SPRING 1996

COURSE BULLETIN

CLASSICS

CLASSICS 27: INTRODUCTION TO CLASSICAL ARCHAEOLOGY

(Cross-listed FAH 019) Archaeology is not all digging, but that is how some of the material studied in this course is found. We study not only retrieval but also the interpretation of ancient material for the understanding of the ancient populations. The course opens with a review of archaeological methodology and techniques. We then survey the archaeological remains, beginning with prehistoric times and ending with the early Christian period. Although the focus is on the archaeology of Greece and Rome, other areas of the Mediterranean are included as well. The lectures are structured so that within each successive period of time, we first review the historical background, then survey the major archaeological sites, and finally look at various aspects of the material culture (pottery , coins, etc.).
Satisfies Art Distribution Area and Classics Culture Area. One midterm exam, one final exam, and one non-research paper.
MAGNESS 63+ (M 1:05-2:20, W 11:30-12:45)
 
 

CLASSICS 31: CLASSICS OF GREECE

Athens under Pericles, in the fifth century B.C., became the intellectual and artistic center of the whole Greek world, with achievements admired by all subsequent ages. What was Athens' inspiration? This course uses the literature of ancient Greece (read in English translation) to explore aspects of Athenian life; the development of democracy, the flowering of poetic drama, the early growth of moral philosophy, and ideals of education and fitness. Readings normally include Homer's Iliad or Odyssey; plays of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes; selections from Herodotus and Thucydides; and dialogues of Plato. No previous knowledge of Classics assumed. This is a Humanities Distribution course and can count for the language requirement as a Classics Culture Area course.
TBA 27 (TUWF 9:30-1:20)
 
 

CLASSICS 32A: CLASSICS OF ROME

An introduction to Roman civilization and culture as seen through its literature (read in English translation). Particular attention will be paid to Rome of the Late Republic and the Age of the Emperor Augustus, in order to understand the profound political, intellectual and artistic developments of that era. Readings normally l include some of Cicero's speeches and essays, Virgil's Aeneid, parts of Ovid's Metamorphoses and Art of Love, Catullus' poems, the Satires of Juvenal other Latin authors. No previous knowledge of Classics assumed. This is a Humanities Distribution course and can count for the language requirement as a Classics Culture Area or Italian Peninsula Culture Area course.
MERZLAK37 (M 9:30-10:20,TUTH 10:30-11:20)
 
 

CLASSICS 32B: CLASSICS OF ROME

An introduction to Roman civilization and culture as seen through its literature (read in English translation). Particular attention will be paid to Rome of the Late Republic and the Age of the Emperor Augustus, in order to understand the profound political. Intellectual and artistic developments of that era. Readings normally include some of Cicero's speeches and essays, Virgil's Aeneid, parts of Ovid's Metamorphoses and Art of Love, Catullus' poems, the Satires of Juvenal, and other Latin authors. No previous knowledge of Classics assumed.
This is a Humanities Distribution course and can count for the language requirement as a Classics Culture Area or Italian Peninsula Culture Area course.
TBA 77 (TUWF 1:30-2:20)
 
 

CLASSICS 38: HISTORY OF ANCIENT ROME

(Cross-listed HST 17) From the archaic city of Romulus to the Mediterranean empire of Augustus and his successors, this course surveys the history of Rome and the Roman people. Consideration of the prominent individuals (infamous as well as famous) and significant events of Rome's history will lead to an appreciation of the structures and institutions --political, social, religious-- which characterized Roman civilization and which served as the basis of a remarkably successful empire. Additionally, close reading of primary literary and documentary evidence will provide an introduction to the ancient historian's craft. Satisfies Humanities or Social Science Distribution Area.
TROUT47 (MWF 10:30-11:20)
 
 

CLASSICS 75:CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY

An exploration of the world of Greek and Roman myths, with particular focus on works in which myths were used in attempts to explain generic human qualities/behavior, historic and social development. Readings include, in part or whole, Hesiod's Theogony, Plato's Phaedrus, Homeric hymns, Virgil's Georgics, poems by Catullus and Propertius, Ovid's Metamorphoses.
HALPERN37 (M 9:30-10:20, TUTH 10:30-11:20)
See Web pages for course material!
 
 

CLASSICS 91DT/191DT RESTLESS YOUTH: GREECE, ROME AND POST-WAR AMERICA

A cross-cultural investigation of the realities and representation of youth in classical antiquity and the United States in the 1950s and 60s. We will consider such issues as the "socialization" of generational conflict. We will question whether models of culture and society developed from the study of modern or industrialized states can be applied to pre-modern societies. We will explore the tension between universalizing and historicizing approaches to issues relevant to the course. And we will read a lot of interesting stuff. The list of authors includes Aristophanes, Thucydides, Cicero, Catullus, Propertius, Apuleius, Kerouac, Ginsburg, and Tom Wolfe. Be part of an experiment. At least one classics course and an open mind required.
Prerequisite: CLS 31, 32, 37 OR 38
TROUTD3 (TUTH 2:30-3:45)
 
 

CLASSICS 135: WOMEN IN ANTIQUITY

The study of women in antiquity will focus on women in literature and their representation - in terms of roles and relationships - as a response to the structural development of the society in which a given piece of literature was produced. As part of this study we will look at the artistic expression which surrounds and qualifies female characters and situations. The expectation is that there is an observable correlation between the reality of women's status (insofar as we know it), the artistic rendering of women and the extensions of their lives, and the security of identity for each of the historical periods in which women are being examined.
Prerequisite: CLS 31, 37 or consent
HALPERN53+ (TUTH 11:30-12:45)
See Course materials, syllabus, and nifty web stuff!
 
 

CLASSICS 137: THE AGE OF CAESAR

Julius Caesar: creator or destroyer? The political, social, and literary background of the tottering Roman Republic will be studied in this assessment of the life of Julius Caesar. Reading in translation selected works of Cicero, Sallust, Plutarch, Suetonius, Lucretius, Catullus, and Caesar himself, we will consider the issues facing the city that had become the dominant power in the Mediterranean, along with the personalities and achievements of its major figures: Cicero, Pompey, Crassus, Catiline, Clodius, Cato, Brutus, Cleopatra, and Antony..Midterm and Final exam; paper
Prerequisite: CLS 32 or CLS 38, or consent.
REID 65+ (MTH 1:05-2:20)
 
 

CLASSICS 168: ROMAN ART & ARCHAEOLOGY

(Cross-listed FAH 116) The study of Imperial Rome and its provinces, with attention to the Hellenistic background and subsequent contributions to urban development, architecture, sculpture, and painting. Museum trips will be part of the course.
Prerequisite: FAH 001 or CLS 027/FAH 019
MAGNESSH3+ (M 6:30-7:45, W 4:45-6:20)
 
 

CLASSICS 188: INTRODUCTION TO NUMISMATICS: ANCIENT COINS IN THE HARVARD UNIVERSITY SEMITIC MUSEUM

(Cross-listed FAH 193) After an introduction to the concepts and readings in numismatics, students will work directly with original coins, primary archaeological evidence for ancient art and history in the Harvard Semitic Museum. Students will learn to identify and catalog a coin collection that ranges from 6th century B.C. Greek to 4th century A.D. and later Roman along with Palestinian excavation coins and Armenian and Byzantine coins.
Prerequisite: Consent
BALMUTHZ5 (F 2:30-5:00)
 
 

CLASSICS 191: ANCIENT MEDICINE SEMINAR

Topics in Ancient Medicine and its Transmission: Surgery. A seminar on the historical development of Western surgery from Antiquity to the Twentieth Century. Throughout its development from its origins in Antiquity to a modern field of science and technology, surgery “has inspired hope and admiration, fear and censure, but never indifference.” This seminar will trace the historical evolution of Western surgery with regard to theories, practices, and technologies, as well as the changing social, economic and philosophical environment; included will be the impact of such individuals as Galen and Surgical Technique, Andreas Vesalius and Anatomy; William Harvey and the Circulation of the Blood; Louis Pasteur and Bacteriology; William Thomas Morton and Anesthesiology. Short topic presentations, seminar presentation and paper.
Prerequisite: CLS 146 or consent
PHILLIPS65+ (MTH 1:05-2:20)

GREEK

GREEK 1: ELEMENTARY GREEK

An introduction to elementary Greek grammar with an eye towards reading. The first semester will not only include a survey of Greek grammar, but will conclude with a section of Plato's Republic. The course is flexibly organized with emphasis on self-paced learning. Access to the Perseus multimedia database on Ancient Greece will be used to augment the linguistic material.
CRANE87+ (MWTH 2:30-3:45)
 
 

GREEK 2: ELEMENTARY GREEK

A review of grammar in accord with student needs will be followed by selected readings from Plato. Brief selections from a variety of authors of both prose and poetry will be used to reaffirm the students' knowledge of Greek grammar and syntax.
Prerequisite: GRK 1
CRANE47 (MWF 10:30-11:20)
 
 

GREEK 191: ARCHAIC GREEK POETRY

The Archaic Period was the formative period for many of the distinctive institutions, ideas, and values of Greek civilization. It is, thus, fundamental to an understanding of later and better-documented epochs. In this course we will read selections of Archaic Poetry and explore the intellectual, artistic, social, and political currents of the age. Readings will be drawn from Hesiod, the Homeric Hymns, and Lyric Poets such as Archilochus, Sappho, Solon and Bacchylides.
Prerequisite: GRK 7
HIRSCH76+ (WF 1:05-2:20)

LATIN

LATIN 2: ELEMENTARY LATIN

Selections from Latin prose and poetry will be read for their intrinsic interest, as well as to review forms and syntax studied in the first semester. Cultural enrichment and vocabulary-building will continue to be an essential part of the course.
Prerequisite: LAT 1 or equivalent
SETNIK47 (MWF 10:30-11:20)
 
 

LATIN 22: OVID

Translation of many of the most popular myths in Ovid's Metamorphoses. Emphasis on the stories and their meanings, as well as figures of speech, grammar, rhetorical devices and symbolism. Midterm, creative project and final exam.
Prerequisite: LAT 3
MERZLAKB3 (TUTH 1:05-2:20)
 
 

LATIN 104: LUCRETIUS

Selections from Lucretius' De Rerum Natura with emphasis on significant philological, scientific, and philosophical aspects of the poem. Prerequisite: LAT 91 or higher
PHILLIPSA3 (TUTH 3:50-4:40)
 

SUMMER 1996 COURSES

FIRST SESSION: May 28 - July 5

CLASSICS 91AS: THE MYTHS OF THE TROJAN WAR

This course will explore how the myths of the Trojan War have been developed and reinterpreted by succeding generations of poets and artists. After reading parts of The Iliad and The Odyssey of Homer and researching other myths connected with the Trojan Cycle (e.g. the Judgement of Paris, the Wooden Horse, the sacrifice of Iphigenia), we shall consider how the Trojan War myths have been adapted by later writers and artists to say something meaningful to each generation. Readings will include Aeschylus' Agamemon, Sophocles' Philoctetes, Euripides' Iphigenia at Aulis and Helen, Catullus' epyllion (poem 64), Vergil's Aeneid Bk. 2, and parts of Joyce's Ulysses. There will be a viewing of the film version of Euripides' Iphigenia and a visit to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts to view artistic representations of the Trojan War myths.
REID MTT 10:00 - 12:15
 
 

SECOND SESSION: July 10 - August 16

CLASSICS 91/185BS: ATHENS IN THE AGE OF PERICLES

An examination of Athenian history and culture, with emphasis on the fifth century B.C., the period of Athens' greatest power, prosperity and cultural achievement. Topics to be investigated include the formation of the Athenian polis; the evolution and internal workings of Athenian democracy; the economy of the Athenian state; the roles of citizens, slaves, women and foreigners in Athenian society; the intellectual and artistic renaissance which made Athens into the “School of Hellas”; and the contribution of outstanding individuals, among them Solon, Pisistratus, Themistocles, Cimon, Pericles, and Socrates. Frequent reference to ancient documents and works of literature in translation which serve as the basis of our knowledge of ancient Athens, and utilization of audio-visual materials. This course will be offered at an introductory level, but can be taken as a 100-level course by doing additional work, including a research paper.
HIRSCH TUTH 1:00 - 4:30

SPECIAL SESSION

CLASSICS 91FT: FRANCE BEFORE FRANCE: HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY OF CELTIC AND ROMAN GAUL

A six-week hands-on experience for students interested in archaeological techniques and French history and culture. Students concentrate on the history of Roman Gaul, and participate in the excavation of an ancient Roman fort. Field trips to various archaeological sites and museums in Lyon, Geneva, Vienne, and Annecy. Two course credits. Conducted in English on the Talloires, France campus.
HIRSCH May 19-June 28, 1996