Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Bulletin of Yale University
 
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Classics

402 Phelps Hall, 432.0977
M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D.

Chair
John Matthews

Director of Graduate Studies
Victor Bers (404 Phelps, 432.0980, victor.bers@yale.edu)

Professors
Egbert Bakker, Victor Bers, Donald Kagan, Diana Kleiner, Christina Kraus, John Matthews, William Metcalf (Adjunct, Art Gallery)

Associate Professor
Michael Anderson

Assistant Professors
Björn Ewald (on leave), Carlos Noreña, Corinne Pache, Celia Schultz (on leave)

Lecturers
Serena Connolly, Veronika Grimm

Senior Research Scholar/Lecturer
Ann Ellis Hanson

Affiliated Faculty
Robert Babcock (Curator Early Books, Beinecke Library), Susanne Bobzien (Philosophy), Dimitri Gutas (Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations), Bentley Layton (Religious Studies), Dale Martin (Religious Studies), David Quint (Comparative Literature), Barbara Shailor (Deputy Provost for the Arts)

Fields of Study
The degree program in Classics seeks to provide an overall knowledge of Greek and Roman civilization, combined with specialized work in a number of fields or disciplines within the total area.

Special Admissions Requirements
A minimum of three years of college training in one of the classical languages and two years in the other.

Special Requirements for the Ph.D. Degree in Classics
(1) Passing sight translation examinations in Greek and Latin by the end of the first year in residence; (2) passing departmental reading examinations in French and German by the beginning of the second year in residence; (3) completing fourteen term courses including: four courses in the history of Greek and Latin literature (or a reasonable equivalent), one course in historical or comparative linguistics, three seminars (two in one language and one in the other), one course in ancient history or classical art and archaeology, one further course not involving the study of Greek or Latin language or literature; (4) satisfying the departmental composition requirement in Greek and Latin (which may but need not be satisfied by courses taken under (3) above); (5) passing translation examinations in Greek and Latin, based on the Ph.D. reading list, by the end of the fifth term in residence; (6) passing oral examinations in Greek and Latin literature, based on the Ph.D. reading list, by the end of the fifth term in residence; (7) passing the special fields oral examinations by the end of the sixth term, consisting of two areas of special concentration in each language selected by the candidate in consultation with the DGS; (8) presentation of a dissertation prospectus by the end of the seventh term in residence to the approval of the Graduate Committee; (9) a dissertation.

In addition to the Graduate School's requirement of Honors grades in at least one year course or two term courses, students must have a High Pass average in the remaining courses. Admission to candidacy for the Ph.D. is granted upon completion of all predissertation requirements not later than the end of the seventh term of study.

The faculty considers experience in the teaching of language and literature to be an important part of this program. Students in Classics typically teach in their third and fourth years of study.

Combined Programs

Ancient History
The Ph.D. program in Ancient History is offered in collaboration with the Department of History and may be pursued in either department. In the Classics department, the Ancient History program of study comprises: (A) language and literature, to include: (1) passing sight translation examinations in Greek and Latin by the end of the first year in residence; (2) passing departmental reading examinations in French and German by the beginning of the second year in residence; (3) completing at least six term courses including two courses in the history of Greek or Latin literature; (4) passing translation examinations in Greek or Latin, based on the Ph.D. reading list, by the end of the fifth term in residence; (5) passing oral examinations in Greek or Latin literature, based on the Ph.D. reading list, by the end of the fifth term in residence; (6) passing a translation examination in the other ancient language based on a 1,000-page reading list approved by the DGS, by the end of the fifth term in residence; and (B) Greek and Roman history, to include: (1) six term courses in Greek and Roman history and, normally, two in another period of history, of which three must be graduate seminars; (2) passing oral examinations in Greek and Roman history on topics approved by the DGS; (C) presentation of a dissertation prospectus by the end of the seventh term in residence to the approval of the Graduate Committee; (D) a dissertation.

Classical Art and Archaeology
The program is offered in collaboration with the Department of the History of Art and is designed to give a general knowledge of the development of art in Greece and Italy from the Bronze Age to late antiquity, combining this with a detailed study of one particular period and area; and an acquaintance with the contribution made by field archaeology to our understanding of the classical world. It is expected that each student will be given the opportunity to visit the major sites and monuments. Students are required to pass fourteen term courses, to include three seminars, divided between the two departments; distribution may be adjusted to suit the interests of individual students. Students must demonstrate a competence in Greek and Latin, usually by passing at least one 400/700-level course in each language. They must also pass departmental examinations in German and one other modern language, usually Italian or French, by the beginning of the second year in residence. They will be admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D. after passing a written and oral comprehensive examination in classical art and archaeology and by securing approval of their dissertation prospectus. Further details should be obtained from the director of graduate studies.

Classics and Comparative Literature
Students may be admitted to this joint program after consultation with the director of graduate studies of each department, normally during the first term. The requirements are as follows: (1) passing sight translation examinations in Greek and Latin by the end of the first year in residence; (2) completing fourteen term courses including at least seven in Classics, including: two courses in the history of Greek or Latin literature and two seminars; and at least six courses in Comparative Literature, including: at least four courses on post-classical European literature and two courses on literary theory or methodology; (3) demonstrating literary proficiency in English, Greek, Latin, German, and one other modern language during the first two years; (4) passing an oral examination in the Comparative Literature department on six topics appropriate to both disciplines, selected in consultation with the two DGSs, by the end of the sixth term; (5) passing translation examinations in Greek and Latin, based on the Ph.D. reading list, by the end of the fifth term in residence; (6) passing oral examinations in Greek and Latin literature, based on the Ph.D. reading list, by the end of the fifth term in residence; (7) presentation of a dissertation prospectus by the end of the sixth term in residence to the approval of the two DGSs; (8) a dissertation.

Classics and Philosophy
Students who have had at least three years of college Greek and two of philosophy may be admitted to a joint program offered in collaboration with the Department of Philosophy. Further details should be obtained from the director of graduate studies of either department.

Classics and Renaissance Studies
The Department of Classics also offers, in conjunction with the Renaissance Studies program, a combined Ph.D. in Classics and Renaissance Studies. For further details, see Renaissance Studies.

Master's Degrees
M.Phil. See Graduate School requirements.

M.A. (en route to the Ph.D.). Students enrolled in the Ph.D. program qualify for the M.A. degree upon completion of seven courses, ordinarily with a High Pass average in two successive terms.

Program materials are available upon request to the Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Classics, Yale University, PO Box 208266, New Haven ct 06520-8266.

Courses

GREK 712bu, Aristotle.  John Hare.
TTh 2.30–3.45
A close reading of selected portions of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics in the Greek. Also PHIL 601bu.

GREK 726bu, Greek Religious Texts.  Corinne Pache.
TTh 11.30–12.45
Close reading of selected Greek texts dealing with religious issues including the gods, heroes, death, burial, and oracles.

GREK 747bu, The Language of Homer.  Egbert Bakker.
MW 1–2.15
This course is a critical introduction to the language of the Greek epic tradition and its Indo-European heritage. We study Homeric Greek from three mutually connected viewpoints: (1) historical—dialects in their sequence, from contemporary Ionic back to Mycenaean (“Achaean”) Greek of the second millennium B.C.E.; the phonology, morphology, and syntax of Homeric Greek from a historical-comparative perspective; (2) formulaic/metrical—the notion of Kunstsprache, Parry's theory of oral-formulaic composition; (3) syntactic/cognitive—Homeric poetry as spoken language; Homeric deixis and vividness.

GREK 760au, Pindar and Bacchylides.  Egbert Bakker.
TTh 11.30–12.45
This course offers readings in the poetry of Pindar and Bacchylides, whose work constitutes most of what we know of the choral poetry of Archaic and Classical Greece. In our reading of a representative sample of these poets' work, we address issues such as the subgenres of choral poetry, the occasions of their performance, the relation between composer/author and performer(s), and in particular the poetics and ideology of epinician (victory ode), the genre to which most of our poems belong.

GREK 790au, Syntax and Stylistics.  Victor Bers.
TTh 9–10.15
A review of accidence and syntax, stylistic analysis of Greek prose of the fifth and fourth centuries B.C., including a comparison of “prosaic” and “poetic” syntax, and composition in various styles.

GREK 798au/799bu, Survey for the Major in Classics: History of Greek Literature.  Michael Anderson [F], Victor Bers [Sp].
MW 9–10.15
A comprehensive treatment of Greek literature from Homer to the imperial period. The student is expected to read extensively in the original language, working toward familiarity with the range and variety of the literature.

LATN 738bu, Plautus.  Ann Hanson.
TTh 1–2.15
The purpose of this course is to gain an appreciation of and familiarity with the comedies of T. Maccius Plautus, comic playwright of fabulae palliatae between ca. 205 and 184 B.C.E. and the earliest Latin author whose works survive to our time complete. Greatest attention is focused on two of his so-called darker comedies (Bacchides, Casina), as well as the mythological Amphitruo, and this, in turn, enables us to contrast and compare these plays with what critics consider more normative Plautus.

LATN 746au, Latin Panegyric.  Carlos Noreña.
MW 1–2.15
A study of Latin prose panegyric. Close readings of selections from Cicero's Pro Marcello (proto-panegyric to Caesar) and the panegyrics of Pliny (to Trajan), Nazarius (Constantine), Mamertinus (Julian), and Ennodius (Theodoric), with attention to historical context, generic conventions, the rhetoric of praise, and changing conceptions of ideal rulership.

LATN 747bu, Roman Social History in Latin Texts.  John Matthews.
MW 1–2.15
The course, which is intended for graduate students and senior undergraduates, studies issues in the social and economic life of the Roman Empire of the first to fifth century through readings in the legal, documentary, and epigraphic as well as in the literary sources of the period. A strong knowledge of Latin is required, and emphasis is given to the variety of literary and nonliterary styles of the documents.

LATN 790bu, Syntax and Stylistics.  Ann Hanson.
TTh 9–10.15
A systematic review of syntax and an introduction to Latin style. Selections from Latin prose authors are read and analyzed, and students compose short pieces of Latin prose. Designed for students with some experience reading Latin literature who desire a better foundation in forms, syntax, idiom, and style.

LATN 798au/799bu, Survey for the Major in Classics: History of Latin Literature.  Christina Kraus.
MW 9–10.15
A wide-ranging treatment of Latin literature from its beginnings through the late imperial period. Students are expected to read extensively in the original language in order to gain familiarity with literature of various genres from different periods.

CLSS 605au, Greek Papyrology.  Ann Hanson.
W 2.30–4.20
Literary and documentary papyri of Greek and Roman Egypt, concentrating on documents housed in the Beinecke Library from the late Ptolemaic and Roman periods. Topics include using papyri as sources for social and other histories; gaining familiarity with the language of the papyri; and the reading of literary and documentary hands. Prerequisites: proficiency in Greek; reading knowledge of German and French.

CLSS 645bu, Numismatics.  William Metcalf.
Th 2.30–4.20
An introduction to the history of ancient coinage and the modern methodology of numismatic study. Brief consideration of the Greek background followed by detailed treatment of the Roman Republic and Empire. Prerequisites: proficiency in Greek and Latin; reading knowledge of French, German, or Italian.

CLSS 820b, Sophocles.  Corinne Pache.
W 2.30–4.20
Reading and discussion of Sophocles' extant tragedies. Topics for discussion include the Greek concept of the hero, ritual lament, the role of the chorus in Athenian drama, and the link between tragedy and ritual.

CLSS 850b, Topics in Roman History and Culture.  William Metcalf, John Matthews.
F 4–6
A weekly program of research papers on various topics, given by faculty members, graduate students, and visitors to Yale, followed by formal and informal discussion. Graduate students may acquire a course credit by presenting a paper to the seminar or by writing a term paper on one of the topics chosen, together with regular participation and contributions to discussion. Suggestions for and offers of papers are welcome. Also HIST 525b.

CLSS 854b, Roman Imperial Ideology: Text and Image.  Carlos Noreña.
F 1.30–3.20
This seminar surveys the system of ideals, values, and beliefs that defined the figure of the Roman emperor (Augustus to Constantine). Following an introduction to modern theories of ideology and related terms (“propaganda,” “hegemony,” “consciousness,” etc.), the course is organized around a set of case studies of key texts (both literary and epigraphic) and visual representations of imperial ideals. Central topics include continuity and change in imperial ideology over time; official vs. unofficial conceptions of the “good” Roman emperor; coordinated programs of imperial publicity; the media of imperial communications; and Hellenistic/Republican antecedents of imperial ideals and values. The seminar concludes with an examination of the long-term impact of imperial ideology on the cultural integration of the Roman Empire. Prerequisites: proficiency in Greek, Latin, and either French or German.

CLSS 875a, Greek Epic, Elegy, and Epigram.  Egbert Bakker.
Th 2.30–4.20
We first read the extant elegiac fragments of Archilochus,Tyrtaeus, Mimnermus, Solon, and Theognis, in search of a common “generic” feature. This involves theory on genre as well as the anthropology of “performance” and “song culture” in Archaic Greece. We then extend our readings to elegiac epigrams, many of which have been preserved as inscriptions to funerary and commemorative monuments. Finally we study the epigrammatic and elegiac passages in Homeric epic, assessing these “genre imports” and the relation between epic and elegy and between epic and epigram, particularly in their concern with kleos.

CLSS 878a, Everyday Romans in Extraordinary Times: The Art and Culture of the Non-Elite in Ancient Rome.  Diana Kleiner.
T 1.30–3.20
Art and everyday Romans in Rome and Pompeii. A study of a half-century of scholarly discourse and its focus on non-elite Romans and their role as unique patrons and viewers. Case study analysis of the interaction between high and low art, the viability of the “trickle-down” phenomenon, and the distinction between the portrayal of non-elites in imperialistic state-sponsored monuments and their own privately commissioned portraits and narrative scenes. Also HSAR 580a.

CLSS 880a, Thucydides and the Peloponnesian War.  Donald Kagan.
T 2.30–4.20
A study both of the great war between Athens and Sparta that transformed the world of the Greek city-states, and of the brilliant historian and political thinker who described it. Also HIST 516a.

CLSS 897a, Caesar's Gallic War.  Christina Kraus.
M 2.30–4.20
This seminar reads Books 1, 7, and 8 of Caesar's Bellum Gallicum in Latin, and the rest in English; selections from the continuators and from the Bellum Ciuile may also be assigned (in Latin) during the course of the term. The approach is historiographical, covering such topics as narrative technique, prose style, the relationship of style to meaning, genre, space, and characterization.

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