Greek < University of California, Berkeley

This is an archived copy of the 2021-22 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 Greek provides training in ancient Greek from the ground up, enabling students to encounter texts such as Homer's Odyssey, Sophocles' Antigone, and the dialogues of Plato in their original form. Students majoring in Greek contextualize these readings by taking classes in Ancient Greek and Roman Studies (AGRS), where they explore many different aspects of Greek culture and read a broad array of ancient texts in translation.

Declaring the Major

To declare the major, meet with the Ancient Greek and Roman Studies undergraduate adviser, who can help you create a course plan and complete the declaration. You may also want to review the Letters & Science advising site for a guide to declaring a major. For a detailed list of requirements, please see the Major Requirements tab.

Honors Program

Students who are declared majors in Greek and who have a GPA (both general and departmental) of at least 3.6 are eligible for honors in Greek. The honors program consists of a two-semester course sequence — GREEK H195A and GREEK H195B, that is designed to support the writing of a thesis. This thesis, which will be evaluated by an honors committee of three members, may either build on work in a previous upper division course used in fulfillment of the Greek major or it may be a newly conceived project. It is due the Monday of the 13th week of the semester in which Greek H195B is taken.

Further details can be found online at AGRS Undergraduate Honors. Please consult with an AGRS undergraduate adviser to begin planning to participate in honors.

Minor Program

The Department of Ancient Greek and Roman Studies offers a minor in Greek Studies. The minor requires five upper division courses in Greek language and related courses. At least three courses must be in the Greek language; up to two courses may be courses with substantial content relevant to Greek literature, philosophy, culture, or history. Courses or seminars taught by AGRS professors in other departments may also be accepted, in consultation with the Undergraduate Faculty Advisor. One of the five courses may be taken outside of the department on campus or abroad with the approval of the Undergraduate Faculty Advisor.

Other Majors and Minors offered by the Department of Ancient Greek and Roman Studies

Ancient Greek and Roman Studies (Major and Minor)
Greek and Latin (Major only)
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

All courses taken to fulfill the major requirements below must be taken for graded credit (except for courses taken in Spring 2020), other than courses listed which are offered on a Pass/No Pass basis only. Other exceptions to this requirement are noted as applicable.
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 & Science.
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 Major Requirements

Course List
Code	Title	Units
Prerequisite: Successful completion of one UC Berkeley Greek course.
Lower Division: Two courses		8
Elementary Language: One or two courses ¹		0-10
Basic Reading: Two courses		8
Senior Reading: Four courses		16
Upper Division Elective: One course		4
Total Units		36-46

Can be replaced by high school or transfer credit upon completion of a placement exam.

Lower Division

Course List
Code	Title	Units
AGRS 10A	Introduction to Ancient Greece	4
AGRS 10A can be substituted by AGRS 17A or R44
AGRS 10B	Introduction Ancient Rome	4
AGRS 10B can be substituted by 17B or R44
Substitutions are subject to advisor approval.
Total Units		8

To completed, if possible, by the end of the student's junior year.

Elementary Language

Course List
Code	Title	Units
Select one of the following: ¹		0-10
GREEK 1 & GREEK 2	Elementary Ancient Greek and Elementary Greek
GREEK 15	The Greek Workshop [10]
Total Units		0-10

Elementary language requirements can also be met with a placement exam and high school or college transfer credit.

Intermediate Language

Course List
Code	Title	Units
GREEK 100	Plato and Attic Prose ¹	4
Total Units		4

Students who place out of Greek 100 must substitute another upper-division Greek course.

Basic Reading

Course List
Code	Title	Units
Select one of the following:		4
GREEK 101	Homer [4]
GREEK 102	Drama and Society [4]

Senior Reading

Course List
Code	Title	Units
Select four courses from the following:		16
GREEK 101	Homer [4] ¹
GREEK 102	Drama and Society [4] ¹
GREEK 105	The Greek New Testament [4]
GREEK 115	Archaic Poetry [4]
GREEK 116	Greek Drama [4]
GREEK 117	Hellenistic Poets [4]
GREEK 120	Herodotus [4]
GREEK 121	Thucydides [4]
GREEK 122	Attic Oratory [4]
GREEK 123	Plato and Aristotle [4]
GREEK 160	Greek Prose Syntax and Stylistics [4]
Total Units		16

Excluded if used to meet basic reading requirement.

Upper Division AGRS Course

Course List
Code	Title	Units
Choose one of the following:		4
AGRS 121	Ancient Religion	4
AGRS 124	Classical Poetics	4
AGRS 130	Topics in Ancient Greek and Roman Culture	4
AGRS 130A	Epic and Saga	4
AGRS 130B	The Origins of Rome	4
AGRS 130C	Ancient Greek Political Thought	4
AGRS 130D	The Roman Economy	4
AGRS 130E	The Trojan War: History or Myth?	4
AGRS 130F	The History of Hell: Eschatology in Ancient Mediterranean Cultures	4
AGRS 130G	The Literature of Everyday Life	4
AGRS 130H	Religion and Literature in the Greco-Roman World	4
AGRS 130I	Classical Greek Rhetoric: Evolution or Revolution?	4
AGRS 130J	Graeco-Roman Egypt: Society and Economy	4
AGRS 130K	Music and Difference in Ancient Greece	4
AGRS 130L	Introduction to Greco-Roman Magic	4
AGRS 130M	Slavery and Literature in the Greco-Roman World	4
AGRS 130N	Ancient Portraiture & Biography	4
AGRS 130P	Ancient Times: Myth, History, Measurement	4
AGRS 161	Gender, Sexuality, and Culture in the Ancient World	4
AGRS 163	Topics in Greek Philosophy	4
AGRS 170A	Classical Archaeology: Greek Vase Painting	4
AGRS 170C	Classical Archaeology: Greek Architecture	4
AGRS 170D	Classical Archaeology: Roman Art and Architecture	4
AGRS 172	Art and Archaeology of the Aegean Bronze Age	4
AGRS N172A	Archaeological Field School in Nemea, Greece	4
AGRS N172B	Archaeological Field School in Mycenae, Greece	4
AGRS 175A	Topography and Monuments: Athens	4
AGRS 175D	Topography and Monuments: Pompeii and Herculaneum	4
AGRS 175F	Topography and Monuments: Roman Wall Painting	4
AGRS 175G	Topography and Monuments: Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt	4
AGRS C175F	Pictorial Representation in the Roman World	4
AGRS 180	Ancient Athletics	4
Total Units		132

Minor Requirements

Students who have a strong interest in an area of study outside their major often decide to complete a minor program. These programs have set requirements and are noted officially on the transcript in the memoranda section, but they are not noted on diplomas.

General Guidelines

All minors must be declared no later than one semester before a student's Expected Graduation Term (EGT). If the semester before EGT is fall or spring, the deadline is the last day of RRR week. If the semester before EGT is summer, the deadline is the final Friday of Summer Sessions. To declare a minor, contact the department advisor for information on requirements, and the declaration process.
All courses taken to fulfill the minor requirements must be taken for a letter grade. (Except for courses taken in Spring 2020.)
Five upper division courses in Greek language and related courses:
- Three courses must be in the Greek language
- Two courses may be in Greek or they may be courses with substantial content relevant to Greek literature, philosophy, culture, or history.
A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 is required for courses used to fulfill the minor requirements.
Courses used to fulfill the minor requirements may be applied toward the Seven-Course Breadth requirement, for Letters & Science students.
No more than one upper division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student's major and minor programs.
All minor requirements must be completed prior to the last day of finals during the semester in which you plan to graduate.
All minor requirements must be completed within the unit ceiling. (For further information regarding the unit ceiling, please see the College Requirements tab.)

Requirements

Course List
Code	Title	Units
Upper Division
Select five upper division courses in Greek language and related courses
Three courses must be in the Greek language
Two courses may be in Greek or courses may be courses with substantial content relevant to Greek literature, philosophy, culture, or history
Courses or seminars taught by AGRS professors in other departments may also be accepted, in consultation with the Undergraduate Faculty Advisor. One of the five courses may be taken outside of the department on campus or abroad with the approval of the Undergraduate Faculty Advisor.

College Requirements

Undergraduate students must fulfill the following requirements in addition to those required by their major program.

For detailed lists of courses that fulfill college requirements, please review the College of Letters & Sciences page in this Guide. For College advising appointments, please visit the L&S Advising Pages.

University of California Requirements

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 US resident graduated from an American university, should have an understanding of the history and governmental institutions of the United States.

Berkeley Campus Requirement

American Cultures

All undergraduate students at Cal need to take and pass this course 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.

College of Letters & Science Essential Skills Requirements

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 in sequence. Students must complete parts A & B reading and composition courses by the end of their second semester and a second-level course by the end of their fourth semester.

College of Letters & Science 7 Course Breadth Requirements

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
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 & 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 UC Extension during your senior year. In these cases, you should make an appointment to meet 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 BA 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), Berkeley Summer Abroad, 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 UCEAP 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 Ancient Greek and Roman Studies. 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 Ancient Greek and Roman 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 into account 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 Ancient Greek and Roman 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

Acquire a basic grounding in the vocabulary, morphology, and syntax of classical Greek.
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).
Gain a critical awareness of continuities and differences between and within cultures and of ideologies of gender, group identity, social status, and political organization.
Demonstrate the ability to interpret texts and material culture and to understand the implications of interpretive methods.
Demonstrate the ability to synthesize a well-organized argument from textual or other evidence and to express it in formal English prose.

Major Map

Major Maps help undergraduate students discover academic, co-curricular, and discovery opportunities at UC Berkeley based on intended major or field of interest. Developed by the Division of Undergraduate Education in collaboration with academic departments, these experience maps will help you:

Explore your major and gain a better understanding of your field of study
Connect with people and programs that inspire and sustain your creativity, drive, curiosity and success
Discover opportunities for independent inquiry, enterprise, and creative expression
Engage locally and globally to broaden your perspectives and change the world
Reflect on your academic career and prepare for life after Berkeley

Use the major map below as a guide to planning your undergraduate journey and designing your own unique Berkeley experience.

View the Greek and Latin | Greek | Latin Major Map PDF.

Courses

Greek

Terms offered: Summer 2022 10 Week Session, Summer 2021 10 Week Session, Summer 2020 10 Week Session
Designed for anyone who wishes to acquire reading knowledge of ancient Greek; replaces 2+ semesters of traditional study. Lectures, discussions, drills and tutorial sessions on grammar and vocabulary; readings in prose and poetry (e.g., Homer, Plato, Greek Tragedy, the Gospels).

The Greek Workshop: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2014, Spring 2014, Fall 2013

Supervised Independent Study and Research: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2022, Fall 2021, Fall 2020
Readings from Plato's or , and from other Attic prose authors (e.g., Xenophon, Lysias); some review of grammar.
Plato and Attic Prose: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2022, Fall 2021, Fall 2020
Reading of one Greek tragedy, and of further selections from the dramatists and/or prose literature of fifth century Athens.
Drama and Society: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2020, Spring 2016, Spring 2015
Readings in the Gospels and/or Acts and/or Epistles.
The Greek New Testament: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2022, Fall 2018, Spring 2015
Readings in various Greek poets.
Archaic Poetry: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2022, Spring 2021, Fall 2015
Selected readings from Greek tragedy and/or comedy.
Greek Drama: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2009, Fall 2002, Fall 2000
Readings in various Hellenistic poets.
Hellenistic Poets: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Spring 2012, Spring 2006
Readings in Herodotus.
Herodotus: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2019, Fall 2014, Spring 2011
Readings in Thucydides.
Thucydides: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2017, Fall 2013, Fall 2006
Readings in oratory.
Attic Oratory: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2021, Fall 2020, Spring 2019
Readings in Plato and Aristotle.
Plato and Aristotle: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2016, Spring 2014, Fall 2011
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 Literature of the Hellenistic and Imperial Periods: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2020, Spring 2019, Fall 1990
The goal of this course is to improve your understanding of Greek prose, its basic syntactical principles and the stylistic variation we see across the corpus. To this end, the course will comprise several components: review of grammar (especially syntax), vocabulary, and idiom; composition exercises; and reading passages (prepared and at sight) from Greek authors.
Greek Prose Syntax and Stylistics: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 1998
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.
Honors Course in Greek: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
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.
Honors Course in Greek: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2015, Fall 2014, Spring 2014

Supervised Independent Study and Research: Read More [+]

Ancient Greek and Roman Studies

Terms offered: Fall 2022, Summer 2022 First 6 Week Session, Fall 2021
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.
Introduction to Ancient Greece: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Summer 2022 Second 6 Week Session, Spring 2022
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.
Introduction Ancient Rome: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2021
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.
Introduction to the Archaeology of the Greek World: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2022
This course provides a broad-based introduction to the archaeology of the ancient Romans from Rome’s origins in the Iron Age down to the disintegration of the Roman empire in the sixth century A.D. It aims to
familiarize students with the more significant archaeological sites, monuments, artifact classes and works of art relating to the Roman world, and to introduce them to the important research questions in Roman archaeology and the methods that archaeologists employ to investigate these.
Introduction to the Archaeology of the Roman World: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2022, Fall 2021
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.
Freshman Seminars: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2022
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
Greek and Roman Myths: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Summer 2022 Second 6 Week Session
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
Greek and Roman Myths: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
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
Introduction to Greco-Roman Magic: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2021
Greek and Roman epics including the , , .
Epic Poetry: Homer and Vergil: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Greek tragedy with readings of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides.
Greek Tragedy: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2022
Introduction to the philosophies of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle.
Greek Philosophy: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
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. In this seminar we shall scrutinize and discuss representations of the Ptolemaic queen Cleopatra from Antiquity to the present day; our sources will include monuments, literature, art, movies, and advertising. The only prerequisites for the course are interests in this (in)famous monarch
Freshman/Sophomore Seminar - Cleopatras: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2021
This seminar-style class allows lower division students to explore comic texts from the Greco-Roman world, with special emphasis on the social meanings of comedy. Readings include stage comedy, satire, novels, fables, and other genres, from authors such as Aristophanes, Plautus, Terence, Horace, Petronius, and Apuleius. Students will be introduced to historical and theoretical contexts that will deepen their understanding of the literary readings and support discussions
Freshman/Sophomore Seminar - Greek and Roman Comedy: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Not yet offered
Some of the most recognizable images from ancient Greek and Roman literature are the warriors who stride across battlefields in a blaze of glory. But these heroic images tell only a small part of the story. Warfare influenced almost every aspect of life in these cultures, and not just for those who fought on the battlefield or for political leaders. In this class we will read a variety of literary works that illuminate the experience of warfare and its aftermath
Fresh/Soph Seminar: Warfare and Community in Greco-Roman Literature: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Freshman and sophomore seminars offer lower division students an opportunity to explore intellectual topics with a faculty member and peers in a seminar setting. In this course we will examine utopian literature from its classical beginnings, in Plato's Republic, and in his Timaeus and Critias (which tell the story of the lost world of Atlantis), as well as in some plays of Aristophanes. We will also consider later developments, in Thomas More's Utopia, and in such
Utopia, Dystopia: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Examination of how people moved both themselves and objects from one place to another in the ancient Greek and Roman worlds. Drawing on archaeological, literary, and pictorial evidence we consider an array of topics, including transport technology & infrastructure, the organization & costs of travel & transport, routes & travel times, banking, dining & overnighting on the road, packaging, labelling, & handling of cargoes, the roles of both
Fresh/Soph Seminar - Travel and Transport in the Ancient World: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2022, Fall 2021
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.
Classics of the Ancient Mediterranean World: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007

Have you wondered what ancient Greek and Latin were like and how they relate to other languages, including English? Have you heard people say learning Latin made them understand English better and improved their writing skills? Do you want some background in ancient languages that might help you understand terminology in law, science or other fields? This class is an opportunity to learn more about the history, structure, and influence of both Latin and Greek.
Latin and Greek in Antiquity and After: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007

Directed Group Study for Freshmen and Sophomores: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007

Supervised Independent Study and Research: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
The ancient Mediterranean world was a world full of gods: from the poems of Homer to the small towns of the Roman empire, we can find people constantly interacting with and thinking about the gods. Myth, ritual, oracles, mystery cults, magic, philosophy: these were all ways that Greeks and Romans engaged with the divine. War, peace, health, sickness, hope, fear: these were some of the reasons for these engagements. This course explores the polytheism of ancient
Ancient Religion: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
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.
Classical Poetics: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
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.
Topics in Ancient Greek and Roman Culture: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
This course presents a comparative overview of epics and sagas from Greco-Roman antiquity and medieval north-west Europe (England, Iceland, and Ireland). No knowledge of Greek or Latin required.
Epic and Saga: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
This course examines the origins of Rome, the quintessential city in the Western experience. It considers both the literary and archaeological evidence for the earliest periods of the city’s occupation, and the challenges involved in using and combining these two quite different forms of evidence. Particular attention will be given to recent archaeological discoveries and the ways in which these are transforming our understanding of early Rome. The course also examines
The Origins of Rome: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
In this course we will investigate the political thought of ancient Greece by discussing some of its most important and influential texts. All texts are to be read in translation.
Ancient Greek Political Thought: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2021
This course is designed to provide advanced undergraduates with a broad overview of the economy of the Roman Empire. It is organized around a series of weekly topics that will be explored through readings selected to provide students with exposure to the theory, evidence, and methods currently being employed by historians and archaeologists to investigate that particular aspect of the Roman economy. No knowledge of Greek or Latin required.
The Roman Economy: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
This course will explore the evidence for the Trojan War, one of the greatest stories ever told: literary, historical, visual and archaeological. The history of the search for the reality behind Homer's epic and its scholarship will be examined as well as detailed analyses of the theories currently in play. Through reading, visual analysis, discussion and writing - students will discover for themselves the ancient world of the heroes and their legends. Was there
The Trojan War: History or Myth?: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
In this course we will examine the history of ideas about the soul’s postmortem fate in the ancient Mediterranean world. We will focus on epic poets and philosophers from ancient Greece and Rome, but also
read comparative material from the ancient Near East, the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, and medieval Christendom. Our goal will be to study the common threads that connect depictions of hell / the underworld in their respective cultural contexts. No knowledge of Greek or Latin required.
The History of Hell: Eschatology in Ancient Mediterranean Cultures: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Classical literature is full of mythological plots involving gods and monsters, heroes and kings. Less prominent are the kind of plots we are used to from modern literature, especially novels: plots that revolve around fictional characters invented to look like people in the street. Although these latter forms of literature are distanced from the prestigious genres of epic and tragedy, they still constitute an important
part of ancient literature. In this class
The Literature of Everyday Life: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Religion and literature are two conceptual systems through which people and societies organize disparate experiences into meaningful wholes. In the ancient pagan societies of Greece and Rome, where a shared experience of both religion and literature was a defining element of the community, these two systems were particularly interdependent. In this course we will read a variety of texts (e.g. epic, philosophy, tragedy) and examine the complex ways that literary
Religion and Literature in the Greco-Roman World: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
This course aims to explore the development of classical Greek rhetoric from the fifth century through the end of the fourth century BCE. In light of Plato’s and Aristotle’s analyses of the subject, we tend to view rhetoric as an art (technê) consisting of a set of methodically organized principles or norms for the production of persuasive speech. The use of rhetorical techniques, however, was widespread in the Greek speaking world well before Plato and Aristotle
Classical Greek Rhetoric: Evolution or Revolution?: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2022
Egypt: No other region of the Graeco-Roman world provides us with as much information about the daily lives of its inhabitants, and no body of ancient evidence is more inclusive in its coverage. In this course, we will read selections from this corpus of evidence closely, focusing on documentary papyri, but also looking at literature, inscriptions, and other cultural objects (as well as some later comparative material). We will discuss what this material contributes
Graeco-Roman Egypt: Society and Economy: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
In this course, we will look at ancient Greek ideas and practices concerning the nature, sources, psychological effects, and social functions of music (including singing, instrumental music, and dance), during the Archaic and Classical periods (ca. 800-350 BCE). Taking an ethnomusicological approach, we will examine Greek musical culture as a whole, focusing especially on differences of gender, ethnicity, regionalism, class/status (e.g., free vs. slave), and even
Music and Difference in Ancient Greece: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2022
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
Introduction to Greco-Roman Magic: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Slavery was one of the central institutions of life in classical Greece and Rome and had a profound affect on the ways these societies represented themselves and their world. In this course we will first spend some time learning about the historical condition of slavery in these two societies, then read a variety of works that show some of the ways that slaves and slavery operated in the intellectual and imaginative life of ancient authors. The three genres we will
Slavery and Literature in the Greco-Roman World: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2021
Important individuals in Greek and Roman society were commemorated both in honorific portraits and in biographies written to record for posterity their lives and achievements. In this class we will be reading a selection of Greek and Latin biographical texts (in translation) and comparing them with statuary monuments that represent the same individuals. We will be seeking to elicit the points of contact between the two commemorative traditions, visual and literary,
Ancient Portraiture & Biography: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
What time is it? How old is the earth? Where are we located in history? For us these questions may have simple answers: we can look at a watch or a calendar or a timeline. But ancient people thought very differently about these questions. The aim of this class is to see how. We will look at a variety of ancient evidence, including literature (in translation) and archaeology, to discover how Greeks and Romans thought about the deep past (mythic time), how they understood
Ancient Times: Myth, History, Measurement: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2022
Augustus, the first emperor of Rome, inaugurated an enormous building program during
his long reign that completely transformed the empire’s capital city. In this seminar we
will consider some of the most famous of his constructions—his Mausoleum (the tumulus
of the Julii), the temple of Palatine Apollo, the Ara Pacis Augustae (Altar of the
Augustan Peace), the Augustan Forum—and we will examine the ways in which these
new monuments helped shape
The Art and Monuments of Augustan Rome: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Study of topics in gender, feminism, and sexuality in ancient cultures. Topics vary from year to year.
Gender, Sexuality, and Culture in the Ancient World: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
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.
Topics in Greek Philosophy: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007

Classical Archaeology: Greek Vase Painting: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007

Classical Archaeology: Greek Architecture: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007

Classical Archaeology: Roman Art and Architecture: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
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.
Art and Archaeology of the Aegean Bronze Age: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Summer 2022 Second 6 Week Session
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
Archaeological Field School in Nemea, Greece: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
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
Archaeological Field School in Mycenae, Greece: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007

Topography and Monuments: Athens: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2022

Topography and Monuments: Pompeii and Herculaneum: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007

Topography and Monuments: Roman Wall Painting: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007

Topography and Monuments: Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2017
This course presents surviving evidence of pictorial representation in the Roman world. Including the earliest remains from the city of Rome; the suites of painted rooms in the houses of Pompeii and Herculaneum on the Bay of Naples; and Roman mosaics from Italy, North Africa, and the eastern Mediterranean.
Topics: ‘four styles’ of Pompeian interior decoration; the architect Vitruvius’ denunciation of contemporary painting in the early Augustan period; the reproduction
Pictorial Representation in the Roman World: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Study of ancient athletics and athletes including athletic training, facilities, competitions, and the role of athletics in Greek and Roman society.
Ancient Athletics: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
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.

Honors Course in Classics: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
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.
Honors Course in Classics: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2021

Directed Group Study for Advanced Undergraduates: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007

Supervised Independent Study and Research: Read More [+]

Faculty and Instructors

+ Indicates this faculty member is the recipient of the Distinguished Teaching Award.

Faculty

Susanna Elm, Professor. History of the Later Roman Empire, pagan - Christian interactions, ancient medicine, slavery and the evolution of Christianity, leadership and empire, reception of antiquity.
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

Christopher Hallett, Professor. Classics, Roman art, visual culture, portraiture, Hellenistic art, Roman Asia Minor, Hellenistic and Roman Egypt.
Research Profile

Todd Hickey, Professor. Classics, papyrology, Greek, Egyptian, social and economic history, late antiquity.
Research Profile

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

Duncan MacRae, Assistant Professor. Classics.
Research Profile

Sara Magrin, Associate Professor. Ancient epistemology and psychology, Plotinus.
Research Profile

Maria Mavroudi, Professor. Byzantine studies.
Research Profile

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

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

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

Nikolaos Papazarkadas, Professor. Greek epigraphy, Greek history.
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

James Porter, Professor. Classical Studies, philosophy, critical theory, aesthetics, Nietzsche, Auerbach.
Research Profile

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

Kim S. Shelton, Associate Professor. Ceramics, classical civilization and archaeology, Aegean prehistory, religion/mythology.
Research Profile

+ Andrew F. Stewart, Professor Emeritus. Archaeology, classics, Greek sculpture, ancient art and architecture, the Hellenistic east after Alexander, the Renaissance reception of antiquity.
Research Profile

Mario Telo, Professor. Greek literature, Roman drama, critical theory.
Research Profile

Affiliated Faculty

Timothy Clarke, Assistant Professor.
Research Profile

Klaus Corcilius, Associate Professor. Ancient philosophy.
Research Profile

+ Andrew Garrett, Professor Emeritus . Linguistics, English, California, language change, Indo-European languages, historical linguistics, northern California Indian languages, linguistic structure, typology, ancient Greek, Latin, Irish, Oceanic languages.
Research Profile

Kinch Hoekstra, Associate Professor. History of political, moral, and legal philosophy, ancient, renaissance, and early modern political thought.
Research Profile

Emily Mackil, Associate Professor. History.
Research Profile

Ramona Naddaff, Associate Professor. Rhetoric, aesthetics, theory of the novel, ancient Greek philosophy and literature, history of philosophy, contemporary French thought.
Research Profile

+ Carlos Norena, Associate Professor. History.

Martin Schwartz, Professor. Near Eastern studies, Iranian studies.
Research Profile

Emeritus Faculty

Anthony A. Long, Professor Emeritus . Professor of the Graduate School, Chancellor's Professor Emeritus of Classics and Irving G Stone Professor Emeritus of Literature, Affiliated Professor of Philosophy and Rhetoric: Classics, Greek literature, ancient philosophy.
Research Profile

Donald Mastronarde, Professor Emeritus. Professor of the Graduate School and Emeritus Melpomene Distinguished Professor of Classical Languages and Literature: classics, Greek literature, Greek drama, Greek textual transmission, Greek literary papyrology, Greek palaeography.
Research Profile