ObjectivesClassics is an interdisciplinary field, overlapping all the main areas of the Humanities. The Department of Classics offers two types of courses: courses in Greek or Latin language and literature, and courses in Classics, embracing ancient civilization in all its aspects: literature, philosophy, education, history, religion, art and archaeology. In general, CLAS courses require no knowledge of Greek or Latin.
Academic titleBachelor of Arts - Ancient Art and Archeology
Course descriptionFourteen credits labelled CLAS, GREE or LATI are required for an Honours degree:
- CLAS 3P07, 3P08, 3P09 and 3P10
- one credit from CLAS 2F05, 3F01, 3F02
- six credits from CLAS 2P27, 2P32, 2P35, 3M20-3M29, 3P22, 3P23, 3P24, 3P25,3F75, 3V30-3V39, 4V20-4V29, 4V30-4V39
- one credit from CLAS 3P22, 3P23, 3P24, 3P25
- four GREE or LATI credits
- one Science context credit
- one Social Science context credit
- four elective credits
CLAS 1P91
Greek Civilization
Literature, art, thought and political evolution of ancient Greece, based on masterworks of classical literature. Slides are used to illustrate classical history and archaeology.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
CLAS 1P92
Roman Civilization
Literature, art, thought and political evolution of ancient Rome, based on masterworks of classical literature. Slides are used to illustrate classical history and archaeology.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
#CLAS 1P93
Culture and Civilization of Central Europe: From the Prehistoric to the Carolingian Period
(also offered as GERM 1P93)
Cultural development of central Europe from the earliest stone and pottery cultures through the Bronze and Iron Ages, the Celts and Romans. Beliefs and practices, artistic style and architecture. Digitized images are used to illustrate the cultural evidence.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Note: given in English.
CLAS 1P95
Myths of the Greek and Roman Gods
Traditional story types: nature myths, ritual myths. Diffusion of myths in the ancient world. The creation, the succession in heaven and the individual gods. Functions of myth in ancient society. Modern theories of myth.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
CLAS 1P97
Myths of the Heroic Age
Traditional story types: folktale, legend. Concept of a Heroic Age, centres and cycles of legend, pseudo-history. Response to Greek and Roman myths through the ages.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
CLAS 2F05
Introduction to Classical Literature
Works of major authors and genres of Greek and Roman literature, emphasizing literary history and conventions of the major genres. Genres include epic, drama, lyric, elegy, pastoral, didactic, novel and satire.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Note: all texts read in English.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in CLAS 3P05 and 3P06.
*CLAS 2P27
Ancient Civilizations of Egypt and the Near East
(also offered as INTC 2P27)
History and material culture of the civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Iran, Anatolia and Syro-Palestine from the origins of agriculture through the great Iron Age empires emphasizing the revolutionary social, political, economic and artistic achievements of Near Eastern cultures.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
CLAS 2P32
Introduction to Archaeology
History, theory and practice of archaeology.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
CLAS 2P35
Classical Archaeology
Archaeology and material culture of the Greek and Roman worlds from the Upper Paleolithic to the fourth century AD.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in CLAS 2P36 and 2P38.
CLAS 2P40
Ancient Sport
Sport and sporting values and their central role in ancient society. Topics include sporting events and facilities, sporting festivals, religious and political connections, intellectual and popular attitudes, a comparison of ancient and modern realities and values.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
*CLAS 2P50
Great Myths in Literature and Art
(also offered as IASC 2P50)
Most influential myths in Greek and Latin literature and in ancient art, emphasizing continuity of themes and images. Selected readings in major genres of poetry and prose. Selected works of painting and sculpture.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisites: CLAS 1P95 and 1P97.
CLAS 2P51
Great Figures of the Ancient World
History, biography and representation in literature, art and modern media of great figures such as Socrates, Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar and Cleopatra.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisites: CLAS 1P91 and 1P92.
*CLAS 2P61
Women in the Ancient World
(also offered as WISE 2P61)
Women's social roles, environment and legal rights including conceptions of the female and ideals of women. Consideration given to women from other parts of the Mediterranean, such as Etruria, Egypt and the Near East focusing on women in Greek and Roman society. Emphasis on the nature and limitations of the various types of evidence.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
*CLAS 3F01
The Ancient Epic Tradition
(also offered as GBLS 3F01)
Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, Apollonius Rhodius' Argonautica, Vergil's Aeneid and Ovid's Metamorphoses. Topics include the conventions of epic, the original oral transmission of heroic verse and its transformation into a written genre, concepts of heroic conduct and character.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: one credit from CLAS 1P91, 1P92, 1P95, 1P97, 2F05 or one ENGL or GBLS credit.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in CLAS 3P00.
*CLAS 3F02
Ancient Drama
(also offered as DART 3F02)
Greek and Roman tragedy and comedy in English translation, including such authors as the tragedians Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and Seneca, and comic playwrights Aristophanes, Menander, Plautus and Terence. Ancient drama in its literary, theatrical and socio-historical contexts.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: one credit from CLAS 1P91, 1P92, 1P95, 1P97, 2F05, DART 1F93.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in CLAS 3P02.
CLAS 3F75
Archaeological Practicum in Mediterranean Lands
Field work including excavation, surveys, lectures, demonstrations and study tours of ancient sites, monuments and museums.
Restriction: permission of the instructor.
Prerequisite: one of CLAS 2P27, 2P32, 2P35, 3P22, 3P23, 3P24, 3P25 or permission of the Department.
Note: students are expected to pay their own expenses.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtaineed in CLAS 4F75.
*CLAS 3M20-3M29
Study in Mediterranean Lands
(also offered as VISA 3M20-3M29)
Topographical investigations of ancient sites and monuments. Study tours of the great cities and museums of the Mediterranean world emphasizing the art and architecture of the Prehistoric, Classical and later periods.
Restriction: permission of the Department.
Note: offered in the Spring or Summer Session for three or four weeks of intensive study abroad. Students are expected to pay their own expenses.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in CLAS (VISA) 4M00-4M09.
CLAS 3P07
History of Early Greece
Social and political history of the Greek world from the Bronze Age to 450 BC: Minoans and Mycenaeans, Dark Age, colonizing period, tyrants, rise of Sparta, Persian wars, and Athenian Empire. Readings from Greek historians and documents in translation.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in CLAS 2P91.
CLAS 3P08
History of Classical Greece
Social and political history of the Greek world, 450-323 BC. The great war between Athens and Sparta, rivalry of city-states, rise of national states, Alexander the Great. Readings from Greek historians and documents in translation.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: CLAS 3P07 (2P91).
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in CLAS 2P92.
CLAS 3P09
History of the Roman Republic
History of Rome to the Battle of Actium (31 BC) emphasizing social and political developments from the Gracchi to Julius Caesar.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in CLAS 2P98.
CLAS 3P10
History of the Early Roman Empire
History of Rome from the Battle of Actium to the death of Marcus Aurelius (AD 180) emphasizing social and political developments.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: CLAS 3P09 (2P98).
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in CLAS 2P99.
*CLAS 3P22
Art and Architecture of Iron Age Italy and the Roman Republic
(also offered as VISA 3P22)
Art and architecture of the cultures of the Italian peninsula, in the first millennium BC, within the framework of cultural change and external influences.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: one credit from CLAS 1P91, 1P92, 1P93, 1P95, 1P97, 2P27, 2P35, VISA 1Q98 and 1Q99 (1F98).
*CLAS 3P23
Art and Architecture of Rome in the Imperial Age
(also offered as VISA 3P23)
Roman art and architecture from Augustus to Late Antiquity. Christian art and architecture and the influence of Roman aesthetics on the Renaissance and beyond.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: one credit from CLAS 1P91, 1P92, 1P93, 1P95, 1P97, 2P27, 2P35, VISA 1Q98 and 1Q99 (1F98).
*CLAS 3P24
Art and Architecture of Early Greece
(also offered as VISA 3P24)
Greek art and architecture from the end of the Bronze age through the end of the Archaic period within the framework of historical and cultural change.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: one credit from CLAS 1P91, 1P92, 1P93, 1P95, 1P97, 2P27, 2P35, VISA 1Q98 and 1Q99 (1F98).
*CLAS 3P25
Art and Architecture of Classical Greece and the Hellenistic World
(also offered as VISA 3P25)
Greek art and architecture from the early Classical era through the Hellenistic period within the framework of historical and cultural change.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: one credit from CLAS 1P91, 1P92, 1P93, 1P95, 1P97, 2P27, 2P35, VISA 1Q98 and 1Q99 (1F98).
*CLAS 3P61
Gender and Society in Ancient Mediterranean Cultures
(also offered as WISE 3P61)
Ancient constructions of femininity and masculinity and their relationship to the social, political and legal systems of the Greco-Roman world. Topics include the body, sexuality, male and female identities.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: one of CLAS 1P91, 1P92, 2P61, WISE 1F90.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in CLAS (WISE) 2P62.
*CLAS 3P62
The Ancient Household
(also offered as WISE 3P62)
Social structure, gender and class roles, religious rituals; Mediterranean domestic space and community relationships, urban infrastructure and social networks.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: one credit from CLAS 1P91, 1P92, 2P61, WISE 1F90.
CLAS 3V30-3V39
Survey Topics in Mediterranean Art and Archaeology
Topics in Mediterranean art, architecture and archaeology, offering an overview of selected chronological periods, geographic regions and artistic disciplines.
Prerequisites: one credit from CLAS 1P91, 1P92, 1P93, 1P95, 1P97, 2P27, 2P35, VISA 1Q98 and 1Q99 (1F98).
CLAS 4P00
History of the Hellenistic World, 323-30 BC
Political, social and intellectual history of the Hellenistic world between Alexander and Cleopatra. The Successor states and the Hellenistic balance of power, Greek federalism, Roman intervention, the Library and Museum of Alexandria.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisites: CLAS 3P07 (2P91) and 3P08 (2P92).
CLAS 4V20-4V29
Special Topics in Archaeology
Selected topics and problems in current archaeological research that pertain to the Mediterranean and to the Near East.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: one of CLAS 2P27, 2P32, 2P35, 3P22, 3P23, 3P24, 3P25 or permission of the Department.
CLAS 4V22
2008-2009: Mortuary Archaeology
Ancient burial customs, concentrating on the cultures of the Mediterranean, emphasizing mortuary theory.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: one of CLAS 2P27, 2P32, 2P35, 3P22, 3P23, 3P24, 3P25 or permission of the Department.
CLAS 4V30
2008-2009: Hadrian and his Empire
(also offered as VISA 4V30)
Combines the study of ancient historical sources with a full examination of the archaeological evidence to illuminate the reign of Hadrian and his influence in the city of Rome and across the Mediterranean world.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: one credit from CLAS 3P22, 3P23, 3P24, 3P25, VISA 1Q98 and 1Q99 (1F98) or permission of the Department.
*CLAS 4V30-4V39
Special Topics in Mediterranean Art and Architecture
(also offered as VISA 4V30-4V39)
Selected topics and problems in current art, historical and archaeological research pertaining to the art and architecture of the ancient Greek or Roman world.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: one credit from CLAS 3P22, 3P23, 3P24, 3P25, VISA 1Q98 and 1Q99 (1F98) or permission of the Department.
CLAS 4V50-4V69
Special Subjects in Classics
Study of a special subject in one of the following areas: Greek and Latin linguistics and literature, Greek and Roman history, philosophy and religion.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: one CLAS credit numbered 2(alpha)90 or above or permission of the Department.
*CLAS 4V61
2008-2009: Prostitution in the Ancient World
(also offered as WISE 4V61)
Social history of prostitution focusing on female prostitution in Greek and Roman cultures. Legal and cultural attitudes towards prostitution and ancient hierarchies of gender. Consideration of modern theoretical approaches to prostitution.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: one of CLAS 2P61, 3P61, WISE 1F90.
CLAS 4V62
2008-2009: The End of the Ancient World
History and society in the Roman world from the reign of Marcus Aurelius to the fifth century AD.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: CLAS 3P10.
CLAS 4V80-4V89
Advanced Archaeological Fieldwork and Directed Research
Fieldwork and study of archaeological material under the supervision of a faculty member.
Restriction: permission of the Department.
Prerequisite: CLAS 3F75 (4F75).
Note: students are expected to pay their own expenses.
CLAS 4V90-4V99
Advanced Study and Directed Research
Individual study in one of the following areas: archaeology, ancient history, classical literature.
Restriction: permission of the Department.
Note: content to be determined by the interests of the student and the advice of the Department.
GREEK
GREE 1F00
Language (Introductory)
Fundamentals of Ancient Greek. Selections from various Greek authors.
Lectures, seminar, 4 hours per week.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in GREE 1P01 and 1P02.
GREE 1P02
Language (Introductory) II
Fundamentals of Greek. Selections from various Greek authors.
Lectures, seminar, 4 hours per week.
Prerequisite: GREE 1P01.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in GREE 1F00.
GREE 2F00
Language and Literature
Intermediate selections from Greek authors. Greek prose composition. Fundamentals of Greek philology.
Lectures, seminar, 4 hours per week
Prerequisite: GREE 1F00 (1P01 and 1P02) or permission of the department.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in GREE 2P01 and 2P02.
GREE 2P02
Language and Literature II
Further intermediate selections from Greek authors. Greek prose composition.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: GREE 2P01 or permission of the Department.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in GREE 2F00.
GREE 3V00-3V09
Greek Epic
Selections from Greek epic (authors and works vary from year to year).
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: GREE 2F00 (2P01 and 2P02) or permission of the instructor.
GREE 3V02
2008-2009: Homer, Iliad Selections
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: GREE 2F00 (2P01 and 2P02) or permission of the instructor.
GREE 3V10-3V19
Greek Historians
Selections from the works of the classical Greek historians (authors and selections vary from year to year).
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: GREE 2F00 (2P02) or permission of the instructor.
GREE 3V90-3V99
Greek Tragedy
One or more Greek tragedies and/or satyr-drama (authors and works vary from year to year).
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: GREE 2F00 (2P02) or permission of the instructor.
GREE 4V00-4V09
Attic Oratory
Speeches from the Attic orators (authors and works vary from year to year).
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: GREE 2F00 (2P02) or permission of the instructor.
GREE 4V50-4V59
Greek Comedy
One or more Greek comedies (authors and works vary from year to year).
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: GREE 2F00 (2P02) or permission of the instructor.
GREE 4V60-4V69
Greek Philosophy
Selected Greek philosophical works (authors and works vary from year to year).
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: GREE 2F00 (2P02) or permission of the instructor.
GREE 4V90-4V99
Advanced Readings and Directed Research
Studies in Greek literature. Content to be determined by the interests of the student and availability of instructors.
Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: permission of the Department.
GREE 4V95
2008-2009: Readings in Herodotus' Histories
Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: permission of the Department.
LATIN
LATI 1F00
Language (Introductory)
Fundamentals of Latin. Selections from various Latin authors.
Lectures, seminar, 4 hours per week.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in LATI 1P01 and 1P02.
LATI 1P02
Language (Introductory) II
Fundamentals of Latin. Selections from various Latin authors.
Lectures, seminar, 4 hours per week.
Prerequisite: LATI 1P01 or OAC Latin.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in LATI 1F00.
LATI 2F00
Language and Literature
Intermediate selections from Latin authors. Latin prose composition. Fundamentals of Latin philology.
Lectures, seminar, 4 hours per week.
Prerequisite: LATI 1F00 (1P02) or OAC Latin or permission of the Department.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in LATI 2P01 and 2P02.
LATI 2P02
Language and Literature II
Further intermediate selections from Latin authors. Latin prose composition.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: LATI 2P01 or permission of the Department.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in LATI 2F00.
LATI 3V04
2008-2009: Readings in Terence and Plautus
Selections from Plautus and Terence (authors and works vary from year to year).
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: LATI 2F00 (2P02) or permission of the instructor.
LATI 3V00-3V09
Roman Comedy
Selections from Plautus and Terence (authors and works vary from year to year).
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: LATI 2F00 (2P02) or permission of the instructor.
LATI 3V10-3V19
Latin Speeches, Letters and Dialogues
Selections from Cicero, Seneca and Pliny the Younger (authors and works might vary from year to year).
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: LATI 2F00 (2P02) or permission of the instructor.
LATI 3V15
2008-2009: Roman Literary Letters
Select letters of Cicero, Seneca, Pliny the Younger and Fronto. Style and technique, cultural and literary function, social and political history.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: LATI 2F00 (2P02) or permission of the instructor.
LATI 3V90-3V99
Roman Lyric and Elegy
Selections from Horace, Catullus, Tibullus, Ovid and Propertius (authors and works might vary from year to year).
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: LATI 2F00 (2P02) or permission of the instructor.
LATI 4V00-4V09
Roman Epic, Didactic and Pastoral Poetry
Selections from Vergil and Lucretius (authors and works might vary from year to year).
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: LATI 2F00 (2P02) or permission of the instructor.
LATI 4V10-4V19
Roman Historians and Biographers
Selections from Caesar, Sallust, Nepos, Livy, Tacitus and Suetonius (authors and works might vary from year to year).
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: LATI 2F00 (2P02) or permission of the instructor.
LATI 4V20-4V29
Roman Satire and Epigram
Selections from Juvenal, Martial and Petronius (authors and works vary from year to year).
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: LATI 2F00 (2P02) or permission of the instructor.
LATI 4V90: Ovid's Fasti
Readings in Ovid's Fasti with a survey of recent critical scholarship.
Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: permission of the instructor.
LATI 4V90-4V99
Advanced Readings and Directed Research
Studies in Latin literature. Content to be determined by the interests of the student and availability of instructors.