Professor R. Bruce Hitchner, Chair; Roman history and
archaeology, international relations
Professor Gregory R. Crane, Winnick Family Chair in Technology and
Entrepreneurship; Greek literature, computers and classics
Professor Peter L. D. Reid, Latin and Greek literatures, medieval Latin
Associate Professor Steven W. Hirsch, Greek, Roman, and Near Eastern history
Associate Professor Joanne H. Phillips, Latin and Greek literatures, Greek and
Roman medicine
Assistant Professor Emma Blake,
Greek archaeology
Lecturer Peter Der Manuelian, Egyptian history and archaeology,
hieroglyphs
Lecturer Betsey J. Halpern, Latin and Greek literatures
Lecturer Regina Merzlak, Latin and Greek literatures
Lecturer Susan Setnik, Latin language
Lecturer Anthony Tuck, Etruscan archaeology
The Department of Classics is dedicated to the study of Greek and Roman culture and to clarifying and assessing its continuing impact on contemporary life. Classics is more than the study of the Greek and Latin languages; it can liberate the student from the parochialisms of both time and place. The role of the contemporary individual in relation to society can be examined through the history, archaeology, art, architecture, science, philosophy, religion, mythology, and especially through the literatures of Greece and Rome.
Classics constitutes an interdisciplinary study of the cultures of the ancient Mediterranean, Near East, and Europe. Despite the period of antiquity in which it concentrates, the field of classics is constantly changing in light of new discoveries, new methodologies, new interpretations, and new relationships with other areas of study. In many ways classics offers the undergraduate student an ideal educational opportunity to integrate different fields and methodologies, and to study intrinsically interesting and time-tested topics in the literature, mythology, art, archaeology, history, and science of Greece and Rome.
Undergraduate Concentration Requirements
Majors in the Department of Classics meet the requirements of four classes of students: 1)
those who have no professional interest in classics but who wish to bring together
disparate distribution and foundation requirements for a coherent liberal arts major; 2)
those who want a combined major in Latin, Greek, or Classical Studies and one of the
natural sciences, social sciences, or humanities; 3) those who want an intensive study of
Greek or Latin preparatory to postgraduate study in another field, such as law, theology,
medicine, philosophy, history, English, or modern languages; 4) those who are
professionally interested in the classics and who plan to do postgraduate study in the
field and then teach or engage in research or museum work.
Major in Classical Studies
Ten courses are required, usually distributed as follows: Classics 31 and 32; two courses
from either Classics 37, 38, or Classics 27, 164, 168; two additional classics courses
numbered above 100; two other courses offered by the Department of Classics (strongly
recommended are Latin 3 and above, and Greek language courses); and two courses which may
be in related fields.
Major in Greek
Ten courses: four courses in Greek, one of which may be Greek 7 (intermediate level),
depending on a student's prior level of preparation, and at least three at the 100
level; Classics 31 (Classics of Greece); Classics 37 (History of Greece); and four other
courses in the department, of which at least two must be at the 100 level.
Major in Latin
Ten courses; five in Latin above the intermediate level, including at least three at the
100 level; plus Classics 32 (Classics of Rome); Classics 38 (History of Rome); and three
other courses in the department, of which two must be at the 100 level.
Major in Greek and Latin
Ten courses--six courses in Greek and Latin above the intermediate level, of which four
must be at the 100 level; four other courses offered by the department.
Interdisciplinary Major in Archaeology
A detailed description of this major can be found in the alphabetical listings in this
bulletin under Archaeology.
Placement for Entering Undergraduate Students
Students with two years of secondary school preparation in Latin are placed in Latin 3.
Students with three or four years of preparation in Latin are placed in Latin 3, or 21,
22, depending on CEEB examination or previous records, together with placement
examination and individual consultation. In Latin as in other languages, the student is
urged not to prejudge his or her college courses on the basis of secondary school
experience. Students who place above Latin 3 may complete the language requirement in any
one of the three available options, including classical studies (see information
concerning foundation requirements). Students with scores of four or five on the Advanced
Placement Examination or with an Achievement Test score of 720 or above will be given
advanced placement into Latin 21 or above and acceleration credit of one course. With a
score of three, students will be placed into Latin 21 or above; with a score of two, into
Latin 3. During orientation every student is encouraged to discuss any unusual placement
problem with members of the department so that in every case the student is placed in the
appropriate course.
Undergraduate Minor Program
The Department of Classics offers minors in Latin, in Greek, in Greek archaeology, in
Roman archaeology, in Greek civilization, and in Roman civilization. Details are available
from the departmental office.
Graduate Program
Master of Arts in Classics
The master's program in classics at Tufts is designed for students who wish to go beyond
the bachelor's level to attain a broader and deeper knowledge of the classics for one or
more of the following purposes: teaching background, further graduate study, cultural
enrichment. With its strong language component, faculty strength in literature, history,
and archaeology, and access to computer applications, this program particularly suits
those who want either to consolidate and improve their language, research, and teaching
skills in preparation for a Ph.D. degree at another institution or to teach classics at
the secondary level.
REQUIREMENTS
1) Applicants will usually have completed the equivalent of an undergraduate Latin or
Greek major. If not, additional courses will be required for completion of the master's
degree.
2) Candidates must successfully complete eight graduate courses, of which a minimum of two must be in Latin and a minimum of two must be in Greek. Candidates who are in-service teachers, and they alone, may meet the Greek requirement in two undergraduate courses above Greek 1, 2; however, only courses in Greek at the graduate level may be counted toward the eight courses required for the degree.
3) A candidate for the master's degree must be in residence for the equivalent of one academic year. The master's degree may be earned on a part-time basis through courses offered by the department during the regular academic year and by summer school courses. No degree is granted on the basis of summer school work only.
4) Reading knowledge of Latin or Greek and one modern foreign language (usually German or French) is tested by examination.
5) To demonstrate research and presentation the candidate may submit for evaluation by a faculty committee either two papers (written for courses at Tufts and revised as necessary after completion of the course) or a thesis. The thesis normally counts as two of the required eight courses.
6) A comprehensive written examination integrating course work with a general knowledge
of Greek and Latin literatures. An oral examination based primarily on the papers or
thesis. Candidates accepting assistantships (i.e., work in the department) should
anticipate a more extended time schedule; furthermore, students usually find that writing
a thesis takes a full term of uninterrupted work.
Master of Arts in Classical Archaeology
The master's program in classical archaeology provides students with the artistic,
cultural, social, and historical context for the materials of classical antiquity and has
successfully prepared students for work toward a doctorate, or for fieldwork or museum
work.
REQUIREMENTS
1) Applicants will usually have completed the equivalent of an undergraduate classics
major or ancient art or archaeology major with intermediate levels in Latin or Greek or in
both languages.
2) The candidate must successfully complete nine graduate courses, as follows: three graduate courses in Latin or Greek; three graduate courses in art and archaeology; one graduate course in ancient history; and a two-credit thesis. In addition, both fieldwork and laboratory work are requirements, either as documented past experience or to be fulfilled during completion of the master's degree.
3) Reading knowledge of either Latin or Greek and one modern foreign language (French, German, or Italian) is tested by examination.
4) To demonstrate research and presentation, a thesis, counting for two course credits, with subject chosen in consultation with the student's adviser, must be submitted for approval and evaluation to a faculty committee.
5) A comprehensive written examination integrating course work with a general knowledge of classical archaeology is required, as well as an oral examination based primarily on the thesis.
6) Residency for the equivalent of one academic year is required. The degree may be earned on a part-time basis through courses offered by the department during the regular academic year and through summer school courses. No degree is granted on the basis of summer school work only.
Undergraduate Courses
1, 2 Elementary Latin. A course in Latin for beginners and for students wishing to review the elements of Latin. Inflection, syntax, and vocabulary will be taught, so far as possible, in close conjunction with the reading of selected passages from Latin authors. Two courses. Fall and spring. Setnik
3 Intermediate Latin. After a formal grammar review, there will be readings from Latin authors such as Ovid, Petronius, and Apuleius. Prerequisites: Latin 1, 2 or its equivalent in secondary school Latin. Fall.
21, 22 Latin Prose and Poetry. Reading and discussion of selected Latin authors such as Catullus, Ovid, Horace, Cicero, Apuleius, and Petronius. Exploration of topics or themes of interest at the end of the Roman Republic and in the early Empire. Latin 21 in the fall, Latin 22 in the spring. Prerequisite: Latin 3 or AP/Achievement scores or placement. Merzlak, Phillips
91 Special Topics in Latin. Study of Latin texts from the classical or medieval period. Members of the department
92 Special Topics. Guided individual study of an approved topic. Variable
credit. Members of the department
Courses for Undergraduate and Graduate Students
101 Latin Epic. Reading from Vergil's Aeneid, Lucan's Pharsalia, or later epics of Statius or Valerius Flaccus. Reid
102 Roman Drama. Reading from the comedies of Plautus and Terence or from the tragedies of Seneca. Reid
103 Latin Historians. Readings from Livy, Sallust, Tacitus, or Suetonius.
104 Latin Philosophy and Oratory. Readings from Lucretius, Cicero, or Seneca. Phillips, Halpern
105 Roman Satire. Readings from Horace, Persius, and Juvenal. Reid
106 Latin Lyric, Elegiac, or Epigrammatic Poetry. Readings from the Odes of Horace, the Elegies of Ovid, Tibullus, Propertius, or the Epigrams of Martial.
181, 182 Latin Seminars.
191, 192 Special Studies, Thesis, and Seminar Work. For advanced students in
Latin. Credit as arranged.
Undergraduate Courses
1, 2 Elementary Greek. The work starts with the elements of the Greek language and passes as soon as possible to the reading of Greek texts. The amount of ground covered depends on the ability of the student. Two courses.
7, 8 Greek Classics. Readings in Homer, Herodotus, Plato, or the dramatists. Students are guided in collateral reading in the history of Greek literature. Prerequisite: Greek 1, 2. Two courses. Fall and spring.
91, 92 Special Topics. Guided individual study of an approved topic. Variable
credit.
Courses for Undergraduate and Graduate Students
101 Greek Epic. Readings from Homer's Iliad or Odyssey, Hesiod's Theogony or Works and Days, or Apollonius's Argonautica.
102 Greek Drama. Readings from the plays of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes, or Menander.
103 Greek Historians. Readings from the histories of Herodotus, Thucydides, or Xenophon. Hirsch
104 Greek Philosophy. Readings from Dialogues of Plato. Reid
155, 156 Readings in Greek Drama. For advanced undergraduates and graduate students in Greek. Taken in conjunction with Classics/Drama 55 and 56. Readings in Greek and a research paper will be required. Crane
181, 182 Greek Seminar.
191, 192 Special Studies, Thesis, and Seminar Work. For advanced students in
Greek. Credit as arranged.
Requiring no Greek or Latin language
Undergraduate Courses
27 Introduction to Classical Archaeology. (Cross-listed as Archaeology 27 and Art History 19.) The great sites and monuments of the ancient Mediterranean from preclassical times to the fall of the Roman Empire; their discovery and interpretation; their place in the reconstruction of the social, political, and artistic history of their time. Topics include the excavation and analysis of materials from Troy, Bronze Age Crete, and Mycenae; the archaeological evidence of the rise of Greece, and particularly Athens, in the first half of the first millennium B.C.; the misunderstood contribution of Hellenism in art, literature, and civilization; the Etruscan phenomenon; the essentially Roman qualities of the first four centuries of the Christian era; and the archaeological and documentary evidence for the transition from paganism to Christianity. Some attention to the disciplines of epigraphy and numismatics, as well as to the peripheral island civilizations of Malta, Sardinia, and Cyprus. Spring.
29 Archaeology of Palestine. (Cross-listed as Archaeology 29, Art History 18, Judaic Studies 77.) Introduction to the archaeology of Palestine from the Persian period to the Muslim conquest (586 B.C.-640 A.D.), including the influence of Greco-Roman civilization on the local cultures; the rise of diverse groups within Judaism, such as the sect that composed the Dead Sea Scrolls; the development of Rabbinic Judaism; the rise of Christianity; and the spread of Islam.
31 Classics of Greece. A study of major Greek literary works in translation. Authors include Homer, Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes, Herodotus, Thucydides, and Plato. Fall and spring. Members of the department
32 Classics of Rome. A study of major literary works of ancient Rome in translation. Authors include Cicero, Caesar, Suetonius, Vergil, Ovid, Petronius, and Apuleius. Fall and spring. Members of the department
37 History of Ancient Greece. (Cross-listed as History 16.) The historical development of ancient Greece and the interaction of society, politics, and culture in Greek civilization, from the Mycenaean civilization commemorated by Homer to the conquests of Alexander the Great and the diffusion of the Greek way of life in the succeeding Hellenistic Age. Special attention given to the relationship of the Greeks to other peoples of the ancient Mediterranean and Near East and to examination of literary and documentary sources. Fall. Hirsch
38 History of Ancient Rome. (Cross-listed as History 17.) The history of ancient Rome, tracing Rome's rise from an insignificant Italian community to the ruler of the Mediterranean world, and ending with the transfer of the imperial capital to Constantinople in A.D. 330. Emphasis on the interaction of Rome with various foreign peoples, and examination of literary and documentary sources. Spring.
45 Western Political Thought I. (Cross-listed as Political Science 45 and Philosophy 45.) Central concepts of ancient, medieval, and early modern political thought. Ideas of Thucydides, Aristophanes, Plato, and Aristotle during the rise and fall of Athens, Greece. Subsequent transformations of political philosophy, related to the decline of the Roman empire and the origins and development of Christian political doctrine, and the new political outlook of those who challenge the hegemony of Christianity. Analysis of how premodern political thought helped structure future political debate. Devigne, Sullivan
55 Introduction to Greek Drama I. (Cross-listed as Drama 55.) Readings of selected plays by Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes. Particular emphasis on the importance of strong female characters; relationship between gender, society, and drama; comic representation in Aristophanes. Members of the department
56 Introduction to Greek Drama II: Theatre and Anti-Theatre. (Cross-listed as Drama 56.) Survey of satyr plays, Euripides, Aristophanes, and Menander. Literature of the late fifth and fourth centuries, which laid the groundwork for later European and American drama. The changing role of women and the family in drama and society as a way to understand the evolution of this literary genre. Members of the department
65S Journey of the Hero. Investigation of the motif of the journey of a hero, be it physical, psychological, or both, in the Western literary tradition, from its origins in the classical epics of Homer and Vergil to its adaptation in medieval and modern literature. Summer only. Halpern
75 Classical Mythology. Exploration of the world of Greek and Roman myth, and of
its living influence on our culture. The basic nature of myth, its essential human
meaning, its manifestations in dream and ritual. Focus on selected myths of creation in
Genesis, Ovid, Milton, and Mary Shelley. All myths traced from ancient sources to modern
reincarnation in literature, art, and film. Halpern
91 Special Topics. Courses offered on an ad hoc basis and open to all interested
undergraduates. Variable credit.
92 Special Topics. Guided individual study of an approved topic. Variable
credit.
Courses for Undergraduate and Graduate Students
135 Social Life in Greece and Rome. Study of one aspect of society in antiquity through the literary and material sources; for example, women, education, athletics, slavery. Members of the department
136, 137 Classical Biography. The life of one individual of the classical period; readings in translation of the ancient biographical and autobiographical materials, as well as other literary and historical documents relating to that time. Prerequisite: consent. Members of the department
140 Classical Epic. Analysis of epics of Homer, Apollonius, and Vergil. The epic hero in different ages, changing and continuing themes in epics, and readings from oral epic poetry of other cultures. Reid, Halpern
141 Classical Historians. Readings of ancient historians in translation with study of their differing aims, methods, and reliability. Nonliterary sources examined and evaluated. Hirsch
146 Ancient Greek and Roman Medicine. The historical development of ancient Greek and Roman medicine with emphasis on methodology and sources; an assessment of the influence of ancient medicine on the development of modern clinical medicine. Topics covered include ancient views and practices with regard to anatomy, physiology, surgery, pharmacology, the etiology of disease, and medical deontology. A case study of an assigned hypothetical Greek patient to be treated according to Hippocratic theory and therapeutics is a required project. Phillips
151 Ancient Philosophy. (Cross-listed as Philosophy 151.) History of Western philosophy from its Greek beginnings in the sixth century B.C. with major emphasis on the works of Plato and Aristotle. Prerequisite: Philosophy 1 or consent. Fall.
153 Thucydides and International Relations. A detailed case study of Thucydides' history, multipolar and bipolar international systems, imperialism, and competing theoretical paradigms of the classical period. Recommended (one of the following): Classics 31, 37; or Political Science 45, 51. Crane
155, 156 Topics in Greek Drama. (Cross-listed as Drama 155, 156.) For advanced undergraduates and graduate students, in-depth study in conjunction with Classics 55 and 56. Extra meetings and a research paper will be required.
163 Aegean Archaeology. (Cross-listed as Archaeology 163 and Art History 112.) The study of the sites and monuments of the Aegean area from the Neolithic period to the end of the Bronze Age, with special emphasis on the art of the Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations. Museum trips will be part of the course. Prerequisite: Classics 27 or consent.
164 Greek Art and Archaeology. (Cross-listed as Archaeology 164 and Art History 113.) The development of Greek art from the Geometric Age through the fourth century B.C., studied in architecture, sculpture, pottery, painting, and selected sites. Museum trips will be part of the course. Prerequisite: Classics 27, or Art History 1, or consent.
167 Tyrrhenian Archaeology. (Cross-listed as Archaeology 167 and Art History 115.) The study of ancient Italy from prehistoric times to the Roman Republic. Special emphasis may be placed on the Etruscan civilization, its possible origins, and its context in the Mediterranean world as shown by its artistic development. Museum trips will be part of the course. Prerequisite: Classics 27 or consent.
168 Roman Art and Archaeology. (Cross-listed as Archaeology 168 and Art History 116.) The study of Imperial Rome and its provinces, with attention to the Hellenistic background and subsequent contributions to urban development, architecture, sculpture, or painting. Museum trips will be part of the course. Prerequisite: Classics 27, or Art History 1, or consent.
176 Ancient Medicine Seminar. Topics in ancient medicine and its transmission. Topics may include aspects of surgery, gynecology, veterinary medicine, spiritual healing, and dentistry. Especially recommended for premedical, predental, preveterinary, and community-health program students. Prerequisites: Classics 146 and consent. Phillips
185, 186 Seminar in Ancient History. Exploration of special topics in Greek or Roman history, e.g., Athens in the Age of Pericles, Persia and the Greeks, Roman France, Christians and Jews in the Roman world. Instruction in the critical use of available material and in the collation of evidence from different sources. Hirsch
187, 188 Problems in Classical Archaeology. (Cross-listed as Archaeology 187, 188.) Study and interpretation of material remains of antiquity with varying emphases: historical, artistic, documentary. Techniques in the recovery of material and remains and the changing aspects of the discipline of archaeology are considered. Prerequisites: Classics 27 and consent.
189 Seminar in Ancient Philosophy. Studies in particular schools, topics, or periods of ancient Greek and Roman philosophy, including attention to the ancient and modern sources and their critical use. All readings in translation.
191, 192 Special Studies, Thesis, and Seminar Work. For graduate students and
qualified upperclassmen. Credit as arranged.
Graduate Courses
291, 292 Graduate Seminar. Presentation of individual reports on basic topics to a seminar group for discussion and criticism. Credit as arranged.
293, 294 Special Topics. Guided individual study of an approved topic. Credit as arranged.
295, 296 Thesis. Guided research on a topic that has been approved as a suitable subject for a master's thesis. Two courses.
401PT Master's Continuation, Part-time.
402FT Master's Continuation, Full-time.