Classical Languages

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/.

About the Program

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

The major in Classical Languages provides a solid preparation in both ancient Greek and Latin and provides the prerequisites for application for graduate study in Classics at many universities.

Declaring the Major

The easiest way to declare a major is to meet with an Undergraduate Adviser, who will have all the necessary forms. Please also see the Letters and Science Advising site for a guide to declaring a major .

Honors Program

Restricted to declared majors with an overall University GPA of at least 3.6 and a GPA of at least 3.6 in the major. Honors requirements:

  1. Completion of the major program.
  2. Completion of at least one Senior Reading course in Greek or Latin poetry and one Senior Reading Course in Greek or Latin prose; these can be completed as part of the major program.
  3. One semester of CLASSIC H195. CLASSIC H195 consists of largely independent study, including the writing of a thesis; the project undertaken in this one-semester honors course (4 units) must be related to work completed in a previous upper division course in the Classics department. The thesis will be evaluated by an Honors Committee of three members; the written thesis is due on the Monday of the 13th week of the semester. The committee will agree upon the level of Honors (Honors, High Honors, or Highest Honors) and the grade to be awarded no later than the Monday of examination week.

Minor Program

There is no minor program in Classical Languages. Students who wish to pursue a classical language at the minor level should consider the Greek or Latin minors. See below.

Other Majors and Minors Offered by the Department of Classics

Classical Civilizations  (Major and Minor)
Greek  (Major and Minor)
Latin  (Major and Minor)

Visit Department Website

Major Requirements

In addition to the University, campus, and college requirements, listed on the College Requirements tab, students must fulfill the below requirements specific to their major program.

General Guidelines

  1. All courses taken to fulfill the major requirements below must be taken for graded credit, other than courses listed which are offered on a Pass/No Pass basis only. Other exceptions to this requirement are noted as applicable.
  2. No more than one upper-division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student's major and minor programs, with the exception of minors offered outside of the College of Letters and Science.
  3. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 must be maintained in both upper- and lower-division courses used to fulfill the major requirements.

For information regarding residence requirements and unit requirements, please see the College Requirements tab.

Summary of Degree Requirements

Lower-division: Two courses8
Elementary Language: Two or four courses16-20
Intermediate Language: One course4
Basic Reading: Six courses24
Senior Reading: Four courses8
Total Units60-64

Lower-division

CLASSIC 10AIntroduction to Greek Civilization 14
CLASSIC 10BIntroduction to Roman Civilization 14
Total Units8
1

 To completed, if possible, by the end of the student's junior year. Under exceptional circumstances, the undergraduate adviser may authorize substitution of CLASSIC 100A or CLASSIC 100B.

Elementary Language

Greek8-10
Select one of the following:
Elementary Greek
   and Elementary Greek
Intensive Elementary Greek
The Greek Workshop
Latin8-10
Select one of the following:
Elementary Latin
   and Elementary Latin
Intensive Elementary Latin
The Latin Workshop
Total Units16-20

Intermediate Language1

Select one of the following: 4
Intermediate Greek Prose Composition
Intermediate Latin Prose Composition
Total Units4
1

  To be completed as soon as possible after completing GREEK 100 or LATIN 100.

Basic Reading

GREEK 100Plato and Attic Prose4
GREEK 101Homer4
GREEK 102Drama and Society4
LATIN 100Republican Prose4
LATIN 101Vergil4
LATIN 102Lyric and Society4
Total Units24

Senior Reading

Select two of the following:8
Archaic Poetry
Greek Drama
Hellenistic Poets
Herodotus
Thucydides
Attic Oratory
Plato and Aristotle
Roman Drama
Lucretius, Vergil's <Georgics>
LATIN 117
Course Not Available
LATIN 118
Course Not Available
Latin Epic
Latin Prose to AD 14
Tacitus
Post-Augustan Prose
LATIN 123
Course Not Available
Medieval Latin
Readings in Medieval Latin
LATIN 155B
Course Not Available
Total Units8

College Requirements

Undergraduate students in the College of Letters and Science must fulfill the following requirements in addition to those required by their major program.

For detailed lists of courses that fulfill college requirements, please see the College of Letters and Sciences  page in this bulletin. 

Entry Level Writing

All students who will enter the University of California as freshmen must demonstrate their command of the English language by fulfilling the Entry Level Writing Requirement. Fulfillment of this requirement is also a prerequisite to enrollment in all reading and composition courses at UC Berkeley. 

American History and American Institutions

The American History and Institutions requirements are based on the principle that a U.S. resident graduated from an American university should have an understanding of the history and governmental institutions of the United States.

American Cultures

American Cultures is the one requirement that all undergraduate students at Cal need to take and pass in order to graduate. The requirement offers an exciting intellectual environment centered on the study of race, ethnicity and culture of the United States. AC courses offer students opportunities to be part of research-led, highly accomplished teaching environments, grappling with the complexity of American Culture.

Quantitative Reasoning

The Quantitative Reasoning requirement is designed to ensure that students graduate with basic understanding and competency in math, statistics, or computer science. The requirement may be satisfied by exam or by taking an approved course.

Foreign Language

The Foreign Language requirement may be satisfied by demonstrating proficiency in reading comprehension, writing, and conversation in a foreign language equivalent to the second semester college level, either by passing an exam or by completing approved course work.

Reading and Composition

In order to provide a solid foundation in reading, writing and critical thinking the College requires two semesters of lower division work in composition. Students must complete a first-level reading and composition course by the end of their second semester and a second-level course by the end of their fourth semester.

Breadth Requirements

The undergraduate breadth requirements provide Berkeley students with a rich and varied educational experience outside of their major program. As the foundation of a liberal arts education, breadth courses give students a view into the intellectual life of the University while introducing them to a multitude of perspectives and approaches to research and scholarship.  Engaging students in new disciplines and with peers from other majors, the breadth experience strengthens interdisciplinary connections and context that prepares Berkeley graduates to understand and solve the complex issues of their day.

Unit Requirements

  • 120 total units, including at least 60 L&S units

  • Of the 120 units, 36 must be upper division units

  • Of the 36 upper division units, 6 must be taken in courses offered outside your major department

Residence Requirements

For units to be considered in "residence," you must be registered in courses on the Berkeley campus as a student in the College of Letters and Science. Most students automatically fulfill the residence requirement by attending classes here for four years. In general, there is no need to be concerned about this requirement, unless you go abroad for a semester or year or want to take courses at another institution or through University Extension during your senior year. In these cases, you should make an appointment to see an adviser to determine how you can meet the Senior Residence Requirement.

Note: Courses taken through UC Extension do not count toward residence.

Senior Residence Requirement

After you become a senior (with 90 semester units earned toward your B.A. degree), you must complete at least 24 of the remaining 30 units in residence in at least two semesters. To count as residence, a semester must consist of at least 6 passed units. Intercampus Visitor, EAP, and UC Berkeley-Washington Program (UCDC) units are excluded.

You may use a Berkeley summer session to satisfy one semester of the Senior Residence Requirement, provided that you successfully complete 6 units of course work in the Summer Session and that you have been enrolled previously in the College.

Modified Senior Residence Requirement

Participants in the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP) or the UC Berkeley-Washington Program (UCDC) may meet a Modified Senior Residence Requirement by completing 24 (excluding EAP) of their final 60 semester units in residence. At least 12 of these 24 units must be completed after you have completed 90 units.

Upper Division Residence Requirement

You must complete in residence a minimum of 18 units of upper division courses (excluding EAP units), 12 of which must satisfy the requirements for your major.

Student Learning Goals

Mission

The learning goals should be understood in the context of the mission statement of the Department of Classics. The first two components of that statement are especially relevant to undergraduate teaching and are repeated here:

  • 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, artifacts, 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.

  • 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.

Learning Goals for the Major

  1. Acquire a basic grounding in the vocabulary, morphology, and syntax of classical Greek and Latin
  2. Practice the skills needed to use dictionaries, grammars, and other resources to read intermediate texts accurately and to deal comfortably with at least some advanced texts in the original language(s)
  3. Learn to identify and understand key events, institutions, personalities, places, and concepts of ancient Greek and Roman culture
  4. Gain a critical awareness of continuities and differences between and within cultures and of ideologies of gender, group identity, social status, and political organization
  5. Demonstrate the ability to interpret texts and material culture and to understand the implications of interpretive methods
  6. Demonstrate the ability to synthesize a well-organized argument from textual or other evidence and to express it in formal English prose

Courses

Classical Languages

CLASSIC 10A Introduction to Greek Civilization 4 Units

Study of the major developments, achievements, and contradictions in Greek culture from the Bronze Age to the 4th century BCE. Key works of literature, history, and philosophy (read in English translation) will be examined in their political and social context, and in relation both to other ancient Mediterranean cultures and to subsequent developments in Western civilization.

CLASSIC 10B Introduction to Roman Civilization 4 Units

Investigation of the main achievements and tensions in Roman culture from Romulus to the High Empire. Key sources for literature, history, and material culture are studied in order to reveal Roman civilization in its political and social context. All materials are read in English.

CLASSIC 17A Introduction to the Archaeology of the Greek World 4 Units

The physical remains of the Greek world from the Bronze Age to 323 BCE will be studied, with emphasis on its artistic triumphs, as a means of understanding the culture of ancient Greece.

CLASSIC 17B Introduction to the Archaeology of the Late Greek and Roman World 4 Units

The physical remains of the Hellenistic and Roman worlds from 323 BCE to the advent of Christianity will be studied as a means of understanding the culture of ancient Rome.

CLASSIC 24 Freshman Seminars 1 Unit

The Berkeley Seminar Program has been designed to provide new students with the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member in a small-seminar setting. Berkeley Seminars are offered in all campus departments, and topics vary from department to department and semester to semester.

CLASSIC 28 The Classic Myths 4 Units

The society, culture, values and outlook on life of the ancient Greeks as expressed in their mythology; their views on life, birth, marriage, death, sex and sexuality; on culture and civilization, the origin and meaning of the world. Their use of myth to think about, and give order to human experience. The course includes some of the most important works of Western literature in English translation (the 'Odyssey', the 'Theogony', twelve plays by leading Greek dramatists (Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides), along with their historical and religious context, as well as drawing on material evidence (vase paintings, sculpture, archaeological sites).

CLASSIC N28 The Classic Myths 4 Units

The society, culture, values and outlook on life of the ancient Greeks as expressed in their mythology; their views on life, birth, marriage, death, sex and sexuality; on culture and civilization, the origin and meaning of the world. Their use of myth to think about, and give order to human experience. The course includes some of the most important works of Western literature in English translation (the 'Odyssey', the 'Theogony'), twelve plays by leading Greek dramatists (Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides), along with their historical and religious context, as well as drawing on material evidence (vase paintings, sculpture, archaeological sites).

CLASSIC S28X The Classic Myths 4 Units

A study of Greek and Roman myths with emphasis on the universal meanings of myths. The interaction of myths, religion and philosophy as a source of understanding of ancient and present cultures.

CLASSIC 29 Introduction to Greco-Roman Magic 4 Units

This course will focus on ideas about magic in the Greek and Roman worlds from about 750 BCE through 400 CE. Topics will include witches, holy men, love spells, necromancy, spirits, and mystery religions. We will examine how magic was represented in high literature (by authors like Homer, Ovid, Apuleius, and Lucian). as well as the more practical evidence of curse tablets and the Greek Magical Papyri. Consideration will be given to analyzing the relationship between magic, religion, and philosophy. Our goal will be to study the common threads that connect different Greek and Roman magical practices, as well as to understand them in their cultural contexts.

CLASSIC 34 Epic Poetry: Homer and Vergil 4 Units

Greek and Roman epics including the , , .

CLASSIC 35 Greek Tragedy 4 Units

Greek tragedy with readings of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides.

CLASSIC 36 Greek Philosophy 4 Units

Introduction to the philosophies of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle.

CLASSIC 39H Freshman/Sophomore Seminar 4 Units

Freshman and sophomore seminars offer lower division students the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member and a group of peers in a small-seminar setting. These seminars are offered in all campus departments; topics vary from department to department and from semester to semester.

CLASSIC 39I Freshman/Sophomore Seminar 4 Units

Freshman and sophomore seminars offer lower division students the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member and a group of peers in a small-seminar setting. These seminars are offered in all campus departments; topics vary from department to department and from semester to semester.

CLASSIC 39J Freshman/Sophomore Seminar 4 Units

Freshman and sophomore seminars offer lower division students the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member and a group of peers in a small-seminar setting. These seminars are offered in all campus departments; topics vary from department to department and from semester to semester.

CLASSIC R44 Roots of Western Civilization 5 Units

This course covers Homeric and Classical Greece, Rome in its transition from republic to empire, and the world of the Old Testament. Lectures, discussions, and reading assignments will involve interdisciplinary approaches with an emphasis on the development of skill in writing. Satisfies either half of the Reading and Composition requirement plus one of the following Letters and Science breath requirements: Arts and Literature, Historical Studies, or Social and Behavioral Sciences.

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

CLASSIC 99 Supervised Independent Study and Research 1 - 4 Units

CLASSIC 110 Ancient Metrics 2 Units

The principles of ancient metre of all types.

CLASSIC 121 Ancient Religion 4 Units

The religious practices, beliefs and mentality of Ancient Greece c. 1650 BC to c. 400 AD., as expressed in cult, ritual and festival, and their social function, based on the evidence of primary texts (literary and documentary), and material remains (sanctuaries, monuments, sculpture, mosaics, painting, vase-painting). Explores how Greek religion addressed notions of history, community, identity, science, creativity, sexuality, spirituality, and the complex roles and relationships of male and female in society.

No previous knowledge or experience of the ancient Greek world expected; students of all levels and backgrounds welcome.

CLASSIC 124 Classical Poetics 4 Units

Study of a selection (in English translation) of the most important works of classical antiquity that theorize about literature and of the works of some post-classical authors who wrote on similar themes under the influence of their classical predecessors. Authors studied may include Plato, Aristotle, Horace, Longinus, Augustine, Sidney, Pope, and Lessing.

CLASSIC 130 Topics in Ancient Greek and Roman Culture 4 Units

Topic to vary from year to year. No knowledge of Greek or Latin required; but provision will be made for students who wish to study some of the readings in the original language. Enrollment limited.

CLASSIC 161 Gender, Sexuality, and Culture in the Ancient World 4 Units

Study of topics in gender, feminism, and sexuality in ancient cultures. Topics vary from year to year.

CLASSIC 163 Topics in Greek Philosophy 4 Units

The course is designed to deal with a single topic or selection of topics in Greek philosophy studied in translation. Possible topics are: the close study of one or more of Plato's or Aristotle's texts, Hellenistic philosophy, neo-Platonism.

CLASSIC 170A Classical Archaeology: Greek Vase Painting 4 Units

CLASSIC 170C Classical Archaeology: Greek Architecture 4 Units

CLASSIC 170D Classical Archaeology: Roman Art and Architecture 4 Units

CLASSIC 172 Art and Archaeology of the Aegean Bronze Age 4 Units

Introductory overview of the art and archaeology of ancient civilizations of the Bronze Age (3000-1100 BCE) Aegean: Crete, Cyclades, Mainland Greece, and Western Anatolia. Intended to expose to the sites, monuments, art, and artifacts of these cultures and understand the way a variety of evidence is used to reconstruct history. Emphasis also is placed on comparison of enigmatic and evocative cultures and material evidence to see how each evolved and to define similarities and differences.

CLASSIC N172A Archaeological Field School in Nemea, Greece 4 Units

Through this field school students will participate in archaeological excavation and museum study in Greece at the site of Nemea and the Classical Sanctuary of Zeus. Through extensive travel and hands-on work, students will learn all major elements of methodology and analysis currently used in classical archaeology. The goal is to teach practical skills in a real research environment and an understanding of the material culture of Greece throughout various periods of its prehistory and history. Students will participate in a variety of field techniques and research methodologies.

CLASSIC N172B Archaeological Field School in Mycenae, Greece 4 Units

Through this field school students will participate in archaeological excavation and museum study in Greece at the Bronze Age site of Mycenae (Petsas House). Through extensive travel and hands-on work, students will learn all major elements of methodology and analysis currently used in classical archaeology. The goal is to teach practical skills in a real research environment and an understanding of the material culture of Greece throughout various periods of its prehistory and history. Students will participate in a variety of field techniques and research methodologies.

CLASSIC 175A Topography and Monuments: Athens 4 Units

CLASSIC 175D Topography and Monuments: Pompeii and Herculaneum 4 Units

CLASSIC 175F Topography and Monuments: Roman Wall Painting 4 Units

CLASSIC 175G Topography and Monuments: Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt 4 Units

CLASSIC H195A Honors Course in Classics 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 Classical Languages or Classical Civilizations 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.


CLASSIC H195B Honors Course in Classics 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 Classical Civilizations or Classical Languages 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.

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

CLASSIC 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 Faculty Adviser

Kathleen McCarthy, PhD

7212 Dwinelle Hall

Phone: 510-642-0216

kmccarth@berkeley.edu

Undergraduate Faculty Adviser

Kimberly Shelton, PhD

7207 Dwinelle Hall

Phone: 510-642-5314

sheltonk@berkeley.edu

Undergraduate Student Affairs Officer

Cassandra Dunn

7228 Dwinelle Hall

Phone: 510-642-3672

cassandrajj@berkeley.edu

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