Course
Descriptions
For the current
year's course offerings, please use WebDb. Courses marked with a red star
(
)
may fulfil an Earlham general education requirement. (FA) = Fine Arts
(H) = Humanities (L) = Language (I) = Intercultural (M) = Multicultural
(NS) = Natural Science (R/Ph) = Religion and/or Philosophy (SS) = Social
Science (A) = Offered in alternate years The following list outlines the
courses we regularly offer. Additionally topical courses, typically one
or two each year, give students and faculty a chance to explore areas
of the discipline not normally appearing in the curriculum.
100
Level
CLAS
111 ANCIENT GREEK
(5 credits)
Introduction to ancient Greek, with an emphasis on reading original
texts by important Greek authors such as Plato, Euripides, Aristophanes,
Sappho. Focuses on the grammar, vocabulary, and structure of the Greek
language, but also provides a general introduction to Greek history
and culture. Occasionally offered in an “intensive” format
covering 111 and 211 during a single semester. (L)
CLAS
112 CLASSICAL LATIN I (5 credits)
Introduction to classical Latin, with an emphasis on reading original
texts by important Roman authors such as Cicero, Ovid, and Vergil. Focuses
on the grammar, vocabulary, and structure of the Latin language, but
also provides a general introduction to Roman history and culture. Occasionally
offered in an “intensive” format covering 112 and 212 during
a single semester. (L)
200
Level
CLAS
211 ANCIENT GREEK II (5 credits)
A continuation of Greek I. Together Greek I and II satisfy the general
education language requirement. Prerequisite: CLAS 111 or demonstrated
equivalent. (L)
CLAS
212 CLASSICAL LATIN II (5 credits)
A continuation of Latin I. Together Latin I and II satisfy the general
education requirement. Prerequisite: CLAS 112 or demonstrated
equivalent. (L)
CLAS
241 ANCIENT NEAR EAST AND MEDITERRANEAN BEFORE 331 BCE (3
credits)
The Ancient Near East including Israel and Judah, and the Central Mediterranean,
notably Ionic Hellas, from Sumer to Alexander’s conquests. The
course emphasizes technical and cultural diffusion among civilizations.
Readings include primary texts. (H) Also listed as HIST 241.
(A)
300
Level
CLAS
321 ANCIENT GREEK PHILOSOPHY (4 credits)
Greek philosophy beginning with the Presocratic period and emphasizing
the works of Plato and Aristotle. Reading is mainly in the primary sources.
(R/Ph) Also listed as PHIL 121.
CLAS 340 READING
GREEK (3 credits)
Students who have completed Greek I and II or the equivalent may take
this course to continue language learning. Choice of texts depends on
a student’s level of proficiency and interest. In years past, students
have read works of Homer, Pindar, Euripides, Lysias, and Plato. Prerequisites:
CLAS 111 and CLAS 211 or demonstrated equivalent.
CLAS 342 READING
LATIN (3 credits)
Students who have completed Latin I and II or the equivalent may take
this course to continue language learning. Choice of texts depends on
a student’s level of proficiency and interest. In past years, students
have read works of Catullus, Cicero, Horace, Vergil, and Ovid. Prerequisites:
CLAS 112 and CLAS 212 or demonstrated equivalent.
CLAS 354 GREEK
AND ROMAN MYTHOLOGY (3 credits)
A study of many of the myths that the ancient Greeks and Romans told
about their gods and heroes. Concerned with (1) myths as myths, that
is, traditional tales that can teach us much about the people who liked
to hear them, tell them, and see them painted and sculpted; (2) myths
in specific ancient literary and artistic settings, where we learn about
the thought of individual artists like Aeschylus, Pheidias, and Ovid;
(3) modern adaptions of classical myths in order to learn how and why
these tales continue to help us think through problems connected with
family, faith, death, love, sexuality, art, technology, and power.
CLAS
355 GODS AND HUMANS (3 credits)
A study of some texts from the Greek and Roman traditions that portray
gods and humans together in ways that reveal the salient qualities of
each. A typical reading list might include Homer’s Odyssey, Euripides’
Bacchae, Apuleius’ Golden Ass, and modern responses by Nietzsche
and Soyinka. Knowledge of a classical language is not required. (H)
Prerequisites: Humanities A and B.
CLAS
356 HOMERIC BANQUET (3 credits)
A study of the three epic masterpieces of Greek and Roman antiquity:
Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey and Vergil’s Aeneid. Focuses primarily
on interpretation of the three texts, but videotapes and occasional
lectures supply background materials and context. Knowledge of a classical
language is not required. (H) Prerequisites: Humanities A and B.
CLAS
357 WOMEN IN ANTIQUITY (3 credits)
A study of representations of women and the construction of gender in
ancient Greek and Latin texts and art. Readings might include works
by Homer, Sappho, Aeschylus, Euripides, and Aristotle as well as selections
from secondary sources. Students complete a research project, possibly
in collaboration with another student. Knowledge of a classical language
is not required. (H) Prerequisites: Humanities A and B.
CLAS
358 GREEK AND ROMAN DRAMA (3 credits)
A study of tragedies and comedies from the Greek and Roman traditions.
A typical reading list would include such works as Aeschylus’ Oresteia,
Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus, Euripides’ Medea, Aristophanes’
Frogs, Plautus’ Menaechmi, and Seneca’s Medea and Oedipus.
The course also studies the staging of drama and considers works of
criticism including Aristotle’s Poetics. Knowledge of a classical
language not required. (H) Prerequisites: Humanities A and B.
CLAS
359 ANCIENT WORDS AND WORKS (3 credits)
In this course, students study works of art, including archaeological
evidence, and artful words of poets, dramatists, and historians to discover
the spirit of various periods in ancient Greece. For the heroic age,
sculptures at Olympia and Delphi and the poetry of Pindar studied. For
the “golden age” of Pericles, students study the temples on
the Acropolis and Sophocles’ Antigone, Euripides’ Bacchae,
and Thucydides’ History. Knowledge of a classical language not
required. (H) Prerequisites: Humanities A and B.
CLAS 365 MAY
TERM IN GREECE
400
Level
CLAS 460 TOPICS
IN GREECE AND ROME (3 credits)
Topics such as myth in Greece and Rome or the Peloponnesian War may
be offered depending on interest and staffing availability. Knowledge
of a classical language not required. Prerequisites: Humanities A
and B.
CLAS 480 LANGUAGE
COMPONENT (1 credit)
Students who have completed Greek I and II or Latin I and II may do
further work in their language by completing a language assignment in
a cooperating course. The assignment must be planned in advance with
the professor and must involve linguistic or philological analysis of
a text. For instance, a student in Homeric Banquet might do an analysis
of Vergil’s use of “pietas” in the Aeneid, or a student
in Ancient Greek Philosophy might write a translation with commentary
on a section of Plato’s Republic.
CLAS 481 INTERNSHIPS,
FIELD STUDIES AND OTHER FIELD EXPERIENCES
CLAS 482 SPECIAL
TOPICS (3 credits)
Selected topics determined by the instructor for upper-level study.
CLAS 483 TEACHING
ASSISTANTS
CLAS 484 FORD/KNIGHT
RESEARCH PROJECT
Collaborative research with faculty funded by the Ford/Knight Program.
CLAS 485 INDEPENDENT
STUDY (1-4 credits)
Investigation of a specific topic conceived and planned by the student
in consultation with a faculty supervisor. Culminates in a comprehensive
report prepared in the style of a thesis or paper.
CLAS 486 STUDENT
RESEARCH
CLAS 488 SENIOR
SEMINAR
