Undergraduate

Embracing the condition of not knowing as a pathway to freedom is at the core of two ancient philosophical schools now commonly known as Skepticism and Daoism. This course is a literary and philosophical comparison of two highly sophisticated texts in these traditions: the Greek Outlines of Pyrrhonism of Sextus Empiricus, which records the teachings of Pyrrho, founder of the Hellenistic Skeptic school; and the Chinese text known as the Zhuangzi, which records that teacher’s anticonventionalist and paradoxical counsels for achieving a life of “free and easy roaming.” Course readings are all in English, and no knowledge of the classical Chinese and Greek languages or their philosophies is needed, but separate meetings can be scheduled for students interested in reading either of these texts in the original.

The class will study the history of the Roman republic in light of contemporary normative theory, and likewise interrogate the ideological origins of contemporary republicanism in light of historical concerns. The focus will be on sovereignty, public law, citizenship, and the form of ancient empire.

We shall focus on prose and poetry from the Carolingian Renaissance that reflects the age’s revived emphasis on a classical forms and grammar.

This class on Euripides’ Medea will work in lockstep with an upcoming production at the Court Theatre of the Luis Alfaro’s Mojada, a Medea that will be set in the Chicago neighborhood of Pilsen, which examines the tragedy of the American immigration system through the story of one family from Mexico. We will discuss the construction of the play through its performance, both in its original setting and each time it is adapted and staged, and will examine the circumstances of immigration in American portrayed by Luis Alfaro, who will be involved in the course as well as the production. We will attend rehearsals and talk to the director, crew and performers of the play as the production takes shape and will also attend the play at the end of the term. Readings will include Medea by Euripides, as well as a number of adaptions and critical texts. (No knowledge of Greek is required for the course, but those who wish to take it as a Greek course will have additional reading assignments in Greek.)

Lucian of Samosata (b. approx. AD 120), like many authors of the New Testament, wrote in Greek but was born and grew up in an Aramaic speaking community. His idiosyncratic literary output comprises around 70 prose pieces which reflect a engaging synthesis of comedy, satire, popular philosophy, and theological musing. Many of his works present a savvy commentary on his cultural and religious environment, and especially enjoyable is his mirthful abandon in identifying religious quackery and the victims of it. As one of the most important and prolific pagan authors of the early centuries AD, Lucian's works form an important background to the early Christian movement, both in his direct references to Christians (in the Peregrinus and Alexander) and in his sensitive description of the vast religious amalgam in which early Christianity grew.

The class will focus on daily close reading and analysis of Lucian's Greek and discussion of his ideas. We will read the first 20 or so of the Dialogues of the Gods, Lover of Lies, Alexander the False Prophet, and the Death of Perigrinus. These works represent a sampling of genres in which Lucian is at his best: mythic paraphrase and parody and religious and social satire.

Greek was the dominant language in Asia Minor (modern Turkey) between the Hellenistic era and late medieval times, so for almost 1500 years. During that time, communities switched from native Anatolian languages to Greek, converted to Christianity, and eventually became citizens of the east Roman empire, with a Roman legal and ethnic identity. These changes left their mark on the Greek language, even beyond the religious sphere. Latin words entered it by the hundreds, it evolved a number of registers (e.g., archaizing Attic versus spoken demotic Greek), and came to be called ‘the Romaic language.’ A forms of this language, Romeyka, continues to be spoken in rural areas by communities that are today Turkish and Muslim. This course will survey the major historical and linguistic developments of Greek in Asia Minor and modern Turkey.

The Harlem Renaissance in literature and the arts is widely celebrated as a high-water mark of achievement in American culture. Although Chicago writers and artists are not as often grouped together, the juxtaposition of social realism with classical themes, tropes, myth, and genres constitute a particular movement. In this course, we will explore the tension between the social world of Renaissance authors, primarily from Chicago’s South Side, and their interactions with the classics as both legitimating and an edifice they could challenge and rebuild. We will read some of the works of, among others, Richard Wright, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Lorraine Hansberry. We will draw from the collections of the Smart Museum and other local resources to enhance how we see Chicago of the 1930s-1950s.

Plautus' Pseudolus is read in Latin, along with secondary readings that explain the social context and the theatrical conventions of Roman comedy. Class meetings are devoted less to translation than to study of the language, plot construction, and stage techniques at work in the Pseudolus.

What is the Iliad about? Although the poem famously announces its theme to be “the wrath of Achilles,” the first three books of the epic repeatedly expand and shift the poem’s scope, altering the audience’s perspective and sympathies. In this course, we will read in Greek the first three books of the Iliad, with an eye to the poem’s multiple “beginnings.” Our aim will be to explore how these layered openings set up the Iliad’s manifold and rich narrative.

The Senior Seminar is designed as a capstone course, and it is required for all Classics majors, whether they are writing a BA paper or not. The course meets once per week over two quarters (Autumn and Winter), for an hour and twenty minutes each week. Both quarters are required. CLCV 29500 is valued at 100 units; CLCV 29501 is valued at 0 units. Students will normally register in CLCV 29500 in Autumn quarter and CLCV 29501 in Winter quarter; but they may reverse the order of enrollment if need be.