: occasionally.
CLG 203 Greek Literature: Homer 3 Credits
Selected readings from Homer.
Prerequisite: CLG 102 or permission of instructor.
CLG 204 Greek Literature: Euripides 3 Credits
Study of the genre of Greek tragedy with readings of one or more tragedies of Euripides.
Prerequisite: CLG 101 and CLG 102.
Offered: occasionally.
CLG 213 Greek Philosophers 3 Credits
Book I of Plato's Republic and related texts.
Prerequisite: CLG 102 or permission of instructor.
CLG 214 Readings in Greek Philosophy 3 Credits
Heraclitus and Book 1 of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics.
Prerequisite: CLG 102 or permission of instructor.
Offered: occasionally.
CLG 305 Readings in Greek Literature: Daphnis and Chloe 3 Credits
Longus' Daphnis and Chloe.
Prerequisite: CLG 102 or permission of instructor.
CLG 308 Readings in Greek History Greek Epigraphy 3 Credits
The course introduces students to the study of Greek inscriptions and their use as evidence for the study of ancient history
Prerequisite: CLG 102 or permission of instructor.
Offered: occasionally.
CLG 314 Readings in Greek Philosophy 3 Credits
Heraclitus and Book 1 of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics.
Prerequisites: CLG 102 or permission of instructor.
Offered: occasionally.
CLG 400 Paideia 3 Credits
Selected Greek authors, texts, themes, or genres.
Prerequisite: at least two semesters of CLG courses, completion of all other core curriculum requirements, & permission of the chair or instructor.
Latin--CLL
CLL 101 Elementary Latin 3 Credits
Intensive introduction to the grammar, syntax, and vocabulary of classical Latin. Selected readings.
Offered: every fall.
CLL 102 Elementary Latin II 3 Credits
Intensive introduction to the grammar, syntax, and vocabulary of classical Latin. Selected readings.
Prerequisite: CLL 101, or one year of high school Latin through the senior year, or permission of instructor.
Offered: every spring.
CLL 201 Latin Literature 3 Credits
Selected Latin literary authors, genres, or themes.
Prerequisite: CLL 102, or two years of high school Latin through the senior year, or permission of instructor.
CLL 203 Roman Comedy 3 Credits
Close reading and analysis of selected comedies from Plautus and Terence. Study of the relation to Greek new Comedy, colloquial Latin language, and social structures in Rome revealed in the plays.
Prerequisite: CLL 102 or permission of instructor.
Offered: occasionally.
CLL 204 Readings in Latin Literature 3 Credits
Selected Latin literary authors, genres, or themes.
Prerequisite: CLL 102, or two years of high school Latin through the senior year, or permission of instructor.
CLL 205 Latin Literature 3 Credits
Selected Latin literary authors, genres, or themes.
Prerequisite: CLL 102, or two years of high school Latin through the senior year, or permission of instructor.
CLL 210 Roman Historians 3 Credits
Close reading and analysis of selections from one or more o fthe Latin historians. Sallust, Livy and Tacitus.
Prerequisite: CLL 102 or permission of instructor.
Offered: occasionally.
CLL 301 Latin Epic Poetry Lucan 3 Credits
This advanced Latin course is dedicated to translating selections from Lucan's epic poem the Pharsalia. Through a close reading of the Pharsalia, students will develop an increased mastery of Latin syntax and improve their translation speed. Described by scholars as the "anti-Aeneid", Lucan's Pharsalia recounts the civil war between Julius Caesar and Pompey Magnus.
Prerequisite: CLL 102, or two years of high school Latin through the senior year, or permission of instructor.
Offered: Spring 2022.
CLL 310 Roman Historians 3 Credits
Close reading and analysis of selections from one or more o fthe Latin historians. Sallust, Livy and Tacitus.
Prerequisite: CLL 102 or permission of instructor.
CLL 350 Latin Composition 3 Credits
CLL 350 aims to increase mastery of the Latin language by a systematic review of syntax, the close reading of passages of Caesar, Cicero, and other major Latin authors, and the translation of English sentences and short passages of accelerated difficulty into Latin. This course is primarily online, but there will be a few face-to-face class meetings.
Prerequisite: Four semesters of college Latin or equivalent required. Corequisite: Students enrolled in CLL 350 must be simultaneously enrolled in an upper-level Latin literature course.
Offered: This course will be offered only on an as-needed basis.
CLL 400 Humanitas 3 Credits
Selected Latin authors, texts, themes, or genres.
Prerequisite: at least two semesters of CLL courses, completion of core requirements, & permission of the chair.
Fulfills College Core: Core Capstone
Offered: fall & spring.
CLL 499 Independent Study: Latin 3 Credits
Directed research on a selected topic. Independent studies require an application and approval by the associate dean.
Prerequisite: permission of the instructor, department chair, & associate dean.
Offered: occasionally.
