Classics | Greek | Latin

Classics (CLA)

Classics 2
Ancient Greece and the Near East: 500 to 146 B.C.E. (4 Units)
CRN 43312

David Traill, Professor (datraill@ucdavis.edu)
MWF 11:00-11:50

The principal goal of this course is to develop an understanding of, and appreciation for, the achievements of the civilizations of the eastern Mediterranean during the period 500-146 BCE. We will focus primarily on Greece but will also examine how Greece interacted with its neighbors, especially Persia and Egypt.

There will be one midterm, one mini-paper (700 words, roughly three pages double-spaced), a term paper (1400 words) and a final exam. The grading scale will be as follows: Minipaper - 10%, Midterm - 25%, Term Paper - 20%, Attendance and Participation - 10%, and Final - 35%

Lecture - 3 hours; Term Paper. GE credit: ArtHum, Wrt.

Textbooks:

• Plato, Six Great Dialogues
• R. Grene, Greek Tragedies: Volume 1
• Sarah Pomeroy, Ancient Greece: A Political, Social and Cultural History
• Herodotus, The Histories
• Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War

Classics 102
Film and the Classical World (4 Units)
CRN 43313

Emily Albu, Associate Professor (emalbu@ucdavis.edu)
Lecture: TR 4:40-6:00
Film Viewing: T 7:00-10:00 (evening)

The classical world as portrayed in films. Screenings and discussions of modern versions of ancient comedy and drama, films set in the ancient Mediterranean world, and films imbued with classical themes and allusions. Readings in ancient literature and film criticism.

Films featured this term include: Gladiator (2000); Spartacus (1960); Cleopatra (1963 Part 1); A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966); Ulysses (1955); The Odyssey (1997); Michael Cacoyannis’ The Trojan Women; Troy (2004); 300 (2007); Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979); with clips from many others.

Some of these films have attempted to capture the personalities and spirit of the ancient past. How do these films force us to reconsider our assumptions about antiquity? What do these films reveal about the times that produced them?

Prerequisite: Any Classics course except 30 or 31.

Lecture - 3 hours; Term Paper. GE credit: ArtHum, Wrt.

Textbooks:

• A Course Reader
• Euripides and Alan Shapiro (trans.), The Trojan Women
• Plautus, Pot of Gold and Other Plays
• Homer, Odyssey

Classics 190
Senior Seminar (4 Units)
CRN 17104

Rex Stem, Assistant Professor (srstem@ucdavis.edu)
MWF 2:10-3:00

The theme for this year's seminar will be Julius Caesar: Individual and Community. We will read in translation the primary ancient accounts for Caesar's life and deeds, a scholarly biography, and a survey of the history of Caesarism over the last two millennia. Class will largely be devoted to discussion of the themes and readings, which will not be light.

Students will pick one example of Caesar's representation from anywhere in the Classical Tradition and present an oral report and a written paper about the context and significance of this example. Students will also be expected to make a short class presentation about one of the ancient sources for Caesar's life, as well as take a midterm exam.

This is the capstone course required for Classics Majors. We expect to be able to offer this course every year from now on. The seminar experience works best if the class size is in the 10-15 range. So to keep the numbers manageable we plan to prioritize enrollment. Seniors will have first priority, then juniors, and finally, if there is space available, sophomores.

Prerequisite: Completion of one upper-division course in Latin, Greek, or Hebrew or consent of instructor.

Seminar - 3 hours; Extensive Term Paper. GE Credit: ArtHum, Wrt.

Textbooks:

• Caesar, The Gallic War
• Caesar, The Civil War
• Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars
• Plutarch, The Fall of the Roman Republic
• Matthias Gelzer, Caesar: Politician and Statesman
• Maria Wyke, Caesar: A Life in Western Culture

Classics 200B
Approaches to the Classical Past
CRN

David Traill, Professor
TBA

In CLA 200B students meet individually with a designated supervisor and write a major research paper, which ideally may be the first draft of a chapter of their dissertation.

Professor Traill will ultimately be responsible for CLA 200B in the Fall of 2009 but will work closely with any faculty members assigned to supervise individual students who decide to take 200B this quarter.

Prerequisite: Course 200A and Graduate Student status.

Textbooks: None.

Greek

Greek 1
Elementary Greek (5 Units)

Patricia Bulman, Lecturer (pabulman@ucdavis.edu)
(sec. 1, M-F 10:00-10:50) CRN 26503
(sec. 2, M-F 1:10-2:00) CRN 26504

Introduction to the basic grammar and vocabulary of Classical and New Testament Greek. Development of translation skills with emphasis on Greek-English.

Course Placement: Students who have successfully completed, with a C- or better, Greek 2 or 3 in the 10th or higher grade in high school may receive unit credit for this course on a P/NP grading basis only. Although a passing grade will be charged to the student's P/NP option, no petition is required. All other students will receive a letter grade unless a P/NP petition is filed. For more information, please contact the instructor or the Classics staff adviser directly.

Lecture - 5 hours.

Textbooks:

• Gilbert Lawall, Athenaze: An Introduction to Ancient Greek (Book 1)
• Maurice Balme, Athenaze: An Introduction to Ancient Greek (Workbook 1)

Greek 100N
Readings in Greek Prose (4 Units)
CRN 43317

John Rundin, Lecturer (jsrundin@ucdavis.edu)
MWF 12:10-1:00

This course is for students who have had one year of college Greek or the equivalent. If you have questions whether this course is right for you, do not hesitate to contact the instructor (John Rundin at jsrundin@ucdavis.edu or 530-752-2424).

The class will be centered on reading Greek from the text of Xenophon's exciting Anabasis, his eye-witness account of a Greek army trapped in Persian territory in 401 B.C. and of its long, perilous journey back to safety.

Greek grammar will be reviewed. Special attention will be paid to developing skills in using lexicons and reference grammars.

Prerequisite: Greek 3 or consent of instructor.

Lecture - 3 hours; Recitation - 1 hour. GE credit: ArtHum, Wrt.

Textbooks:

• Xenophon, Xenophon's Anabais: Book 1 to 4
• Smyth, Greek Grammar
• Liddell and Scott, An Intermediate Greek Lexicon
• Xenophon, The Persian Expedition

Greek 116
Herodotus
CRN 43316

David Traill, Professor (datraill@ucdavis.edu)
MWF 9:00-9:50

In this course we will read a selection of passages from Herodotus’s Histories. Besides being the world's first historian, Herodotus is an excellent story-teller. His Histories are a fascinating blend of story and history. He wrote in the Ionic dialect, which is not so very different from Attic (essentially a branch of Ionic).

Accordingly, we will learn to read the Ionic dialect, will explore the historical issues that arise from the passages we read and assess Herodotus’ abilities as a historian and a story-teller. Students should also have access to a standard Greek grammar, such as Smyth or Goodwin.

Graded Work: Students will be called upon each day to translate passages from the prepared assignment. In addition there will be a pre-midterm, a midterm and a final exam. Students will also be required to write a 1700 page term paper.

Prerequisite: Greek 103 or consent of instructor.

Lecture - 3 hours; Term Paper. GE credit: ArtHum, Wrt.

Textbooks:

• Amy L. Barbour, Selections from Herodotus
• A Course Reader

Latin

Latin 1
Elementary Latin (5 Units)

John Rundin, Lecturer (sec. 1, M-F 9:00-9:50) CRN 28873
John Rundin, Lecturer (sec. 2, M-F 10:00-10:50) CRN 28874
Patricia Bulman, Lecturer (sec. 3, M-F 2:10-3:00) CRN 28875

This course is for students who have never taken Latin or who want to start Latin fresh. It is only offered once a year at UC Davis (in the Fall Quarter) so students who desire to learn Latin will have to wait another year to start Latin if they do not take it in Fall 2009. The course is the first of three in a sequence that covers basic Latin grammar and vocabulary.

There is a nation-wide shortage of high-school Latin teachers right now, so if students want to get a good job teaching in a good high school, Latin will give them an advantage - particularly if they can also teach some other subject

Course Placement: Students who have successfully completed, with a C- or better, Latin 2 or 3 in the 10th or higher grade in high school may receive unit credit for this course on a P/NP grading basis only. Although a passing grade will be charged to the student's P/NP option, no petition is required. All other students will receive a letter grade unless a P/NP petition is filed. For more information, please contact the instructor or the Classics staff adviser directly.

Lecture - 5 hours.

Textbooks:

• P.V. Jones and K. C. Sidwell, Reading Latin: Text
• P.V. Jones and K. C. Sidwell, Reading Latin: Grammar, Vocabulary and Exercises

Latin 100N
Readings in Latin Prose (4 Units)
CRN 28879

Rex Stem, Assistant Professor (srstem@ucdavis.edu)
MWF 1:10-2:00

This class is designed for students who have taken our LAT 1-2-3 sequence, or its equivalent. If you have questions about whether this course is right for you, please contact the instructor (Rex Stem at srstem@ucdavis.edu).

Aims of the course: 1) to improve reading skills in Latin by making the transition to reading authentic Latin; 2) to read and study the writings of Julius Caesar with regard to his aims and his context; 3) to hone skills in grammatical understanding, formal translation, and critical thinking and writing.

We will begin by pairing our reading of Caesar with a thorough review of Latin morphology and syntax. Quizzes and/or reading worksheets will be very frequent. The midterm and final exams will test your ability to describe and translate Latin grammar in context, translate continuous passages, and compose interpretative essays on the writing and life of Julius Caesar. Two short (3-4 pp.) papers will also be required, one an analysis of Caesar's Latin style and the other an analysis of his goals and methods.

Prequisite: Latin 3 or consent of instructor.

Lecture/Discussion - 3 hours; Term Paper. GE credit: ArtHum, Wrt.

Textbooks:

• Andrew Aronson, Selections from Caesar's De Bello Gallico: A Longman Latin Reader
• James Humphreys, Graphic Latin Grammar
• Recommended: Cassell's Latin Dictionary (hardback edition), or the equivalent.

Latin 115
Lucretius (4 Units)
CRN 43883

Emily Albu, Associate Professor (emalbu@ucdavis.edu)
TR 3:10-4:30

Lucretius was a Roman poet of the first century BCE who laid out an exposition of the philosophy of Epicurus in his extended poem De rerum natura. Epicurus, a prolific author whose works have almost completely been lost, is counted among the greatest of ancient philosophers. His advocacy of an uncompromising quest for ataraxia, divine peace, raises important issues of no less interest today than in antiquity. Lucretius' poem, which has delighted readers for over two-thousand years, has had great influence on Western European literature.

In this course, we will read selections from De rerum natura in Latin. In addition, we will read in English the entire De rerum natura. There will be quizzes, a midterm, a paper, and a final. This course requires at least a year's previous study of Latin language.

Prerequisite: Latin 3 or consent of instructor.

Lecture - 3 hours; Term Paper. GE credit: ArtHum, Wrt.

• Lucretius and A.E. Stallings (trans.), The Nature of Things
• Lucretius, Lucretius: Selections from De Rerum Natura