In a 2009 survey of Canadian undergraduate students, 87% of the respondents believed that Gerard Butler led the Spartans at the Battle of Thermopylae. 91% of the respondents indicated that Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon in order to face down Xena Warrior Princess. If you are among these numbers, and are in the midst of giving yourself a congratulatory pat on the back, do the future of Western culture a favour and register for CLAS 100 Introduction to the Civilizations of Greece and Rome. Today's high school and university curriculum sadly neglects the classical world. This course aims to remedy this shortcoming by providing students with an introduction to the history and culture of ancient Greece and Rome. To this end we will discuss important historical developments such as the emergence of civilization in Greece, the expansion of Classical Athens, and the growth and consolidation of the Roman empire. But we will also devote a considerable portion of the course to an examination of other topics such as (but not limited to) Athenian democracy, Roman leisure, artistic production, religious practice, and daily life.
If you consider ancient Greek and Latin to be “dead” languages, this course will explain how vital they are to modern English! This class will appeal to students curious about word origins or desperate to expand their vocabularies in all academic disciplines. We’ll examine how Latin has injected the arts and sciences with its beneficial and elegant influence; and we’ll analyse how an enthusiasm for Greek is practical and dynamic—but not lethal. (Note that almost every verb, noun, and adjective above has a classical source!)
Barrack Obama, Mahatma Gandhi, Sigmund Freud, and Will Ferrell. Beyond their extraordinary contributions to the political, scientific and artistic life of the last one hundred years, one thing unites these individuals: as undergraduates they all majored in Latin. No doubt these cultural giants were well aware of Latin's coolness factor, and the street credibility it confers. But they also realized there was no skirting one undeniable and universal truth: success in this life and the next depends on one's knowledge of Latin. Be forewarned: learning Latin is not for the weak, humble, or pathetic. Many who register will be overwhelmed with self doubt as they are ground to dust under the wheels of my chariot, distraught by the peals of laughter reverberating throughout the classroom. But for those who endure there awaits one sure reward: a mitochlorian count that is off the charts.
By the end of CLAS 150 Latin Language I the wheat has been separated from the chaff. Reserve no pity for those who, lacking the necessary fortitude, we have cast aside, left to scurry back with their tails between their legs to the easier pastures offered by the study of French or, heaven forbid, German. We, the few and valorous, shall soldier on. If Latin Language I was the embodiment of fun, Latin Language II turns the dial on the excitement meter up to 11. The mere mention of the topics to be studied this term—the fourth and fifth declensions, the comparison of adjectives—is enough to send shivers down the spine. And, not to brag, but my lecture on relative clauses has been known to provoke both standing ovations and spontaneous cartwheels down the aisles of the classroom. It's kind of a big deal. By the end of the term your introduction to Latin will be complete, and you will be able to stand forth and boldly proclaim "I am now a man" (this also applies to the women in the class).
In this class, students will quickly master the exotic alphabet of the ancient Greeks and learn the basic grammar and vocabulary necessary to take the first steps in the language memorably used by Homer, Herodotus, Sappho, Plato, Sophocles, and Euripides, as well as the New Testament. Rather than be "barbarians" (from the ancient word for "people who do not speak Greek"), students will be able to say: "It was Greek to me!"
In this second half of our introduction to the glamourous Greek language of ancient Athens and its neighbours, we’ll add to our treasure house of useful vocabulary and immerse ourselves in entertaining grammar so that students can learn to read with more ease and confidence. We’ll also focus on exploring classical Greek culture and society.
Are the myths of the ancient Greeks "true" in any way? Why are we still fascinated by them? In this course we will study many of the most famous stories from antiquity, with a focus on learning the myths from original source material where possible; understanding the different forms of myth; recognizing recurring motifs and themes; exploring the relationship of myth to culture, religion, history, archeology, and art; and observing how myths have evolved and how they have been reinterpreted up to the present day.
A study of the works of Homer, Vergil, and Ovid, in English translation, with particular emphasis on their mythological content.
Murder. Dismemberment. Sexual transgression. Cross dressing. No doubt the key to the enduring popularity and appeal of Attic tragedy is its exploration of themes to which we can all thoroughly relate. What other field can boast of spectacles such as Medea, Clytemnestra or Hippolytus? English? Psychology? No! Those are subjects chosen by wimps and championed by weaklings. In Classics the strong survive and we abandon the easy road. In this course we shall investigate how the dramatic representation of various myths constituted perhaps the key vehicle through which Athenians in the fifth century articulated and contested some of the ideas and tensions underpinning their democratic community. CLAS 211 has much to offer not only students in Classics, but also to majors in English and Theatre. But the latter two groups should be aware that you will be the frequent targets of my in class jibes and putdowns (Don’t blame me. You make it too easy).
Women in Greece and Rome led diverse and fascinating lives. In this course, we will sift through many kinds of primary source material from classical mythology, literature, history, art, and archeology to draw a picture of the women of Greece and Rome. As we examine the evidence carefully, we will gain an awareness of the different cultural and social viewpoints of both ancient authors and artists as well as modern scholars regarding men and women from the past.