You are here
Home / Course OfferingsCourse Offerings
See on WUCrsL
No courses found for L09 in 201202.No courses found for L10 in 201202. Spring, 2012 | Classics
World Archaeology
If we carefully peer beneath the earth's surface, we will discover a hidden world that is being rediscovered by archaeologists. A considerable amount of excitement is generated by the discovery of lost civilizations and societies. Archaeologists from every corner of the earth come to Washington University to share their experiences as they use the most sophisticated technology to rediscover those forgotten and sometimes embarrassing aspects of our human past.
Latin & Greek in Current English
This course will provide a study of the impact of Latin and Greek on the English language through intensive study of the Latin and Greek roots, prefixes, and suffixes that are most commonly found in English technical and non-technical vocabulary. Some attention will also be paid to the linguistic principles by which these elements have entered the English language.
Roman Art and Archaeology
The art and archaeology of the Romans, with emphasis on the late Republic and the Imperial period. Major monuments of sculpture and architecture, as well as town planning, domestic architecture, and the minor arts will be used as evidence for reconstructing ancient life.
Ancient History: The Roman Empire From Augustus to Diocletian: 27 B.C. to A.D. 305
Survey of Roman economic, political, military, and social history from the accession of Augustus to the abdication of Diocletian with special emphasis on structural transformations of Republican institutions during the Principate into imperial ones during the Dominate. Topics include: Roman Revolution, Republican facade, diplomacy and warfare, economic policies, Jewish War, Christianity, bread and circus, Gibbon's Five "Good" Emperors, Third Century Crisis, Barracks Emperors, Germanic invasions, Parthian Empire, Diocletian and the tetrarchic system.
Ancient Philosophy
An examination of the high-water marks of philosophy in ancient Greece and Rome, focusing primarily on Plato and Aristotle. A wide range of philosophical problems will be discussed, including the nature of the good life, the justification of knowledge, and the ultimate nature of mind and world. Attention will be paid to how these problems unfolded in their historical context and to how the ancient treatments of them compare to contemporary efforts. Prerequisites: one course in Philosophy at the 100 or 200-level, or permission of the instructor.
Magicians, Healers, and Holy Men
Magic is perhaps not one of the first words one associates with Greco-Roman antiquity. Yet for most individuals living in the ancient Mediterranean, including philosophers, businessmen, and politicians, magic was a part of everyday life. Casting spells, fashioning voodoo dolls, wearing amulets, ingesting potions, and reading the stars are just some of the activities performed by individuals at every level of society. In this course, we will examine Greco-Roman, early Christian, and Judaic "magical" practices. We will read spell-books which will teach you how to read the stars, make people fall in love with you, bring harm to your enemies, lock up success in business, and win fame and the respect of your peers. We will also look at what is said, both in antiquity and in contemporary scholarship, about magic and the people who practiced it, which will help illuminate the fascinating relationship between magic, medicine, and religion.
History of Classical Political Thought: Justice, Virtue, and the Soul
This course offers a critical introduction to the main issues and debates in western political theory, including but not limited to the topics of justice, legitimacy, equality, democracy, liberty, sovereignty, and the role of history in the political and social world. This course is designed to be the first in a three-semester sequence on the history of political thought, and students are encouraged, but not required, to take the courses in chronological sequence. The first semester begins with ancient Greek political thought, and follows its development up to the early 16th century.
Ancient Greek Sculpture in Context
Sculpture counts among one of the greatest artistic achievements of ancient Greece, and one that has had the greatest impact on the art of later periods. This course will focus on original works of art of the Archaic and Classical periods (600-300 BCE), placing emphasis on how study of their contexts - the places in which they were produced, displayed, and found - contributes to our understanding of their place in the ancient world. Background material, to be covered at the beginning of the semester, will include the origins of monumental Greek sculpture at the beginning of the Archaic period (late 7th-early 6th c. BCE), and the stylistic development of the Archaic and Classical periods. We will then proceed to discussion of various types of sculpture (architectural, cult statue, votive, commemorative, funerary) and how these works functioned within the context of the Panhellenic sanctuary, the city sanctuary, the secular center of the city, and the necropolis. In a different view of context, we will also consider sculpture recovered from ancient shipwrecks, looted art on its way to the ancient Roman art market. Prereqs: L01 331 or permission of the instructor.
Topics in Classics: Pilgrimage and Sacred Space in Antiquity
The ancient Mediterranean was a world of travelers. The oracle at Delphi attracted those seeking answers for problems ranging from the everyday to major state matters; the temple of Asclepius accepted those in need of the god's healing powers; Egypt enticed those seeking wisdom and enlightenment, be it from the knowledge of the ancient Egyptians, through encounters with spiritual ascetics, or by finding mementos of pagan or Christian antiquity. In this course, we will explore texts that describe or discuss pilgrimage. Our aim is to understand what motivated individuals to undertake expensive, difficult, and oftentimes dangerous journeys. We will examine texts ranging from archaic Greece to Late Antique Egypt, covering both Greco-Roman and early Christian traditions. Authors to be read will range from Herodotus to Saint Augustine. PREREQ: SENIOR STANDING. The class is also open, with permission of the instructor, to advanced undergraduates with previous coursework in Religious Studies or Classics.
Topics in the History of Philosophy: Philosophy in Late Antiquity
A historical survey of the evidence for the philosophical schools of the Roman Empire from the time of Plotinus (d. 270) to the Sixth Century. Emphasis will be on curricula and pedagogy (Porphyry's Isagoge and the Platonic curriculum) and on the enduring accomplishments of the later Platonists in metaphysics and esthetics. Prerequisite: 6 units in philosophy, or permission of instructor.
Money, Exchange, and Power: Economy and Society in the Ancient Mediterranean World
From chattel slavery, temple treasure, and the moral effects of maritime commerce to the nature of the family and status of women, the economy of the ancient Greeks, Romans, and others constitutes a particularly dynamic field in the study of ancient societies. This course will engage directly with the evidence for the particular economic behaviors, patterns, and institutions that lay behind the development of ancient Mediterranean societies, and will also bridge a gap between cultural and social science approaches towards ancient society. We will also explore the methodological challenges and implications of working with ancient evidence, as well as a variety of modern theoretical approaches and their implications. PREREQ: CLA 345C AND 346C OR CLA 341C AND 342C OR PERMISSION OF INSTRUCTOR.
Senior Project
Suggested for all majors in Classics or Ancient Studies who have not completed their college 'capstone' experience in another major, or who are not satisfying this requirement by means of a Senior Honors Thesis in Classics, Greek, or Latin, or in some other way. A structured research assignment or independent project under the supervision of one of the department's faculty is required. PREREQUISITES: SENIOR STANDING AND PERMISSION OF THE CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT.
Study for Honors
PREREQUISITE: JUNIOR STANDING, GRADES AVERAGING A- IN COURSES NUMBERED 300 OR ABOVE IN CLASSICS, AND PERMISSION OF THE CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT.