Classical Studies

Mission

The Classical Studies Program aims to be a model for visionary, interdisciplinary thinking, offering courses that serve the needs of multiple academic departments as well as the new General Education Program. The mission of the Classical Studies Program is to offer courses in ancient languages including Greek, Latin and Hebrew, biblical texts, and ancient history. We offer a major in Classical Studies in two concentrations. The Classical Languages and Literatures concentration will combine courses in intermediate/upper level Latin and Greek language and literature, Classical literature in translation, Hebrew language, Bible and religious studies, ancient history of the Mediterranean and Near East, and ancient material culture. As such, it will prepare students for secondary school teaching in Latin but it will also better prepare students for graduate study in Classical Studies and Classical Archaeology.  A second concentration in Ancient Cultures is interdisciplinary and flexible to allow specialization in a variety of areas that complement existing programs (e.g., Classical Studies, Ancient Near East, Bible, Ancient History, Archaeology). We also offer minors in Classical Studies and Ancient Cultures. Our courses in ancient language, literature, and civilization complement courses in other disciplines so that students may combine their Classical Studies major with a second major in English, fine and performing arts, history, languages, psychology, theology, philosophy, and elementary education.

The Classical Studies Program  offers courses from the elementary to advanced levels of Latin and Greek language and literature. The program serves its majors and minors by offering a full range of advanced level Latin and Greek courses covering the works of major Latin and Greek authors and literary genres. These courses feature comprehensive exploration of Greek and Latin language and of classical society and culture and are designed to prepare majors and minors for graduate study in Classics. Our elementary and intermediate level Latin and Greek courses may be taken as prerequisite courses for advanced work in the languages, and they may also be taken to fulfill the non-native language general education program requirement. All Latin and Greek courses enable students to explore a wide variety of supplementary materials that focus upon mythology, religion, literacy and education, and political and social history.

We also offer a wide range of courses in ancient culture and civilization that focus on the literature, history, and material culture of the ancient world. We offer two Honors courses that focus on Greece and Rome: Sexuality and Gender in the Ancient World and the team-taught Society, Democracy, Republic. Knowledge of Greek and Latin are not required for any of these civilization courses, which may be taken to fulfill requirements for the major or minor, to fulfill the Art/Literature, Diversity, Writing Intensive, and Ethics Intensive areas of the GEP, or as free electives. These courses are interdisciplinary and stress connections with other disciplines such as history, literature, philosophy, theology, gender studies, and the social and natural sciences.

Requirements for Departmental Honors

To receive College Honors credit, students undertake two consecutive semesters of course-based research and study that culminates in a senior thesis. For students in the University Honors program, these two courses may be counted toward the eight course Honors requirement. To be eligible for College Honors, a student must have a 3.5 GPA. If you are interested in completing the College Honors project during your senior year, please be in touch with the department chair early in the spring semester of your junior year. Specific requirements for the College Honors thesis may be found under Honors Program.

Undergraduate Minors

CLA 170 Special Topics in Classics (3 credits)

Topics will vary according to the semester in which the class is offered.

Attributes: Undergraduate

CLA 201 Love,Sex,Conqst:Classic Myth (3 credits)

Study and interpretation of the sources, nature, and function of Greek and Roman mythology, including its major story patterns, divine and human figures, and recurrent themes; exploration of the significance and uses of mythology and mythic symbolism; understanding and appreciation of the continuing significance of classical mythology in literature, the arts, and modern popular culture.

Attributes: Ancient Studies Course, GEP Art/Literature, Undergraduate

CLA 202 Classical Epic: Gods & Heroes (3 credits)

We will engage in reading, discussion and analysis of the Greek epic poems of Homer (Iliad and Odyssey), Hesiod (Works and Days), and the Roman epic of Virgil (Aeneid). We will consider important questions and topics arising from a reading of Homer, such as the identity of the poet and his society, his depiction of Late Bronze Age "heroic" values, the "oral" and "formular" nature of Homeric language, Homeric theology, Mycenaean civilization and the historical/archaeological evidence for the Trojan War. We will then consider Hesiod's response to Homer's warrior society and values in his Works and Days, and Virgil's reshaping of Homeric epic conventions and promotion of Augustan policy and ideals in his Aeneid.

Attributes: Ancient Studies Course, GEP Art/Literature, Undergraduate

CLA 203 Life & Death on Ancient Stage (3 credits)

This course features reading in English of several original tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. Students discuss the nature and character of the gods in these plays as well as the interactions and relationships between human and divine characters. The class also evaluates the often expressed idea that the texts of Greek tragedy and comedy reflect an Athenian society in crisis. The class will explore how various forms of upheaval in politics, education, religion, and domestic life are reflected in Athenian drama, and also how the Athenian playwrights may be commenting on these issues. Another significant topic of examination is the tendency of Athenian tragedy to feature characters that rebel against or subvert traditional Athenian gender roles. We discuss in each case what these reversals reveal about the characters and what consequences arise from these reversals. In order to assist students in visualizing the dramas, the instructor will show images from ancient Greek theatres at Athens and Epidauros and scenes from the famous National Theatre of Great Britain production of Aeschylus' Oresteia, (directed by Peter Hall, with actors performing in masks) and the equally famous Kennedy Center production of Euripides' Medea.

Attributes: GEP Art/Literature, Undergraduate

CLA 204 Comedy: Ancient and Modern (3 credits)

This course features reading in English of several original comedies of Aristophanes and Plautus. The class explores the "Old Comedy" of Aristophanes with its topical satire and also evaluates the often expressed idea that the texts of Greek tragedy and comedy reflect an Athenian society in crisis. The class will consider how various forms of upheaval in politics, education, religion, and domestic life are reflected in Athenian drama, and also how Aristophanes may be commenting on these issues. We will then study the development of comedy at Rome and its debt to Greek "New Comedy," its staging and performance, and its conventional themes and stock characters.

Attributes: Ancient Studies Course, GEP Art/Literature, Undergraduate

CLA 206 Sports and Spectacles in Clas (3 credits)

The course draws on historical sources and material culture to investigate the genesis, evolution, and social importance of athletics (track and field events, combat sports, and equestrian competitions) and public spectacles (gladiatorial combats, chariot races, and reenactments of battles) in ancient Greece and Rome, respectively. Topics explored include: the history of the ancient Olympics and other Crown Games; the importance of religion, socio-economic status, and gender in ancient sports; the relation between politics and spectacles in ancient Rome; the ethical protocols of Greek athletics; and the role of ancient sports in the history of the modern Olympic Games.

Prerequisites: PHL 154

Attributes: Ethics Intensive, GEP Art/Literature, Undergraduate

CLA 270 Special Topics in Classics (3 credits)

Topics will vary according to the semester in which the class is offered.

Attributes: Undergraduate

CLA 301 Mystery&Monument:Ancnt Greece (3 credits)

This course examines the material culture remains of various cities prominent in the history of Greece. Knossos, the main city of the island of Crete, Troy, and Mycenae are among the sites studied for their importance in the Bronze Age (3000-1100 BCE). After a detailed study of Greek architecture and the evolution of key building types such as the temple, the stoa, and the theater, students explore the material remains of Olympia, Delphi, and Athens. The myths associated with these cities are also included.

Attributes: Ancient Studies Course, GEP Art/Literature, Undergraduate

CLA 302 Mystery&Monument:Ancient Rome (3 credits)

An introduction to the art and archaeology of Roman Italy, which will explore through digital images the major surviving monuments of Rome and its environs, of the Etruscans, and of other famous sites in Italy.

Attributes: Ancient Studies Course, GEP Art/Literature, Undergraduate

CLA 303 Pompeii & Herculaneum (3 credits)

This course examines the archaeological evidence of the ancient Roman towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum, and also literary and epigraphical evidence from the Roman world, to bring to light various aspects of daily life in the Roman empire in the first century AD, including politics, religion, art, housing, entertainment, and industry.

Attributes: Ancient Studies Course, GEP Art/Literature, Undergraduate

CLA 304 Etruscan Art and Archaeology (3 credits)

At one time the masters of the Italian archipelago, the Etruscans have suffered at the pens of historians both ancient and modern; in redressing the record, archaeology has opened as many problems as it has solved. The Etruscans' non-Indo-European language, wealth and technology set them apart from their Italic and Greek neighbors; though Romans adopted Etruscan religious doctrine and material culture, they ultimately conquered and eliminated this unique culture. This course examines the ancient written sources and the latest archaeological discoveries, from painted tombs and bronze armor to DNA, to identify the character of Etruscan civilization from 1000 BC to the days of Augustus, as well as its modern heritage. "Hands-on" visits to the world-class Etruscan collection in the University of Pennsylvania Museum will supplement illustrated lectures.

Attributes: Ancient Studies Course, GEP Art/Literature, Undergraduate

CLA 305 Cleopatra Thrgh Anc & Mod Eyes (3 credits)

Cleopatra has fascinated the world for more than two millennia. The last pharaoh of Egypt was also the first of its Ptolemaic rulers to speak the Egyptian language. Cleopatra was a charismatic woman, who directed her efforts toward protecting and enriching her family and subjects. Her powerful personality and erotic dramas left a rich legacy for scholars, poets, and artists down to the present day. The course will examine the Hellenistic period and the beginning of the Roman domination of the eastern Mediterranean world, placing emphasis on the historical career of Cleopatra as a leader and her relationship with two of Rome's most influential politicians: Julius Caesar and Marc Antony. We will read ancient sources on Cleopatra, the Ptolemies, her Roman lovers, the Battle of Actium and its aftermath, and the consolidation of power by Octavian/Augustus. We will also analyze the evidence of ancient art and architecture, inscriptions, and archaeological contexts with particular emphasis on Egyptian culture. The course will also explore the diverse reception of Cleopatra's image in modern times, in particular Shakespeare, European painting, cinema (the 1934 and 1963 Cleopatras), and television (HBO Rome).

Attributes: Ancient Studies Course, GEP Art/Literature, Undergraduate

CLA 306 Ancient Medicine (3 credits)

After a brief look at medicine in Egypt and the ancient Near East, this course will examine medicine in the Greek and Roman world. We will read and analyze ancient medical texts, principally from the Hippocratic Corpus and the writings of Galen, and literary and philosophical texts contemporary with them. We will attempt to understand the cultural contexts of ancient medicine, the thought and practices of ancient physicians, and the relationship between Greco-Roman medicine and modern traditions that derive from it.

Attributes: Ancient Studies Course, GEP Art/Literature, Undergraduate

CLA 307 Ancient Greece & Rome in Film (3 credits)

This course examines various films set in the classical world or inspired by classical themes. It focuses on the relation of these films to ancient literary sources and traces the reasons for the commercial success of the genre in the 1950's and early 1960's, and its rebirth at the dawn of the twenty-first century. The course investigates the uses and abuses of classical antiquity, such as how faithfully it is portrayed on the big screen and how modern concerns (about e.g., politics, ethnicity, morality, religion, gender, sexuality, and cinema itself) are dressed into an ancient costume. Students will read secondary literature as well as a variety of ancient sources in English translation. Students will be required to watch the films prior to class meetings, since only a few, representative scenes will be shown in class; these scenes will form part of the in-class discussion.

Prerequisites: ENG 101

Attributes: Ancient Studies Course, GEP Art/Literature, Undergraduate, Writing Intensive Course- GEP

CLA 320 Golden Age of Rome (3 credits)

An interdisciplinary approach to the most interesting and important period of Roman history: the beginning of the Principate under Emperor Augustus. This course will include a thorough study of the history, major literature and art/architecture of the period.

Attributes: Ancient Studies Course, GEP Art/Literature, Undergraduate

CLA 321 Anc World Sexuality & Gender (3 credits)

A study of the ancient Greek and Roman cultural constructions of gender through reading of legal, philosophical, medical, historical, religious, and literary works. We will examine the connections between the ancient ideology of gender and the legal, social, religious, and economic roles of women in Greek and Roman cultures. We will also compare this ancient ideology of gender with conceptions of masculinity and femininity in modern American culture.

Attributes: Ancient Studies Course, Diversity Course, Gender Studies Course, GEP Art/Literature, Undergraduate

CLA 370 Special Topics in Classics (3 credits)

Topics will vary according to the semester in which the class is offered.

Attributes: Undergraduate

CLA 470 Topics in Classics (3 credits)

Topics will vary according to the semester in which the class is offered.

Attributes: Undergraduate

CLA 493 Ind. Research in Classics (3 credits)

The student will study a Greek or Latin author whose works are not treated in the usual sequence of courses. Or the student may undertake a research project in the Classical field that is acceptable to the Department.

Attributes: Ancient Studies Course, Undergraduate

CLA 494 Ind. Research in Classics (3 credits)

The student will study a Greek or Latin author whose works are not treated in the usual sequence of courses. Or the student may undertake a research project in the Classical field that is acceptable to the Department.

Attributes: Ancient Studies Course, Undergraduate