16 courses with the subject CLA, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
CLA 111The Ancient World
Instructor Truetzel An introduction to the world of heroes like Odysseus and Romulus, gods like Athena and Bacchus, rulers like Cleopatra and Augustus, historians like Herodotus and Livy, martyrs like the seven Jewish brothers and Perpetua. The Greco-Roman world saw the beginning of history and philosophy, tragedy and comedy, epic and epigram. It laid the foundations of democracy. If the Greeks lived around the Mediterranean Sea like frogs around a pond, as Plato said, the Romans conquered the pond and then some. Yet for all these achievements, millions of people in this world lived and died in slavery, and the average life expectancy was 35 years, due to an appallingly high infant mortality rate. This course will introduce students to this diverse and influential world, paying particular attention to how we know what we know, resources (print, electronic, material) for studying the classical world, and connections between the classical world and our own. Satisfies Historical Thought requirement. Satisfies Classical Languages and Literature major requirement. Satisfies Classical Studies major and minor requirement Satisfies History major and minor requirement. Prerequisites & Notes Students at all levels welcome. Offered annually in the fall.
Instructor A. Smith This course investigates the art, archaeology, and architecture of ancient Greece and Italy. We will focus our investigations on various contexts, including domestic, religious, social, and funerary spaces, focusing primarily on Greek, Roman, and Etruscan cultures. This course also introduces students to practices and issues in archaeology and art history, both past and present. By examining a broad range of the art and archaeology of the ancient world, students will better understand how people in antiquity experienced life and how modern scholars examine the past. Satisfies Classical Languages and Literature major requirement. Satisfies Classical Studies major and minor requirement. Satisfies Art History major and minor requirement. Satisfies Visual and Performing Arts requirement. Prerequisites & Notes Students at all levels welcome. Fall 2026
CLA 221Stigma, Taboo, and Obscenity in Ancient Greece & Rome
Instructor T. Lee Stigma is a process by which the reaction of others spoils normal identity.” - Erving Goffman Each society has its own notions of stigma. What makes something obscene? Which things, or people, or behaviors are considered taboo? Which identities are marginalized or stigmatized, and is their stigma reversible-or is it permanent? These are just a few of the questions we will address in the course as we delve into contemporary social and literary theory alongside Ancient Greek and Latin texts. Topics will include hygiene, purity, and religion; dirty jobs and disreputable professions; obscene language across literary genres; sickness and death; disability; sexuality and gender; slavery and social death. We will read from primary texts in translation-across genres such as tragedy, oratory, satire, historiography, poetry, and graffiti-to explore literary attitudes towards stigma in Ancient Greece and Rome while learning about the treatment of different categories of people in ancient Mediterranean societies. We will also consider modern scholarship drawing from areas such as sociology, disability studies, feminist theory, queer theory, and translation studies. Satisfies Classical Languages and Literature major requirement. Satisfies Classical Studies major and minor requirement. Satisfies the Justice, Equality and Community Requirement.
Instructor Truetzel The Romans referred to their political community by the Latin term res publica (“public matter”). But what did that mean, in theory and in practice? In what ways was Roman politics “public”? Who was involved and how? This course explores the political culture of the Roman res publica from the 5th to 1st centuries BCE. We’ll examine not only the institutions that shaped participation in political life, such as magistracies and legislative assemblies, but also the shared values, spaces, rituals, and discourse underpinning the res publica. We’ll tackle the long-standing question of whether the Roman republic was a democracy or an oligarchy, while also thinking more broadly about structural inequities in the Roman political system for different social groups. Finally, we’ll consider the long legacy of the Roman res publica from antiquity to the present, investigating how later political thinkers and actors have engaged with Roman republican political culture. Many readings will be drawn from primary texts, including the works of Polybius, Cicero, and Livy, and we will likewise study the rich body of material evidence from ancient Rome, such as architecture, sculpture, coins, and inscriptions. Over the course of the term, increasing attention will also be focused on secondary sources, as we analyze later scholars’ and politicians’ interpretations of the ancient evidence. Satisfies Classical Studies major and minor requirement. Satisfies Classical Languages and Literature major requirement. Satisfies a History major and minor requirement.
Instructor Truetzel In this course, we will explore the definitions, forms, and roles of families in societies of the ancient Mediterranean, focusing on ancient Greece and Rome but also considering Carthage, Egypt, and Israel. What constituted a “family” in these societies? How were ancient families integrated into social, economic, and political life? What similarities do families of the ancient Mediterranean share with one another and with modern families, and how do ancient conceptions of family differ from our own? Topics will include marriage and divorce, childbirth, adoption, parenthood, childhood, slavery, houses and households, household religion, ancestors, and inheritance patterns. Throughout the course, we will be attentive to the diversity of families both across and within ancient societies, taking into account factors like ethnicity and social status. The readings will be drawn largely from primary texts, including Homer, Lysias, Euripides, Plautus, Cicero, and the Roman legal code. We will also examine material evidence, ranging from the archaeology of ancient houses to inscribed tombstones to the imagery of sculptures, paintings, and coins. In addition, we will consider social-scientific approaches to ancient families, drawing on scholarship in the fields of sociology and demography. Satisfies Historical Thought requirement. Satisfies Classical Languages and Literature major requirement. Satisfies Classical Studies major requirement Satisfies Classical Studies minor requirement. Satisfies History major requirement. Satisfies History minor requirement. Satisfies Gender and Sexuality Studies major requirement. Satisfies Gender and Sexuality Studies minor requirement. Prerequisites & Notes Students at all levels welcome. Not offered in 2026-2027.
Instructor Truetzel This course explores the ways that warfare in ancient Greece and Rome both depended on and produced particular ideas about gender. We will consider not only the actual experiences of warfare by ancient men and women, but also the role of gender in ancient discourse about war and the influence of militarism more generally on ancient conceptions of masculinity and femininity. Topics include the representation of women as war’s cause, purpose, or medium; combat trauma and masculinity; women warriors; gendered divisions of wartime labor; sexual violence in war; gender and resistance to war; militarism and the socialization of young men; feminized depictions of “the enemy”; gender and war commemorations; and militarized representations of love and sex. For each topic, we will also explore the intersections of gender with other dimensions of social difference, such as social status and ethnicity. We will examine literary and material evidence from Greco-Roman antiquity, including readings in Homer, Euripides, Vergil, Livy, and Ovid, and imagery on vase paintings, sculptural reliefs, coins, and ancient inscriptions. We will also read contemporary scholarship on gender and warfare and discuss recent film and literary adaptations of ancient sources on these topics, such as Spike Lee’s Chi-Raq (2015) and Pat Barker’s The Silence of the Girls (2018). Satisfies Historical Thought requirement. Satisfies Classical Languages and Literature major requirement. Satisfies Classical Studies major requirement Satisfies Classical Studies minor requirement. Satisfies History major requirement. Satisfies History minor requirement. Satisfies Gender and Sexuality Studies major requirement. Satisfies Gender and Sexuality Studies minor requirement. Prerequisites & Notes Students at all levels welcome. Not offered in 2026-2027.
CLA 241The Athenian Acropolis: Past, Present, and Future
Instructor A. Smith This course investigates the art, architecture, and controversies - both historical and contemporary - of the Acropolis in Athens. While most people envision the Athenian Acropolis as fixed in its Periclean heyday in the 5th century BCE, some of the most fascinating art and events occurred outside of that narrow frame. Even that term, “Periclean,” can obscure the roles of laborers, artisans, and architects without whom the Acropolis would have never existed. Our focus takes us from Bronze Age through the site’s possible future, allowing us to explore what happened and what might happen on this limestone outcrop crowned with marble in the middle of the ancient city. Along the way, we confront difficult questions. What evidence exists for Athens as a Mycenaean power? What in the world was going on in the Erectheion? How did the Romans reshape the space in the first centuries CE? What should be done with the Parthenon Marbles today? You may think you know the Acropolis now, but you will come away from this course with a profound appreciation for the colorful (yes!) history of this site. Satisfies Classical Studies major and minor requirement. Classical Languages and Literature major requirement. Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.
CLA 243In the Shadow of Vesuvius: Ancient Bay of Naples and its Rediscovery
Instructor A. Smith This course investigates the art, architecture, daily life, and rediscovery of various sites (Pompeii, Herculaneum, Stabiae, and more) around the Bay of Naples that were destroyed by Vesuvius in 79 CE. We begin with the 18th and 19th century rediscovery of these cities to examine how ancient materials were uncovered, interpreted, and sometimes misinterpreted. From there, we investigate domestic, religious, social, and funerary spaces to reconstruct the lived experiences of their inhabitants. This course introduces students to material culture, as well as archaeological practices and their issues, both past and present. Through an investigation of this area of ancient Italy, students will better understand the lives of ancient people, why this region of Italy remains so important in the modern world, and how this area has become an epicenter of archaeological innovations and discoveries. Satisfies Classical Studies major and minor requirement. Satisfies Classical Languages and Literature major requirement. Satisfies Visual and Performing Arts requirement.
Instructor A. Smith This course investigates ancient Greek, Roman, and Etruscan mythology through ancient art, including sculpture, mosaics, frescoes, and more. It explores mythological themes, including epic heroes, tragic figures, and mythological creatures. It also investigates how Greek, Roman, and Etruscan artists interacted with textual sources, how they convey narratives in a visual medium, and issues that arise when modern scholars must decipher scenes depicted in ancient art. Satisfies Visual and Performing Arts requirement. Satisfies Classical Languages and Literature major requirement. Satisfies Classical Studies major requirement Satisfies Classical Studies minor requirement. Satisfies Art with an emphasis in art history major requirement. Satisfies Art with an emphasis in art history minor requirement. Prerequisites & Notes Students at all levels welcome. Not offered in 2026-2027
Instructor A. Smith Ancient Greece and Rome offered a wide array of social spaces that are often overshadowed by grand imperial villas of Roman Emperors or monumental Greek temples. This course looks at the social spaces where everyday ancient Greeks and Romans could make their lives more enjoyable. In this course, we will examine ancient theater venues, beloved baths, facilities that accommodated spectacles and sporting events, bars, and shopping facilities to give a better understanding of how these ancient people spent their daily lives. In our investigation, we will imagine ourselves putting on or viewing the great tragedies of Euripides or Sophocles in the theater, survey the archaeological remains of bathing facilities frequented by ancient Greeks and Romans, look at epigraphic evidence from ancient food stalls to get a better idea of people’s diet and the costs of dining out in the ancient world, and much more. Satisfies Classical Languanges and Literature major requirement. Satisfies Classical Studies major and minor requirement. Satisfies Historical Thought requirement. Prerequisites & Notes Not offered in 2026-2027
Instructor Truetzel Between the 8 th and 3 rd centuries BCE, Rome and Carthage developed from small settlements into the two major powers controlling much of the western Mediterranean. After centuries of peaceful relations between these two city-states, a series of three wars broke out between them from 264 to 146 BCE. Rome’s ultimate victories in these wars would firmly secure its status as hegemon of the western Mediterranean and pave the way for further imperial expansion to the east. But Carthaginian cultural practices did not cease to exist, and the area flourished for centuries as the Roman province of Africa. In this course, we will trace the development of these two ancient city-states and their relationship with one another from their foundations through the imperial period of the first several centuries CE. We will compare the two societies in the centuries before their conflicts. How were they similar to and different from one another in terms of origins, political system, military culture, approaches to expansion, social structure, ethnicity and identity, and religion? How did these city-states interact with one another during this period? Then we will turn to the three wars themselves, investigating their causes, progress, and eventual outcome. Finally, we will look at the immediate and long-term consequences of these wars for both Roman and Carthaginian societies, and we will think about how both cultures later reflected upon their interactions with one another in peace and in war. The readings will be drawn largely from primary texts, including the works of Diodorus, Polybius, Plautus, Livy, and Vergil. We will also pay close attention to the rich body of material evidence from both Rome and Carthage, including sculptures, architecture, coins, and inscriptions. Satisfies Historical Thought requirement. Satisfies Classical Languages and Literature major requirement. Satisfies Classical Studies major and minor requirement Satisfies History major and minor requirement. Prerequisites & Notes Students at all levels welcome. Not offered in 2026-2027
Instructor Truetzel After several decades of civil war, Augustus set out to “restore the republic.” Yet when he died 45 years later, his political position was inherited by his stepson, Tiberius. Republican governance by Roman senate and people had morphed into a form of hereditary monarchy that would last for centuries. Nor was change limited to the political sphere. This period witnessed profound transformations to Roman society, religion, literature, art, and even the physical fabric of the city of Rome. This course explores all of these aspects of the dynamic period corresponding to Augustus’ lifespan (63 BC - AD 14). We will examine the breakdown of the Roman republican system, which resulted in the outbreak of a series of civil wars. Then we will investigate the various ways that Augustus sought to repair and renew a society that had been fractured by the wars from which he emerged victorious. We will also consider the responses to these reforms by inhabitants of Rome and the provinces. While the figure of Augustus looms large during this period, he was by no means the only agent of change, and the transformations he spearheaded were not always uncontested. The readings will be drawn largely from primary texts, including Augustus’ own account of his deeds (the Res Gestae ); selections from the works of Vergil, Horace, Ovid, and other contemporary authors; and Suetonius’ Life of Augustus . We will also pay close attention to the rich body of material evidence from the period, including sculptures, paintings, architecture, coins, and inscriptions. Satisfies Historical Thought requirement. Satisfies Classical Languages and Literature major requirement. Satisfies Classical Studies major and minor requirement Satisfies History major and minor requirement. Prerequisites & Notes Students at all levels welcome. Not offered in 2026-2027
Instructor Staff Research and writing under the direction and supervision of a faculty member who reviews and approves the topic(s) and evaluates the student’s work. Prerequisites & Notes Permission of the instructor required.
Instructor Truetzel Produced by the billions in antiquity, millions of ancient Greek and Roman coins still exist today. Coins are tangible pieces of ancient history, forming the largest category of surviving material evidence from the ancient world. In this course, we will examine the development of coined money in the ancient Mediterranean from its origins in the 7 th century BCE through the 4 th century CE. How and why were these objects made and circulated? What roles did coins play in ancient economic and political systems and in the everyday lives of inhabitants of the Mediterranean world? How can we use this rich body of evidence to investigate topics ranging from trade patterns to the architecture of monuments, from political propaganda to ritual practices, from mint output to specific historical events? What special data do coins offer the field archaeologist, and what special challenges do they pose for the cultural property lawyer? In addition to surveying the types and uses of various coinages from the Greco-Roman world, students will be introduced to methodological approaches used by scholars studying ancient coins. These include die studies, analysis of coin hoards, archaeological inferences from coin finds, metallurgical analysis of coins, and statistical techniques. Students will gain hands-on experience applying these methods to the college’s collection of ancient coins during a “lab session” each week. They will also catalog and research the coins, presenting their findings at the Verna Miller Case Symposium Satisfies Classical Languages and Literature major requirement. Satisfies Classical Studies major and minor requirement. Satisfies Historical Thought requirement. Prerequisites & Notes Students at all levels welcome. Not offered in 2026-2027
Instructor Krentz Capstone course for classics majors. Students define, research, and write a major research paper on a topic of their choice. Satisfies a requirement for the major in Classical Languages and Literature and the major in Classical Studies. Prerequisites & Notes Required of senior majors in Classical Languages and Literature and in Classical Studies. (Offered annually, Fall only.)
Writing of a thesis under the supervision of an appropriate professor. Oral defense before the entire Classics faculty required. Admission by unanimous consent of the Department of Classics. Prerequisites & Notes Admission by consent of the Department of Classics.
