Courses for Summer 2018 | Department of Classical Studies

	Title	Instructor	Location	Time	Description	Fulfills	Registration Notes
ANCH 026-910	ANCIENT GREECE	POST, RUBEN	UNIVERSITY MUSEUM 330	MTWR 0240PM-0415PM	The Greeks enjoy a special place in the construction of western culture and identity, and yet many of us have only the vaguest notion of what their culture was like. A few Greek myths at bedtime when we are kids, maybe a Greek tragedy like Sophokles' Oidipous when we are at school: these are often the only contact we have with the world of the ancient Mediterranean. The story of the Greeks, however, deserves a wider audience, because so much of what we esteem in our own culture derives from them: democracy, epic poetry, lyric poetry, tragedy, history writing, philosophy, aesthetic taste, all of these and many other features of cultural life enter the West from Greece. The oracle of Apollo at Delphi had inscribed over the temple, "Know Thyself." For us, that also means knowing the Greeks. We will cover the period from the Late Bronze Age, c. 1500 BC, down to the time of Alexander the Great, concentrating on the two hundred year interval from 600-400 BC.	History & Tradition Sector (all classes)	CROSS CULTURAL ANALYSIS; HISTORY & TRADITION SECTOR; CROSS-CULTURAL ANALYSIS
ANCH 027-920	ANCIENT ROME	PILIPOW, RYAN	UNIVERSITY MUSEUM 328	MTWR 0240PM-0415PM	The Roman Empire was one of the few great world states-one that unified a large area around the Mediterranean Sea-an area never subsequently united as part of a single state. Whereas the great achievements of the Greeks were in the realm of ideas and concepts (democracy, philosophy, art, literature, drama) those of the Romans tended to be in the pragmatic spheres of ruling and controlling subject peoples and integrating them under the aegis of an imperial state. Conquest, warfare, administration, and law making were the great successes of the Roman state. We will look at this process from its inception and trace the formation of Rome's Mediterranean empire over the last three centuries BC; we shall then consider the social, economic and political consequences of this great achievement, especially the great political transition from the Republic (rule by the Senate) to the Principate (rule by emperors). We shall also consider limitations to Roman power and various types of challenges, military, cultural, and religious, to the hegemony of the Roman state. Finally, we shall try to understand the process of the development of a distinctive Roman culture from the emergence new forms of literature, like satire, to the gladiatorial arena as typical elements that contributed to a Roman social order.	History & Tradition Sector (all classes)	CROSS CULTURAL ANALYSIS; HISTORY & TRADITION SECTOR; CROSS-CULTURAL ANALYSIS
CLST 100-910	GREEK & ROMAN MYTHOLOGY	STRUCK, PETER		W 0430PM-0600PM	Myths are traditional stories that have endured many years. Some of them have to do with events of great importance, such as the founding of a nation. Others tell the stories of great heroes and heroines and their exploits and courage in the face of adversity. Still others are simple tales about otherwise unremarkable people who get into trouble or do some great deed. What are we to make of all these tales, and why do people seem to like to hear them? This course will focus on the myths of ancient Greece and Rome, as well as a few contemporary American ones, as a way of exploring the nature of myth and the function it plays for individuals, societies, and nations. We will also pay some attention to the way the Greeks and Romans themselves understood their own myths. Are myths subtle codes that contain some universal truth? Are they a window on the deep recesses of a particular culture? Are they entertaining stories that people like to tell over and over? Are they a set of blinders that all of us wear, though we do not realize it? We investigate these questions through a variety of topics creation of the universe between gods and mortals, religion and family, sex, love, madness, and death.	Arts & Letters Sector (all classes)	CROSS CULTURAL ANALYSIS; ARTS & LETTERS SECTOR; ONLINE COURSE FEE $150; ONLINE COURSE ONLY; CROSS-CULTURAL ANALYSIS
CLST 337-941	ILIAD: Reading the Iliad in an Age of War	STRUCK, PETER		R 0430PM-0600PM	Homer's Iliad presents a dark and difficult vision of the world, but one that nonetheless inspires. Casual cruelty, divine caprice, and savage violence test heroes and lesser folk and provoke a reckoning with the stark realities of both human vulnerability and capability. It inspires kind of terror, but still also somehow provides a kind of comfort, albeit one whose character seems almost beyond comprehension. By a close and careful reading of Homer's text, along with some reflections and readings drawn from more contemporary wars, including the current ones, we will try to examine these issues with one eye on the past and one on the present. Our goal will be to achieve some further understanding of war and human experience. This course will be offered online.		ONLINE COURSE FEE $150; ONLINE COURSE ONLY
CLST 517-941	MLA PROSEMINAR: Reading the Iliad in an Age of War	STRUCK, PETER		R 0430PM-0600PM	Homer's Iliad presents a dark and difficult vision of the world, but one that nonetheless inspires. Casual cruelty, divine caprice, and savage violence test heroes and lesser folk and provoke a reckoning with the stark realities of both human vulnerability and capability. It inspires kind of terror, but still also somehow provides a kind of comfort, albeit one whose character seems almost beyond comprehension. By a close and careful reading of Homer's text, along with some reflections and readings drawn from more contemporary wars, including the current ones, we will try to examine these issues with one eye on the past and one on the present. Our goal will be to achieve some further understanding of war and human experience. This course will be offered online.		ONLINE COURSE FEE $150; ONLINE COURSE ONLY
GREK 112-910	INTENSIVE ELEM GREEK	BENSCH-SCHAUS, AMELIA	WILLIAMS HALL 303	MTWRF 0900AM-1230PM	An introduction to the ancient Greek language for beginners, with explanation of basic grammatical concepts and intensive exercises in reading and writing. Ideal for undergraduates or graduate students from Penn or elsewhere with some background in learning other languages, or who need to learn Greek rapidly. The course covers the first year of college-level Greek, equivalent to GREK 101 + GREK 102 at more than twice the normal pace. For further information on Penn's Greek curriculum, visit the Classical Studies department website.		LANGUAGE SKILLS COURSE
GREK 212-920	INTERMEDIATE GREEK	KHAN, SCHEHERAZADE	WILLIAMS HALL 305	MTWRF 1000AM-0130PM	An introduction to the basic history and conventions of Greek prose and poetry, with continuous readings from classical authors accompanied by grammar review and exercises. Ideal for undergraduates or graduate students from Penn or elsewhere who have completed the equivalent of one year Greek (e.g., GREK 112). The course covers the second year of college-level Greek, equivalent to GREK 203 + GREK 204 at more than twice the normal pace.		LANGUAGE SKILLS COURSE; ONE TERM COURSE
LATN 112-910	INTENSIVE ELEM LATIN	PERSYN, MARCIE		MTWR 0530PM-0700PM	An introduction to the Latin language for beginners, with explanation of basic grammatical concepts and intensive exercises in reading and writing. Ideal for undergraduates or graduate students from Penn or elsewhere with some background in learning other languages, or who need to learn Latin rapidly. The course covers the first year of college-level Latin, equivalent to LATN 101 + 102 at more than twice the normal pace. This is an online course. 2 c.u. Students are not required to be in Philadelphia. Course activities will involve a series of intensive online exercises completed each day according the students own schedule, plus one daily video-linked session 5.30-7.00pm EST (Monday thru Thursday). The textbook is Learn to Read Latin (Keller & Russell; textbook only, not workbook). The instructor for summer 2018 is Marcie Persyn, a Ph.D. student in Classical Studies. For further information about the course, please contact Prof. James Ker (jker@sas.upenn.edu).		ONLINE COURSE FEE $150; ONLINE COURSE ONLY
LATN 212-920	INTERMEDIATE LATIN	CREDO, BRIAN		MTWR 0530PM-0700PM	An introduction to the basic history and conventions of Latin prose and poetry, with continuous readings from classical authors accompanied by grammar review and exercises. Ideal for undergraduates or graduate students from Penn or elsewhere who have completed the equivalent of one year Latin (e.g., LATN 112). The course covers the second year of college-level Latin, equivalent to LATN 203 + 204 at more than twice the normal pace. This is an online course. 2 c.u. Students are not required to be in Philadelphia. Course activities will involve a series of intensive online exercises completed each day according the students own schedule, plus one daily video-linked session 5.30-7.00pm EST (Monday thru Thursday). The focus of the course will be Romans and Carthaginians, combining readings on Hannibal and the second Punic war (mostly in prose, focusing on Cornelius Nepos Life of Hannibal) with readings from the story of Dido (mostly in poetry, focusing on Ovids Heroides). The instructor for summer 2018 is Brian Credo, a Ph.D. student in Classical Studies. For further information about the course, please contact Prof. James Ker (jker@sas.upenn.edu).		ONLINE COURSE FEE $150; ONLINE COURSE ONLY