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Classics

Major (and Minor)
in Classical Studies


CLASSICAL STUDIES

Table of Contents

WHAT IS CLASSICS?
Classics means the discovery and uncovering of the ancient worlds of Greece and Rome (the Mediterranean basin, including three continents: Asia, Europe, and Africa). The area of Classics familiarizes students with the incredibly rich origins and heritage of Western civilization in language, literature, art, history, philosophy and religion. But Classics is more than the study of physical remains and legacy of the Greco-Roman world; it is about the role of that legacy in our own culture. As the precursors to our Western civilization, the Greeks and Romans were both similar and different from us. The program as outlined below is designed to give students a broad, interdisciplinary perspective. It also encourages the tolerance and understanding of cultural differences. In short, in a classics program the student learns about the classical world and his/her own.
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Major in Classical Studies

A major in Classical Studies, as in the case of the minor, strengthens and complements programs of study within the divisions of Humanities and in other divisions as well (Fine Arts [e.g., art history] and Social Sciences [e.g., Geography]).

As envisaged, a major in Classical Studies meets the goals and objectives of Carthage articulated in the 2000-2002 Catalog (p. 3), especially goals 1, 2, 3, and 4. Because of the nature of the ancient Mediterranean cultures was that of the preindustrial world, pre-modern world, a study of Greco-Roman societies encourages students to embrace divergent paradigms of thinking, which in turn allows them to be creative and adaptive thinkers. Because classical studies emphasizes the reading and analysis of ancient texts, it also satisfies goal 7.

WHAT ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS OF CLASSICAL STUDIES?
Classical studies, like other branches of the liberal arts, both provides skills for making a living and learning as a life-long endeavor. The student who chooses such a program, therefore, has the choice of many professional opportunities. Graduate and professional schools in law, medicine, or business welcome students with training in the Classics. In a world of rapid technological advances, in which highly specialized skills rapidly become obsolete, the student with a strong background in a respected liberal arts major such as Classics offers the diversity, flexibility, precision, and ability to learn, which employers in business, government and industry find attractive. Classics teaches one how to solve problems, think things through, and correlate disparate ideas. Above all, it is a discipline that teaches discipline.
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RATIONALE FOR MAJOR AS DESIGNED

Classics programs at American colleges and universities are traditionally centered around three major areas: 1) the classical languages of Greek and Latin, 2) material culture courses (usually the languages are not required), and 3) classical civilization courses (at some institutions no language is required for a major in classical civilization.) The core of any program here at Carthage should be centered around the third area, classical civilization, hence, a major in classical studies. Although the languages are often the hub of many programs in the United States, such a focus here at Carthage would be untenable, given that few students engage in the study of the ancient languages beyond the first year and the general trend has been away from the languages to the cultural history of the ancient world. Moreover, the classics program does not have the staff to teach the languages much beyond first year.

As mentioned above, Classical Studies offers an interdisciplinary approach, and because it does, it fosters a breadth of study in both the humanities, fine arts, and social sciences. Classics constitutes a web that reaches out to other departments and divisions in a manner consistent with the ancients, for their liberal education involved mastery of the social and natural sciences as well as the humanities.

WOULD EXTRA STAFFING BE NEEDED?

Yes, extra staffing would be needed and has been needed for at least the last two years. The person holding a position in Classics should be able to teach the ancient languages (Greek and Latin at introductory, intermediate, and advanced levels. Said person should also be able to teach at least half of the courses currently listed in the revised Classics catalog. See below. Classes are to be offered on a three-year rotation plan.

ENROLLMENT GOALS
To date, since the minor became official two three years ago, we have had at least nine students minor in classics, four of whom will be graduating in May 2001. At present, one student is doing a self-designed major, a first year student wishes to declare classics as her major next year, and incoming students have made the offering of a classics major a prerequisite for coming to Carthage. If a major were possible, students would be able to plan their course of study better and begin sooner. Given the interest already demonstrated, the time has come for Classics to offer a major in classical studies.

ASSESSMENT
Currently, assessment takes place within each class; all syllabi have clearly articulated goals and expected outcomes. Once the major becomes official, Classics will be filing an assessment plan.
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The Major

Forty credits constitute the major in classical studies. Such a major must include the following:

  1. Two semesters of Ancient Greek or two semesters of Latin
  2. Classics 130 (The Ancient World), Classics 231* (The Greeks), Classics 235* (The Romans), and at least one 300 level course offered in Classics. *When Hellenic (Greek) and Roman History are offered, they may substitute for Classics 231 and 235.
  3. Overseas experience (at least 4 credits). A student would participate in one of the following programs:
    • J-Term in Greece or Italy (or some other "classical area.")
    • Carthage International Semester in the Mediterranean
    • Excavation experience in area of ancient world (Greece,Italy, Israel, England, etc.)
    • ICCS: The Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome
    • College Year in Athens
  4. Classics 400: Senior Seminar. To be offered or directed by one member of the department with the possibility of participation of other members of the humanities, fine arts, or social science divisions.
The remaining 2 courses should be taken outside the department, depending on the student's interests. For a list of courses, which a student can take outside the department to fulfill partially a major in classical studies, please see list under minor
Major in Classical Studies with emphasis on classical archaeology
  1. Classical Archaeology 140 (or its equivalent) and Classics 325: Field Archaeology
  2. Two semesters of Ancient Greek or Latin
  3. Classics 130 (The Ancient World), Classics 231* (The Greeks), Classics 235* (The Romans), and at least one 300 level course offered in Classics. *When Hellenic (Greek) and Roman History are offered, they may substitute for Classics 231 and 235.
  4. Overseas experience (at least 4 credits). Excavating overseas would fulfill this requirement.
  5. Two from the following courses offered through the Geography department:
    • Introduction to Physical Geography 155
    • The Human Landscape 206
    • Mapping Your World: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) 239
    • Satellite Image and Airphoto Analysis 240
    • Soils and Society 264
    • Analytical Techniques in Geography 321
    • Advanced Geographic Information Systems and Analytic Cartography 339. (Geography 239 is a prerequisite for this class.)
  6. Senior Seminar

Minor in Classical Studies

To fulfill the requirements of a minor the student will have to take six courses, three in the Classics (Greek Civilization, Roman Civilization, etc [see Classics catalog below; excluding languages]), one semester of either Greek or Latin, and two courses from two different departments [e.g., Philosophy 100, English 204; see below for further possibilities.] One of the courses taken in Classics must be at the 300 level. Because the ancient languages require one skill, reading, as opposed to the four skills required of students of modern languages, a student would learn enough in one semester to negotiate fairly simple texts in the ancient languages. Students who wish to focus more on studying one of the ancient languages will be required to take two semesters of either ancient Greek or Latin and a Classics civilization course.

COURSES IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND DIVISIONS THAT MAY PARTIALLY SATISFY REQUIREMENTS FOR A MAJOR OR MINOR IN CLASSICAL STUDIES

  • Art 115: Introduction to Art History
  • Art 221: Art Survey I: Ancient Art
  • English 204: The Classical Tradition in Literature
  • History 111: Issues in European History I (surveys European History from Ancient Greece to the Renaissance)
  • Humanities 100: Art, Music, and Literature in Historical Context (depending on content of course)
  • Philosophy 100: Introduction to Philosophy, or other philosophy courses that focus on ancient philosophy or philosphers
  • Religion 302 : Women and the Bible
  • Religion 313: Buddhism
  • Religion 330: Greek and Roman Mystery Religions
  • Theater and Communication 115: Introduction to the Theatre
  • Theater and Communication 227: History of Classical Theatre

N.B. Other courses involving classical themes/content may be offered by other departments and therefore may contribute to a Classical Studies Program. The classicist in charge would be the one to determine whether a course's content would satisfy requirements for a minor.
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Minor in Classical Studies with an emphasis on Classical Archaeology

Students who wish to do a minor in Classical Studies with an emphasis on archaeology will have to take certain courses offered through the Geography department, two at the introductory level and one at advanced level (300 level). Among those courses would be:

  • Introduction to Physical Geography 155
  • The Human Landscape 206
  • Mapping Your World: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) 239
  • Satellite Image and Airphoto Analysis 240
  • Soils and Society 264
  • Analytical Techniques in Geography 321
  • Advanced Geographic Information Systems and Analytic Cartography 339. (Geography 239 is a prerequisite for this class.)

With the approval of the director of the minor, other courses offered by the Geography department may be used to fulfill a minor in classical studies with an emphasis on archaeology. In other words, three courses would be taken within Classics (one of the courses would have to be Classical Archaeology 140) and the other three within the Geography department.

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SEQUENCE OF COURSES

The sequence of courses proposed here complements the offerings of the History, English, Theater and Fine Arts departments. One could easily fulfill the requirements of at least a minor (see above) given the diversity of courses already in the catalog and the courses listed below. Note in particular the three levels in the course sequence: the first level is composed of introductory courses, the second level builds on the first one and focuses more particularly on discrete cultural studies, and the third builds on the first two but allows students to study seminal time periods in depth in a seminar format.

CLASSICAL CIVILIZATION COURSES:

First Level: Introductory courses: Ancient World, Classical Mythology, and Classical Archaeology.

  1. CLASSICS/HIST/HUM 130: Exploring the Ancient World. An introductory survey of ancient "western cultures": Near East (From Sumer to Persia), Egypt (Predynastic to Ptolemaic), Crete, Greece (Bronze Age-Alexander), and Rome (Foundation to Late Antique). 4 credits Fall 2001
  2. CLASSICS/HUM 135: Classical Mythology. Survey of the major myths of the ancient Greeks and Romans, and their influence in art, literature and interpretation of ancient societies. 4 credits. Fall 2001
  3. CLASSICS 140: Classical Archaeology: History and Method. An introduction into the history and methods of Classical archaeology through a study of the ancient monuments and works of art. Involves the study of architecture, urban planning, topography, sculpture and painting, as well as the methods used for interpretation of discoveries. 4 credits

Second Level: Greek, Roman and Late Antique Civilizations. The second level of courses builds on the introductory courses.

  1. CLASSICS 231: The Greeks. A survey of Greek culture which introduces students to the achievements (political, social, intellectual, artistic, etc.) and ideas of the ancient Greeks. This course covers the sweep of Greek culture from the Mycenaean period (1600-1200 BCE) to the world of Alexander the Great (d. 323 BCE) and his successors.
  2. Classics 232: Hellenic (Greek) History*. Survey of Hellenic history with a focus on reading primary source texts such as Herodotus and Thucydides and ancient Greek historiography. Covers the time period from the beginning of the Hellenic historical period until the death of Alexander the Great (d. 323 BCE)
  3. CLASSICS 235: The Romans. A survey of Roman culture which introduces students to the achievements and contributions of the ancient Romans. This covers Rome from her foundation until late antiquity. The course pays particular attention to a period of two hundred years when the Roman world enjoyed peace (Pax Romana) and fairly uniform culture. Topics such as gladiatorial competitions, class, family, ethnocentrism are included within the framework of Roman history.
  4. CLASSICS 236: Roman History*. A survey of Roman history with a focus on reading primary source texts such as Livy, Polybius, and Tacitus, and Roman historiography. Covers the time period from the foundation of Rome (753 BCE) until the death of Constantine (CE 337).
  5. CLASSICS 240: The World of Late Antiquity. A survey of the period of transformation from the reign of Diocletian to the rise of Byzantium and Islam. In this course the student focuses on the major political, social and cultural changes from 284-750 when the culture is no longer considered "classical" and deeply rooted ancient civilizations disappear for all time, and how in the deeply fragmented remains of a once homogeneous world three different (Medieval, Byzantine and Islamic) cultures arise. The impact of Christianity's emergence is central to the study of this period. Spring 2001
  6. CLASSICS 245/WOMG 310/JS-Dynamics of Diversity: The Other: Race, Ethnicity and Gender in the Ancient World. This course studies how the Greeks and Romans perceived those who lived outside of their respective cultures, how they interacted with "the other," how they marginalized elements of their own societies (women, slaves,foreigners), and how they reacted to physical differences that existed among "races." In sum, the course deals with definitions of gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity and "otherness" in general (using both modern and ancient definitions).
  7. CLASSICS 275: Ancient Greek Literature and Culture*. Survey of the great works of prose and poetry of the Ancient Greeks. Homer, the Lyric poets, Herodotus, Thucydides, Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Plato, Attic Orators, Apollonius of Rhodes, etc.
  8. CLASSICS 285: Ancient Latin Literature and Culture*. Survey of the great works of prose and poetry of the ancient Romans. Plautus, Terence, Cato, Lucretius, Cicero, Vergil, Horace, Ovid, Juvenal, Tacitus, Claudianus, etc.
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Third Level: The Ages of Perikles, Alexander, Augustus and Constantine. The third level builds on the background provided in the first two and allows an intensive study of an important historical period.

  1. CLASSICS 300*: The Golden Age of Athens (Periclean Athens). An intensive and interdisciplinary approach to one the most seminal periods of western history, the age of Perikles. Often called the "Golden Age of Athens" (480-404 BCE), this period bequeathed to western culture ethical philosophy, the ideals of democracy, the classical style as perfected in the Parthenon sculptures, the masterpieces of tragedy and history (Thucydides and Herodotus). Students will read the literature of the time, study Athens' monuments and art and come to understand how, under the patronage of one man, all these disciplines interacted with each other.
  2. RELIGION 302 Women and the Bible There will be three major objectives in this course. First the class will survey the socio- historical situation of women as part of the Greco-Roman world in which the New Testament was written. Second, the class will consider the ways in which New Testament authors presented women as disciples of Jesus and participants of the early Church. Third, the class will investigate how the New Testament has influenced and continues to influence the development of women's roles in western society.
  3. CLASSICS 305*: The Age of Alexander. An intensive and interdisciplinary approach to one of the greatest figures in history, Alexander III of Macedon (called the Great) whose brief life spawned a civilization called "Hellenistic." Through the military accomplishments of Alexander a uniform culture came into existence and was shared by people from Afghanistan to Italy and the western Mediterranean world. After his death, the culture he helped shape gave rise to advances in mathematics, science, astronomy, scholarship, libraries, etc.
  4. CLASSICS 310: The Age of Augustus. An intensive and interdisciplinary approach to one of the most important and seminal periods of western history, the age of the emperor Augustus (27 BCE-CE 14). Students will study the process of transformation from the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire during the Augustan principate. They will also encounter the Augustan authors, creators of the Golden Age of Latin literature (Vergil, Horace, Livy etc.), as well as the major works of art and the imperial monuments of Augustus.
  5. CLASSICS 316*: The Age of Constantine. An intensive and interdisciplinary approach to one of most important period of cultural transformation which led the way to the civilization of Byzantium, the rise of Christianity and eventually the rise of Western Europe, a period we call the Middle Ages. Focuses on the major intellectual battles fought between "pagans" and Christians, Christians with each other and the role of emperor in shaping the religious, political and cultural milieu.
  6. CLASSICS 325: Field Archaeology. Excavation expererience overseas during summer term. 4 credits
  7. RELIGION 330 Greek and Roman Mystery Religions. This course is an introduction to the special category of ancient religious practices known as mystery religions. As ancient people struggled to make sense of the world around them, many turned to the worship of non-traditional gods or more familiar deities in uncommon ways. Often times the rituals and beliefs associated with these religions were kept secret, sometimes with the penalty of death to anyone who revealed them. By examining the findings of archaeological and textual studies, the course considers what modern scholarship has learned about these unusual religions, and what mystery religions can teach us about the human religious experience.
  8. CLASSICS 340: Special Topics. A study in a major area or subject of current concentration that will build upon courses now offered or move into areas beyond the scope of present courses.
  9. CLASSICS 400: Senior Seminar*. The Senior Seminar is taught and directed by one member of the department with the assistance and participation of other members. The seminar will lead the student toward the completion of the senior project, which will be determined by the student and the directing professor.

* All asterisked courses have yet to be presented and approved.
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LANGUAGE COURSES
A. Ancient and Biblical Greek(4)

  1. GREEK: Elementary Greek 101. Introduction to classical (ancient) Greek. Focus is on grammar and the reading of simple passages in Attic Greek, the predecessor of koine (or Biblical Greek).
  2. GREEK: Elementary Greek 102. A continuation of Greek 101. Prerequisite: Successful completion of 101 or equivalent.
  3. GREEK: Intermediate Greek 201. Completion of the study of Greek grammar and the reading of Xenophon, a major writer of the late fifth to early fourth centuries BCE. Prerequisite: Successful completion of Greek 101 and 102 and/or consent of instructor.
  4. GREEK: Intermediate Greek 202. Biblical Greek. Readings of New Testament Greek and/or the Septuagint. Successful completion of at least Greek 101 and 102.
  5. GREEK: Advanced Greek 301. Authors vary (Homer, Attic Orators, Plato). Special arrangements with instructor required.

B.Latin

  1. LATIN: Elementary Latin 101. Introduction of Latin. Focus is on mastering the grammar and reading simple passages in Latin.
  2. LATIN: Elementary Latin 102. Continuation of Latin 101. Prerequisite: Successful completion of Latin 101 or consent of instructor or through placement exam.
  3. LATIN: Intermediate Latin 201. Completion of grammar and reading of selections from major authors from Cicero to Vergil. Prerequisites Latin 101 and 102 or equivalent or through placement exam.
  4. LATIN: Intermediate Latin 202. Reading of the poet Vergil. Prerequisites: Successful completion of Latin 101, 102, and 201 or consent of instructor.
  5. LATIN: Advanced Latin 301. Authors vary. Special arrangements with instructor required.

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Endnotes

  1. Courses with asterisks still need CPC approval. They are going to be offered within the next three years and will be submitted to the CPC in a timely fashion.
  2. A year (two semesters) of either Greek or Latin fulfill Carthage's language requirement. If a student wishes to place out of first year Latin or Greek, the person must take a placement xam. If a student comes to Carthage with at least two years of Latin (or ancient Greek), she or he must take the equivalency exam. To take an equivalency exam in modern Greek, the student must approach the chair of Modern Languages.
  3. Classical/koine Greek is a language distinct from Modern Greek. Classics does not offer a class in modern Greek and modern Greek does not prepare students for the study of classical and koine Greek.

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Copyright © 1997-2002 Christine Renaud, all rights reserved.