CLASSICAL LANGUAGES

GREEK

GREEK I

This course introduces students to the rudiments of Ancient Greek. Memorization of forms, vocabulary and syntax are stressed in order to facilitate the reading of unadapted Greek texts as quickly as possible. By the year’s end, students should be reading selected passages from Attic prose authors.

INTENSIVE ANCIENT GREEK

This is a fast-paced, intense course that introduces the essential morphology and syntax of Ancient Greek. The systematic acquisition of forms and vocabulary complement the learning of simple and complex syntax. As the name of the course indicates, this is an intense experience, but one that enables students to read Ancient Greek texts in the original by the end of the year. Open to juniors and seniors; others must seek the permission of the instructor.

INTERMEDIATE GREEK

This course features review of material from Greek 1 and continues to round out the students’ knowledge of Greek forms and syntax. Students refine their skills through translation of selections from a variety of authors, including Herodotus, Plato, and Aristophanes, and explore the different styles and expressions employed by each. The course is intended to provide students with the skills and confidence to move on to more intensive exploration of specific Greek texts. Prerequisite: Greek I.

GREEK III

A pure translation course, this class focuses on writings that concern the conflict between rational and irrational on individual and societal levels. We read from Plato and Euripides, possibly delving into the world of comedy. Students gain an advanced understanding of syntax and familiarize themselves with prose and tragic constructions. Prerequisite: Intermediate Greek or Intensive Ancient Greek

HOMER'S ODYSSEY

We will read selections from Homer's foundational epic the Odyssey, the inspiration for arguably much of our Western cultural tradition. We will be in awe of its ability to be both mysteriously distant and archaic while also brilliantly contemporary and relevant to our 21st-century experience. In addition to following Odysseus on his journey, through some of literature's best-known scenes -- the Sirens, the Cyclops, the suitors, etc. -- we will also be entering, as best we can, into the world that produced this masterpiece and examining the social, political, and intellectual context of early Greece. Always on our mind will be the question of defining the Classic: we must agree that the Odyssey is one; how?

GREEK TRAGEDY: TRADITION AND INNOVATION

Greek tragedy has had a profound effect on Western culture. We will read two of the greatest Greek tragedians: Sophocles and Euripides. Our reading will set these authors against the social, political, and religious framework within which they were producing their work - and explore the way in which these authors reshaped this framework. Tragedy at once seems so familiar and yet so alien to a modern audience. We will study the formal structure and dramaturgy of tragedy, the landscape of ancient theatre, and the themes that fascinated the classical Greek mind – reflecting upon the unfamiliar and perhaps also discovering that the familiar is not so familiar after all. Our set texts will be the Ajax by Sophocles, a tale of betrayal, bestial slaughter, suicide and redemption; and the Hippolytus by Euripides, a story of obsession, misogyny, and infanticide. Our reading of these texts will reflect upon the theatrical innovations introduced by Sophocles and the groundbreaking response to his work by the younger Euripides. As Sophocles said: I portray people as they should be, Euripides, as they are. Prerequisite: Homer's Odyssey

LATIN

LATIN I

This course introduces the student to the basics of Latin forms and syntax. Memorization of forms and syntax is stressed in order to facilitate the reading of Latin literature as quickly as possible. Readings are selected from Cicero, Caesar, Martial and others. The course also covers background material on mythology, history, and Roman life.

LATIN POETRY, PROSE, DRAMA & THE NOVEL

Designed as a bridge between the introductory Latin course and specialized electives, this course emphasizes facility in reading and translating Latin authors, studying the literary forms we read, and using textual evidence to gain insight into life in the ancient world. Authors include Cicero, Ovid, Plautus, Sallust, Livy, Catullus, Horace, Caesar, Vergil, and others. The course also intensively reviews Latin grammar and syntax.

THE AENEID: VERGIL AND THE LATIN EPIC

This course is open to students who have completed Poetry, Prose, Drama & the Novel, or its equivalent. The Aeneid is the Roman epic that charts the mythohistorical founding of the Roman people and state. Books I, II, IV, VI, X and XII of the Aeneid are read in Latin, in part or in whole, and the rest of the text in English. Emphasis is on translation and textual analysis, with daily assignments for translation as well as passages for sight-reading in class. Several short critical papers examining patterns of symbolism, imagery and meter are required.

LETTERS: WRITERS AND READERS

What is a letter? What is its purpose? Why would anyone choose to publish letters? What were the everyday concerns of Roman people? What subjects were thought worth writing about and communicating to others? We will study the development of Latin letter writing both over time and thematically, considering the formal aspects, conventions, and topics of letters in both private and public realms. Our course will begin with the earliest Roman letters and end with letters written as the Empire was disintegrating. We will analyze the development of letter writing as a literary genre and explore a wide range of literary uses of letters: philosophical and didactic writing, letters embedded in literary texts, and books of poetry written wholly in epistolary form.
Our reading will include letters as wide-ranging as: a letter written to a friend as consolation on the death of a daughter, a bureaucrat’s request to the emperor Trajan on whether or not he should execute Christians, Ovid’s poetical letters from exile attempting to regain Augustus’ favor, Seneca’s letters on Stoic philosophy, St. Jerome’s letters on the Huns and the perceived end of the world and Last Judgment, and Horace’s witty, sophisticated, and playful books of poetical letters.

LUCAN'S CIVIL WAR

The civil war of the 1st century BC was Rome's defining moment, the death rattle of the Republic and the birth of the Empire. It occupied the minds of Romans -- and later thinkers -- for centuries to come and has been told many, many, times. Never though, has it been told quite like it was by Lucan, a deeply intelligent, shockingly talented, and very pissed off 20-something poet living under Nero's empire and yearning for a Stoic simplicity that, he feels, died with the Republic.
In reading selections from Lucan's 10-book epic poem we will get comfortable with Lucan's notoriously difficult but also very beautiful poetic style while also trying to understand what it meant to Lucan to write Latin epic in the shadow of Vergil's Aeneid, about a historical (rather than mythological) topic, and in the court of a cruel dictator. Students, then, will take from the course not just an appreciation of this raw, angry, gory, but gorgeous, protest poem, but also of the social, political, and intellectual context -- that of Nero's Rome -- that influenced its author. To that latter end, we will be supplementing our reading of Lucan with excerpts from his contemporaries, notably Seneca.

ROMAN TRAVEL WRITING

Travel became increasingly common during the Roman Imperial period. Ancient people traveled for the same reasons that they do today: business, politics, war, religion, trade, vacation, health, sightseeing, and festivals. Luckily for us, they also wrote about their experiences. During the first three centuries of the Common Era, travel throughout the Roman territories became easier and expanded impressively due to reliable roads, safer seas, common currency, and shared languages. References to travel appear throughout all genres of written Latin.
In this course we will read selections from a variety of sources recounting the travel experiences of ancient Romans. Authors will include Cicero, Seneca, Pliny, Livy, Caesar, and Martial. The focus will be on daily prepared and sight translations. Several short papers and projects will provide reflection and analysis.

ASIAN LANGUAGES

CHINESE

Chinese classes at all levels are aimed at developing the students’ communicative ability in Chinese. Students learn language structures, functions and related cultural knowledge as well as acquiring listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. Far East Chinese for Youth and the Practical Chinese Reader series are used. Volumes One and Two interweave campus life with everyday experience, introducing cultural norms and customs associated with speaking and comprehension. The third volume concentrates on topics of interest to students illustrating cultural differences between China and the West. Contemporary Chinese is used at the higher levels.

CHINESE I

This course is an introduction to the Chinese language, with emphasis on pronunciation—Pin Yin and four tones. At the same time, students study radicals, stroke orders, characters and basic sentence structures. Chinese songs, poems, and rhymes are learned.

CHINESE II

The review of Pin Yin and tones continues throughout the year with an emphasis on speaking Chinese with a good accent. This course offers additional study of grammar, sentence structure and vocabulary, while students gain the knowledge and confidence to discuss the related topics in each text. More Chinese poems are introduced.

CHINESE III

This course is designed to help students solidify their grasp of grammar and vocabulary. The emphasis is on fluency in situational Chinese and reading comprehension. Students also practice writing Chinese with reversed word order and additional vocabulary.

CHINESE IV

Besides introducing more vocabulary and grammatical points, the lessons concentrate on complex sentences and paragraphs. Intensive study increases the students’ command of linguistic structures and functions and gives them a firmer grounding in speaking and writing more idiomatic Chinese.

CHINESE V

In this course students begin to use Contemporary Chinese, which offers them the chance to observe the full complexity of Chinese society from the point of view of an American student living in China. Reflecting the wide diversity of Chinese society through everyday experience, this text fosters a growing mastery of Chinese in speaking, reading and writing.

CHINESE VI

Students continue Contemporary Chinese with more probing texts that reflect the many facets of Chinese society. China’s strengths and problems are revealed through analysis, explanation and debate. Some chapters deal with crucial social and intellectual concerns in current Chinese society. Students continue to hone their overall abilities in speaking, reading and writing Chinese.

CHINESE VII

In this course we first review what students have already acquired in the four language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. We then introduce more complex grammatical and syntactical elements through reinforcement of speaking and writing so the students can fully express their thoughts and ideas. Vocabulary and knowledge of Chinese language and culture will be expanded through reading authentic materials such as Chinese newspapers, poems, plays and stories.

CHINESE CONVERSATION

Students who have completed Chinese 4 are strongly encouraged to take this course in addition to their regular Chinese class. Through the use of various practical scenarios, it offers an opportunity to gain confidence and facility in speaking more idiomatic and spontaneous Chinese. By enlarging vocabulary and improving oral/aural skills, students gain fluency in discussions about daily life, education, politics, food, travel, and so on.

JAPANESE

JAPANESE I

This course serves as an introduction to the Japanese language. Students are asked to master two sets of Japanese phonetic syllables: 46 hiraganas and 45 katakanas, modified and combination forms respectively. Emphasis is placed on the Japanese accent system, basic Chinese characters with Japanese pronunciation, basic sentence structures and cultural background.

JAPANESE II

The study of Japanese grammar and Chinese characters is continued and extended. Students learn practical sentence patterns and further their conversational abilities. Reading Japanese is explored as well. Students begin writing journal entries.

JAPANESE III

Students move on to an intermediate level. The course focuses on consolidating grammar and vocabulary from previous years. Students are asked to use their language skills to function in various social situations with an emphasis on customs and culture. Vocabulary words with previously acquired Kanji are introduced as well.

JAPANESE IV

This is a continuation of the work begun in Japanese 3. In addition, the course focuses more on developing reading skills. Students learn more complicated grammatical structures and more sophisticated Kanji vocabulary as well.

JAPANESE CONVERSATION/COMPOSITION

Students further their abilities to express themselves effectively. Communication skills in writing and speaking are enhanced; we use news articles, videotapes, and other materials to expand vocabulary, gain an understanding of social customs, and increase spontaneity. Based on what we discuss in class, students work on writing assignments at home.