Academics

Classics

 

Andrew Singer (Classics Fellow)

The study of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds, their languages, philosophy, history, literature and culture, has been the backbone of Western education for nearly two thousand years. The immense contribution of these two civilisations to the subsequent development of the western world has long been recognized. Study in this area is therefore an invaluable part of a well-balanced liberal arts education, and will reinforce students' understanding of many other disciplines, including European literature and languages, philosophy, music, law, history of art, drama and even mathematics and the sciences.

At Marlboro, most of the students who take Greek or Latin are beginners and start off in a small group. The self-selective nature of the courses therefore enables students to progress largely at their own pace. Even one or two semesters' work can greatly improve skills in language learning, as well as understanding of the basis of European romance languages and English. In their second year, students should be at the stage where they can tackle unabridged classical authors.

Latin and Greek are challenging subjects, requiring hard work and dedication. However, students can advance quickly and reach a level where they can read the works of great writers and thinkers on their own.

Those who study Classics as part of the Plan often do so in conjunction with another area. This can be particularly important given that the Classics Fellow, who is a recent graduate from the University of Oxford, does not stay over two years, and so cannot provide the continuity needed for the Plan of Concentration.

No student may graduate with a degree in the field of Classics without having studied both classical languages for at least two years each at the college level. Those considering graduate work in Classics should note that many graduate programs require more than this minimum, and that a reading knowledge of two modern languages (usually German and French) generally has to be demonstrated within the first two years of a doctoral program in Classics.

Starting Points (Basic and Introductory Courses)

Latin IA (HUM36)
This is a beginner’s course for those wishing to study the Latin language. The coursebook varies with Classics Fellow, but it is usually Wheelock’s Latin (6th edition), which introduces students fairly painlessly to the basic elements of grammar, syntax and vocabulary by using original stories along with excerpts from Latin texts. Students can expect regular tests to reinforce what they are learning. The aim will usually be to start tackling passages from Roman authors by the end of the academic year. (Introductory)

Latin IB (HUM618)
Continuing the Latin IA course, normally using Wheelock’s Latin. (Introductory)

Greek IA (HUM286)
This is a beginner’s course for those wishing to study Ancient Greek. Again, the coursebook varies, but is usually Mastronarde’s Introduction to Attic Greek. No prior knowledge is required, but some familiarity with Latin or a modern romance language would be helpful. Students should expect the course to cover some difficult ground in a short space of time and be prepared for regular tests on the key concepts. By the end of their first year they should be ready to start working on unabridged ancient texts. (Introductory)

Greek IB (HUM620)
Continuing the Greek IA course, normally using Mastronarde's Introduction to Attic Greek.

Latin IIA and IIB (HUM427)
Second-year continuation of Latin I. Students brush up on their grammar as necessary, and read original Latin texts, often being able to choose their authors. As well as developing their reading and translation skills and vocabulary, they may also consider the composition of texts in more detail, looking at technicalities such as style and poetic metre. (Intermediate)

Greek IIA and IIB (HUM47)
Second-year continuation of Greek I. Students read original Greek texts and work on any grammatical details not covered in their first year. As with Latin, they may have some choice in their authors, and will study issues of composition and metre at the same time as improving their reading fluency. (Intermediate)

Pursuing Interests (Intermediate and Thematic Courses)

Aristotle & the Pre-Socratics (HUM167)
Intense reading, in translation, of Aristotle’s major works in ethics, politics, aesthetics, physics, metaphysics and epistemology. Last third of course given to retrospective study of Pre-Socratics. (Intermediate)

Heroism and the World of Homer (HUM1182)
This course will offer students a brief introduction to the vast world of Homer's two great epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey. The texts will be read in translation and no knowledge of Greek is required, although students will be expected to examine individual passages in close detail both in their written work and in group discussions. The aim of the course will be to foster an appreciation of the poems as individual works of art at the same time as an awareness of their monumental importance in shaping the development of western literature as a whole. Particular attention will be paid to the question of Homeric heroism: the contrasting yet complementary approaches which the two poems adopt to the theme of heroism and the ways in which later literary and dramatic conceptions of heroism - both ancient and modern - are influenced by those of Homer. By the end of the course students can hope to have attained a close acquaintance with the Iliad and the Odyssey - something vital as a precursor to the study of later classical texts, and not a bad thing in its own right. Prerequisite: None

The Tragic Hero in Modern Reception
This course will investigate the reception of the theme of Greek tragic heroism in the post-classical age, comparing the works of the Athenian playwright Sophocles with an eclectic variety of later texts: the medieval epic The Song of Roland, Jean Anouilh's Occupation-era Antigone, Samuel Beckett's Endgame and the recent adaptation of the Oedipus myth, The Gods Are Not To Blame, by the Nigerian author Ola Rotimi. The broad aim of the course will be to develop an understanding of the influence of contemporary political and philosophical thought upon the evolution of the literary theme of heroism throughout history. To this end, students will be required to demonstrate engagement with critical as well as primary texts. Prior familiarity with at least some classical authors, while not a prerequisite, will be strongly preferred. (Intermediate)

The Birth of Western Philosophy and Literature (HUM1284 and HUM1317)
Western methods of philosophical inquiry and literary themes, conventions and genres began with the ancient Greeks and the spread of writing. During the first part of this two-semester course, we shall examine some of the poets and thinkers who made essential contributions to ethics and politics, proto-science and logic, drama, epic, rhetoric and the development of prose. We shall investigate the ways in which their ideas and techniques influenced each other, and the role played by the new technology of ink and papyrus.
In the second part of the course, we shall be looking at the development of philosophical and literary ideas after the Classical age in Greece. Beginning with the Hellenistics and the philosophies of Epicureanism, Stoicism and more, we shall take a tour through the major Latin authors, including Lucretius, Catullus, Cicero, Virgil, Horace, and Ovid, examining them from a philosophical, artistic, and cultural point of view, as well as in their relation to the developing techniques of literary criticism. Following papyrology in the previous term, we shall consider palaeography and the transmission of ancient texts through centuries of monastic manuscripts. Lastly, we shall investigate the reception of classical texts in later Western European literaure, in such works as Thomas Mann's Death in Venice and Tennyson's Lucretius.
Prerequisite: None

Homer’s Iliad (HUM1063)
This course will concentrate on examining the themes of this epic work, such as the frailty of society, the relationship between man and the gods, and the interaction between peoples pushed to extremes by war. We will also consider the questions of the impact of the poem upon the ancient Greeks through examining selected ancient plays and their relevance in the world today. (Introductory)

Greek Philosophy (Plato) (HUM225)
A wide-ranging study of the whole of Plato’s philosophy. This is the perfect first philosophy course, but also of interest to more advanced students. (Introductory)

Constructs of Gender in the Ancient World (HUM1074)
How were Greek and Roman "ideals of masculinity" different? What were "gender roles" in the ancient world? We will be using a wide variety of sources from literature and medical writings to curse tablets and artwork to answer these and many other questions, as well as relating these concepts to today’s world. (Introductory)

Areas Of Interest For Plan-Level Work

Specialization depends on the current Classics Fellow. History, literature, philosophy, religion, theatre, art, prose or verse composition, sex and gender, ancient science and medicine, and philology are all possible areas.

Sample Tutorial Topics