Course Descriptions
Fall 2009
Classical Studies (Taught in Translation)
English Use of Latin and Greek with Dr. Bill Napiwocki
enrollment restricted to St. Joseph's Seminary
CLST C131-K02.....Class # 7640.....M-W-F.....12:35pm-1:25pm.....STJ-202
Religions of Ancient Greece with Dr. Laura Gawlinski
Religious Studies Knowledge - Skills of Critical Thinking - Values of Spirituality
CLST 241-001.....Class # 9633.....M-W-F.....12:35pm-1:25pm.....DU-122
This course will examine the rituals and beliefs of the ancient Greeks through the literary, historical, epigraphical, archaeological, and art historical records. The critical interpretation of both textual and visual sources will play a large role in the course, and emphasis will be placed on the benefits and limitations of the sources for Greek religion. In addition to the reading of ancient texts, images of myth and cult on vases, dedications, and architectural sculpture will be examined, and minor deities and small shrines will be added to the "big picture" in order to give a richer view of religious expression in antiquity. The course will explore most of the major topics and problems in the study of Greek religion: myth vs. cult, sacred spaces, the influence of politics and economics, the role of gender, the relationship of magic to religion, prophecy and divination, theories about animal sacrifice, rites of passage, personal and communal piety, and mystery cults from the Eleusinian Mysteries to early Christianity. The material to be covered spans the history of Greek religion from the Bronze Age to the Hellenistic period, with focus on the Archaic and Classical periods. To a lesser extent, we will also examine influences from other Mediterranean cultures and the interactions between the pagans and the early Christians.
Classical Mythology with Dr. Edith Pennoyer (Penny) Livermore
Literary Knowledge - Skills of Critical Thinking
CLST 271-001.....Class # 1154.....M-W-F.....10:25am-11:15am.....MUND-406
Classical Mythology with Dr. Edith Pennoyer (Penny) Livermore
Literary Knowledge - Skills of Critical Thinking
CLST 271-002.....Class # 1160.....M-W-F.....11:30am-12:20pm.....MUND-406
Classical Mythology with Dr. Gregory Dobrov
Literary Knowledge - Skills of Communication, Critical Thinking
CLST 271-003.....Class # 1164.....M-W-F.....12:35pm-1:25pm.....CS-402
This is a literary course in which we will encounter the rich culture of the ancient Greeks through their mythology. We will learn to read the marvelous tales of gods and heroes in order to learn how the ancients --specifically the ancient Athenians-- constructed their world. What were their ideas about divinity, mankind, nature, the universe? How did these ideas develop, survive, and influence later European civilization? With the help of the historical and material record (the writings of historians, art, archaeology etc.) and famous literary witnesses from Homer to Ovid we will consider topics such as cosmology, religion, ethics, social organization, politics, and gender. In light of the lasting vitality of our subject, we will seek to interpret Greek myth from different theoretical perspectives and to understand how it remains relevant to our world at the dawn of the twenty-first century.
Classical Mythology with Dr. James Keenan
Literary Knowledge - Skills of Communication, Critical Thinking
CLST 271-004.....Class # 4392.....T-Th.....10:00am-11:15am.....CS-207
This is a core literature course with special focus on Greek mythology and occasional non-Greek illustrative texts. The literary genres and qualities of the works will be noted, as will the distinction between oral and written storytelling and the effects of the transition from one to the other. Attention will also be directed to the stories themselves, their patterns, structures, and outlines, to how and why they are repeated in revised forms down through the ages; to how they have served as vehicles for communicating and exploring the great issues of the human condition: suffering, knowledge and death; procreation and rebirth; the individual and society; Nature and Culture. The course syllabus is roughly designed around the human life cycle and its phases. The intended result is that the course, though presented in linear time, will itself reflect the cyclical patterns of myth from birth through coming of age to death and resurrection.
Heroes and Classical Epics with Dr. Benjamin M. Wolkow
Literary Knowledge - Skills of Critical Thinking
CLST 272-001.....Class # 1172.....M-W-F.....1:40pm-2:30pm.....DU-233
The names beckon from beyond the mists of time: Homer, Achilles, Hektor, Helen, Troy, Jason, the Golden Fleece, Vergil, Aeneas, Dido. Some of the finest literature ever produced was in the form known as "epic." But what exactly is this form? Why did it have such prestige in the ancient world? What makes it such a powerful vehicle of expression, one to which writers continually turn even today? This course intends to get to the bottom of these and other questions. The student will acquire first-hand knowledge by engaging some of the landmark works from the ancient world: Homer, Apollonius of Rhodes, and Vergil. Aside from the usual interpretive hermeneutics involved in a literary course, we shall lavish a significant portion of our efforts on such larger issues as the figure of the hero, stylistic and structural conventions, narrative technique, the cultural context of each work, the oral/literacy dimension, and how each author after Homer responds to his predecessors. There will be brief discussions on other epics, most of which do not survive intact, as well as on the preservation of oral and written forms. The visual arts shall not be neglected; both ancient and modern works will provide ample evidence for the abiding interest in these monumental works. At the end of the course, the student will have gained a very clear and precise notion of what exactly "epic" signifies as a literary phenomenon. And while our focus is historical, let it not be forgotten that these epics have been crossing cultural boundaries throughout the centuries. The reason why is not difficult to see. The poets and their audiences were concerned with human fundamentals, the great questions that all peoples ask of themselves. The student will be invited to consider why, despite the funny names and uncanny situations, these stories still today are able to exercise their magic upon even the most jaded and cynical of hearts.
Heroes and Classical Epics with Dr. Benjamin M. Wolkow
Literary Knowledge - Skills of Critical Thinking
CLST 272-002.....Class # 1178.....T-Th.....10:00am-11:15am.....DU-119 (new room!)
The names beckon from beyond the mists of time: Homer, Achilles, Hektor, Helen, Troy, Jason, the Golden Fleece, Vergil, Aeneas, Dido. Some of the finest literature ever produced was in the form known as "epic." But what exactly is this form? Why did it have such prestige in the ancient world? What makes it such a powerful vehicle of expression, one to which writers continually turn even today? This course intends to get to the bottom of these and other questions. The student will acquire first-hand knowledge by engaging some of the landmark works from the ancient world: Homer, Apollonius of Rhodes, and Vergil. Aside from the usual interpretive hermeneutics involved in a literary course, we shall lavish a significant portion of our efforts on such larger issues as the figure of the hero, stylistic and structural conventions, narrative technique, the cultural context of each work, the oral/literacy dimension, and how each author after Homer responds to his predecessors. There will be brief discussions on other epics, most of which do not survive intact, as well as on the preservation of oral and written forms. The visual arts shall not be neglected; both ancient and modern works will provide ample evidence for the abiding interest in these monumental works. At the end of the course, the student will have gained a very clear and precise notion of what exactly "epic" signifies as a literary phenomenon. And while our focus is historical, let it not be forgotten that these epics have been crossing cultural boundaries throughout the centuries. The reason why is not difficult to see. The poets and their audiences were concerned with human fundamentals, the great questions that all peoples ask of themselves. The student will be invited to consider why, despite the funny names and uncanny situations, these stories still today are able to exercise their magic upon even the most jaded and cynical of hearts.
Heroes and Classical Epics with Dr. Brian Lavelle
Literary Knowledge - Skills of Critical Thinking
CLST 272-003.....Class # 1174.....T-Th.....11:30am-12:45am.....CC-140
This course is all about the Homeric Iliad and Odyssey and Vergil's Aeneid. While we shall want to place these epic poems into their historical, social, and cultural contexts, we shall also want to appreciate them on their own terms and as timeless literature that continues to puzzle, engage, repel, but certainly fascinate (and even enthrall) audiences today. Students will learn about epic poetry, oral tradition, heroes, gods, struggles of every kind, and triumphs, among many other things. They will be able to describe the plots of these epics and human characters, gods, and goddesses. A strong emphasis for this class will be on the vital connections between the past and present and how students can become more aware and understanding of important lasting concepts such as heroism, leadership, self-definition, etc., included in them. The Classical tradition is rich with meaning and significance, even to "modern" 21st-century young adults, and this class will not only be an exploration of the culture and society of the ancient world through the epic poems, but also of why these epics remain so powerfully attractive - and important - today.
Heroes and Classical Epics with Dr. Kirk Shellko
Literary Knowledge - Skills of Critical Thinking
CLST 272-004.....Class # 4394.....T....7:00pm-9:30pm.....CS-313
This course centers on the Homeric Iliad and Odyssey and Vergil's Aeneid, and endeavors to place these epic poems into their historical, social, and cultural contexts. Students will learn the definition of epic as a literary genre and discover how this gnere evolved to reflect audiences and times. They will learn the components of epic language, in particular, literary devices and structural features (e.g., formulas, nested stories, epic similes). They will be able to describe the plots of the three epics and know the main and mid-level human characters, gods, and goddesses. They will be able to define and better understand the meanings of "hero" and "heroism." Students will be able to express mature appreciation for the epics as whole works. Learning how the epics are variously interpreted, as well as basic methods of literary criticism (e.g., analysis of language, content, structure), students will employ these ways to understand and interpret the poems. As they read, learn, and evaluate modern views of the epics, they will also acquire better means critically to distinguish between views and interpretations. A strong emphasis in this class will be on the vital connections between the past and present and how students can become more aware and understanding of important lasting concepts such as heroism, leadership, self-definition, etc. Finally, students will relate these stories to modern story-telling in order to understand how the heroes of the ancient Greeks live with us today. In short, they will interpet what epic poetry offered ancient listeners and what it has to teach modern readers. The Classical tradition is rich with meaning and significance, even to "modern" 21st-century adults, and this class will not only be an exploration of the culture and instruction of the ancient world through epic, but an investigation of what classic motifs remain with us today.
Classical Tragedy (Writing Intensive) with Dr. James Keenan
Literary Knowledge - Skills of Critical Thinking
CLST 273-01W.....Class # 5440.....T-Th....2:30pm-3:45pm.....IC-105
The plays of the great tragedians (Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides) will be read both for their fifth-century context and for their timeless relevance. Topics will include origins; structure, performance, and argument; tragedy and the polis; tragedy and war; tragedy and religion. Access to current critical approaches will be provided by Nancy Sorkin Rabinowitz’s recent (2008) Greek Tragedy (Blackwell Publishing), whose chapters will also provide major themes and dictate the choice of the thirteen tragedies to be covered in the class: Aeschylus’ Persians and Oresteian Trilogy (three plays); Sophocles’ Elektra, Oedipus Tyrannos, and Antigone; Euripides’ Bacchae, Iphigeneia at Aulis, Elektra, Trojan Women, Hekabe, and Medea.
Classical Tragedy with Dr. Kirk Shellko
Literary Knowledge - Skills of Critical Thinking
CLST 273-002.....Class # 5442.....W.....7:00pm-9:30pm.....DU-120
Classical Tragedy introduces students to the authors, social context and performance of extant Greek drama. The students will learn to apply the "mythical" story presented on the stage to moral, social and political issues. The students will learn names, works and careers (as much as can be known) of the principal tragedians, Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. Students will learn to assess the formal and aesthetic properties of very different plays. Emphasis will be given to specifics of performance and seeing a play in the "theater of the mind" as well as gaining command of the relevant terminology, e.g., parodos, peripeteia, mimesis, katharsis, etc. Students will learn to outline clearly the plot, argument and key themes of each work and will gain an understanding of the historical context and social and philosophical conditions motivating each work. In this connection, the main themes of Greek tragedy invite comparison to themes of contemporary theater, film and literature: power, gender, justice, violence etc. Students will learn an awareness of dramatic conventions in our own theatrical and literary culture that reflect the influence of the Greek drama.
Classical Tragedy with Dr. Benjamin M. Wolkow
Literary Knowledge - Skills of Critical Thinking
CLST 273-003.....Class # 10174.....M-W-F....10:25am-11:15am.....DU-125
Few, if any, of the achievements of the ancient Greeks have had such an enduring influence on Western culture as Athenian tragedy. These works brought to life in vivid performances all the various glories and depravities to which a human being might attain. Alas, only a small percentage of the texts survive, and much that we possess are mere scraps. Yet the beauty and the splendor still shine through, and with the help of the students' imagination (and a little assistance of the instructor) these voices of the past shall speak again! After a brief introduction on the sources (including artistic and archaeological), the literary and cultic predecessors, and the historical and cultural milieu, the lion's share of the class will consist of reading the plays themselves with a view towards understanding what was performed and, more importantly, why it was performed. Besides considerations of motif, imagery, and symbol, the texts will be analyzed as rhetorical strategies. In addition to such textual aspects, we shall also want to know something about the historical, cultural (particularly, religious), and political context in which these plays were performed. "Performed" is the crucial word. Since these creations were originally seen and heard, not quietly read, the staging of an ancient play as well as audience dynamic will be an important topic. There will also be a visual element to this class as vase paintings often grant us contemporary, if ambiguous, views into how these plays might have appeared. We shall finish our readings with the lone surviving complete satyr play and two comedies by Aristophanes where tragic poets are important characters. The main objective of this class, then, is to offer the student a well-rounded and well-founded view of Athenian tragedy. However, the more tragedy one reads, the more one is impressed with how curiously, perhaps even disturbingly, modern these plays read. This is not idle speculation. Many of the issues treated by the playwrights, e.g., force versus persuasion, are ones that are currently debated. The student will be invited to ponder the solutions explored in these ancient plays and how these expressions might help us better grapple with the similar problems that plague our own times.
The World of Archaic Greece with Dr. Patricia Graham-Skoul
Historical Knowledge - Skills of Critical Thinking
CLST 274-001.....Class # 5448.....M-W-F....11:30am-12:20pm.....DU-236
The course World of Archaic Greece, which provides Core Credit for "Historical Knowledge" and "Critical Thinking" Skills, covers events from the time of Homer and Hesiod (about 700 BCE) until shortly after the Persian Wars (early fifth century BCE). The Archaic period saw dynamic changes in literature, technology, economics, and politics. Important were the development of the Greek alphabet, organization of city states and steps toward democracy, circulation of coins, formalization of Pan-Hellenic festivals such as the Olympic games, artistic innovations, and philosophic speculation. People during this period enjoyed rising levels of affluence and material prosperity. They also experienced social and political conflict, locally, nationally, and internationally. Literary sources convey the thoughts and feelings of the people who lived during those times. Material evidence provides further details about the conditions of their lives and the scope of their achievements. Our studies will be directed toward learning from the past, attempting to better understand the present, and planning for the future.
The Romance Novel in the Ancient World with Dr. Jonathan Mannering
Literary Knowledge - Skills of Critical Thinking
CLST 280-001.....Class # 9635.....M-W-F.....9:20am-10:10am.....DU-120
Romance novel is a hot new field in the world of classics, and in this course we'll go from the romantic writings of the Greeks to the truly weird world of the Roman novel. We will read a number of Greek novels which contain marvelously entertaining stories of young lovers triumphing over problems with parents, kidnappings by pirates, shipwrecks, and daring escapes. Themes for discussion will include views of romance, love, and sexuality and we'll make connections to modern and popular culture. We'll end the course with what is probably the most bizarre novel ever written, The Golden Ass (a.k.a. Metamorphoses) of Apuleius.
Women in the Classical World (Writing Intensive; cross-listed with WSGS 295) with Dr. Jacqueline Long
Societal and Cultural Knowledge - Skills of Critical Thinking
CLST 295-01W.....Class # 9640.....M-W-F.....10:25am-11:15am.....LSB-212
This course forms part of Loyola's Core Curriculum in Societal and Cultural Knowledge. It will investigate the social roles available to women in the ancient Greek and Roman worlds, together with beliefs, behaviors, and cultural expressions supporting ancient Greek and Roman constructions of womanhood. How did a woman's gender affect the shape of her life and the possibilities open to her? How did she respond? How did thinking about women, and women's lives and responses, change in relationship to other changes and differences in ancient Greek and Roman societies? Ancient texts (read in translation) and visual representations provide material for study. By analyzing the complex interactions of different forces shaping ancient Greek and Roman women's lives, students will build understanding of how biology, gender, class, culture, philosophy, politics, history, and economics articulate social difference and influence human behavior, including self-formation and interaction with others.
Introduction to Classical Archaeology with Dr. Laura Gawlinski
departmental elective
CLST 334-001.....Class # 9636.....M-W-F.....10:25am-11:15am.....MUND 606 (new room!)
This course examines the process, history, and discoveries of classical archaeology. By using sites and objects from Greece, Italy, and Turkey as case studies, students will be introduced to the methods for uncovering information and analyzing the resulting data and materials. We will also consider how the discipline has changed over time and what its relationship has been to classical philology, anthropology, history, and art history. At the same time, we will explore the role of the classical archaeologist in conserving, protecting, and presenting the past, with reference to ethical issues like looting, repatriation, and the antiquities trade.
The Humanism of Antiquity I with Dr. Brian Lavelle
Departmental Major capstone: permission of instructor or chairman required
CLST 383-001.....Class # 1200.....Th.....2:30pm-5:00pm.....MUND-415
Greek
Elementary Greek I with Dr. Gregory Dobrov
GREK 101-001.....Class # 4406.....M-W-F.....10:25am-11:15am.....MUND-519
A student-centered and hands-on initiation into Ancient Greek. You will gain the basic vocabulary and skills to read the original texts of Homer, Herodotus, Plato, the New Testament, and Church Fathers. Our textbook "From Alpha to Omega" (Ann Groton, Focus) is user-friendly and accessible. Along the way, you will learn a great deal about language in general.
Introduction to Greek Historiography with Dr. Gregory Dobrov
pre-requisite: one year of college-level Greek or the equivalent, and instructor's permission
GREK 281-001.....Class # 5953.....F.....4:15pm-6:45pm.....CC 572
Latin
Elementary Latin I with Dr. Jacqueline Long
LATN 101-001.....Class # 4402.....M-W-F.....9:20am-10:10am.....MUND-519
Latin is a great language to study, not only toward the goal of reading great literature as it was originally written, but also for what its structures make clear about how all languages work to represent ideas and communicate between people. This course will take a user-friendly, reading-method approach, the Cambridge Latin Course. We will develop reading skills by studying grammar and syntax. We will expand vocabulary in Latin - and English. Our reading will also introduce Roman culture, religion, literature, and history.
Elementary Latin I with Dr. Patricia Graham-Skoul
LATN 101-002.....Class # 4404.....M-W-F.....12:35pm-1:25pm.....DU-228
Latin is a great language to study, not only toward the goal of reading great literature as it was originally written, but also for what its structures make clear about how all languages work to represent ideas and communicate between people. This course will take a user-friendly, reading-method approach, the Cambridge Latin Course. We will develop reading skills by studying grammar and syntax. We will expand vocabulary in Latin - and English. Our reading will also introduce Roman culture, religion, literature, and history.
Elementary Latin I with Dr. Bill Napiwocki
enrollment in this section is restricted to St. Joseph's Seminary students
LATN 101-K01.....Class # 5928.....M-W-F.....10:25am-11:15am.....StJ-202
Latin is a great language to study, not only toward the goal of reading great literature as it was originally written, but also for what its structures make clear about how all languages work to represent ideas and communicate between people. This course will take a user-friendly, reading-method approach, the Cambridge Latin Course. We will develop reading skills by studying grammar and syntax. We will expand vocabulary in Latin - and English. Our reading will also introduce Roman culture, religion, literature, and history.
Elementary Latin II with Dr. Benjamin M. Wolkow
LATN 102-001.....Class # 9637.....M-W-F.....9:20am-10:10am.....MUND-520
This course continues the user-friendly, reading-method approach of the Cambridge Latin Course. We will further develop reading skills by studying grammar and syntax, and expand vocabulary in Latin and English. Our reading will keep on taking us deeper into Roman culture and history. You will become better and better able to read great literature as it was originally written. Expertise in Latin also helps build understanding of how all languages work.
Introduction to Roman Prose with Dr. Jacqueline Long
pre-requisite: 2 semesters of college-level Latin, or the equivalent
LATN 271-001.....Class # 9637.....M-W-F.....12:35pm-1:25pm.....CC 572 (new room!)
This course polishes and completes the introduction to fundamental understanding of Latin provided by the user-friendly, reading-method Cambridge Latin Course. We will continue to read so as to strengthen reading skills, studying grammar and syntax and expanding vocabulary in Latin and English. Reading-content will extend our survey of Roman culture. You will become better and better equipped not only to read great literature as it was originally written, but also to appreciate its context and concerns. Understanding Latin also opens insight into how all languages work.
The Age of Caesar with Dr. James Keenan
pre-requisite: 3 semesters or more of college-level Latin, or the equivalent
meets with LATN 332
LATN 283-001.....Class # 9638.....T-Th.....11:30am-12:45pm.....CC-572
Intermediate reading course with selections from Cicero and Sallust on the famous conspiracy of Catiline; also: Catullus; Cicero’s Letters and Pro Caelio—with historical focus on the turbulent 60s and 50s BC.
Historical Masterworks I with Dr. James Keenan
pre-requisite: 4 semesters or more of college-level Latin, or the equivalent
meets with LATN 283
LATN 332-001.....Class # 9639.....T-Th.....11:30am-12:45pm.....CC-572
Advanced reading course with selections from Cicero and Sallust on the famous conspiracy of Catiline; also: Catullus; Cicero’s Letters and Pro Caelio—with historical focus on the turbulent 60s and 50s BC.
Spring 2010
Classical Studies (Taught in Translation)
English Use of Latin and Greek with Dr. Bill Napiwocki
enrollment restricted to St. Joseph's Seminary
CLST C131-K02.....Class # 5276.....M-W-F.....10:25am-11:15am.....TBA
Classical Mythology with Dr. Edith Pennoyer (Penny) Livermore
Literary Knowledge - Skills of Critical Thinking
CLST 271-001.....Class # 1256.....M-W-F.....10:25am-11:15am.....CC-114
Classical Mythology with Dr. Laura Gawlinski
Literary Knowledge - Skills of Critical Thinking
CLST 271-002.....Class # 1258.....M-W-F.....1:40pm-2:30pm.....DU-122
This course explores the myths of the ancient Greeks primarily through the reading of ancient texts in English translation, from Hesiod’s epic tale of the birth of the gods to Ovid’s poetry presented to a Roman audience. We will do more than just read weird and wonderful stories about ancient Greek gods and heroes, however. We will examine what myths meant to the Greeks, how they were used by them, how they related to religion and ritual, and the methods and theories used to study and interpret them today. We will also touch upon the mutability of myth, including the variety of ways it found expression on the ancient stage, its function in art of different periods, and its treatment in modern cinema.
Classical Mythology with Dr. Benjamin M. Wolkow
Literary Knowledge - Skills of Critical Thinking
CLST 271-003.....Class # 1260.....T-Th.....8:30am-9:45am.....CC-142
Murder and mayhem. Love and betrayal. Castration and incest. The creation of the world and the land of the dead. This is just a sample of what the course has to offer. We shall be reading many of the seminal myths of the Western literary tradition. Our focus will be on Greek mythology, but other cultures will be amply represented in lectures and in some of the assigned reading, such as Babylonian, Egyptian, Roman, and Scandinavian myths. There is, therefore, a strong comparative component. Lectures will also be supplemented with material culture and artwork, both ancient and modern. Students will become well acquainted with the major divine and mortal characters that populate myth. Through a consideration of stories thematically linked, such as Succession Myths, Myths of Mass Destruction, and Loves of the Gods, they will learn to recognize and analyze distinct patterns and thus come to grips with the confusing amount of details found in the stories. But beyond the wacky names and bizarre situations, myth above all is about human fundamentals. It was a significant, living force in the experience of ancient peoples, one of the primary means they possessed to understanding the cruel and chaotic world around them. How this was accomplished, and how myth embeds and perpetuates the hopes, fears, and dreams of a culture will be a leitmotiv of this course. And in this age of particle accelerators, trips to the moon, and Twitter, each student will be invited to consider what place, if any, there might be today for the collective wisdom of bygone ages.
Classical Mythology with Dr. Benjamin M. Wolkow
Literary Knowledge - Skills of Critical Thinking
CLST 271-004.....Class # 4152.....T-Th.....1:00pm-2:15pm.....MUND-418
Murder and mayhem. Love and betrayal. Castration and incest. The creation of the world and the land of the dead. This is just a sample of what the course has to offer. We shall be reading many of the seminal myths of the Western literary tradition. Our focus will be on Greek mythology, but other cultures will be amply represented in lectures and in some of the assigned reading, such as Babylonian, Egyptian, Roman, and Scandinavian myths. There is, therefore, a strong comparative component. Lectures will also be supplemented with material culture and artwork, both ancient and modern. Students will become well acquainted with the major divine and mortal characters that populate myth. Through a consideration of stories thematically linked, such as Succession Myths, Myths of Mass Destruction, and Loves of the Gods, they will learn to recognize and analyze distinct patterns and thus come to grips with the confusing amount of details found in the stories. But beyond the wacky names and bizarre situations, myth above all is about human fundamentals. It was a significant, living force in the experience of ancient peoples, one of the primary means they possessed to understanding the cruel and chaotic world around them. How this was accomplished, and how myth embeds and perpetuates the hopes, fears, and dreams of a culture will be a leitmotiv of this course. And in this age of particle accelerators, trips to the moon, and Twitter, each student will be invited to consider what place, if any, there might be today for the collective wisdom of bygone ages.
Heroes and Classical Epics with Dr. Patricia Graham-Skoul
Literary Knowledge - Skills of Critical Thinking
CLST 272-001.....Class # 1264.....M-W-F.....10:25am-11:15am.....MUND-616
Epics are long stories about the great deeds done by outstanding individuals we call heroes. But what makes an individual stand out from all others? Great deeds? Great in whose eyes? At what cost? Read and question: the Iliad, for a wrenching account of the war between the Greeks and Trojans, the Odyssey, for the swashbuckling adventures of Odysseus on his way home, and the Aeneid, for the journey of Aeneas leading his defeated people to their new home and fated glory.
Heroes and Classical Epics with Dr. Brian Lavelle
Literary Knowledge - Skills of Critical Thinking
CLST 272-002.....Class # 1266.....T-Th.....10:00am-11:15am.....CS-207
This course is all about the Homeric Iliad and Odyssey and Vergil's Aeneid. While we shall want to place these epic poems into their historical, social, and cultural contexts, we shall also want to appreciate them on their own terms and as timeless literature that continues to puzzle, engage, repel, but certainly fascinate (and even enthrall) audiences today. Students will learn about epic poetry, oral tradition, heroes, gods, struggles of every kind, and triumphs, among many other things. They will be able to describe the plots of these epics and human characters, gods, and goddesses. A strong emphasis for this class will be on the vital connections between the past and present and how students can become more aware and understanding of important lasting concepts such as heroism, leadership, self-definition, etc., included in them. The Classical tradition is rich with meaning and significance, even to "modern" 21st-century young adults, and this class will not only be an exploration of the culture and society of the ancient world through the epic poems, but also of why these epics remain so powerfully attractive - and important - today.
Heroes and Classical Epics with Dr. James Keenan
Literary Knowledge - Skills of Critical Thinking
CLST 272-003.....Class # 1268.....T-Th.....1:00pm-2:15pm.....DU-227
The basic texts will be the Iliad, the Odyssey, and the Aeneid in (respectively) three great 20th-century translations: Lattimore's, Fagles', Fitzgerald's. Focus on oral vs. literary composition; heroic values (and their distortions); plot and storytelling. 3 exams (including the final); 3 take-home essays (one on each epic); possible in-class projects (for class discussion).
Classical Tragedy with Dr. Patricia Graham-Skoul
Literary Knowledge - Skills of Critical Thinking
CLST 273-001.....Class # 1274.....M-W-F.....12:35pm-1:25pm.....CC-114
The course, Classical Tragedy, which provides core credit in the Knowledge Area of "Literary Knowledge and Experience" and for the Skill of "Critical Thinking," examines plays composed and performed first for festivals honoring the god Dionysos in the democratic city of Athens during the fifth century BCE. While enacting stories set in the legendary past, the tragedies publicly dramatized the kinds of characters, situations, and problems relevant to their original audiences. These stories, and the formal characteristics of the ways in which they were presented, continue to raise questions for our contemporary audiences to address in terms of dramaturgy, personal identity, familial and political affiliation, and religious assumptions.
Classical Tragedy with Dr. Kirk Shellko
Literary Knowledge - Skills of Critical Thinking
CLST 273-003.....Class # 5170.....T.....7:00pm-9:30pm.....CC-141
Classical Tragedy introduces students to the authors, social context and performance of extant Greek drama. The students will learn to apply the "mythical" story presented on the stage to moral, social and political issues. The students will learn names, works and careers (as much as can be known) of the principal tragedians, Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. Students will learn to assess the formal and aesthetic properties of very different plays. Emphasis will be given to specifics of performance and seeing a play in the "theater of the mind" as well as gaining command of the relevant terminology, e.g., parodos, peripeteia, mimesis, katharsis, etc. Students will learn to outline clearly the plot, argument and key themes of each work and will gain an understanding of the historical context and social and philosophical conditions motivating each work. In this connection, the main themes of Greek tragedy invite comparison to themes of contemporary theater, film and literature: power, gender, justice, violence etc. Students will learn an awareness of dramatic conventions in our own theatrical and literary culture that reflect the influence of the Greek drama.
The World of Classical Greece with Dr. Brian Lavelle
Historical Knowledge - Skills of Critical Thinking
CLST 275-001.....Class # 9226.....T-Th.....1:00pm-2:15pm.....MUND-616
The course is about the history, literature, art, culture and society of Classical Greece from (before) 480 B.C.E. to c. 320 B.C.E., the headwaters of so much that has impacted western civilization; its focus will be the city of Athens. The course is structured chronologically and is reliant upon primary source-material as represented primarily by contemporary historical literature. To comprehend that information and the ways of reading and interpreting it is a primary aim of the course: we shall want to understand the world of Classical Greece as it is conveyed by Greeks themselves. Its primary aim is to attain a vivid sense of what it was to have been alive and participant in Greek and Athenian society during the Classical period. A further aim of this course is to draw students toward comparing the world of classical Greece with the modern world and their understanding of it, its institutions, thoughts, and practices, so leading them to deeper evaluation of their own lives, their world and their values.
The World of Late Antiquity (cross-listed with CATH 200) with Dr. Jacqueline Long
Historical Knowledge - Skills of Critical Thinking
CLST 277-001.....Class # 9227.....T-Th.....10:00am-11:15am.....DU-117
This course will investigate the historical development of the Roman Empire in the 3rd to 5th centuries C.E., when the Mediterranean basin and Europe re-evaluated their Classical past and decisively set their course toward Medieval and later governmental, religious, and cultural history. Students will learn and practice the work of historical inquiry as directly as possible, on literary, documentary, and material sources; by integrating different approaches they will better understand the complexity of lived experience and the interaction of historical forces. Sequential developments in Roman government establish a chronological framework for our study: why did the Principate's administration of the Roman Empire spin out of control? How did late imperial governments, amid chaotic rivalries, evolve a new system? As later Roman governments switched from persecuting to promoting Christianity, how did religious sensibilities change - and what remained constant? How were Classical cultural ideals like piety, family, public service and education maintained and re-colored? How did individual men and women, Christians and pagans and Manichees, emperors and soldiers and citizens and sophists, martyrs and bishops and monks and philosophers see their world? Do we agree?
Romance Novel in the Ancient World with Dr. John Makowski
Literary Knowledge - Skills of Critical Thinking
CLST 280-001.....Class # 9995.....T-Th.....11:30am-12:45pm.....FLAN-105
Romance novel is a hot new field in the world of classics, and in this course we'll go from the romantic writings of the Greeks to the truly weird world of the Roman novel. We will read a number of Greek novels which contain marvelously entertaining stories of young lovers triumphing over problems with parents, kidnappings by pirates, shipwrecks, and daring escapes. Themes for discussion will include views of romance, love, and sexuality and we'll make connections to modern and popular culture. We'll end the course with what is probably the most bizarre novel ever written, The Golden Ass (a.k.a. Metamorphoses) of Apuleius.
Classical Comedy and Satire with Dr. Greg Dobrov
Literary Knowledge - Skills of Critical Thinking
CLST 283-001.....Class # 1280.....M-W-F.....11:30am-12:20pm.....CC-140
In this course students will encounter selected landmarks of Greek and Roman satirical literature (e.g., Aristophanes' Lysistrata, Juvenal's Satires and Petronius' Satyricon); They will learn important theories of interpretation, theories of humor as well as secondary interpretative opinions about the works assigned. They will be engaged in the course-material primarily through readings, lectures and discussions. Discussion will open their thoughts to differences of interpretation at different levels. Students will also view or read whole or selected excerpts of modern visual or written literature that will supplement their primary and secondary readings. The roots of comedy and satire extend deep into antiquity. This course, however, endeavors to train intelligent critics of modern satire as well. Students will study authors ancient (Plato) and modern (Simon Critchley) in order to sharpen their critical abilities and to gain insight into Athens, Rome as well as the contemporary cultural milieu. Students will be challenged to regard satire as a critical force, even a type of activism. They will read, view, discuss, and write about works from Aristophanes' Birds to Jon Stewart's America. Along the way, we will encounter Horace, Juvenal, Petronius, Mark Twain, Lenny Bruce and many others with special interest in how the most serious material--war, death, injustice, suffering--is criticized in a way that we can enjoy. With the help of Plato, Hobbes, Freud and other philosophers of the issue students will explore the boundaries of the comic, the social and political function of comedy in different cultural contexts, and the varieties of humor: mad, cathartic, aggressive, destructive, defensive, celebratory etc. Students will confront a host of related issues such as the nature of tragic pleasure, the language and metaphors of humor, and the legal limits of satirical discourse.
Art of Ancient Greece (cross-listed with FNAR 336) with Dr. Laura Gawlinski
Artistic Knowledge - Skills of Critical Thinking
CLST 306-001.....Class # 9228.....M-W-F.....11:30am-12:20pm.....DU-117
This course explores the art of ancient Greece chronologically, from the incised ceramics of Neolithic cave dwellers to the Parthenon of the Athenians, concluding with the artistic transformations following the conquest of Alexander the Great. We will examine different forms of art and architecture and how they were produced, including painted vases, bronze and marble sculpture, and public and private buildings. In addition to recognizing technical and aesthetic qualities, we will also seek to understand the art in its context: its relationship to a particular moment in time, use as political propaganda and a representation of values, expression of status or gender, and interpretation by different audiences. We will also place Greek art in its geographical and historical framework by considering how it affected and was affected by its neighbors and how even today it continues to influence how we view what art is.
Humanism of Antiquity II with Dr. John Makowski
Departmental Major capstone: permission of instructor or chairman required
CLST 384-001.....Class # 1282.....Th.....2:30pm-5:00pm.....MUND-408
Classical Backgrounds I: The Phenomenology of Early Greek Music (Writing Intensive) with Dr. Benjamin M. Wolkow
departmental elective
CLST 388-01W.....Class # 4170.....T-Th.....10:00am-11:15am.....SULL-203
"Music, Musik, musique, musica, muzsika, muzyka, musiikki, müzik, miwsig: the world owes the word to the Greeks. Melody, harmony, symphony, polyphony: these too. Orchestra, organ, chorus, chord, tone, baritone, tonic, diatonic, diapason, chromatic, rhythm, syncopation: all from Greek. Ancient Greek culture was permeated with music. Probably no other people in history has made more frequent reference to music and musical activity in its literature and art." So Martin L. West begins the introduction to his book Ancient Greek Music. This course endeavors to explore the phenomenon of music in the Archaic and Classical periods of Greece. Students will learn about the singing voice and the instruments used in the production of music. They will discover the various venues of musical performance, and examine the concept of a "song culture." What the Greeks thought about music, particularly in fifth- and fourth-century Athens, will also be a topic of much interest. Thus, the student will engage a wide disparity of primary texts in translations: poets and philosophers, historians and rhetoricians, and some of the remaining scholarship from post-Classical antiquity. In addition to texts, the mute testimony from contemporary vase painting will help augment and deepen our picture of music and musical performance. Much of the evidence, however, is fragmentary and open to debate, and students will come to grips with the methodological limitations inherent in the subject. The focus of the class, then, is the experience of music in early Greece, and matters of technical detail, such as lyre tunings, will only in the most cursorily manner be addressed (although students with a strong musical background will certainly have an opportunity to delve deeper, should they wish). At the end of the term, students will have a solid understanding of musical practice in Archaic and Classical Greece from the point of view of the ancient Greeks themselves, as well as its social, cultural, religious, and political significance. They will be in a position to vigorously defend the last statement in the West quote supra.
Classical Backgrounds I: Homeric Questions (Writing Intensive) with Dr. James Keenan
departmental elective
CLST 388-02W.....Class # 9229.....T-Th.....10:00am-11:15am.....CLib-318
This course is designed for students who have already read the Iliad and the Odyssey (for example, in CLST 272: Heroes and Classical Epics), or have an exceptionally keen interest in doing so. The aim is to build on this background and examine modern critical approaches to the poems beginning with the assertion of their oral composition in 1795 by F. A. Wolf (though anticipated by earlier luminaries). Approaches to be covered include the historical, archaeological, formulaic, folkloric, narratological, anthropological, sociological, psychological, and feminist. This semester's focus will be the Odyssey. We will read the Odyssey itself book-by-book and examine its problems as they are treated in selected scholarly books and articles.
Greek
Elementary Greek II with Dr. Gregory Dobrov
GREK 102-001.....Class # 4174.....M-W-F.....10:25am-11:15am.....MUND-403
A student-centered and hands-on initiation into Ancient Greek. You will gain the basic vocabulary and skills to read the original texts of Homer, Herodotus, Plato, the New Testament, and Church Fathers. Our textbook "From Alpha to Omega" (Ann Groton, Focus) is user-friendly and accessible. Along the way, you will learn a great deal about language in general.
Introduction to Plato with Dr. Gregory Dobrov
pre-requisite: two semesters of college-level Greek or the equivalent, or instructor's permission
GREK 262-001.....Class # 10167.....F.....4:15pm-6:45pm.....CC-572
Latin
Elementary Latin I with Dr. Laura Gawlinski
LATN 101-001.....Class # 5954.....M-W-F.....9:20am-10:10am.....DU-231
Latin is a great language to study, not only toward the goal of reading great literature as it was originally written, but also for what its structures make clear about how all languages work to represent ideas and communicate between people. This course will take a user-friendly, reading-method approach, the Cambridge Latin Course. We will develop reading skills by studying grammar and syntax. We will expand vocabulary in Latin - and English. Our reading will also introduce Roman culture, religion, literature, and history.
Elementary Latin II with Dr. Benjamin M. Wolkow
LATN 102-001.....Class # 4172.....M-W-F.....9:20am-10:10am.....MUND-616
This course continues the user-friendly, reading-method approach of the Cambridge Latin Course. We will further develop reading skills by studying grammar and syntax, and expand vocabulary in Latin and English. Our reading will keep on taking us deeper into Roman culture and history. You will become better and better able to read great literature as it was originally written. Expertise in Latin also helps build understanding of how all languages work.
Elementary Latin II with Dr. William Napiwocki
enrollment in this section is restricted to St. Joseph's Seminary
LATN 102-K01.....Class # 5544.....M-W-F.....12:35pm-1:25pm.....TBA
This course continues the user-friendly, reading-method approach of the Cambridge Latin Course. We will further develop reading skills by studying grammar and syntax, and expand vocabulary in Latin and English. Our reading will keep on taking us deeper into Roman culture and history. You will become better and better able to read great literature as it was originally written. Expertise in Latin also helps build understanding of how all languages work.
Introduction to Roman Prose with Dr. Edith Pennoyer (Penny) Livermore
pre-requisite: 2 semesters of college-level Latin, or the equivalent
LATN 271-001.....Class # 9231.....M-W-F.....9:20am-10:10am.....IC-111
This course polishes and completes the introduction to fundamental understanding of Latin provided by the user-friendly, reading-method Cambridge Latin Course. We will continue to read so as to strengthen reading skills, studying grammar and syntax and expanding vocabulary in Latin and English. Reading-content will extend our survey of Roman culture. You will become better and better equipped not only to read great literature as it was originally written, but also to appreciate its context and concerns. Understanding Latin also opens insight into how all languages work.
The Age of Augustus with Dr. Jacqueline Long
pre-requisite: 3 semesters or more of college-level Latin, or the equivalent
meets with LATN 345
LATN 284-001.....Class # 9233.....T-Th.....1:00pm-2:15pm.....IC-111
Horace's first poetry-book opens up life-changing questions with innocent abruptness, sophisticated irony, and consummate poetic refinement jitterbugging inside a superficially rough shell. He called it Sermones, "chats," but we know it as the book that decisively lifted Roman satire out of Lucilius's garbage can to dance, flat-footed, on the rim. Horace's satires also project ideal hopes for his own maturity, true friendship, and what Augustus's new world could achieve for Roman life and letters. Reading with close attention to how Horace uses Latin will build fluency and introduce a verse form the Romans considered distinctively their own; we will also explore Horace's historical and cultural context and investigate his poetic aims.
Latin Prose Composition with Dr. Jacqueline Long
Latin Major requirement
pre-requisite: 4 semesters or more of college-level Latin, or the equivalent
LATN 303-001.....Class # 4176.....TBA.....TBA.....TBA
For the advanced student ready to take mastery of syntax to the next level: hands-on Latin. Make yourself strong.
Horace with Dr. Jacqueline Long
pre-requisite: 4 semesters or more of college-level Latin, or the equivalent
meets with LATN 284
LATN 345-001.....Class # 9234.....T-Th.....1:00pm-2:15pm.....IC-111
Horace's first poetry-book opens up life-changing questions with innocent abruptness, sophisticated irony, and consummate poetic refinement jitterbugging inside a superficially rough shell. He called it Sermones, "chats," but we know it as the book that decisively lifted Roman satire out of Lucilius's garbage can to dance, flat-footed, on the rim. Horace's satires also project ideal hopes for his own maturity, true friendship, and what Augustus's new world could achieve for Roman life and letters. Reading with close attention to how Horace uses Latin will build fluency and introduce a verse form the Romans considered distinctively their own; we will also explore Horace's historical and cultural context and investigate his poetic aims.
Revised on 18 November 2009 by jlong1@luc.edu
