Classics has traditionally been the study of the languages and societies of ancient Greece and Rome. The Classics program at Hamilton reflects this tradition, but it also offers a broader view of the ancient world and its relation to our own time.
Here are some of the benefits offered by the study of classics:
It enables students to perceive the influence of the Greeks and Romans on the art, literature, and thought of our own time.
By exposing students to the culturally and racially diverse world inhabited by the ancient Greeks and Romans, it helps them understand the rapidly changing world of today.
The study of Latin and Greek improves students' reading and writing skills. Knowing Greek, Latin, or both imparts an increased mastery of English. It also provides a firm foundation for learning other languages, in particular the romance languages--French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese. In an era of ever-increasing globalization, the ability to understand and express oneself in languages other than one's own is becoming more and more important--and increasingly valued by employers.
The skills acquired by students of classics are transferable to a wide variety of contexts. Studying Latin, Greek, and the ancient Mediterranean world enables students to deal with precise details, master complex structures, and situate the events of today and the shape of their own lives within the larger sweep of history.
At Hamilton, students can realize those benefits by choosing between two concentrations: Classical Languages, where the focus is on Latin and Greek as keys to understanding the ancient world; and Classical Studies, where students study ancient history and culture while mastering only one of the languages. Hamilton’s classics department offers a full range of courses in Latin, Greek, and Classical Studies, including Mythology, The Romans on Film, Heroism, Ancient Egypt, Ethics and Politics in Ancient Greece and Rome, and Women in Antiquity. In addition, the department’s Winslow Lectureship Fund brings distinguished visiting speakers to campus each year. These visitors have included scholars and writers as diverse as Martin Bernal (the author of Black Athena), W. R. Connor (a Hamilton alumnus who is director of The National Humanities Center), Stanley Lombardo (an eminent translator of the Iliad and Odyssey), the African classical scholar Gabriel Adeleye, the translator and opera authority William Weaver, and the internationally famous Italian writer Umberto Eco.
Hamilton classics students have ample opportunity for study abroad. The college is affiliated with the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome and the American School of Classical Studies in Athens. Hamilton’s distinguished tradition in classics ensures that funds are available from numerous awards earmarked for classics students.
Hamilton’s classics faculty is internationally recognized for its research. The department is home to The American Journal of Philology, the oldest classics journal in the United States. Participation in the VRoma Project and other initiatives marks the department’s interest in using technology in teaching and learning about the ancient world.
Hamilton classics graduates have made excellent use of the benefits afforded by their classical education. Some have gone on to graduate study and careers in teaching and scholarship, but the vast majority have embarked on productive careers in business, banking, publishing, medicine, and law.
Classical Studies: any 100 or 200-level course is open to first years; only rarely will first-years take a 300-level course, with permission of instructor.
Classical Languages: Students should take the Placement exam to determine which level of Latin they will take (110, 210, 390). Most Greek students will start with Greek 110; any student who has taken Greek in high school should speak to the instructor.
Classical Studies
100F Socrates, Cleopatra and the Caesars.
An introduction to classical studies and the ancient Mediterranean world that focuses on some pivotal figures. Consideration of the multiple facets of ancient Mediterranean society and culture, including multiculturalism, race, class and gender. Attention to literature, art, religion, philosophy and history. Readings from ancient and modern sources, and films dealing with the world of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Wells.
[110]
The Civilizations of Greece and the Near East.
An introduction to the legacy of ancient Greece and the Near East through the study of history, literature, philosophy and art.
[120]
Roman Civilization.
An introduction to the history and culture of ancient Rome. Stress on social history and basic skills in the study of history.
201F History of Ancient Western Philosophy.
A study of the philosophical classics from early Greek times to the Renaissance. Emphasis on Plato and Aristotle. Open to sophomores and juniors or by consent of instructor.
(Same as Philosophy 201.)
Werner.
240F Classical Mythology.
An introduction to ancient mythology through readings from sources such as Gilgamesh, Egyptian mythology, Homer, Hesiod, Greek tragedy, Herodotus, Livy, Ovid and contemporary mythmakers. Origins, creation myths, divinities and heroes, and mystery religions.
(Same as Religious Studies 240.)
Haley.
244F Tragedy: Then and Now.
How did Greek tragedy work in the city of Athens? Athens was a radical democracy but was based on slave labor and the exclusion of women. How is this implied contradiction displayed in the works of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides? But tragedy also has contemporary life. How do these plays transcend their time of production? An opportunity to examine relations of gods/humans, fate/choice, as well as gender, class/ethnicity and sexuality. Readings to include works by Seneca, Racine, Sartre, O’Neill, Heaney, Fugard.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Same as Theatre 244 and Comparative Literature 244.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
N Rabinowitz.
250S Heroism Ancient and Modern.
An examination of ancient and modern views of the hero. Consideration of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, Vergil's Aeneid, modern works such as Voltaire's Candide and films such as Shane, The Maltese Falcon, Blade Runner, Joan the Maid and the Star Wars series.
(Oral Presentations.)
Rubino.
[260]
Power and Corruption in Ancient Rome.
An examination of personal and political corruption in ancient Rome, with particular attention to the manner in which it is depicted by writers such as Sallust, Livy, Horace, Tacitus and Juvenal. Some attention to depictions of corruption in modern America, especially to Robert Caro's portrayals of Robert Moses and Lyndon Johnson.
261S Classical Art: Inventing the Past.
An examination of Mediterranean art from the Bronze Age through the Roman Empire. Special emphasis on the archaeological discovery and reshaping of ancient art by later scholars and the concept of the "classical."
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one course in art history or classics.
(Same as Art History 261.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
McEnroe.
[270]
The Classical Tradition in American Political Life: Cicero, Hamilton, Jefferson, and the Making of the Republic.
A study of Greek and Roman influences on the creation of the United States, with special attention to the influence of Cicero and the rivalry between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. Readings include biographies of and writings by all three figures.
280S Ancient Comedy.
Readings of Greek and Roman comedies in English translation: Aristophanes, Plautus, Terence, Lucian, Apulieus, mime. Discussions of why and for whom comedy is funny, comedic perspective, theories of humor, roles of women and slaves in comedy, cultural values, themes and plots, history of comedy, staging and theatrical technique. May also include class production of a play. Gold.
[308]
Reclaiming an Ancient African Past.
Examines the ancient evidence for the Afrocentric claim of the African genesis of Western civilization. Students will also explore the modern political context of and debate around the backlash of eurocentric scholars against these claims as well as the epistemological framing of the sociology of knowledge.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Same as Africana Studies 308.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
320F The Romans on Film.
Critical examination of films such as Spartacus, Julius Caesar, The Last Temptation of Christ, Ben Hur, I Claudius, Fellini Satyricon, The Fall of the Roman Empire and Gladiator. Readings from ancient writers such as Plutarch, Tacitus and Suetonius, as well as from selected modern sources. Prerequisite, one course in Latin, Greek or classical studies. Rubino.
[330]
Food and Dining in the Roman World.
An introduction to ancient Roman culture and social history from the perspective of food, including what foodstuffs were common in ancient Rome, where they came from, how they were used, and what their use and availability tell us about the social status of their consumers. Readings, individual student presentations and research projects, as well as hands-on preparation of food using ancient Roman recipes.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one course in classical studies, Greek, or Latin or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[340]
Women in Antiquity.
An examination of women’s roles in the ancient world through various sources: history, archaeology, law, literature and art. Covers the period from ancient Egypt and early Greece through classical Greece and down to Rome, and traces the shifts in attitudes during these periods.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one course in Latin, Greek, classical studies or women's studies.
(Same as Women's Studies 340.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[341S]
Women, Gender, and Power in Ancient Egypt and Greece.
An interdisciplinary study of the varying degrees and types of power available to women in ancient Egypt and Greece. Students will analyze evidence from art, archaeology, classical literature, history and sociology to interpret the social construction of race, gender, class and sexuality in these ancient societies.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one course in Latin, Greek, classical studies or women's studies.
(Same as Women's Studies 341.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[342]
Women, Gender and Power in Ancient Rome and Byzantium.
An interdisciplinary study of the women of ancient Rome and Byzantium. Students will analyze evidence from art, archaeology, classical literature, history and sociology to interpret the social construction of race, gender, class and sexuality in these ancient societies. From the empress to her freedwoman, the good wife to the prostitute, the midwife to the scholar, the course will uncover women's authentic voices.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one course in Latin, Greek, classical studies or women's studies.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[350]
Ethics and Politics in Ancient Greece and Rome.
A study of Greek and Roman attitudes toward the question of private and public behavior, concentrating on such topics as the meaning of success, the use of power, the function of language in political life, the relationship between the individual and the state, and the role of the state in regulating behavior. Contemporary applications. Readings from Thucydides, Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Sallust and Tacitus.
(Oral Presentations.)
Prerequisite, one course in Latin, Greek, classical studies, political theory, philosophy or consent of instructor.
372S Unraveling Cleopatra.
Cleopatra was a witness to and a shaper of the history of ancient Egypt and the late Roman Republic. To posterity the historical Cleopatra is an enigma, but her image in film, literature, art and popular culture is ever present. Through authors such as Horace, Plutarch, Shakespeare and George Bernard Shaw and through cinematic treatments from the 1940s-1970s, this course will explore how the historical figure of Cleopatra became both the signifier and embodiment of sexual and racial politics across historical periods.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one course in classical studies or Africana studies.
(Same as Women's Studies 372 and Africana Studies 372.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Haley.
[374]
Ancient Egypt.
A study of the history of ancient Egypt and of its interaction with other ancient African kingdoms, including Nubia, Kush and Punt. Examination of Egypt’s prehistory, language, social and gender relations, and cultural development.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 240 or Africana Studies 101.
(Same as Africana Studies 374.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
550S Senior Seminar.
Topics to be arranged. Open only to senior concentrators. Wells.
Greek
110F Elementary Greek I.
An introduction to the language and culture of Greece and the ancient Mediterranean. Thorough grounding in the grammar, syntax and vocabulary of ancient Greek. Reading and discussion of elementary passages from classical or New Testament Greek that cast light on ancient Mediterranean society and culture. For those with no previous knowledge of Greek. Three class meetings a week, in addition to a drill session. Wells.
120S Elementary Greek II.
Continuation of Greek 110. Further study of grammar, syntax and vocabulary, accompanied by reading and discussion of passages from classical or New Testament Greek that cast light on ancient Mediterranean society and culture. For students who have completed Greek 110 or those who have had some Greek but require review. Three class meetings a week, in addition to a drill session. Wells.
210F Intermediate Greek: The World of Greece and the Ancient Mediterranean.
Reading and discussion, with grammar review, of intermediate-level passages from classical, Hellenistic or New Testament Greek selected to illuminate the history, society and culture of Greece and the ancient Mediterranean. Readings from the New Testament and from writers such as Xenophon and Lucian. Prerequisite, knowledge of elementary Greek. Rubino.
[340]
Homer and the Greek Hero.
Reading from Homer's Iliad and Odyssey in the original Greek. Consideration of the Greek concept of heroism and the role of epic poetry, with attention to the society and culture of the Homeric world. Prerequisite, knowledge of intermediate Greek.
350S The Greek Historians.
The story of ancient Greece as told in the words of the Greeks themselves. Readings, in the original Greek, from Herodotus, Thucydides and Xenophon. Attention to the wider issues of ancient Mediterranean society and culture. Prerequisite, knowledge of intermediate Greek. Gold.
[360]
Greek Drama.
Readings, in the original Greek, from the tragedians Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides and from the comic playwrights Aristophanes and Menander. Attention to matters such as the role of women and slaves, social and cultural values, and theories of tragedy and comedy. Prerequisite, knowledge of intermediate Greek.
390F Topics in Ancient Greek Society and Culture.
Reading and discussion of original Greek texts that cast light on the history, society and culture of Greece and the ancient Mediterranean. Authors and topics vary; may be repeated for credit. Prerequisite, knowledge of intermediate Greek. Rubino.
Latin
110F Elementary Latin I.
An introduction to the language and culture of ancient Rome. Thorough grounding in Latin grammar, syntax and vocabulary. Reading and discussion of elementary passages that cast light on the society and culture of ancient Rome and its empire. No knowledge of Latin required. Three class meetings a week, in addition to a drill session. Haley.
120S Elementary Latin II.
Continuation of Latin 110. Further study of grammar, syntax and vocabulary, accompanied by reading and discussion of passages that cast light on the society and culture of ancient Rome and its empire. For students who have completed Latin 110 or those who have had some Latin but require review. Three class meetings a week, in addition to a drill session. Haley.
210F Intermediate Latin: The World of Ancient Rome.
Reading and discussion, with grammar review, of intermediate-level Latin passages selected to illuminate the history, society and culture of ancient Rome and its empire. Readings from writers such as Caesar, Cicero, Sallust, Catullus, Ovid and Martial. Prerequisite, knowledge of elementary Latin. Rubino.
340S The Roman Hero.
Readings, in the original Latin, from Vergil's Aeneid and other Roman epics. Consideration of the nature of heroism and epic poetry, with attention to the history, society and culture of the Roman world. Prerequisite, knowledge of intermediate Latin. Rubino.
[350]
The Roman Historians.
The story of ancient Rome and its empire as told in the words of the Romans themselves. Readings, in the original Latin, from Sallust, Livy, Tacitus and other historians. Prerequisite, knowledge of intermediate Latin.
[360]
The Literature of Love and Desire.
Readings, in the original Latin, from the love poetry of Catullus, Horace, Tibullus, Propertius and Ovid. Attention to Greek influences on Roman love poetry, to its Roman context and to the Roman influence of subsequent notions of love and erotic poetry. Prerequisite, knowledge of intermediate Latin.
[370]
Letters, Society and History.
Readings, in the original Latin, from the letters of such writers as Cicero, Pliny and Seneca. Attention to the ways in which those letters cast light on Roman society and the movement of history. Prerequisite, knowledge of intermediate Latin.
390F Topics in Roman Society and Culture.
Reading and discussion of original Latin texts that cast light on the history, society and culture of Rome and the ancient Mediterranean. Authors and topics vary; may be repeated for credit. Prerequisite, knowledge of intermediate Latin. Wells.
