CLASSICS (CLAS)

An introductory survey to the origins of Western civilization in the Mediterranean world, with particular focus on the Classical cultures of Greece and Rome. The course will focus upon an exploration of these ancient societies, their origins and structure, their social and political constructs, and their neighbors and worldviews. Particular emphasis will be placed upon examining the enduring legacies produced by these ancient peoples and their continuing influence upon the concepts and ideals valued by our contemporary Western culture.

The First-Year Seminar (FYS) introduces new Gonzaga students to the University, the Core Curriculum, and Gonzaga’s Jesuit mission and heritage. While the seminars will be taught by faculty with expertise in particular disciplines, topics will be addressed in a way that illustrates approaches and methods of different academic disciplines. The seminar format of the course highlights the participatory character of university life, emphasizing that learning is an active, collegial process.

The precise terminology of health professions is so specialized that it essentially constitutes its own language. Medical Terminology provides you with the necessary background in Greek and Latin words and word roots to understand and produce this medical terminology.This class is well-suited to students who are considering medical school or graduate school programs in a range of health sciences.

This course is a survey of the literature of the ancient Greeks and Romans. It introduces students to the important authors of Classical Antiquity, the critical issues surrounding their work, and their lasting influence. It stresses the role that ancient authors had in shaping our understanding of literature: its genres, methods, and subject matter. Spring.

A study of Greek Mythology that uses texts (in translation), architecture and archaeology to explore the most important characters and stories of Greek mythology that have become part of the art, literature and imagination of western civilization. This course gives students insight into approaches toward the understanding of myth, especially classical myth that are helpful for their own studies and interests. Fall, alternate years.

FallFalkThis course explores (in translation) Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, two poems that are among the foundations of the literature of western civilization. Students will demonstrate an ability to read and analyze these two great epics of ancient Greece in a way that appreciates and unlocks their timeless beauty, depth and significance especially in a way that is helpful for their own studies and interests. Fall, alternate years.

An examination of the representation of women Greece and Rome through image and text, using a variety of literary, art historical, and archaeological sources. This course is intended both to illuminate the lives of women in Classical Antiquity and to demonstrate how this illumination is important for a full understanding of the societies of Greece (in particular, Athens) and Rome. Students also gain valuable experience in thinking critically about sources, both ancient and modern. Spring, alternate years.

This course will combine performance text analysis with a detailed study of ancient Greek theater and its conventions. In this course, we will read a range of ancient Greek plays (primarily, but not exclusively, tragedies) as well as some more modern adaptations of Greek texts. In addition to readings scripts of ancient and modern plays, we will also read texts that provide access to the creative process and invite us to consider different modes of creative generation.

This course explores (in translation) two of Rome's great contributions to world literature: Vergil's Aeneid and Lucan's Civil War. These works are at the core of the western tradition. They have been read and reinterpreted for millennia and continue to find resonance today. Students learn to read and analyze these poems closely, to appreciate them, and to unlock their timeless beauty, depth and significance. Special attention is paid to applying the themes of these works to students' own lives and studies.

Most Americans first encounter the culture and history of the ancient Romans through the mass media of popular entertainment, whether in a film, TV show, book, or even comic book. From Ben Hur to Gladiator, Rome has been the subject of some of the most popular fictional narratives of all time but the 'Rome' that is presented often bears little resemblance to the actual ancient civilization as it emerges from a study of its own literature and monuments. This course will examine the various ways that ancient Rome has been portrayed in (primarily) American popular culture over the last century and how those portrayals have shaped modern attitudes towards the historical Rome. It will also address the continuing appeal of Rome and the shifting reasons for choosing it as the setting for popular entertainment.

Is love a modern invention? This course looks at the phenomenon of love as it appears in the poetry of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Works read (in translation) will include those of Sappho, Callimachus, Catullus Ovid and others. Students will investigate ancient attitudes towards love, sex, and gender roles while developing an appreciation for the differences between time periods, authors, style, and genre. Students will also explore the long-lasting influence of this poetry and find ways to apply it to their own studies and interests.

This course explores ideas of sex, gender, and sexuality in the ancient Greek and Roman worlds. We consider how ancient Greek and Roman texts treat issues like marriage and infidelity, sex work and slavery, homosociality and homosexuality, and consent and rape. We also look at the legacy of these cultures and the ways that ideas from the ancient world have been used perpetuate modern structural inequality. At the same time, we also consider how the ancient world has often served as an inspiration for more modern struggles for equality.

Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology will introduce the student to the archaeology of Mesopotamia, Egypt and the Levant. Archaeological methodology, the history of excavation of ancient sites and material culture will be examined as well as ancient languages, literature and history.

This course will provide students with a comprehensive survey of major historical and cultural developments associated with ancient civilizations in Turkey. Using primary textual and archaeological sources, course content will focus upon investigating key trends and cultural movements originating in early societies and ancient empires, from the advent of our earliest known human settlements to the impact of the imperial domination within the Mediterranean basin. Offered as Study Abroad/Summer Course only.

A course offering the student an opportunity to study literature of the Classical world in translation.

A course offering the student an opportunity to study aspects of classical civilization, with a specialized focus on aspects of the Greek world and its culture.

A course offering the student an opportunity to study aspects of classical civilization, with a specialized focus on aspects of the Roman world and its culture.

The Core Integration Seminar (CIS) engages the Year Four Question: “Imagining the possible: What is our role in the world?” by offering students a culminating seminar experience in which students integrate the principles of Jesuit education, prior components of the Core, and their disciplinary expertise. Each section of the course will focus on a problem or issue raised by the contemporary world that encourages integration, collaboration, and problem solving. The topic for each section of the course will be proposed and developed by each faculty member in a way that clearly connects to the Jesuit Mission, to multiple disciplinary perspectives, and to our students’ future role in the world. Spring.

Directed Study requires completion of a form and Dept. permission, and cannot be registered for via Zagweb.

Course content to be determined by the instructor.

Professional work experience related to classical civilizations.

The senior thesis is required for majors in Classical Civilizations in their fourth year. Fall.