Classics

University of California, Berkeley

This is an archived copy of the 2014-15 guide. To access the most recent version of the guide, please visit http://guide.berkeley.edu/.

Overview

The Department of Classics at UC Berkeley has long been one of the world's leading centers for the study of Graeco-Roman antiquity. It is the intellectual home of a distinguished faculty, excellent graduate students, and many visiting scholars, including the annual Jane K. Sather Professor of Classical Literature. Alumni and alumnae occupy teaching positions at major universities both in North America and overseas.

The mission of the Department has four major components:

  1. To give students across the University access to the literature, history, archaeology, mythology, and philosophy of the ancient Greek and Roman world through an array of undergraduate courses on classical culture in translation. These courses introduce students to texts, artefacts, and ideas that are worth studying both in their own right and as abidingly influential elements in the imagination and history of later cultures. Such study deepens students' understanding of present-day issues by inculcating a sense of historical perspective that takes account of both the differences and the continuities between contemporary and ancient cultures.
  2. To enable undergraduates to immerse themselves in the language and culture of ancient Greece and Rome through its majors in Greek, Latin, and Classical Civilizations. These majors equip students with knowledge and analytical skills that can be applied in many areas (e.g., law, politics, business, biosciences, computer science and media) as well as providing essential preparation for graduate study in Classics, Comparative Literature, Philosophy, and other fields.
  3. To train and mentor future scholars and teachers through its top-rated graduate programs in Classics and Classical Archaeology. These programs combine intensive linguistic training in both Greek and Latin with wide-ranging intellectual exploration (including literature, history, archaeology, philosophy, and linguistics).
  4. To seek, through its faculty appointments, the breadth and excellence that can sustain these three goals. The Department encourages individual and collaborative faculty research, intellectual engagement with students at all levels, and effective participation in the administrative and advisory work of the Department, the College, the Academic Senate, and the campus and University as a whole.

The Department encourages faculty participation in other programs and cooperation with other departments. It includes several faculty with joint appointments, and it enjoys strong connections with Art History, Comparative Literature, History, Linguistics, Medieval Studies, Near Eastern Studies, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Rhetoric, Theater Dance and Performance Studies, and the Graduate Group in Ancient History and Mediterranean Archaeology, and the Graduate Theological Union. On campus, Classics faculty are involved in the Nemea Center for Classical Archaeology, the Aleshire Center for the Study of Greek Epigraphy, the Center for the Tebtunis Papyri, the Phoebe Apperson Hearst Museum of Anthropology, and the Archaeological Research Facility.

Undergraduate Programs

Classical Civilizations : BA or Minor
Classical Languages : BA
Greek : BA or Minor
Latin : BA or Minor

Graduate Programs

Classics : PhD
Classical Archaeology : PhD

Visit Department Website

Courses

Literature and Culture:

Languages:

Classics

CLASSIC 200 Proseminar 4 Units

An introduction to the general literature of classical philology, to methods of research, and to textual criticism.

CLASSIC 201A Survey of Greek Literature 4 Units

A sequence of readings and lectures on Greek literature.

CLASSIC 201B Survey of Greek Literature 4 Units

A sequence of readings and lectures on Greek literature.

CLASSIC 202A Survey of Latin Literature 4 Units

A sequence of readings and lectures on Latin literature.

CLASSIC 202B Survey of Latin Literature 4 Units

A sequence of readings and lectures on Latin literature.

CLASSIC 203 Approaches to Classical Literature 4 Units

Introduction to basic methods of literary analysis and interpretation, and study of particular critical approaches of significance for the understanding of Classical literature. Close reading of selected passages of Greek and Latin will be emphasized. The critical approaches that are to be studied may vary from year to year. The course will be team taught.

CLASSIC C204 Proseminar in Classical Archaeology and Ancient Art 2 or 4 Units

This seminar is intended to introduce graduate students--both archaeologists and non-archaeologists--to the discipline of classical archaeology, history, and evolution, and its research tools and bibliography. Since it is both impossible and undesirable to attempt to cover the entire discipline in one semester, after two introductory lectures on the history of the field, we will address a selection of topics that seems representative of its concerns.

CLASSIC 211 Archaic Greek Poetry 2 or 4 Units

. Topics in iambic, elegiac, and lyric poets from Archilochus to Pindar.

CLASSIC 213 Hellenistic Poetry 2 or 4 Units

. Study of Callimachus, Theocritus, Apollonius, or other topics in Hellenistic poetry and poetics.

CLASSIC 214 Greek Drama 2 or 4 Units

. Study of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes, Menander, or other topics in Greek drama and dramatic theory.

CLASSIC 218 Greek Philosophers 2 or 4 Units

Study of PreSocratics, Plato, Aristotle, Hellenistic Philosophy, or other topics in ancient Greek philosophy through Plotinus.

CLASSIC 219 Ancient Novel 2 or 4 Units

Study of Greek novelists, Petronius, Apuleius, or other topics in Greco-Roman romance or novel.

CLASSIC 220A Greek and Latin Epigraphy 2 or 4 Units

Greek epigraphy

CLASSIC 224 Classical Poetics and Rhetoric 2 or 4 Units

Ancient views of literature; theories and practice of criticism, scholarship, and education, from Homer to Byzantium.

CLASSIC 225 Papyrology 2 or 4 Units

The course introduces students to Greek papyrology. Its principal aim is to develop the skills necessary to edit and interpret papyrological texts. Sessions are devoted to learning the techniques of papyrology and to investigating historical issues to which the papyrological corpus has much to contribute (the ancient economy, gender in antiquity, education, etc.). Extensive use will be made of Berkeley's outstanding collection of papyri from Tebtunis.

CLASSIC 226 Myth and Literature 2 or 4 Units

A study of the interplay of mythical thinking and formal literary expression in texts of all kinds in the Greco-Roman world.

CLASSIC 228 Ancient Society and Law 2 or 4 Units

. Study of social, legal, or administrative structures of the Greek or Roman world.

CLASSIC 230 Latin Poetry of the Republic and Early Empire 2 or 4 Units

. Study of Lucretius, Vergil, Horace, Ovid, or other topics in Latin poetry from Ennius to Juvenal.

CLASSIC 239 Topics in Greek or Roman Literature, History, and Culture 2 or 4 Units

Select issues in ancient Greek and/or Roman literature or history or culture.

CLASSIC 250 Advanced Greek Composition 4 Units

Advanced instruction in the writing of Greek prose.

CLASSIC 260 Advanced Latin Composition 4 Units

Advanced instruction in the writing of Latin prose.

CLASSIC 270 Seminar in Classical Archaeology 2 or 4 Units

Advanced study of ancient Greek art objects and sites.

CLASSIC 298 Special Study 2 - 12 Units

Normally reserved for students writing the doctoral dissertation.

CLASSIC 299 Special Study 1 - 4 Units

Special individual study for qualified graduate students.

CLASSIC 302 Teaching Practicum 3 - 6 Units

Supervised teaching of lower division Greek, Latin, or Classics or of discussion sections in Classics. Two semesters normally required for Ph.D. candidates.

CLASSIC 375 Teaching of Classics: Methods and Problems 3 Units

Seminar in problems of teaching. Required for all new graduate student instructors.

CLASSIC 601 Individual Study for Master's Candidates 1 - 12 Units

Individual study for the comprehensive or language requirements in consultation with the graduate adviser or personal adviser. Units may not be used to meet either unit or residence requirements for a master's degree.

CLASSIC 602 Individual Study for Doctoral Candidates 1 - 12 Units

Individual study in consultation with the graduate adviser or personal adviser, intended to provide an opportunity for qualified students to prepare themselves for the various examinations required of candidates for the Ph.D. May not be used for unit or residence requirements for the doctoral degree.

Greek

GREEK 1 Elementary Greek 4 Units

Beginners' course.

GREEK 2 Elementary Greek 4 Units

Beginners' course.

GREEK 10 Intensive Elementary Greek 8 Units

Beginners' course (intensive); equivalent to Greek 1-2.

GREEK 15 The Greek Workshop 10 Units

Designed primarily for prospective and beginning graduate students wishing to complete as early as possible a requirement in the classical languages or to gain rapidly a basic control of Greek in order to proceed directly into intermediate courses in Homer, Plato, and Euripides. Lectures, discussions, drills and tutorial sessions on grammar and vocabulary; readings in Attic prose and poetry (Plato and Greek Tragedy). A grade of B enables the students to enroll directly in upper division Greek.

GREEK 40 Intermediate Greek Prose Composition 4 Units

. Development of skills in writing Attic prose and sight reading; grammar review.

GREEK 98 Directed Group Study for Freshmen and Sophomores 1 - 4 Units

GREEK 99 Supervised Independent Study and Research 1 - 4 Units

GREEK 100 Plato and Attic Prose 4 Units

Readings from Plato's or , and from other Attic prose authors (e.g., Xenophon, Lysias); some review of grammar.

GREEK 101 Homer 4 Units

Selected readings in the or .

GREEK 102 Drama and Society 4 Units

Reading of one Greek tragedy, and of further selections from the dramatists and/or prose literature of fifth century Athens.

GREEK 105 The Greek New Testament 4 Units

Readings in the Gospels and/or Acts and/or Epistles.

GREEK 115 Archaic Poetry 4 Units

Readings in various Greek poets.

GREEK 116 Greek Drama 4 Units

Selected readings from Greek tragedy and/or comedy.

GREEK 117 Hellenistic Poets 4 Units

Readings in various Hellenistic poets.

GREEK 120 Herodotus 4 Units

Readings in Herodotus.

GREEK 121 Thucydides 4 Units

Readings in Thucydides.

GREEK 122 Attic Oratory 4 Units

Readings in oratory.

GREEK 123 Plato and Aristotle 4 Units

Readings in Plato and Aristotle.

GREEK 125 Greek Literature of the Hellenistic and Imperial Periods 4 Units

Selected readings in Greek prose or poetry written by authors active during the Hellenistic Age and the Roman Empire (3rd century BCE to 6th century CE).

GREEK H195 Honors Course in Greek 4 Units

Largely independent study for one semester building on work in a previous upper-division course used in fulfillment of the Greek major; the work will result in the writing of a thesis, to be evaluated by an honors committee of three members. Written thesis due the Monday of the 13th week of the semester in which the course is taken.

GREEK H195A Honors Course in Greek 2 - 4 Units

This is a two-semester Honors course [H195A-B]. The work for the Honors course may either build on work in a previous upper division course used in fulfillment of the Greek major or may be a newly conceived project. The work will result in the writing of a thesis, to be evaluated by an Honors committee of three members. Written thesis due the Monday of the 13th week of the semester in which the course is taken.

GREEK H195B Honors Course in Greek 4 Units

The work for the Honors course may either build on work in a previous upper division course used in fulfillment of the Greek major or may be a newly conceived project. The work will result in the writing of a thesis, to be evaluated by an Honors committee of three members. Written thesis due the Monday of the 13th week of the semester in which the course is taken.

GREEK 198 Directed Group Study for Advanced Undergraduates 1 - 4 Units

GREEK 199 Supervised Independent Study and Research 1 - 4 Units

Latin

LATIN 1 Elementary Latin 4 Units

Beginners' course.

LATIN 2 Elementary Latin 4 Units

Beginners' course.

LATIN 10 Intensive Elementary Latin 8 Units

Beginners' course (intensive); equivalent to Latin 1-2.

LATIN 15 The Latin Workshop 10 Units

Designed primarily for prospective and beginning graduate students wishing to complete as early as possible the Latin requirement for doctoral work in Comparative Literature, English, French, German, Italian, or Spanish. Lectures, discussions, drills, and tutorial sessions on grammar and vocabulary; readings in Vergil, Cicero, and Horace. A grade of B enables the student to enroll directly in upper division Latin.

LATIN 40 Intermediate Latin Prose Composition 4 Units

Development of skills in writing Latin prose and sight reading; review of grammar.

LATIN 98 Directed Group Study for Freshmen and Sophomores 1 - 4 Units

LATIN 99 Supervised Independent Study and Research 1 - 4 Units

LATIN 100 Republican Prose 4 Units

Selected readings in Caesar, Sallust, and Cicero; some review of grammar.

LATIN S100X Republican Prose 4 Units

Selected readings in Caesar, Sallust, and Cicero; some review of grammar.

LATIN 101 Vergil 4 Units

Selected readings from Vergil.

LATIN 102 Lyric and Society 4 Units

Reading in Catullus and Horace, and of short selections from prose literature of their periods.

LATIN 115 Roman Drama 4 Units

Readings in Comedy (Plautus and/or Terence) and Tragedy (Seneca).

LATIN 116 Lucretius, Vergil's <Georgics> 4 Units

Readings in the and the .

LATIN 119 Latin Epic 4 Units

Readings in Latin epic poetry.

LATIN 120 Latin Prose to AD 14 4 Units

Readings in Latin prose authors such as Sallust, Cicero, Caesar, and Livy.

LATIN 121 Tacitus 4 Units

Readings in Tacitus.

LATIN 122 Post-Augustan Prose 4 Units

Readings in Seneca, the younger Pliny, and other prose writers.

LATIN 140 Medieval Latin 4 Units

Introduction to medieval Latin: readings in prose and poetry from Cassiodorus to the Italian Renaissance, with emphasis on certain periods.

LATIN 155A Readings in Medieval Latin 4 Units

Study of texts selected from the early, high, or late medieval periods. Focuses on prose.

LATIN H195 Honors Course in Latin 4 Units

Largely independent study for one semester building on work in a previous upper-division course used in fulfillment of the Latin major; the work will result in the writing of a thesis, to be evaluated by an honors committee of three members. Written thesis due the Monday of the 13th week of the semester in which the course is taken.

LATIN H195A Honors Course in Latin 2 - 4 Units

This is a two-semester Honors course [H195A-B]. The work for the Honors course may either build on work in a previous upper division course used in fulfillment of the Latin major or may be a newly conceived project. The work will result in the writing of a thesis, to be evaluated by an Honors committee of three members. Written thesis due the Monday of the 13th week of the semester in which the course is taken.

LATIN H195B Honors Course in Latin 4 Units

This is a two-semester course [H195A-B]. The work for the Honors course may either build on work in a previous upper division course used in fulfillment of the Latin major or may be a newly conceived project. The work will result in the writing of a thesis, to be evaluated by an Honors committee of three members. Written thesis due the Monday of the 13th week of the semester in which the course is taken.

LATIN 198 Directed Group Study for Advanced Undergraduates 1 - 4 Units

LATIN 199 Supervised Independent Study and Research 1 - 4 Units

Faculty

Professors

Anthony W. Bulloch, Professor. Language, classics, Greek literature, myth and religion, ancient metrics, ancient Greek culture and society.
Research Profile

Giovanni R. F. (John) Ferrari, Professor. Classics, ancient philosophy, Greek culture, ancient poetics and rhetoric.
Research Profile

Mark Griffith, Professor. Gender and sexuality, Greek literature and performance, Greek and Roman education, Greek tragedy and comedy, Hesiod and wisdom literature, ancient music.
Research Profile

Leslie V. Kurke, Professor. Classics, Greek literature and culture, archaic Greek poetry, Herodotus.
Research Profile

Francois Lissarrague, Professor.

Donald J. Mastronarde, Professor. Classics, Greek literature, Greek drama, Greek textual transmission, Greek literary papyrology, Greek palaeography.
Research Profile

Ellen Oliensis, Professor. Latin Literature, Ovid.
Research Profile

J. Theodore Pena, Professor. Roman archaeology, Roman and pre-Roman Italy, city of Rome, Pompeii, ancient economy, ceramic analysis, material culture studies.
Research Profile

Associate Professors

Frank Bezner, PhD, Associate Professor. Medieval Latin literature; Medieval literary culture; Neo-Latin; Intellectual history.
Research Profile

Kathleen Mccarthy, Associate Professor. Classics, Roman literature and culture, slavery.
Research Profile

Trevor M. Murphy, Associate Professor. Ethnography, classics, Roman prose authors.
Research Profile

Nikolaos Papazarkadas, Dphil, Associate Professor. Greek epigraphy, Greek history.
Research Profile

Dylan Paul Sailor, Associate Professor. Rhetoric, classics, Greek literature, Latin Literature, ancient Greek, Latin, historiography, ancient Rome, ancient Greece.
Research Profile

Assistant Professors

Sara Magrin, Assistant Professor.

Contact Information

Department of Classics

7233 Dwinelle Hall

Phone: 510-642-4218

Fax: 510-643-2959

Visit Department Website

Department Chair

GRF (John) Ferrari, PhD

7217 Dwinelle Hall

Phone: 510-642-3164

gferarrari@berkeley.edu

Undergraduate Student Affairs Officer

Cassandra Dunn

7228 Dwinelle Hall

Phone: 510-642-3672

cassandrajj@berkeley.edu

Graduate Student Affairs Officer

Candace Grosskreutz

7222 Dwinelle Hall

Phone: 510-642-3164

candaceg@berkeley.edu

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