Spring 2010 classes
The Classics faculty in Foreign Languages and Literatures has completed its schedule for Spring 2010 classes. It will feature a few new twists to the usual spring fun, along with our usual fine crop of courses in introductory and intermediate Latin and Greek.
Prof. Stevens will for the first time be offering Classics 2600, The Power of Images in Ancient Greece and Rome. It will be a unique tour of extant monuments and material remains of the ancient world against the background of contemporary literature and philosophy. Students will be asked to think about how intellectual concepts can be expressed in artistic and architectural products. The course will cover the major monuments of both classical Athens and Rome in their historical and intellectual contexts.
Prof. Teske will bring back his popular Classics 1300, the Greek and Latin Roots course. Students learn to break down the most complex of English words into their constituent parts and to understand how a word’s etymology impacts its present meaning. Prof. Teske will also be teaching the Age of Augustus course (Latin 3002), in which students read the major poets of the Augustan era, including Horace, Vergil, Propertius and Ovid.
Prof. Given (yours truly) will be teaching Classical Mythology, Classics 3460. Although I taught mythology in my job previous to ECU, this will be my first chance to teach it here. It will feature all the gods and heroes that you’ve encountered in childhood stories and popular culture. I will also be focusing a special section on the character of Odysseus and how he has been appropriated at different times from the ancient world until today. We start with the Odyssey and end up with the film O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Several past popular courses are returning this spring. Prof. Romer will again offer Greek and Roman Religions (Classics 3600) and Prof. Teske will have Greek Tragedy (Classics 2500). Students should remember that all the Classics courses satisfy the Foundations requirement for the Humanities.
I will be happy to answer any questions about any of our courses. Drop me a line at any time: givenj@ecu.edu.
