Full-Time Faculty: Thomas M. Banchich1, Chair, David B. Dietz.
Classics, the study of the civilizations of the ancient Greeks and Romans, has always been an integral part of liberal arts education in general and of Jesuit education in particular. Classical art, literature, mythology, religion, philosophy, history, archaeology, and the Greek and Latin languages are some of the major components of the discipline.
The intrinsic interest, timeless value, and immense influence of its subject matter, together with the precision of thought and clarity of expression fostered through the study of Greek and Latin, have earned international respect for Classics. The acceptance rate of Classics students into a variety of graduate programs and into schools of law and medicine consistently ranks very high. Many professions also prize the combination of intelligence and discipline identified with Classics. These considerations make Classics courses worthwhile, popular electives and distinguish the minor in Classics as an ideal complement to any academic major.
Students interested in exploring Classics may do so in several ways:
a. All students may choose Classics courses to satisfy requirements of the core curriculum, e.g., Area III: courses dealing with classical literature, drama, and myth in English translation; Area IV: courses in Greek and Roman history; Area V, a course in Greek thought; Area VI, a course in Greek and Roman religious experience; Area VIII: courses in the Greek and Latin languages from elementary to advanced levels.
b. Minors. The department offers two minor programs:
1) a departmental minor requiring courses in classical language, history, and literature;
2) an interdepartmental minor combining courses from the departments of Classics, Art History, and Philosophy. Both minors require the completion of six courses and allow the student some choice in course selection depending on interest and educational objectives.
Students interested in either of the Classics minors should consult with the department chair for further details.
Classics Departmental Minor:
| Classical language: two semesters of Latin or Greek (CLL OR CLG) |
|
(6) |
| CLS 103 |
Greek History to 323 B.C. |
|
| OR |
|
(3) |
| CLS 104 |
Roman History: Origins to Constantine |
|
| CLS 205 |
Mirror of the Past: Greece |
|
| OR |
|
(3) |
| CLS 206 |
Mirror of the Past: Rome |
|
| Classics electives: |
|
|
| two upper-level (200 or above) courses |
|
(6) |
| Total (6 courses) |
|
(18) |
Classics Interdepartmental Minor:
| Classical language: two semesters of Latin or Greek (CLL OR CLG) |
(6) |
| Classics elective: one course (CLS 205, 206, 207, 208, 210, 211, 213, 215, 308, 311, 312, 313, 314) |
(3) |
| Art History/Philosophy electives: three courses |
|
| (FAH 101, 210, 213; PHI 350; RST 215, 250, 251, 405) |
(9) |
| Total (6 courses) |
(18) |
COURSES: 2001 - 2003
CLS 103 (HIS 103) Greek History to 323 B.C. 3
Social, political, and intellectual history of the Greeks from the end of the Bronze Age to the death of Alexander the Great. The genesis, maturation, and transformation of Hellenic culture. (AS-IV) (ICD)
CLS 104 (HIS 104) Roman History: Origins to Constantine 3
Social, political, and intellectual history of Rome from the beginning of the Republic to the reign of Constantine. Roman imperialism and Greco-Roman civilization. (AS-IV) (ICD)
CLS 205 Mirror of the Past: Greece 3
Examines the roots of many perennial human concerns – social, political, psychological, moral and religious – as reflected in the Greek literary foundations of Western civilization. (AS III) (ICD)
CLS 206 Mirror of the Past: Rome 3
Examines important social, political, moral, religious and intellectual aspects of the "Roman" character of Western civilization, as reflected in a variety of Roman writers. (AS III) (ICD)
CLS 207 Mythology and Literature 3
Major classical myths: origin, content, and interpretation. Modern approaches to mythology. Influence upon literature. (AS III) (ICD)
CLS 208 Epic Heroes 3
Portrayal of heroes in Gilgamesh, Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, Apollonius’ Argonautica, and Virgil’s Aeneid. Influence of ancient epic heroes on literature, art, and film from antiquity to the present. (AS III, ICD)
CLS 210 (FAH 210) Ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern Art 3
Introduction to formal and cultural analysis and interpretation of the painting, sculpture, and architecture of ancient Egypt and the Near East. (AS III, ICD)
CLS 213 (FAH 213) Ancient Art 3
Formal and cultural analysis of the painting, sculpture, and architecture of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, and Rome. (AS III, ICD) 2000-2001 only
CLS 215 (WST 255) Women in Antiquity 3
Private, civic, legal and religious aspects of women’s lives in ancient Greece and Rome through literary, artistic, and archaeological sources. (AS III)
Prerequisite: RST 101 if taken only for RST credit. 2002-2003 only
CLS 308 (HIS/RST 308) Pagans and Christians 3
Religious thought and action in Late Antiquity, the 3rd through 8th centuries A.D., the idea of the holy; manifestations of the sacred; body, soul, cosmos; Christianity and classical culture; Neoplatonism. (AS VI)
Prerequisite: RST 101 for RST credit only. 2001-2002 only
CLS 312 (HIS 312) The Greek Enlightenment 3
Greek thought from Homer to Plato. Lyric poets, Hippocratic texts, Presocrates and Sophists, Sophocles and Euripides, Thucydides, Aristophanes, and Plato. Impact of literacy on Greek thought. Greek Philosophy in its social and historical context. (AS V) 2000-2001 only
CLS 311 (HIS 311) Alexander the Great 3
Philip II and the rise of Macedon. Alexander’s personality, his conquests, and their social, political, and intellectual consequences. Hellenistic culture. The Alexander Romance. 2002-2003 only
CLS 314 (HIS 314) Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire 3
Imperial crisis and recovery of the third century. Constantine and Christianity. Barbarian invasions. Social, political, and intellectual developments in Byzantine East and Latin West. 2001-2002 only
CLG 101-102 Elementary Greek 6
For those beginning the study of Greek in college. Intensive introduction to grammar, syntax, and vocabulary of classical Greek. Selected readings in second semester. (AS VIII)
CLG 201-202 Intermediate Greek 6
Readings in selected Greek authors. (AS VIII)
CLG 301-302 Readings in Greek 6
Study of original Greek texts focusing on a particular literary genre.
CLG 303-304 Readings in Greek 6
Study of original Greek texts representing a wide variety of ancient authors, including examples of both poetry and prose.
CLL 101-102 Elementary Latin 6
Roman language and culture through study of mor-phology, syntax, and vocabulary. Develops reading skills for a variety of Latin authors. (AS VIII)
CLL 201-202 Intermediate Latin 6
Readings in selected Latin authors. (AS VIII)
CLL 301-302 Readings in Latin 6
Study of original Latin texts focusing on a particular literary genre
CLL 303-304 Readings in Latin 6
Study of original Latin texts representing a wide variety of ancient authors, including examples of both poetry and prose.
1 Joint appointment with the History Department.