CLASSICS 201G: Greek Core I: History of Literature
Partial coverage of the reading lists for translation and general reading exams, within a framework that introduces philological method, history of scholarship, hermeneutics and various approaches to the construction of literary histories. Emphasis on the continuity and intersection of genres over a millennium of Greek literature. Readings will include handbook treatments (19th to 21st centuries), selected articles on theory, and commentaries on a number of works from archaic poetry to the Second Sophistic. Weekly written exercises in stylistic analysis and interpretation; midterm and final exams. Greek and Latin material taught in alternate years.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3-5
Instructors:
Martin, R. (PI)
CLASSICS 203L: Latin Core III: History of Literature
Selected coverage of the translation/general reading list, with readings chosen so as to broaden experience beyond Core I-II, and to plac texts from those courses in a broader frame. Overall, this course will help prepare students for translation and general examinations, though naturally it can only gesture in that direction: full preparation is the student's responsibility. Since the aim of Core III will be to place Latin literature in a broader historical context, readings from overviews such as G.B. Conte, Latin Literature: a history and Michael von Albrecht's A History of Roman Literature will be useful. The course will also be wider in scope than Latin Core I-II, and for the sake of efficiency, will be organized by genre, with particular emphasis on Comedy, Satire, and the Novel. Philological commentaries by D. Christenson (Pl. Amph.), S. M. Braund (Juv.), and M. Smith (Petr.) will provide our major reading, along with shorter selections from Terence, Horace, and Apuleius. Course
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Selected coverage of the translation/general reading list, with readings chosen so as to broaden experience beyond Core I-II, and to plac texts from those courses in a broader frame. Overall, this course will help prepare students for translation and general examinations, though naturally it can only gesture in that direction: full preparation is the student's responsibility. Since the aim of Core III will be to place Latin literature in a broader historical context, readings from overviews such as G.B. Conte, Latin Literature: a history and Michael von Albrecht's A History of Roman Literature will be useful. The course will also be wider in scope than Latin Core I-II, and for the sake of efficiency, will be organized by genre, with particular emphasis on Comedy, Satire, and the Novel. Philological commentaries by D. Christenson (Pl. Amph.), S. M. Braund (Juv.), and M. Smith (Petr.) will provide our major reading, along with shorter selections from Terence, Horace, and Apuleius. Course readings will also include some key scholarly works, in order to help students reach a high-level overview of Latin literary history. Limited class time will be devoted to Latin translation and stylistic analysis; discussion will instead emphasize historical developments. Course assessments will include regular writing assignments and several exams, with a view to preparing students for the Latin Literature examination.
Last offered: Spring 2025
| Units: 3-5
CLASSICS 219: Methods and approaches for ancient historians
The interests and evidence used by classical historians have evolved over the past 50 years from a discipline based largely on literary texts and interested in political and military history. In recent decades interest have shifted to include a heavier emphasis on economic, social and cultural history encompassing issues of gender, cultural representation and identity, and economic performance. Whereas the traditional historiography of the earlier 20th c largely coincided with our elite male-authored texts, the newer interests require different types of evidence and analytic skills. This proseminar offers a very brief exposure to a wide range of approaches and evidence, including demography, numismatics, material culture, epigraphy, law, and digital tools. The expectation is that you will identify those that you will need for your research and will pursue them in future coursework or summer workshops.
Last offered: Autumn 2024
| Units: 3
CLASSICS 274: Alexander and Asoka: Empire-building, Myth-making and Memory (CLASSICS 374, RELIGST 273, RELIGST 373)
This course offers an in-depth comparison of two major figures in the history of Europe and Asia, Alexander III of Macedon (r. 336-323 BCE), famed since ancient times as the Greek world's conqueror par excellence, and Asoka Maurya (r. 268-232 BCE), remembered not only as the ruler of an Indian empire of unprecedented extent, but also as an influential proponent of Buddhism. What are the makings of history and memory in relation to these figures? How do we distinguish between fact and fantasy? In this course we will sift through selected sources, both contemporary documents and later literary texts. Undergraduates register for 200-level for 5 units. Graduate students register for 300-level for 3-5 units.
Last offered: Autumn 2024
| Units: 3-5
CLASSICS 292: Latin (and Its Speakers) in Time and Space (CLASSICS 192)
What do we mean by "Latin"? Our earliest Latin-language texts date to 600BC or earlier; our latest, to centuries after Rome's decline. We also have an astonishing range of Latin texts by people of every background: women, the enslaved, soldiers, merchants, travelers, non-native Latin users, even idle passerby. These documents range from single words to expansive treatises, simple greetings to complex rites; all inform the "story of Latin" as much as the elite "literary" writing of the Classical period, and are crucial evidence of life during Roman times. This course will introduce students (graduates and advanced undergraduates) to the study of Latin across time and context, with two major goals: 1) to make this sometimes overwhelming topic accessible; and 2) to better understand the rich cultural influences that shaped Latin in use. Coursework will include introductions to major corpora (e.g., inscriptions, vernacular tablet letters, graffiti, non-elite literatures) and associated met
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What do we mean by "Latin"? Our earliest Latin-language texts date to 600BC or earlier; our latest, to centuries after Rome's decline. We also have an astonishing range of Latin texts by people of every background: women, the enslaved, soldiers, merchants, travelers, non-native Latin users, even idle passerby. These documents range from single words to expansive treatises, simple greetings to complex rites; all inform the "story of Latin" as much as the elite "literary" writing of the Classical period, and are crucial evidence of life during Roman times. This course will introduce students (graduates and advanced undergraduates) to the study of Latin across time and context, with two major goals: 1) to make this sometimes overwhelming topic accessible; and 2) to better understand the rich cultural influences that shaped Latin in use. Coursework will include introductions to major corpora (e.g., inscriptions, vernacular tablet letters, graffiti, non-elite literatures) and associated methodologies (e.g., epigraphy, material studies, historical linguistics), in addition to detailed study and discussion of important texts. Intermediate-to-advanced knowledge of Latin will be assumed, but NO background in linguistics, epigraphy, material culture, and Roman history is expected or required.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 3-5
CLASSICS 350: History of Classical Languages: Dialects of Ancient Greek
An intensive study of the history of ancient Greek through close reading and analysis of selected literary and epigraphic texts. Attention will be paid to developments in phonology and morphology in the light of reconstructed Common Greek and Indo-European forms. Some secondary readings in French and German. No prior experience in comparative-historical linguistics required.
Last offered: Spring 2021
| Units: 4-5
CLASSICS 374: Alexander and Asoka: Empire-building, Myth-making and Memory (CLASSICS 274, RELIGST 273, RELIGST 373)
This course offers an in-depth comparison of two major figures in the history of Europe and Asia, Alexander III of Macedon (r. 336-323 BCE), famed since ancient times as the Greek world's conqueror par excellence, and Asoka Maurya (r. 268-232 BCE), remembered not only as the ruler of an Indian empire of unprecedented extent, but also as an influential proponent of Buddhism. What are the makings of history and memory in relation to these figures? How do we distinguish between fact and fantasy? In this course we will sift through selected sources, both contemporary documents and later literary texts. Undergraduates register for 200-level for 5 units. Graduate students register for 300-level for 3-5 units.
Last offered: Autumn 2024
| Units: 3-5
COLLEGE 114: Looking for the Dao in East Asia
This course explores an array of early thought and practices in East Asia that had lasting impact--down to today. The focus is on foundational texts, systems of belief, and the arts (music, calligraphy, painting). In one way or another, these were primarily concerned with discovering and propagating a certain Way (Dao) that was believed to embody cosmic principles and be essential to a good life and a harmonious society. But there was plenty of disagreement about what the Way was, where to look for it, and how best to practice it in daily life. We concentrate on cultural values in ancient China that became intrinsic there and were later transported throughout East Asia (Korea, Japan) and even to Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, etc.). Since antiquity, Chinese thinking grappled with the question of how society should be ordered and what if any model should be adopted to achieve social harmony. A range of rival philosophical and religious systems emerged. Later, people who we
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This course explores an array of early thought and practices in East Asia that had lasting impact--down to today. The focus is on foundational texts, systems of belief, and the arts (music, calligraphy, painting). In one way or another, these were primarily concerned with discovering and propagating a certain Way (Dao) that was believed to embody cosmic principles and be essential to a good life and a harmonious society. But there was plenty of disagreement about what the Way was, where to look for it, and how best to practice it in daily life. We concentrate on cultural values in ancient China that became intrinsic there and were later transported throughout East Asia (Korea, Japan) and even to Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, etc.). Since antiquity, Chinese thinking grappled with the question of how society should be ordered and what if any model should be adopted to achieve social harmony. A range of rival philosophical and religious systems emerged. Later, people who were not satisfied with any one of these extended their inquiries into other areas of human endeavor, especially in the literary, musical, and visual arts, discovering that these could embody their own Way that led to a fulfilling life. We will give attention to all of these alternative understandings of the Way, which collectively account for many of the distinctive traits of culture and history in East Asia.
Last offered: Spring 2024
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: College, THINK, WAY-A-II
COLLEGE 118: Global Capitals: How Cities Shape Cultures, States, and People
This course takes students on a trip to major capital cities at different moments in time: Renaissance-Florence, Transnational-Accra, Imperial Beijing. While exploring each place in a particular historical moment, we will also consider the relations between culture, power, and social life. How does the cultural life of a country intersect with the political activity of a capital? How do large cities shape our everyday experience, our aesthetic preferences, and our sense of history? Why do some cities become cultural capitals? Primary materials for his course will consist of literary, visual, sociological, and historical documents (in translation).
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-A-II
Instructors:
Brandon-Salmon, A. (PI)
;
Dymond, J. (PI)
;
Edelstein, D. (PI)
;
Yang, C. (PI)
...
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COMPLIT 21Q: Wilde's Worlds: Oscar Wilde in the International Context
This course introduces you to Oscar Wilde's life and works in various international literary, artistic, social, and cultural contexts in the European fin de siecle, as well as to Wilde's posthumous reception as an iconic figure of LGBTQ+ history. We will consider Wilde's own roots in Irish culture; his love for Ancient Greece and Rome in the context of Oxford Hellenism; the influence of French Decadence and Symbolism on The Picture of Dorian Gray and Salome (which we will read side by side with writings by Baudelaire, Joris-Karl Huysmans, and Rachilde); Wilde's interest in the visual and decorative arts; Wilde's joyful dandyism and vibrant queer literary networks in Paris and London; the impact of Wilde's 1895 trials and imprisonment for "acts of gross indecency"; Wilde's reception in countries such as the U.S., Germany, Japan, China, and Russia; and the vibrant posthumous afterlife of Wilde's work and persona in dance, opera, films, musicals, cartoons, and popular culture from the 190
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This course introduces you to Oscar Wilde's life and works in various international literary, artistic, social, and cultural contexts in the European fin de siecle, as well as to Wilde's posthumous reception as an iconic figure of LGBTQ+ history. We will consider Wilde's own roots in Irish culture; his love for Ancient Greece and Rome in the context of Oxford Hellenism; the influence of French Decadence and Symbolism on The Picture of Dorian Gray and Salome (which we will read side by side with writings by Baudelaire, Joris-Karl Huysmans, and Rachilde); Wilde's interest in the visual and decorative arts; Wilde's joyful dandyism and vibrant queer literary networks in Paris and London; the impact of Wilde's 1895 trials and imprisonment for "acts of gross indecency"; Wilde's reception in countries such as the U.S., Germany, Japan, China, and Russia; and the vibrant posthumous afterlife of Wilde's work and persona in dance, opera, films, musicals, cartoons, and popular culture from the 1900s to today. Studying Oscar Wilde's life and works in such comparative and international contexts opens a door to the historical 1890s, while also giving us the chance to understand and appreciate Wilde's legacy as a queer artist and cultural trailblazer. This course will emphasize close reading, analytical writing, and honing your presentation skills as you learn to understand and appreciate the many worlds of Oscar Wilde from the 1890s to today.
Last offered: Spring 2025
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: WAY-A-II, Writing 2