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Upcoming Courses

Spring 2026

Courses are divided into three areas of study: Classics in English, Greek, and Latin. All available courses can also be viewed via BannerWeb. All courses are one unit (unless otherwise indicated). 

Classics in English, Archaeology, and Linguistics

Classics 101 – Classical Mythology
Two sections: MW 3:00-4:15 pm – Damer; MW 4:30-5:45 pm – Mongrain
Classics 101 will introduce students to myths of the ancient Mediterranean. Students will read some of the major works of Greek, Latin, and Mesopotamian literature and come to understand how peoples in the ancient Mediterranean and beyond used myth in their literature, history, religion, and art. Satisfies the Literary Studies (FSLT) or Literary and Textual Inquiry requirement and may be applied to GSS. No prerequisite.

Classics 212 – Dining and Drinking in Classical Antiquity
MW 3:00-4:15 pm – Mongrain
An analysis of banqueting in the ancient Mediterranean world, from communal feasts at religious festivals to the private banquets of the Greek symposion and the Roman convivium. Satisfies the Social Analysis (FSSA) or Social Inquiry (AISO) and Written Communication (IFWC) requirement. No prerequisite.

CLSC 232– Daily Life in Roman Pompeii
TR 10:30-11:45 am – Damer

The eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the destruction of Pompeii have sparked the imagination since 79 CE. What was daily life like in a Roman town? What can we learn about the Roman world from advertisements, social media, business records, and contracts, or from building dedications and correspondence? In this seminar, students will become acquainted with digital tools and resources for the study of the Roman world and will study Roman writing from the archaeological context of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and surrounding communities. Through an analysis of many types of evidence, students will explore Roman thinking about citizenship, food, community, slavery, politics, entertainment, friendship, housing, work, death, and public spaces. Satisfies the Historical Studies (FSHT) or Historical Inquiry (AIHS) requirement, and WGSS Historical Perspectives requirement. No prerequisite.

LING 297 – History of Spanish
TR 12:00-1:15 pm – Wong Medina
This course serves as an introduction to historical linguistics and the history of Spanish from the end of the 3rd century BCE to the present day. Over the course of two millennia, the variety of Latin spoken on the Iberian Peninsula developed into a language that was distinct from other Romance languages like Portuguese, French and Italian. The development from Vulgar Latin to Spanish is largely due to the natural process of language change, but external forces were also at play: topography, the robust presence of Arabic in the Iberian Peninsula, contact with other Romance languages, and the enduring role of Latin as the official language of the church and state. In this course you will learn to identify the different stages in the development of Spanish and situate these different stages in their socio-historical contexts. Satisfies the AI-Historical Inquiry (AIHS) requirement. No prerequisites. Some knowledge of Latin, Spanish or another Romance language recommended.

Classics 301– Greek Art and Archaeology
MW 1:30-2:45 pm – Baughan
This course offers a survey of the art and archaeology of the Greek world, from the Bronze Age through the Hellenistic period. While tracing developments in painting, sculpture, and architecture, we will consider the function of art and buildings in Greek society and their relation to history, politics, and social ideologies. We will also explore different methods of interpreting archaeological remains and ‘reading’ the language(s) of visual art, and students will engage with Greek art and architecture through their own artistic creations. Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts (FSVP or AIVP) requirement and may be applied to GSS with special contract.

Classics 306 – The Classical Tradition
TR 12:00-1:15 pm – Baker
Why do the buildings of so many powerful institutions all look vaguely similar? Why does a particular visual style dominate so much of the collection of major galleries? Why does the ancient world still sell in twenty-first-century film and television (see: Rome, Gladiator II, KAOS and so many more)? Starting in present-day Richmond, this course will explore contemporary manifestations of the classical style in visual, architectural, and literary forms, as well as tracing the evolution of a tradition that made this style a defining element of what we call western culture back to its invention in the Italian Renaissance and its origins in the ancient societies and cultures of the Mediterranean. Satisfies the Historical Studies (FSHT) or Historical Inquiry (AIHS) requirement. No prerequisite.

Classics 320 – Cultural Property: Archaeology, Ethics, and Law
TR 1:30-2:45 pm – Baughan
Who owns the past? This course explores current issues of archaeological ethics and cultural heritage management. Topics range from the ancient history of looting and appropriation to the illicit antiquities market and site preservation today, and how local and international property and tax laws affect collecting practices. Students will prepare class presentations and research papers to explore these legal and ethical issues through specific case studies, primarily from the Mediterranean region. For law students taking the course for graduate credit, more in-depth research and longer papers will be required. Satisfies the Embodied Communication (IFEB) requirement. May be applied to PPEL and Law and the Liberal Arts.

Classics 499 – Independent Study
TBD
Available only through departmental approval prior to registration.

Greek

Greek 102 – Elementary Greek
MWF 12:00-12:50 pm – Wong Medina
We will continue our study of ancient Greek and the history and culture of classical Greece.  As in Greek 101, emphasis will be placed on mastering essential vocabulary and forms and on practicing reading and other comprehension skills. Prerequisite: Greek 101. Partially satisfies the Second Language requirement.

Greek 202 – Intermediate Greek
MWF 12:00-12:50 pm – Simpson
We will continue our study of Greek literature with a focus on the Medea of Euripides. Students will continue to develop reading and comprehension skills, a working vocabulary, and an understanding of the cultural and literary backgrounds to the dramatic literature of classical Athens. Prerequisite: Greek 201 or permission of the department. Satisfies the Second Language requirement.

Greek 301– Greek Epic
TR 9:00-10:15 am – Wong Medina
Readings from the "Iliad" and "Odyssey." Prerequisite: Greek 202 or permission of the department.

Greek 499 – Independent Study
TBD
Available only through departmental permission arranged prior to registration.

Latin

Latin 102 – Elementary Latin 
MWF 10:30-11:20 am – Mongrain
We will continue our study of Latin and the history and culture of classical Rome.  As in Latin 101, emphasis will be placed on mastering essential grammar and vocabulary and on practicing reading and other comprehension skills. Prerequisite: Latin 101 or permission of department. Partially satisfies the Second Language requirement.

Latin 202 – Intermediate Latin
Two sections: MWF 10:30-11:20 am - Damer; 1:30-2:20 pm – Stevenson
This course will introduce students to Latin poetry. It will begin with the poet Catullus whose intensely personal and passionate style has seduced readers for thousands of years and focus in the second half on Ovid’s always witty and often subversive poetry and various later poets in the same tradition. Close attention will be paid to the full artistry of the poetry -- meter, sound play, and word placement -- while we continue to reinforce the vocabulary and grammar learned in the previous three semesters. Prerequisite: Latin 201 or permission of department. Satisfies the Second Language requirement.

Latin 303 – Roman Epic
TR 1:30-2:45 pm – Simpson
The current state of Vergilian studies presents us with two Vergils: one more earnest in his praise of Augustus, and one more clever, ironic and critical of Augustus.  We will read selections from Vergil’s three main works, Eclogues, Georgics, and Aeneid, emphasizing the last, in an attempt to understand how they may be taken to support both of the competing theories. We will also compare Vergil’s works with their Greek models and analyze some of the most influential secondary scholarship that concerns our focus. Students will be encouraged to arrive at their own sense of how well we can know Vergil and with what degree of certainty we can decide on one Vergil or the other. Prerequisite: Latin 202 or permission of department.

Latin 499 – Independent Study
TBD
Available only through departmental approval arranged prior to registration.


Please visit the major/minor page for full details on our curricula and major/minor requirements.

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  • CLASSICS IN ENGLISH, ARCHAEOLOGY, AND LINGUISTICS

    Classics 201 Classical Elements in English Language
    TR 1:30-2:45 p.m. – Simpson

    From ’anonymity’ to ’triskaidekaphobia,’ from ’hematoma’ to ’stare decisis,’ Classics 201 examines the English language’s debt to Latin and Greek. Teaches the skill of seeing and understanding roots, prefixes, and suffixes that make up many English words.  Includes specialized terminologies used in law and medicine, as well as learned or technical terms drawn from readings selected by the student. Aims to improve the student’s understanding of academic and literary texts. 

    No prerequisite


    Classics 220 Introduction to Archaeology
    TR 10:30-11:45 a.m. – Baughan

    An introduction to archaeological method and theory, with special focus on the archaeology of the ancient Mediterranean basin. We will consider the history of the discipline and major advances and trends in archaeological science and interpretation while examining select case studies from the Mediterranean world (e.g., Çatal Höyük, Knossos, and Pompeii). There will be a community-based learning component centered on East End Cemetery. 

    Satisfies the Social Analysis requirement (FSSA). No prerequisite.


    Classics 302 Roman Art and Archaeology
    TR 3:00-4:15 p.m. – Baughan

    A survey of Roman art and architecture from the early republic through the late empire, and throughout the Roman world, from Spain to Syria. This course explores the meanings of ‘style’ in Roman art and the social and political significance of Roman sculpture, painting, and architecture. 

    Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts Field of Study requirement (FSVP); WGSS Special Cross-List. 

    No prerequisite.


    Classics 329 – The Ancient World in Cinema
    MW 10:30-11:45 a.m. – Damer; T 6:00-9:30 pm (Film night)

    This course examines cinematic representations of the ancient Greek and Roman Mediterranean, viewed through a variety of literary and cinematic genres in European and American cinema of the 20th Century. The films offer an opportunity to reflect on how our various mod­ern visions of (and desires for) the ancient world illuminate the present as much as they animate the past. Students will read selections from Greek and Roman history and poetry (in translation) in conjunction with weekly viewings and written assignments; secondary readings will be drawn from contemporary film criticism and theory. 

    Satisfies the Literary Studies Field of Study requirement (FSLT).

    No prerequisite.


    Classics 498 – Major Seminar
    W 4:30-7:00 p.m. – Baughan

    Required of senior classics majors. Research methods and the writing and presentation of a research paper.


    Classics 499 – Independent Study
    TBD 

    Available only through departmental approval prior to registration.

  • CLASSICS IN GREEK

    Greek 101 – Elementary Greek
    MWF 12:00-12:50 p.m. – Wong Medina

    Introduction to ancient Greek, the language of Homer, Plato and the New Testament.  We will use a ’reading approach’ that aims at helping students develop mental habits and reading strategies that will lead to successful reading of more complex Greek in future semesters. 

    Partially satisfies the COM2 requirement. 

    No prerequisite.


    Greek 201 – Intermediate Greek
    MWF 1:30-2:20 pm – Wong Medina

    We will complete our introduction to Greek grammar and embark on our first readings in unadapted Greek taken from Plato and Xenophon, two competing disciples of Socrates. 

    Partially satisfies the COM2 requirement.

    Prerequisite: Greek 102 or permission of the department.


    Greek 302– Greek Drama
    MW 3:00-4:15 p.m. – Simpson

    We will read Sophocles’ Oedipus the King in Greek and study his extant plays as they may provide evidence of a developing dramaturgy and an on-going conversation with the city of Athens. 

    Prerequisite: Greek 202 or permission of the department.


    Greek 498 – Major Seminar
    W 4:30-7:00 p.m. – Baughan
    Required of senior Greek majors.  Research methods and the writing and presentation of a research paper.


    Greek 499 – Independent Study
    TBD 

    Available only through departmental approval prior to registration.

  • CLASSICS IN LATIN

    Latin 101 – Elementary Latin 
    MWF 10:30-11:20 a.m. – Simpson

    Introduction to the language of ancient Rome  also the language of learning for over a thousand years, the source of modern Romance languages, and a wealth of English vocabulary. 

    Partially satisfies the COM2 requirement.

    No prerequisite.


    Latin 201 – Intermediate Latin
    Two sections: MWF 10:30-11:20 a.m. – Stevenson; 1:30-2:20 p.m. – Damer

    We will complete the introduction to basic language skills and embark on our first readings in unadapted Latin. 

    Partially satisfies the COM2 requirement.

    Prerequisite: Latin 102 or permission of the department. 


    Latin 398 – Neronian Literature
    TR 1:30-2:45 p.m. – Stevenson

    This course will study the literature composed and published in the time of the emperor Nero, perhaps the most theatrical and enigmatic period of Roman literature. We will concentrate on Seneca who tutored and advised Nero while also establishing himself as the foremost philosopher and dramatist of his age. We will first study Seneca’s prose teachings on literary style and its moral content, and then we will apply his teachings to his own poetry, in this case his tragedy Thyestes, moving on to look at various prose works and finishing with his nephew Lucan’s Pharsalia. Throughout our reading we will attempt to solve the many riddles of Neronian taste. Why so much gratuitous violence? Why such bloated language? Why so much explicit sexual moralizing? Why so theatrical? In answering these questions, we will approach an understanding of a period in some ways strangely similar to our own.


    Latin 498 – Major Seminar
    W 4:30-7:00 p.m. – Baughan

    Required of senior Latin majors. Research methods and the writing and presentation of a research paper.


    Latin 499 – Independent Study
    TBD 

    Available only through departmental approval prior to registration.