Cross-Listed Courses
CLAS-2004/3 Rise of the Old World Civilization
This course covers the origins and development of civilization in the Old World with emphasis on the prehistoric archaeological record. Topics discussed include the forces behind an increase in population density, the role of civilization and urbanism in state formation, and the problem of collapse of Old World Civilizations, such as ancient Egypt, the Near East, China, and the Indus Valley. Regional and chronological coverage may vary from year to year.
Cross-listed: Anthropology ANTH-2211/3
CLAS-2010/3 Topics in Classical Studies
This course explores a specific area in the field of Classical scholarship. The focus of study varies from year to year. Possible topics include ancient medicine, technology, economics, warfare, and the popular reception of the Classical tradition. Information concerning these course offerings is provided by the department.
Note: This course may be repeated for credit when the topic varies.
Cross-listed: History HIST-2090/3
CLAS-2061/3 Sport in the Ancient Greek World
This course examines the origin and historical development of sport in ancient Greece, its religious and political implications, and the nature of events and contests. Particular attention is given to intellectual and popular attitudes towards sport and the contribution made by ancient Greece in this area to Western Civilization.
Cross-listed: Kinesiology and Applied Health KIN-2061/3
CLAS-2062/3 Sport in the Ancient Roman World
This course examines the origin and historical development of sport in ancient Rome, its religious and political implications, and the nature of events and contests. Particular attention is given to intellectual and popular attitudes towards sport and the contribution made by ancient Rome in this area to Western Civilization.
Cross-listed: Kinesiology and Applied Health KIN-2062/3
CLAS-2301/3 History of Archaic Greece
This course traces the history of Greece during the Archaic period from the beginning of the eighth century BCE through to the beginning of the fifth century BCE. Special emphasis is placed on the social, political and economic evolution of the Greek City-states (in particular Athens and Sparta), the failure of the Greeks to achieve political unity, cultural transformations, periods of warfare, and the Greeks' consequent vulnerability to external threats.
Cross-listed: History HIST-2080/3
(May not be counted toward a degree if student has taken the former course: CLAS-2091/HIST-2104/6 Ancient Greek History)
CLAS-2302/3 History of Classical Greece
This course traces the history of Greece from 800 BCE until the rise of Macedon. Special emphasis is placed on the social, political and economic evolution of the Greek city-states (in particular Athens and Sparta), the failure of the Greeks to achieve political unity, and their consequent vulnerability to external threats.
Cross-listed: History HIST-2089/3
(May not be counted toward a degree if student has taken the former course: CLAS-2091/HIST-2104/6 Ancient Greek History)
CLAS-2303/3 The History of the Roman Republic
This course considers the history of the Roman Republic from the legendary foundations of the city of Rome through to the beginning of the Roman Empire. Lectures trace the major cultural, military, and societal events of the Republic. Particular emphasis is placed upon the expansion of Rome's power throughout Italy and the Mediterranean, the forces that brought about the transformation of the Roman style of government from Monarchy to Republic, and later to Empire, and the problems which attended these changes.
Cross-listed: History HIST-2081/3
(May not be counted toward a degree if student has taken the former courses: History of Ancient Rome I and II or CLAS/HIST-2096/6 The History of Ancient Rome)
CLAS-2303/3 The History of the Roman Empire
This course considers the history of the Roman Empire from the end of the Roman Republic through to the reign of Constantine. Lectures trace the major cultural, military, and societal events of the first three centuries of the Empire. Particular emphasis is placed upon the expansion of Rome's power throughout the Mediterranean, Europe, and the Near East, the forces, individuals, and events that affect the Empire during the period 30 BCE-c.312 CE, and the problems that attended these changes.
Cross-listed: History HIST-2097/3
(May not be counted toward a degree if student has taken the former courses: History of Ancient Rome I and II or CLAS/HIST-2096/6 The History of Ancient Rome)
CLAS-2305/3 Europe in the Early Middle Ages (c. 300-c.1000)
This survey examines the history of Europe from the gradual collapse of the Western Roman Empire up to the emergence of states in Western Europe. The course focuses on various aspects of social, religious, political, cultural and intellectual life. Topics may include the "barbarian" invasions of the Roman Empire, the birth of Christianity and Islam, the rule of Justinian, the establishment of medival kingdoms, the rise and fall of the Carolingian Empire, as well as Magyar and Viking invasions. Medieval documents are analyzed in class to offer a direct insight into the period.
Cross-listed: History HIST-2216/3
(Students may not hold credit for this course and HIST-2211 | HIST-2214 | HIST-2216)
CLAS-2405/3 Staging Greek and Roman Drama
This course focuses on the staging of Greek and Roman tragedy and comedy. Examination of the surviving texts of selected plays, the remains of ancient theatres, contemporary accounts of dramatic performance and relevant artwork leads to a recreation of an ancient theatrical experience with information of stage configuration, scenery, masks, costumes, properties, gestures, dance, song, mechanical devices and stage convention. In addition to their written work, students are expected to participate in demonstrations and performance in class.
Cross-listed: Theatre and Film THFM-2405/3
CLAS-2702/3 Religion in Greece and Rome
This course will survey the religious beliefs and practices of the Greeks and Romans. Topics to be discussed will include the following: the worship of Olympian and Chthonic deities, oracles, orgiastic and mystery religions, Roman cults and rituals, Near Eastern religions, and the beginnings of Christianity.
Cross-listed: Religion and Culture REL-2237/3
CLAS-2704/3 Early Judaism: From Formative to Normative
This course surveys the historical events, documents, modes of interpretation, major figures and diverse communities and beliefs and practices that preceded and informed the emergence of rabbinic Judaism. The course unpacks the influence of momentous events such as Greek and Roman conquests in the Middle East, the nascent Jesus movement, and the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in 70 C.E.. It explores how documents such as the Dead Sea scrolls, the Apocrypha and the Pseudepigrapha and authors such as Philo of Alexandria and Josephus provide insight into the formative period of Early Judaism. It introduces students to the major genres of early biblical interpretation, such as typology, allegory, and midrash and oral Torah.
Cross-listed: Religion and Culture REL-2121/3
CLAS-2750/3 Laughter, Love, and Death: Introduction to Classical Literature I
Homer's Odyssey is a story of greetings and farewells, homecomings and departures, laughter and tears. Starting from a study of the Odyssey, this course traces emotions, gender relations, and human mortality across an assortment of works from the Ancient Mediterranean world. Students read texts in English translation from Archaic Greece to the Roman Empire, in verse and prose, across the genres of epic poetry, history, tragedy and comedy, oratory and more.
Cross-listed: English ENGL-2750/3
CLAS-2751/3 War, History, and Memory: Introduction to Classical Literature II
Homer's Iliad is a doom-filled beginning for the literature of war, a literary monument to fate, fear, memory, and loss. Starting from a stud of the Iliad, this course traces conflict, politics, and remembrance across and assortment of works from the Ancient Mediterranean world. Students read texts in English translation from Archaic Greece to the Roman Empire, in verse and prose, across the genres of epic poetry, history, tragedy and comedy, oratory and more.
Cross-listed: English ENGL-2751/3
CLAS-2800/3 Greek and Latin in Today's English
Of the 20,000 words in common use in English, about half have come from Latin, directly or through French. Greek, too, has made its contribution and continues to do so as the language of science expands. In addition to a thorough study of the formation of nouns, verbs, and adjectives from their Greek and Latin component parts, we will examine the Greek script, principles of transliteration, medical and scientific Greek, words from Greek mythology and society, Roman numerals, legal Latin, abbreviations of Latin words in common use, Latin mottoes and proverbs, and unusual plural forms in English. No knowledge of Latin or Greek is required.
Cross-listed: Linguistics LING-2208/3
CLAS-2850/3 The Classical Roots of Medical Terminology
Knowledge of medical terminology equips students for a variety of fields. This course lays out the most important Greek and Latin roots of the vocabulary of contemporary medicine and demonstrates the predictable patterns by which these roots combine, introducing students to the concept of building language using root words, prefixes and suffixes. Students learn to define new compounds and phrases by analysis of their parts.
Cross-listed: Kinesiology KIN-2850/3
CLAS-2910/3 Introductory Classical Archaeology
This course provides an introduction to the development, principles, and practices associated with archaeological analysis and study of Classical civilizations (primarily Greece and Rome). A wide range of material categories (such as buildings, coins, pottery, sculpture, geological deposits, and plant and animal remains) are considered along with the techniques devised by Classical archaeologists for understanding them and their significance as evidence for Classical societies. Dating and chronology, geography, function, typology and the interface between material remains and written evidence are considered. Curriculum includes special attention to case studies and to hands-on experience where possible.
Cross-listed: Anthropology ANTH-2260/3
CLAS-2920/3 Food, Diet and Dining in Antiquity
This course explores the techniques, issues, and controversies involved in reconstructing the role of food, diet and dining in Greek and Roman antiquity. Topics addressed include examination of lines of evidence (broadly encompassing ancient literary and textual evidence, depictions from art, and material remains from archaeological excavation); the economic basis for production, trade, transport and consumption of foodstuffs in antiquity; practicalities and limitations involved in cooking, preserving and preparing food stuffs; the social and philosophical context of eating and dining; the role of food in ancient religious and cult practices; medical approaches to food, diet and health in antiquity.
Cross-listed: Anthropology ANTH-2229/3
CLAS-2950/3 The Roman Army
This course considers the Roman army, from its origins and increasing professionalization during the Monarchy and Republic, to its role as emperor-maker during the third century CE. Topics may include the evidence for the army, recruitment, organization, strategy, unit tactics, troop disposition on the frontiers, and veterans. More broadly, this course examines the army's wider impact on culture and society with regard to religion, Romanization, and political life.
Cross-listed: History HIST-2099/3
CLAS-2951/3 Ancient Greek Warfare
This course introduces students tot he aspects of wardare in the Greek world. Students are exposed to key literary sources, like the historians Herodotus, Thucydides, Zenophon, and Polybius; poets and dramatists like Homer, Tyrtaeus, Aeschylus and Sophocles; and military manuals like Xenophon's Cyropaedia, Aeneas Tacticus' Tactica, and Philo Mechanicus' On Sieges. Students consider alternative bodies of evidence, like the physical remains of Greek fortifications. Key themes include the origins of the phalanx, the impact of warfare on the physical and mental wellbeing of soldiers, the place of the Peloponnesian War in Greek history, and the ligistical capabilities of Alexander's army.
Experimental Course - This course is offered on a trial basis to gauge interest in the topic. Students who successfully complete the course receive credit as indicated.
Cross-listed: History HIST-2951/3
CLAS-3006/3 Topics in Ancient History
This course explores fundamental issues, specific social institutions, key historical figures, vital events, important periods, and current directions in the study of ancient Greek and Roman history in greater detail than the history survey classes allow. The focus of study varies from year to year. Examples include Greek and Roman slavery, Perikles and the Athenian Empire, the myth of Alexander the Great, and comparative Greek and Roman historiography and biography. Emphasis is placed on the use of primary source material (in translation). Information concerning these course offerings is provided by the Department.
Note: This course may be repeated when the topic varies.
Cross-listed: HIST-3006/3
CLAS-3060/3 Health in Antiquity
This course explores health, disease, and medicine in the Greek and Roman world. It draws upon evidence from the ancient textual sources (especially Galen and Hippocrates), social history, and archaeology (the latter including all manner of finds - architecture, art, artifacts, environmental materials, and skeletal remains) to examine how residents of the Greek and Roman world perceived and experienced health and disease, and how they sought to combat illness and to promote healing.
Cross-listed: Anthropology ANTH-3262/3 and Kinesiology and Applied Health KIN-3060/3
CLAS-3090/3 Classical and Medieval Science
This lecture/seminar course examines the theories, experiments, and calculations of Greek, Roman, and European scientists before the Scientific Revolution of the seventeenth century. As well as considering the work of the major contributors to astronomy, physics, and mathematics in this period, the course places their ideas and the work of the schools of Greece, Rome, and medieval Europe within their social, cultural, and intellectual contexts.
Cross-listed: History HIST-3903/3
CLAS-3260/3 Classical Archaeology and Controversies
This course examines methodological, theoretical, and topical issues in Classical Archaeology (broadly, the archaeology of ancient Greek and Roman civilizations). Topics discussed include the integration of archaeological, scientific, artistic, and textual evidence in the reconstruction of classical cultures; controversies in theoretical perspectives of interpretation in Classical Archaeology; the assessment of ancient Greco-Roman ecological, social, ritual, and economic life on the basis of recovered artifacts and ecofacts; the use of archaeological survey data to examine ancient settlement patterns; and ethical issues associated with curation and collection of material from Greek and Roman sites.
Cross-listed: Anthropology ANTH-3260
CLAS-3310/3 Alexander the Great
This course looks at the life and conquests of Alexander the Great. It begins with a chronological examination of the rise of Macedon under Alexander’s father, Philip II, Alexander’s early life, his conquest of the Persian Empire, and ultimately, his death. Four major themes are then explored: Alexander’s military and its evolution, his relationship to mainland Greece, Alexander’s empire, and his divinity.
Cross-listed: History HIST-3140/3
CLAS-3320/3 Death in Antiquity
This course approaches various aspects relating to death in antiquity (emphasizing Roman antiquity) from the perspective of two disciplines, Anthropology and Classics. Topics include beliefs and philosophies about the afterlife; causes of death, with emphasis on diseases and demographics; the practicalities of planning for death and disposing of the dead; the methods and significance of commemoration; rituals of grief and mourning; spatial distribution of cemeteries in antiquity; methods and theories in mortuary archaeology from classical sites; and analysis of osteological, artifactual, and architectural data from such sites. Contemplation of cross-cultural comparisons on these and other topics under study is encouraged.
Cross-listed: Anthropology ANTH-3261/3
CLAS-3750/3 Classical Rhetoric: History, Theory and Practice
This course examines the history, theory, pedagogy, and practices of the classical period of western rhetoric, extending from Homer's Iliad and Odyssey of the eighth-century BCE to the rhetorical thinkers of the first-century CE. Students discuss the work of such canonical figures as Gorgias, Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, and Quintilian, locating them within the intellectual, political, and historical influences of their time. Always, the focus is rhetorical, students locating the origins of many rhetorical concerns in the classical period and tracing how these concepts, terminologies, and techniques persist and change throughout the ages.
Cross-listed: Rhetoric and Communications RHET-3650/3
CLAS-3754/3 Ancient Epic in Translation
By reading works of ancient epic in translation by important ancient authors (e.g. Homer, Apollonius, Vergil, Ovid, Lucan, Statius), students are introduced to the literary characteristics of the genre and their strategic deployment. The literary and historical contexts of specific epics are discussed in order to make their cultural significance clear.
Cross-listed: English ENGL-3754/3
CLAS-3755/3 Ancient Drama in Translation
Students read the works of ancient tragic poets (e.g. Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Seneca) and of ancient comic poets (e.g. Aristophanes, Menander, Plautus, Terence) in translation. Literary conventions of both ancient tragedy and comedy are addressed. The plays are situated within their broader historical and festival contexts to make clear their cultural significance.
Cross-listed: English ENGL-3755/3
CLAS-3756/3 Topics in Ancient Literature
This course deals with the interpretation and appreciation of literary genres, authors, or works from the canon of Greek and Latin literature. The focus of study varies from year to year. Examples include love poetry, satire, the ancient novel, and letter-writing as a literary form. Information concerning these course offerings is provided by the Department.
Note: This course may be repeated when the topic varies.
Cross-listed: English ENGL-3756/3
CLAS-3810/3 Slavery in Roman Society
Though underrepresented in evidence, slaves and ex-slaves were critically important members of Roman society. This class considers the ways that the institution of slavery and slaves themselves shaped Roman society, history and culture. Topics of study include sources of slaves, the social attitudes and legal framework that shaped the experience of enslavement, family life, and manumission.
Cross-listed: History HIST-3214/3
CLAS-3830/3 Kingdoms and City-States in the Greek and Roman Worlds
This course focuses on a particular kingdom or city-state of the ancient world. The topic draws upon evidence from the ancient textual evidence, archaeology, and cultural and social history in the light of modern theory and scholarship. The instructor and the focus of study vary from year to year. Information concerning these course offerings is provided by the Department. Additional in-depth work is required to receive credit at the 4000 level.
Note: This course may be repeated when the topic varies.
Cross-listed: History HIST-3011/3 and Classics CLAS-4830/3
CLAS-3840/3 Provinces and Subjects
This course focuses on a particular Roman province or subject population of the Roman Empire. The topic draws upon evidence from the ancient textual evidence, archaeology, and cultural and social history in the light of modern theory and scholarship. The instructor and the focus of study vary from year to year. Information concerning these course offerings is provided by the Department. Additional in-depth work is required to receive credit at the 4000 level.
Note: This course may be repeated when the topic varies.
Cross-listed: History HIST-3010/3 and Classics CLAS-4840/3
CLAS-3850/3 Eras
This course focuses on a specific era, or time period, in ancient and/or classical history. The topic draws upon evidence from the ancient textual evidence, archaeology, and cultural and social history in the light of modern theory and scholarship. The instructor and the focus of study vary from year to year. Information concerning these course offerings is provided by the Department. Additional in-depth work is required to receive credit at the 4000 level.
Note: This course may be repeated when the topic varies.
Cross-listed: History HIST-3009/3 and Classics CLAS-4850/3
CLAS-3870/3 Sexuality, Sex and Gender in the Greek and Roman Worlds
This course focuses on issues relating to sexuality, sex, and gender in the Greek and Roman worlds. Theoretical approaches illuminate the various categories of ancient evidence. Particular topics for consideration vary, but include the social and philosophical location of homosexuality in Classical Greece, constructions of gender in ancient social and political discourse, representations of women in art and literature, and the history of classical scholarship on these subjects in response to contemporary social movements. Additional in-depth work is required to receive credit at the 4000 level.
Note: This course may be repeated when the topic varies.
Cross-listed: History HIST-3270/3 and Classics CLAS-4870/3
CLAS-3910/3 Ancient Environments and Ecology
This course explores approaches, techniques, issues, and applications involved in the reconstruction of ancient environmental and ecological conditions and settings (predominantly for Greco-Roman antiquity). Topics addressed include the use of environmental archaeology (e.g., geoarchaeology, archaeobotany, palynology, zooarchaeology) in assessing paleoenvironments and paleoecology; natural resource and landscape exploitation in antiquity as determined from synthesis of literary, artistic, and archaeological datasets; climate and environmental change in antiquity; human management and mismanagement of environmental and ecological conditions in the past, including aspects of overhunting, deforestation, pollution and natural disasters. Additional in-depth work is required to receive credit at the 4000 level.
Cross-listed: Anthropology ANTH-3214(3).
In addition, many of our 3000 and 4000 level CLAS courses are double-numbered within the Department to ensure that we are able to offer a variety of courses needed for Honours students in both the Classical languages and Classical Civilizations streams. Additional in-depth work is required to receive credit at the 4000-level.