What are myths and why do we tell them? What powers do myths have? We will tackle these questions by looking at the enduring and fascinating myths from ancient Greece and Rome. In addition to studying how they shaped ancient societies, we will also look at their modern influence and reflect upon the power that myths still hold in our contemporary world. Taught in English.

An exploration of the cultural traits and developments of ancient Roman civilization from its roots in Etruscan culture, through the rise of the Roman Republic, to the expansion of Roman cultural influence in the ancient world and the emergence of the Roman Empire. Drawing upon the evidence of the archaeological remains as well as ancient historical and literary documents, students gain a basic familiarity with the principal monuments and artifacts of ancient Roman civilization, the various institutions and values that characterized the Romans, and the significant historical events that transformed the culture over the course of antiquity.

What is romance? This course approaches the question by reading ancient Greek romance novels in tandem with works inspired by them from a range of times and places. We will attempt to identify which traits define romance in a society and how romance narratives change in translation and adaptation.

A team-taught, interdisciplinary course discussing theories, methods, and ethical issues in the practice of archaeology.

The origins and development of philosophy and science in Ancient Greece, focusing on the pre-Socratics, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle.

Examines the question of how Ancient Greek thought can be a tool for facing the challenges of the modern world. Topics such as political participation and engagement in politics, lawfulness and justice, freedom and autonomy, democracy and civic responsibility are found at the core of Ancient Greek thought. In addition to these topics, the course explores, through the teachings of ancient Greek philosophers, historians, and poets, the questions of virtue and happiness at a personal level and the pursuit of happiness at the societal level. Love and friendship are necessary virtues to shape a harmonious and prosperous polis. By studying selected excerpts from the primary sources of Ancient Greek literature in translation, the course defines the core values of democratic society from the viewpoint of the Greeks.

The literary remains of three Roman freedpersons--the editor and biographer Tiro (c. 80-4 BCE), the poet and fabulist Phaedrus (fl. 1st cen. CE), and the philosopher Epictetus (c. 55-135 CE)--give us a rare glimpse into the internal experience of persons enslaved and emancipated by Roman elites. To contextualize these experiences, we study the legal basis of Roman slavery, epigraphic self-representations, and stereotyping representations of freedpersons by free authors. We also read our authors against comparable works by freeborn analogues--the senator Cicero, the poet Horace, and the philosopher Seneca--to test the boundaries of how the identity of libertus ("freedman") affected and failed to affect our authors' literary aims. To deepen our study of how historical conditions shape the creation of freed authorship and the transmission of freed authors, we also read, and consider the conditions surrounding the publication of, American freedpersons' literature.

Representative plays by Aristophanes, Menander, Plautus and Terence in translation; examination of Greek tradition in Roman and postclassical periods.