Professors Cole (History), Thompson (English), Danforth (Anthropology), Jones (History), and Corrie (Art); Visiting Professor Caspi (Religion); Associate Professors Allison (Religion), Fra-Molinero (Spanish), O'Higgins (Classics and Classical and Medieval Studies), Chair, and López (Spanish); Assistant Professors Imber (Classics and Classical and Medieval Studies) and Maurizio (Classics and Classical and Medieval Studies); Mr. Hayward (Classics and Classical and Medieval Studies), Mr. Walker (Classics and Classical and Medieval Studies), and Mr. Bigelow (Classical and Medieval Studies)

Winter 2000 Classical and Medieval Studies Addendum Notes

The Bates Program in Classical and Medieval Studies combines a uniquely interdisciplinary study of cultural history with an emphasis on empowering students themselves to read and assess texts in the relevant ancient language(s). The program is distinctive in linking the study of classical antiquity with that of the medieval world(s) and distinctive in its scope. It embraces as classical antiquity the ancient Mediterranean as a whole, including North Africa, Crete, and Sicily, as well as the many cultures that comprised "Greece" and "Rome." The medieval world includes Islamic and Viking civilizations as well as the great cathedral builders of northern Europe and the full extent of the Byzantine Empire and its border states. Students are encouraged to study abroad in selected programs in order to appreciate the material aspects of these diverse cultures. The program aims to be truly interdisciplinary, integrating the perspectives of history, literature, philosophy, religion, the environmental sciences, art, architecture, and other material culture.

Major Requirements. Within this interdisciplinary major students may elect to concentrate in either classical studies or medieval studies. The major requires twelve courses (or eleven courses and one Short Term unit).

1. Classical and Medieval Studies 101. Lost Worlds: How We Make the Distant Past.

2. An introductory course, either Classics 100. Introduction to the Ancient World, or History 102. Medieval Europe, as appropriate.

3. Four courses in Latin or four courses in Greek to be taken at Bates or through other authorized College programs.

4. A one-semester senior thesis, Classical and Medieval Studies 457 or 458. Thesis advisors are chosen by the chair of the program in consultation with the students, according to thesis subject. Students must submit a thesis proposal to the chair at the end of their junior year.

5. Five additional courses selected from the following list and drawn from at least two departments. The selection must be made in consultation with and with the approval of the chair of the program.

6. By the winter semester of their senior year, majors must satisfactorily complete a translation in either Greek or Latin. The translation examination is offered annually. This examination, known as the Comprehensive Exam, tests competency in reading representative Greek or Latin authors. Although at least two years of coursework in the relevant language is essential, students should practice for this examination on their own, or in study groups, during the year in which they plan to take it. Competency in reading at least one of the ancient languages is an essential element of the major.

The Program in Classical and Medieval Studies maintains a homepage on the World Wide Web where curricular changes and special events are posted. (http://www.bates.edu/pubs/Dept.Letters/classical.medieval.html)

Appropriate course offerings among the departments vary from year to year. From time to time a special classical and medieval studies symposium may be offered. Course descriptions are available under the departmental listings. Courses titled as Classics, Greek, or Latin are listed under the Department of Classical and Romance Languages and Literatures.

Pass/Fail Grading Option: No restrictions on the use of the pass/fail option within the major. Added 11/5/99. Effective beginning with Winter 2000 semester.

The following courses from across the curriculum can be applied to the major:
(Please click on a course to view it's description.)

Art 225. Iconography: Meaning in the Visual Arts from Late Antiquity to the Renaissance.
Art 231. Greek and Roman Art and Architecture.
Art 232. Pyramid and Ziggurat.
Art 241. The Art of Islam.
Art 251. The Age of the Cathedrals.
Art 252. Art of the Middle Ages.
Art 265. The Early Renaissance: Interpreting European Art, 1250-1450.
Art 266. The High Renaissance and Mannerism: Interpreting European Art, 1450-1600.
Art 376. Seminar in Medieval and Renaissance Art.
Art s27. From Antiquity to Renaissance in Florence and Rome.

Classics/History 100. Introduction to the Ancient World.
Classics 160. Tragedy and the Athenian City.
Classics 200. Ancient Comedy and Satire.
Classics 201. Women in Antiquity.
Classics 202. Greek Tragedy.
Classics/Greek 301. Explorations in Greek Prose.
Classics 305. Africa and the Classics.
Classics 360. Independent Study.
Classics 365. Special Topics.
Classics/Latin s21. Readings in Latin Epic.

English 171. European Literature: European Tradition from Homer to Cervantes.
English 205. Middle-English Literature.
English 206. Chaucer.
English 210. Medieval Drama.
English 211. English Literary Renaissance (1509-1603).
English s33. Editing Medieval Manuscripts.

French 351. Early French Literature.

Greek 101-102. Elementary Ancient Greek.
Greek 201-202. Intermediate Greek.
Greek/Classics 301. Explorations in Greek Prose.
Greek 360. Independent Study.
Greek 365. Special Topics.
Greek s50. Individual Research.

History/Classics 100. Introduction to the Ancient World.
History 102. Medieval Europe.
History 201. Greek Civilization.
History 202. Herodotus and Thucydides: Storytelling and Analytical Intelligence.
History 390D. Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.
History 390I. Anglo-Saxon England.

Latin 101-102. Elementary Latin.
Latin 201-202. Intermediate Latin.
Latin/Classical and Medieval Studies 205. Ovid's Metamorphoses Transformed.
Latin 360. Independent Study.
Latin 365. Special Topics.
Latin/Classics s21. Readings in Latin Epic.
Latin s50. Individual Research.

Music 241. Music Literature of the Medieval and Renaissance Periods.

Philosophy 270. Medieval Philosophy.
Philosophy 271. Greek Philosophy.

Religion 213. From Law to Mysticism.
Religion 214. Bible and Quran.
Religion 222. Myths and Their Meaning.
Religion 235. Ancient Israel: History, Religion, and Literature.
Religion 236. Introduction to the New Testament.
Religion 238. Early Jewish History and Thought.
Religion 241. History of Christian Thought I: Conflict, Self-Definition, and Dominance.
Religion 242. History of Christian Thought II: The Emergence of Modernity.
Religion 245. Monks, Nuns, Hermits, and Demons: Ascetic and Monastic Christianity.
Religion s25A. The Red-Letter Gospel.
Religion s26. Reading in the Greek New Testament.

Spanish 240. Loco Amor/Buen Amor.
Spanish s32. Medieval Spain: Christians, Jews, and Muslims.

Theater 200. The Classical Stage.

Courses

101. Lost Worlds: How We Make the Distant Past. At first glance the classical and medieval past seems like a stable, remote, and quiet place. Yet in fact, our vision(s) of classical and medieval Europe has changed drastically over time, and sometimes inspires vehement debate in the contemporary world. This course introduces students to the wide range of tools and methods required to study the distant past. It also shows how these tools and methods change over time, often reflecting current preoccupations and ideologies. The course also considers how we should chart our intellectual course in the future. Recommended background: a course in classical and medieval studies. Required of all classical and medieval studies majors. R. Allison, L. Maurizio.

150. Trials of Conscience. Why do people sue when they could kill? This course examines trials from the classical and medieval periods (e.g., Socrates, Joan of Arc), as well as theoretical models for the role of litigation in Western culture. The course considers the role litigation plays in both generating and containing a critique of dominant ideology. It explores the interpretative problems that the rhetorical nature of the sources poses for historical analysis of these trials. Students analyze the rhetorical strategies that the actors in these trials deployed to fashion an identity in opposition to their communities, and analyze why these strategies usually failed at the trial but succeeded in subsequent historical memory. All readings are in English. This course is the same as Rhetoric 150. M. Imber.

160. Classical Rhetoric. The Romans ran the ancient world by the sword, but also by the word. This course explores how they did the latter. Readings include classical works about rhetoric, examples of classical oratory, and the variety of exercises by which the practice of rhetoric was taught. Writing assignments include analyses of speeches by classical orators, as well as a range of ancient rhetorical exercises such as fables, speeches of praise and invective, persuasive speeches to historical figures, and mock courtroom speeches. The course concludes with an examination of the Gettysburg Address and consideration of its debt to classical rhetorical theory. All readings are in English. This course is the same as Rhetoric 160. M. Imber.

170. Introduction to Latin Literature. This introductory survey of classical Latin literature in translation extends from the earliest writings in Latin to the authors of early imperial Rome. Students read and analyze selections from Roman comedy, tragedy, epic, lyric, letters, and satire. They also read modern scholarship on the works, and learn about the world in which they were written. This course is the same as Classics 170. D. O'Higgins.

205. Ovid's Metamorphoses Transformed. Very soon after its publication, Ovid's Metamorphoses became the standard source for the stories of Greco-Roman mythology. This course traces (in English) the various retellings of some of those myths through medieval, Renaissance, and modern times, in Europe and the Americas, primarily in literary reworkings, but with some attention to art and music as well. Reading the Ovidian original in Latin is available to students with one or more years of Latin who register for this course under the rubric Latin 205. This course is the same as Latin 205. Open to first-year students. T. Hayward.

206. Roman Civilization. "People and places, the things that they do, and the times that they do them," Andy Sipowicz, the hero of NYPD Blue, once informed his son, were the matters that a good patrol officer needed to pay attention to. The advice also serves cultural historians well. In this course students study Roman civilization at the end of the Republic, examining first the places of Roman life and analyzing how the Romans built these their walls, temples, markets and stadiums and why they chose to. Students also explore the people and the nature of the activities they engaged in at these locations, seeking answers to questions like: What did the Romans eat for breakfast? Recommended background: Classics 100, Classical and Medieval Studies 101 and History 201. Open to first-year students. M. Imber.

208. Introduction to Medieval Archeology. The Middle Ages were a time of major cultural changes that laid the groundwork for Northwest Europe's emergence as a global center of political and economic power in more recent centuries. However, many aspects of life in the period from 1000 to 1500 C.E. were unrecorded in contemporary documents and art, and archeology has become an important tool for recovering that information. This course introduces the interdisciplinary methods and the findings of archeological studies of topics including medieval urban and rural lifeways, health, commerce, religion, social hierarchy, warfare, and the effects of global climate change. This course is the same as Anthropology 208 and History 208. Open to first-year students. G. Bigelow.

209. Vikings. The Vikings were the most feared and perhaps misunderstood people of their day. Savage raiders branded as the Antichrist by their Christian victims, the Vikings were also the most successful traders and explorers of the early Middle Ages. The Viking Age lasted for almost three centuries (800-1100 C.E.), and their world stretched from Russia to North America. Study of the myth and reality of Viking culture involves materials drawn from history, archeology, mythology, and literature. Prerequisite(s): History 102. This course is the same as History 209. M. Jones.

225. Gods, Heroes, Magic, and Mysteries: Religion in Ancient Greece. An anthropological and historical approach to ancient Greek religion in which archeological, literary, and art-historical sources are examined and compared with evidence from other cultures to gain an understanding of the role of religion in ancient Greek culture and of changing concepts of the relationship between man and the sacred. Topics explored include pre-Homeric and Homeric religion and religious thought, cosmology, mystery cults, civil religion, and manifestations of the irrational, such as dreams, ecstasy, shamanism, and magic. This course is the same as Religion 225 and Anthropology 225. Open to first-year students. R. Allison, L. Danforth.

265. Gender and Greek Myths. Why do only virgins appear in Greek myths about human sacrifice? Why were only adult men allowed to sacrifice animals at the godsą altars? This course explores the relationship between Greek religious practices and Greek myths about gender and the human body. Students read ancient texts and modern scholarship on gender, myth, and religion. The course emphasizes skills necessary for writing a major research paper in many fields. Prerequisite(s): Classical and Medieval Studies 101 or Women's Studies 100. Enrollment is limited to 30. L. Maurizio. Subject to adoption by the Faculty. First offered Fall 2000.

360. Independent Study. Independent study of individually selected topics. Periodic conferences and papers are required. Permission of the program is required. Students are limited to one independent study per semester. Staff.

457, 458. Senior Thesis. Required of all majors. The research and writing of an extended essay in classical and medieval studies, following the established practices of the field, under the guidance of a supervisor in the classical and medieval studies program. Students register for Classical and Medieval Studies 457 in the fall semester and for Classical and Medieval Studies 458 in the winter semester. Majors writing an honors thesis register for both Classical and Medieval Studies 457 and 458. Staff.

Short Term Units

s22. Lights, Cameras, Centurions: Hollywood's Imagined Rome. This unit proposes the hypothesis that Hollywood's fascination with Roman epics is linked, at least in part, to the "Red Scare" of the 1950s and government inquiries about and witchhunts against alleged communists active in the American government, academe, and the entertainment industry. Students watch five films (including Spartacus, Ben-Hur, and The Robe) from the period and read the novels on which they were based. Students also read secondary material on the House Committee on Un-American Activities and the "Hollywood Ten," in order to consider the question: Why did American filmmakers in the 1950s choose to imagine and speak about contemporary politics with the metaphors of the Roman world? This unit is the same as Classics s22. M. Imber.

s23. Fighting Monsters: Gladiators, Slaves, and Emperors in Imperial Rome. The Roman gladiatorial games were extremely popular for hundreds of years. This unit studies the games from a variety of perspectives to explain their enduring appeal to ancient and modern audiences. The gladiators themselves and their status in Roman society, and the ways in which gladiators seem simultaneously monstrous and heroic, are central topics. Other topics include slavery in Roman society (since most of the gladiators were slaves); how the gladiators both exemplify and defy their status as slaves; and the spectacle of imperial cruelty (with a focus on the personal lives of emperors who at once declared themselves to be gods and yet perpetrated unfathomable acts of all-too-human savagery). This unit is the same as Classics s23. Open to first-year students. Staff.

s24. The Once and Future Middle Ages. Working with historical source materials as well as with historical fiction, students create their own fictional representations of some aspect of the medieval world. Prerequisite(s): at least one of the following: English 201, 205, 206, 210, 395Q, History 102, Art 251, 252, Philosophy 270, or Religion 242. This unit is the same as English s24. Enrollment limited to 12. Written permission of the instructor is required. A. Thompson.

s25. Roman Law. Modern America's obsession with the law, demonstrated most recently by public response to the O.J. Simpson, Unabomber, and Oklahoma City bombing trials, can be traced back two millennia to ancient Rome. The Romans had their celebrity lawyers, "trials of the century," and professional legal pundits, just as we do. In this course, students learn how to think like a Roman lawyer, by studying the Roman law of delict (a branch of the law analogous to both modern criminal and tort law), using the American law school "case book" method of analysis. In addition students explore the role of law in Roman culture and the practice of law as an activity in ancient Rome. Recommended background: Classics/History 100. This unit is the same as Classics s25. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 30. M. Imber.

s26. Reading in the Greek New Testament. Intensive introduction to New Testament Greek. Students begin reading immediately in the Gospel of John, while studying the Koine, or commonly spoken Greek language of late classical and early Christian times. No previous knowledge of Greek is assumed. This unit is the same as Greek s26 and Religion s26. Enrollment limited to 8. R. Allison.

s50. Individual Research. Registration in this unit is granted by the program only after the student has submitted a written proposal for a full-time research project to be completed during the Short Term and has secured the sponsorship of a member of the program to direct the study and evaluate results. Students are limited to one individual research unit. Staff.

© 1999 Bates College. All Rights Reserved. Last modified: 2/24/00 by Mary Meserve