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MCLLC Programs / MCLLC Major and Minor / Classics / Classical Civilization

Classical Civilization

COURSES IN CLASSICAL CIVILIZATION AND CULTURE

(No knowledge of Greek or Latin expected.)

Click on “Course Offerings” in main Classics menu for courses being offered in the current year.

CLA 100 ANCIENT STORIES IN MODERN FILMS. (3)

This course will view a number of modern films and set them alongside ancient literary texts which have either directly inspired them or with which they share common themes. In the first part of the course, we will consider the relationship between ancient Greek epic, tragic, and comic literature and the modern cinema. In the second part, we will look at a number of ways in which the city of Rome has been treated as both a physical place and as an idea or ideal in the works of both ancient Romans and modern film-makers.

CLA 131 MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY FROM GREEK AND LATIN. (3)

Latin and Greek roots, prefixes, and suffixes as found in medical terminology. Primarily for pre-medical, pre-dental, pre-nursing and preveterinary students, but others will be admitted for help in vocabulary building.

CLA 135 GREEK AND ROMAN MYTHOLOGY. (3)

The Greek myths studied both from the standpoint of their meaning to the Greeks and Romans and from the standpoint of their use in later literature and in everyday life. Fulfills UKcore Inquiry, Humanities.

CLA 191 CHRISTIANITY, CULTURE, AND SOCIETY: A HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. (3)

A historical introduction to Christianity in its varying cultural contexts, examining the primary developments in its teachings, practices, and structures from its origins to the sixteenth century.

CLA 210 THE ART OF GREECE AND ROME. (3)

A survey of the major forms of art in ancient Western Asia, Greece, and Rome, with emphasis on the comparative typology and cultural significance of the monuments.

CLA 229 THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST AND GREECE TO THE DEATH OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT. (3)

Covers the birth of civilization in Egypt and Mesopotamia, and the history of the ancient Near East and Greece to the conquest of Greece by Philip of Macedon. (Same as HIS 229.)

CLA 230 THE HELLENISTIC WORLD AND ROME TO THE DEATH OF CONSTANTINE. (3)

Covers the conquests of Alexander the Great, and the main features of the Hellenistic World, the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire to the death of Constantine. (Same as HIS 230.)

CLA 261 LITERARY MASTERPIECES OF GREECE AND ROME. (3)

A survey of major Greek and Roman literary works. Attention will be focused on the various genres of Classical literature, and the course will include comparative analysis of Greek and Latin literary pieces.

CLA 314 ANCIENT ART (Subtitle required). (3)

Study of the arts and visual cultures of the Ancient World. According to subtitles, focus may be on selected periods or media of artistic and visual production, in the context of political, social and cultural developments, from Bronze Age through the Roman Empire under Constantine. May be repeated under a different subtitle to a maximum of six credits. Prereq: A-H 105 recommended. (Same as A-H 314.)

CLA 331 GENDER AND SEXUALITY IN ANTIQUITY. (3)

A survey of the construction of gender, sexuality, and their relation to and expression in the societies of ancient Greece and Rome. Gender roles, marriage, social problems concerning sex and virginity, and different ways of understanding sexuality and gender in historical contexts are examined through the study of ancient literature, art and the insights of contemporary scholarship.

CLA 382 GREEK AND ROMAN RELIGION. (3)

A broad examination of the varieties of religious practice and experience in the ancient Mediterranean world, particularly in Greece and Rome, with emphasis placed on how dramatically ancient religious concepts and systems differ from those of the modern world.

CLA 390 BACKGROUNDS TO AND EARLY HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY TO 150 CE. (3)

This course examines the origins of Christianity from its Jewish, Greek, and Roman influences and charts its development through the first one hundred years of its existence. Special emphases are placed on understanding the diversity of Judaic religious identity as well as the influence of Greek philosophy and religion. The world of Jesus, Paul, and the evolution of this new view of one’s relationship to God are analyzed historically through a close examination of the texts of this time in the nexus of Jewish, Greek, and Roman cultural interaction. All students will write a book review, take two essay exams, and participate in regular discussion. Class participation is an expected

component of this class and contributes 25% to the final grade for the course. (Same as HIS 390.)

CLA 391 CHRISTIANS IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE. (3)

This course discusses the changing status of Christians in the Roman Empire between 100 and 500 CE. An underlying theme of this course is: What is it to be a Christian? Students will read and discuss both primary and secondary sources and analyze how the answer to the above-mentioned question changed during the Roman Empire. Topics to be discussed include: heresies, persecution, definitions of doctrines and practices, the relationship to the Roman Empire, and more. All students will write a book review, take two essay exams, and participate in regular discussion. Class participation is an expected component of this class and contributes 25% to the final grade for the course. (Same as HIS 391.)

CLA 450G SPECIAL TOPICS IN CLASSICAL STUDIES (Subtitle required). (3)

This course offers advanced study of a particular topic in classical studies not covered in other CLA courses. The field of study for this course is broadly conceived, and can include aspects of Greek or Latin philology and literature, as well as the history and culture of antiquity, archaeology and material studies, literary rhetorical theory and criticism, the classical tradition in the humanities, and pertinent topics in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Format includes lectures and discussions, assigned and supplementary readings, and paper writing. May be repeated to a maximum of nine credits with different topics.

CLA 462G TOPICS IN CLASSICAL LITERATURE (Subtitle required). (3)

A study of a specific genre or genres, or author or set of authors, selected from Greek and Roman literature read in English translation. In addition to developing an appreciation of the works studied and their ongoing contribution to world literature, the course will examine various methods of literary analysis and criticism as well as the historical, social, and cultural context of these works in classical antiquity. The course is especially suited for students outside the classical languages who wish to acquire a sophisticated understanding of classical culture and for students interested in comparative literary studies.

CLA 509 ROMAN LAW. (3)

An historical introduction to the development of Roman law, from the Twelve Tables through the Codex Justinianus. (Same as HIS 509.)