Spring 2013

Greek Civilization

Listed in: Classics, as CLAS-123

Formerly listed as: CLAS-23

Faculty

Frederick T. Griffiths (Section 01)

Description

(Offered as CLAS 123 and WAGS 123.)  We read in English the major authors from Homer in the 8th century BCE to Plato in the 4th century in order to trace the emergence of epic, lyric poetry, tragedy, comedy, history, and philosophy. How did the Greek enlightenment, and through it Western culture, emerge from a few generations of people moving around a rocky archipelago? How did oral and mythological traditions develop into various forms of “rationality”: science, history, and philosophy? What are the implications of male control over public and private life and the written record? What can be inferred about ancient women if they cannot speak for themselves in the texts?  Other authors include Sappho, Herodotus, Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes, and Thucydides.  The course seeks to develop the skills of close reading and persuasive argumentation. Three class hours per week. 

Spring semester.  Professor Griffiths.

CLAS 123 - L/D

Section 01
M 11:00 AM - 11:50 AM BEBU 107
W 11:00 AM - 11:50 AM BEBU 107
F 11:00 AM - 11:50 AM BEBU 107

ISBN Title Publisher Author(s) Comment Book Store Price
The Oresteia Hackett Aeschylus, trans. Peter Meineck $7.40 - $12.63 Amherst Books TBD
Lysistrata; The Archanians;The Clouds Penguin Aristophanes, trans. Alan Sommerstein $4.98 - $8.00 Amherst Books TBD
Ten Plays Signet Classics Euripides, trans. Paul Roche $3.56 - $7.95 Amherst Books TBD
The histories Penguin Herodotus, trans. Aubrey De Selincourt $18.31 - $19.90 Amherst Books TBD
The Iliad Penguin Homer, trans Robert Fagles $5.00 - $17.00 Amherst Books TBD
The Odyssey Harper Homer, trans. Richmond Lattimore TBD Amherst Books TBD
Sophocles Chicago Sophocles, trans. David Grene $12.00 Amherst Books TBD
History of the Peloponnesian War Penguin Thucydides, trans. Rex Warner $17.00 Amherst Books TBD
Course packet with Supplementary Texts $15.00 Available in the Classics Dept. office, Grosvenor 15 TBD

These books are available locally at Amherst Books.

Offerings

2024-25: Not offered
Other years: Offered in Spring 2011, Spring 2013, Spring 2015, Spring 2017, Spring 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2023