Most courses in 2021W will be delivery in-person, on campus. Course delivery plans will be updated here closer to the start of term.
ARBC: Arabic
Winter 2021ARBC101 Beginning Classical and Quranic Arabic I Sections
Classical Arabic, with an introduction to vocabulary and grammar and the reading of simple Qur'anic texts and wisdom sayings in the original.
Instructor(s): GHAZI, BUSHRA SEEMI YASMIN NAHRI, SYED
This course presumes no prior knowledge of Arabic, however if a student knows the alphabet and reads phonetically, but has no Arabic grammar they still belong in ARBC 101.
Read More... ARBC102 Beginning Classical and Quranic Arabic II Sections
Classical Arabic, with further introduction to vocabulary and grammar and the reading of Qur'anic texts in the original.
Instructor(s): GHAZI, BUSHRA SEEMI YASMIN
ARBC201 Intermediate Classical and Quranic Arabic I Sections
Classical Arabic. Designed to enrich vocabulary and grammar and to enhance fluency in reading and interpreting a range of Qur'anic texts.
Instructor(s): GHAZI, BUSHRA SEEMI YASMIN
ARBC202 Intermediate Classical and Quranic Arabic II Sections
Classical Arabic. Designed to further enrich vocabulary and grammar and to enhance fluency in reading and interpreting longer texts from Qur'an, Hadith and other genres.
Instructor(s): GHAZI, BUSHRA SEEMI YASMIN
ARBC420A Supervised Study in Classical and Quranic Arabic - CLASSICAL ARABIC Sections
Readings in religious and literary Arabic texts pertaining to the early and classical Islamic world.
Instructor(s): GHAZI, BUSHRA SEEMI YASMIN
CLST: Classical Studies Undergraduate Courses
Winter 2021CLST101 Greek and Latin Roots of English Sections
Greek and Latin roots of English vocabulary and grammar, with an introduction to language history and Greek and Roman culture.
In this course (offered asynchronously online, with an optional synchronous component), students will learn to recognize and appreciate the many elements of English that derive from Greek and Latin roots. They will acquire the tools to expand and deepen vocabulary, and to develop the precision and sophistication of their communication in English, while enjoying the fascination of words and their histories.
Read More... CLST105 Greek and Roman Mythology Sections
Greek and Roman mythology and its interpretation. Emphasis on ancient texts read in English translation.
Classical Studies 105 offers a broad introduction to the vibrant world of Greek and Roman mythology and its influence today. Because myth touched every aspect of ancient life, this course will also shed light on the literature, art, and lived experience of the Greeks and Romans. The goals of the course are to familiarize students with the myths, with the primary texts in which they are told, with the place of myth-telling in ancient culture, and to introduce students to the chief interpretive theories of myth that have been developed over the past century. The course also touches on the transformation of ancient myths in modern storytelling – for instance in film and music. Emphasis will be placed on reading primary sources in English translation, and as a result students will become familiar with a variety of ancient literary genres. This course also develops valuable transferable skills in academic reading...
Read More... CLST211 Greek Philosophy I Sections
The Pre-Socratics; Socrates; Sophists; Plato. Recommended as preparation for CLST/PHIL 212 and PHIL 310.
An Introduction to Greek Philosophy
This course traces the early evolution of Ancient Greek philosophy, or the “love of wisdom” (philosophia), from its roots in the myths of Homer (c. 800 BCE) to the dialogues of Plato (429-347 BCE). We focus on the search for self-knowledge (gnōthi seauton), which Greek writers attributed to the Pythia, Oracle at Delphi. This thread will lead us to explore the powers attributed by the Pythia to the gods of Greek mythology, balanced by her emphasis on human freedom and responsibility. We’ll find these Delphic themes shaping the mathematical and musical models of nature and human life developed by early Mediterranean scientists; through literary depictions of the Pythia’s influence on early statecraft in Sparta and Athens; through the Socratic method of radical inquiry, inspired at Delphi; and through the insights of women like Aristoclea of Delphi, Diotima of Mantinea, and Perictione of Athens, respectively recognized as...
Read More... CLST212 Greek Philosophy II Sections
Aristotle; selections from Hellenistic and Late Antique Philosophy. Recommended as preparation for PHIL 310 and PHIL 311.
Plato; Aristotle; Stoics; and later Greek and Roman philosophers.
Is it possible to be sure that we are living a good human life, come what may? What would it be like to “succeed at” being a human being, at being ourselves? In the period under consideration in this course (c. 399 BCE–c. 529 CE), the nascent traditions of Greek logic, science, and ethics were turned to the exploration of such fundamental questions as these and spread across the Mediterranean world in the wake of Alexander the Great and the Roman Empire, laying the groundwork for the subsequent development of Western intellectual history. Over this term, we will study Aristotle, the great Hellenistic schools of ancient Athens (Stoics, Epicureans, and Skeptics) and the later ancient synthesis of Greek philosophy under the banner of Plato (Neoplatonism), and their influence on subsequent thought. Focus: Aristotle, Stoics, Epicureans, Skeptics, and Neoplatonists (4th century BCE-3rd century...
Read More... CLST231 Ancient Greece Sections
A survey of the ancient Greek world from the Minoan and Mycenaean (about 2000-1000 BCE) to the Hellenistic Period (323-30 BCE).
Why are Greeks still today, just like their ancient ancestors, known for their shipping companies and business interests? Why were ancient Greeks apparently always warring among themselves and with others? Was democracy the most common form of government in ancient Greek communities? If not, why not, and what was the most common form of government? Is the “Greek Miracle” the best lens today through which to understand the development of the ancient Greeks? The answers to these and other topical questions of our times can be found in studying ancient Greek history. Come and explore them with me.
Prerequisites: None
Read More... CLST232 Ancient Rome Sections
A survey of the ancient Roman world from the foundation of the city to the death of Constantine.
A survey of the history of the ancient Roman world from the foundation of the city to the fall of the Western Empire
Prerequisites: None
Read More... CLST260 Gladiators, Games, and Spectacle in the Greek and Roman World Sections
History, development, and social function of various forms of spectacle in ancient Greece and Rome, from the Olympic games to the Roman arena.
Fame and shame. Blood and guts. Glory and death. Ancient games and spectacles promised all these and more to the people of ancient Greece and Rome. Spectacles united societies and divided them too. Ancient fans fanatically supported their favourites, but rivalries sometimes led to riots. Ranging from the competitions at the Olympic games in Greece to the spectacles of the Roman Coliseum and the Circus Maximus, this course will examine how spectacles and games functioned in the ancient world, their costs and rewards, and the costs to the humans and animals caught up in them. Over the course of the semester we will investigate the how and why of ancient games, the mechanics of how they were staged and organized, and who fought and competed in them.
textbook:https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/spectaclesintheromanworldsourcebook
Prerequisites: None
Read More... CLST301 The Technical Terms of Medicine and Biological Science Sections
Acquaints the student with the Greek and Latin elements from which most specialized terms of modern medicine are constructed. Intended primarily for students planning to enter the medical, pharmaceutical, or biological sciences.
Classical Studies 301 helps students understand the language of biology and medicine by teaching them the Greek and Latin elements from which the terminology is composed. You will learn how to deconstruct biological and medical words into everyday English so that you will more easily understand and remember the language used in those fields, and you also learn the principles behind the construction of the terminology. The course is designed primarily for science students, particularly those studying biology or those planning careers in any field of the health sciences, but students from other areas of study are also very welcome. CLST 301 also will provide you with a cultural context for this specialised language, through some selected ancient literary, mythological, historical, and medical sources. No knowledge of the Greek or Latin languages is required, and no specialised knowledge of anatomy or physiology is expected. Note that for 2020-21 the course...
Read More... CLST306 Ancient Technology: Greece and Rome Sections
The origins, achievements, and social impacts of applied technology in the Greek and Roman world from the Bronze Age to Late Antiquity (c. 1500 BCE - 400 CE), with special attention to archaeological evidence.
This course introduces the technologies developed and exploited in the Greek and Roman worlds, c. 1000 BCE to 400 CE, with an emphasis on their impact. Rather than focusing solely on the technological achievements of the Greeks and Romans, this course will instead explore ancient technologies in context: their intellectual, social, institutional, and economic backgrounds and effects. Throughout, we will test our modern experiences and ideas about technology and its impacts against ancient evidence to see whether we can make universal claims about technological achievement, or whether innovation is socially and culturally contingent. We will explore a number of topics that resonate in modernity, including: the relationship between human and machine labor; and the effects of mechanization; the social, economic, political, and environmental impact of innovation; the role of educational practices in shaping the development of new technologies ; the interrelationship of innovations in different “industries”; attitudes towards “progress” and the...
Read More... CLST312 Women in the Roman World of Republican and Imperial Times Sections
Women in the Roman world in the culture of the Republic and the Empire. Literary, artistic, and mythological sources are compared and contrasted to historical, legal, and archaeological records.
This course will examine the evidence that we have for women’s lives in ancient Rome as well as how they were perceived by their male contemporaries and what value to society they were believed to have. Through a critical analysis of the material and visual culture and inscriptional, legal, and literary sources we will explore the realities and ambiguities of Roman women’s lives from imperial wives to enslaved women. Marriage and childbearing, women and the law, women’s occupations, and women in history and poetry will be explored. We will also consider the role that ancient Rome played in modern conceptions and perceptions of women in the Western world today.
Read More... CLST313 Greek Epic Sections
Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, in translation.
CLST317 Classical Tragedy Sections
The plays of the Greek and Roman tragic dramatists, in translation.
This course will guide students through a range of Greek and Roman tragedies in translation. Selected plays of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Seneca will be studied in their intellectual, historical, and performance contexts, drawing out what is familiar from later dramatic traditions, as well as what makes classical tragedy unique. We will also study borderline cases between tragedy and comedy to explore how we define tragedy and the tragic.
Read More... CLST329 Ancient Greek Warfare Sections
Ancient Greek methods and tactics of war plus underlying social, religious and philosophical concepts relating to warfare, through sources in translation.
CLST331 Greek Art and Architecture Sections
The visual culture of the ancient Greek world in the second and first millennia BCE, especially from c. 1000 to 30 BCE.
This course explores the art and architecture of the Greek world from about 7000 to 30 BCE. We’ll begin with the first farmers of the Neolithic and the trace the rise of Mycenae, Knossos and other legendary palaces of the Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations. We then examine the emergence of the Greek city states, focusing on the great Panhellenic sanctuaries of Olympia and Delphi and, of course, Athens and the famous monuments of its Acropolis and Agora that embody the rise of the world’s first democracy. We’ll end with the spread of Greek art and architecture eastward with the conquests of Alexander the Great and the powerful Hellenistic kingdoms of his successors. In each case we’ll consider the social, political, economic and ideological context of Greek material culture, its relationship to identities and the impacts of interactions with other cultures. We’ll also consider the legacy and reception of Greek art...
Read More... CLST332 Roman Art and Architecture Sections
The visual culture of the ancient Roman world from the 8th century BCE to the 4th century CE.
CLST 332: Roman Art & Architecture
The social, cultural, political, and visual history of Roman art from the eighth century BCE to the fourth century CE. Topics include the power of images to shape society; identity construction; cultural exchanges and borrowings across the ancient world; the impact of the Roman Empire on local visual traditions; and the complex relationships between subject and representation.
Read More... CLST333 Greek Religion Sections
A survey of both traditional and exoteric religious practices from the Archaic to the Hellenistic period. Some knowledge of ancient Greece is recommended.
CLST353 The Early Roman Empire Sections
Roman imperial history during the Julio-Claudian and Flavian periods (30 BC-96 AD).
The course focuses upon the Roman empire during the first century AD following its consolidation by the founding emperor Augustus. The performance of certain of their successors is discussed. But the emphasis is upon social, administrative and economic themes. There is investigation of how the provinces and cities of the empire were taxed and governed, and of how certain significant services were provided such as transport and supply of food staples. The nature and values of society are probed through exploration of such varied topics as the status and role of slaves and ex-slaves; the work undertaken by men and women; entertainment; and Roman funeral and burial practices. The fascinating world of Rome is likely to emerge as both less familiar, and more impenetrable and mysterious, than might have been anticipated. Sensitive exploitation of original source material, both literary and non-literary (all in translation), is an important element throughout. While...
Read More... CLST355 The Athenians and their Empire Sections
The sources (literary, epigraphical and other) for Athens' emergence as one of the two leading city-states in late archaic and classical Greece and the stages by which her empire grew.
Classical Studies 355 (CLST 355 [3]): The Athenians and their Empire
The sources (literary, epigraphical and other) for Athens’ emergence as one of the two leading city-states in late archaic and classical Greece and the stages which her empire grew. Prerequisite: CLST 231.
Aims of this course:
examine the history and nature of the Athenian Empire
gain familiarity with ancient sources of the period and some contemporary scholarship
ancient and modern perspectives and representation: how history is imagined and created (affected by ideology and ontology)
the nature, objectivity and purpose of history
consider the following:
the development and nature of the empire from the 6th century BCE on
competing representations of that empire in ancient and modern sources
the empire and its effect on 5th century Greek culture
the relationship between the empire and Athenian democracy
Read More... CLST356 Alexander the Great and his Empire Sections
The rise of Macedon under Philip II leading to its domination of Greece and the overthrow of the Persian Empire by his son, Alexander; the subsequent spread of Greek civilization in the East.
"I suppose there was no race of men, no city at that time, no single person whom Alexander"s name did not reach." - Arrian,Anabasis 7.30.2.v
A study of Alexander the Great: the historical figure, his legend, and his legacy. It begins with his rise, tracing the nature of Macedonia, its culture and previous kings, especially Philip II on whose successes Alexander"s legend was built.This course first examines Alexander"s accession, campaigns and untimely death and places Alexander in his social and historical context.The second part of the course will examine the legacy of Alexander through the history of the Hellenistic kingdoms and the persistence of Greek culture in the East.This course addresses questions of cultural interaction, assimilation, and conquest through the reading of the ancient sources in order to assess Alexander"s achievements and to understand the unique place which he occupies in visions of the classical past.
Texts:
1.Romm, J. 2012. The Landmark Arrian:...
Read More... CLST360C Life and Society in Classical Antiquity - LF SOC CLAS ANTQ Sections
Topics in Greek and Roman life and society.
CLST401A Seminar in Classical History - SEM CLASSCL HIST Sections
Selected topics in Greek or Roman history, with an emphasis on research. Restricted to majors and honours students in CLST, CLAS, CLAH, ARGR, GRNE, CNRS.
Medicine in the Ancient Mediterranean and Near East
In this course we will examine ancient medical practice and theory in the ancient societies and cultures of the Mediterranean and Near East. Topics and themes include: pharmacology, surgery, dissection and anatomy, the relationship between medicine, religion, and magic, medical practitioners and the medical marketplace, and gender and sexuality in medicine. Our study will be primary focused on the ancient world, but we will also look at resonances between ancient medicine and medicine today.
Read More... CLST401B Seminar in Classical History - SEM CLASSCL HIST Sections
Selected topics in Greek or Roman history, with an emphasis on research. Restricted to majors and honours students in CLST, CLAS, CLAH, ARGR, GRNE, CNRS.
Instructor(s): KEDDIE, GEORGE ANTHONY
Romans 13: Authoritarianism and Resistance. “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities … for the authority does not bear the sword in vain.” These famous words from chapter 13 of Paul’s Letter to the Romans in the New Testament have been cited as a divinely inspired rationale for the morality of authoritarian rule and police brutality in multiple contexts throughout the history of Christianity. Most recently, they have been cited by right-wing American Christian leaders as support for police violence against peaceful Black protestors as well as the detention of immigrants. But these verses have also inspired forms of resistance against slavery, colonialism, and racism, as various interpreters have viewed Paul’s ethics as a survival strategy that cleverly mocks imperialism while advancing a radical ethics of love and reciprocity: Paul proceeds in chapter 13 to declare “Love your neighbor as yourself” as the fulfillment of the law. How...
Read More... CLST403D Seminar in Classical Art and Archaeology - SEM CLS ART&ARCH Sections
Selected topics in Greek or Roman art and archaeology, with an emphasis on research. Restricted to majors and honours students in CLST, CLAS, CLAH, ARGR, GRNE, CNRS.
Instructor(s): COOPER, ELISABETH
The Archaeology of the Neo-Assyrian Empire (c. 900-612 BCE). The class focuses on the archaeology of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, which flourished in northern Mesopotamia between 900-612 BCE and which at its apogee dominated the Near East from Iran to Egypt. The class will address a variety of archaeological topics in order to understand the dynamic ways in which the Assyrians used their material culture to underscore and reflect their powerful ideology of empire, kingship and military ascendancy. Topics include studies of Assyrian palatial architecture and sculpture; transformations of the imperial landscape through large-scale hydraulic technologies and agricultural intensification; the material manifestations of war and violence; and the symbolic marking of imperial territory through stelae and rock reliefs. My own recent research interests will also be brought increasingly to bear on this subject, namely varied local responses (e.g. cooperation, resistance) to Assyrian imperial presence in other parts of the Near East,...
Read More... CNRS: Classical, Near Eastern and Religious Studies
Winter 2021CNRS104 Temples, Tombs, and Tyrants: The Archaeology of the Middle East, Greece, and Rome Sections
The rise of civilizations, cultural interconnections, and power dynamics in the ancient Middle East (including Egypt), Greece, and Rome (10,000 BCE - 300 CE). Archaeological methods and interpretation, and analysis of ancient artifacts in UBC collections.
CNRS370 Theories of Myth Sections
Origins, nature, and transmission of myth in the Western tradition, with particular attention devoted to the interpretation of myth from ancient times up to the present. Some background in myth is recommended.
This course will examine the origins, nature and transmission of myth in the Western Tradition. It will devote particular attention to the interpretation of myth from ancient times up to the present day. Modern theorists discussed may, among others, include Freud; Jung; the so-called "Cambridge Ritualists;" N.Frye; J. Campbell; C. Levi-Strauss; R. Girard; W. Burkett; E. Cassirer.
Prerequisites: None
Read More... CNRS449 Honours Essay Sections
GREK: Greek
Winter 2021GREK101 Beginning Ancient Greek I Sections
Classical and Hellenistic Greek, Part I.
This course introduces the elements of classical Greek, the language of Homer, Greek tragedy and philosophy, as well as of the Christian New Testament. By the end of the term you will know the ancient Greek alphabet and be able to read in the present tense, using vocabulary commonly found in ancient Greek texts. You will read adapted Greek but also some unadapted excerpts from classical authors, such as Archilochus and Anacreon, as well as passages from the New Testament.
Prerequisites: None.
Read More... GREK102 Beginning Ancient Greek II Sections
Classical and Hellenistic Greek, Part II.
Greek 102 continues introducing the grammar of classical Greek, extending in particular the verb system, as well widening the range of vocabulary. By the end of the term you will understand several additional tenses and be able to use these in reading both adapted and unadapted classical Greek and New Testament: we’ll read passages from authors as varied as Sappho, Theognis, and Luke. There may even be occasion to learn an ancient Greek scolion (a drinking song).
Read More... GREK201 Intermediate Ancient Greek I Sections
Completion of the grammatical foundations of Ancient Greek, Part I.
Greek 201 completes most of the grammar and syntax of classical Greek needed for reading the ancient texts. At the same time, students continue to read both adapted and unadapted texts from a variety of authors, including Heraclitus, Thucydides, and Plato, as well as extended passages from the Gospel of John from the New Testament.
Read More... GREK202 Intermediate Ancient Greek II Sections
Completion of the grammatical foundations of Ancient Greek, Part II; introduction to the reading of unadapted passages of Greek literature.
The term begins with a final wrap-up of grammar and syntax, along with an introduction into the Ionic dialect through adapted readings from Herodotus. Students then proceed to the reading of an unadapted Greek text, either in full or from a substantial part of a larger text. Texts vary from year to year, but in recent terms the texts have been chosen from Xenophon, Plato, Lysias, and Lucian.
Read More... GREK351 Reading Ancient Greek: Prose Sections
Readings in the major authors in Greek prose.
This course is designed to introduce intermediate students to ancient Greek prose literature; the selection of authors to be read varies each year, but can draw from genres as diverse as history, philosophy, biography, satire, religious texts, or even romance or early science fiction. The works to be read will be entirely unadapted but students will have the assistance of a commentary and lexicon, as well as the support of the instructor, to assist them in making the transition to reading ancient Greek texts.
Read More... GREK352 Reading Ancient Greek: Verse Sections
Readings in the major authors in Greek verse.
This course is designed to equip students with the necessary tools for independent reading of unadapted Greek poetry. The text will be selected in consultation with the students; typically this is one play or selections from Homer, but more thematic approaches are possible.
Read More... GREK401A Greek Prose - GREEK PROSE Sections
Studies in history, philosophy and/or oratory. It is recommended that the corequisite course be completed prior to GREK 401.
The Lake of Memory: Plato’s Myths and Philosophies of Immortality
In this seminar, we’ll read selections from Plato’s myths of the afterlife and human eternity, including the Myth of Er (Republic 10)—sometimes described as a vivid literary reconstruction of a “near-death experience”—and passages from similar narratives in the Apology, Phaedo, Gorgias, and Phaedrus. Along the way, we’ll attempt to reconstruct a coherent picture of “Platonic immortality,” juxtaposing the myths with Plato’s potential poetic influences, as well as his philosophical arguments for the immortality of the psychē.
While the core of the seminar will be our collaborative experience of reading and making sense of Plato’s myths in Greek, we’ll try to enrich our reading from a range of connected topics, methods, and comparative studies, from which you can select for further research in the course. However, the seminar is intended to be accessible—and hopefully enjoyable!—for students
without any prior background in Plato, in philosophy, or in these contextual...
Read More... GREK403A Studies in Ancient Greek Prose and Verse - ANCT GREK P & V Sections
Thematic studies using both Greek prose and Greek verse. May be repeated for up to 6 credits. It is recommended that the corequisite course be completed prior to GREK 403.
The primary aims of the course are to speed up the pace of reading, to familiarize students with essential resources for language study, and to engage with different authors’ writing styles. The texts for this course will be determined in consultation with the students. We will read substantial selections from different prose and poetic authors, all focusing on the same theme or figure. Most recently we worked on katabasis (reading Homer, Plato, and Euripides); other possibilities might include a figure like Prometheus or Helen, or a place like Egypt or Delphi, or a topic like parody or spies.
Read More... HEBR: Hebrew
Winter 2021HEBR201 Intermediate Biblical Hebrew I Sections
Biblical Hebrew. Devised to enrich vocabulary and grammar and enhance fluency in reading and interpreting a range of biblical texts.
HEBR202 Intermediate Biblical Hebrew II Sections
Biblical Hebrew. Devised to further enrich vocabulary and grammar and to enhance fluency in reading and interpreting a range of biblical texts.
LATN: Latin
Winter 2021LATN101 Beginning Latin I Sections
Classical Latin, Part I.
Latin 101
Latin was the language of the Romans and, at the height of the Roman Empire during the first three centuries of the common era, was spoken throughout the whole of Western Europe and a large part of North Africa. After the fall of the Roman Empire in the west in the fifth century, Latin continued to be spoken in a variety of local dialects that developed through time into the modern Romance languages, e.g., French, Italian, and Spanish. Latin itself survived as the common language of educated people in Europe through the church and universities until the eighteenth century.
A knowledge of Latin is essential to the study of the history, literature and archaeology of the Romans and for a serious understanding of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance in Europe. It is also extremely useful in the study of the Romance languages as well as the English language, which...
Read More... LATN102 Beginning Latin II Sections
Classical Latin, Part II.
Latin 102 continues with the basics of Latin grammar that we began in Latin 101, and illustrates these by a series of readings adapted from the major authors of classical Latin literature. Students will be reading passages from such famous authors and works as Julius Caesar’s memoir of his campaigns in Gaul, Pliny the Younger’s first-hand account of the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, and the statesman Cicero’s letters to his family.
Text (required): Susan C. Shelmerdine, Introduction to Latin, 2nd ed., Focus Publishing, 2013. ISBN: 978-1-58510-390-4
Read More... LATN201 Intermediate Latin I Sections
Completion of the grammatical foundations of classical Latin, Part I.
Latin 201 continues the study of the fundamentals of Latin grammar and syntax that were begun in Latin 101 and 102. Grammar and vocabulary are illustrated through the reading of slightly adapted texts from Latin literature, such as Livy's legends of early Rome and Julius Caesar’s account of his campaigns in Gaul as well as selections from other Latin authors.
Read More... LATN202 Intermediate Latin II Sections
Completion of the grammatical foundations of classical Latin, Part II; an introduction to the reading of unadapted passages of Latin literature and discussion of thier cultural contexts.
This course will complete the study of the fundamental points of Latin grammar and syntax as well as introduce students to Latin literature through the reading of selections of unadapted Latin from various authors. By the end of the course students will have developed the skills necessary for reading and translating Latin texts.
Read More... LATN350 Latin Literature of the Classical Period (Prose) Sections
Readings in Latin Prose.
Third-year Latin aims to enhance students’ skills in reading unadapted Latin and to introduce them to some of the great authors of classical Latin literature.
Read More... LATN351 Latin Literature of the Classical Period (Verse) Sections
Readings in Latin Verse.
The goals of this course are to introduce students to Latin poetry and metre, and through the reading of the Latin text, to help students strengthen their grasp of grammar and syntax and improve their facility in translation. We will read and analyse Book II of Vergil’s Aeneid in which Aeneas recounts the fall of Troy to Dido. This book contains the famous story of the Trojan horse, the destruction of the city, and Aeneas’ eventually escape with his father and son. Epic battles, action and adventure abound.
Read More... LATN401C Latin Prose - LATIN PROSE Sections
Studies in history, oratory and/or philosophy. May be repeated for up to 12 credits. It is recommended that the corequisite course be completed prior to LATN 401.
LATN403A Studies in Latin Prose and Verse - LATN PRSE & VRSE Sections
Thematic studies using both Latin prose and Latin verse. May be repeated for up to 6 credits.
Don’t Play Games with the Dead: Latin Magical Ritual. This course looks at the intersection between the Latin language, whether prose or poetry, and magical ritual—that is, the use of words in broadly prescribed circumstances, alone or in conjunction with other behaviour, in order that a specific result be accomplished in some way other than having a human being hear the words and take conscious action. We will look at a variety of authors and anonymous texts, both prose and poetry; these will include folk magic (e.g. defixiones), magic in everyday life (e.g. Apuleius’s Apology), and literary depictions of magic (e.g. in Apuleius’s Golden Ass). We will also examine some material from later Latin such as is found in the works of John Dee. In addition to a core focus on the Latin language, the course will also cover magical theory, both in the context of Roman society and for...
Read More... NEST: Near Eastern Studies
Winter 2021NEST301 Early Empires of the Ancient Middle East Sections
A history from 3100-333 BC with emphasis on Mesopotamia.
Instructor(s): COOPER, ELISABETH
The course provides an overview of the political history, culture and religion of the ancient Middle East. We will focus in particular the Sumerian, Babylonian, Assyrian and Persian cultures of ancient Mesopotamia, and consider how some of the world’s earliest cities, appearing in the Tigris-Euphrates flood plain, developed into early empires, these stretching from Iran in the east all the way over to Egypt and western Anatolia (Turkey). Much emphasis will be paid to the ancient written sources of Mesopotamian cultures, and how a careful, critical reading of these sources reveal astonishingly rich information about the identities, daily life, politics, ideology, economy and intellectual life of the ancient societies in which they were written. Special topics to be covered include the development of the cuneiform writing system and its decipherment, imperial economies, women and gender, the role of royal propaganda, warfare, and international diplomacy and trade. The course will also...
Read More... NEST304 Ancient Egypt: The Archaeology of the Land of the Pharaohs Sections
The material remains of the ancient Egyptians from monumental tombs and temples to the artifacts of daily life; the development of Egyptian civilization from the rise of the first rulers to its incorporation into the Roman Empire.
Egypt has fascinated both scholars and the general public since ancient times, and not without good reason. We will, of course, discuss mummies, pyramids, and famous pharaohs from Hatshepsut, the female king, to Akhenaten, the so-called heretic king and first monotheist, and Tutankhamen the "boy king" whose intact tomb was found by Howard Carter in 1922--but they tell only part of the story. Egypt is one of the earliest civilizations and, despite its eventual conquest by a succession of imperial powers, it retained many aspects of its distinctive culture over a period of millennia, influencing the art, architecture, and culture of neighbours and conquerors alike. In this course we’ll trace the rise, development, and occasional collapse, of Egyptian society from its origins in the Neolithic period through to its incorporation into the Roman Empire. In exploring ancient Egypt, we’ll look at the incredible finds recovered by archaeologists (and others) and...
Read More... NEST313 Introduction to Middle Egyptian Sections
Language of Ancient Egypt and the main literary texts composed during the Middle Kingdom.
The course will provides a general introduction to Egyptian hieroglyphs (the monumental writing system) and the grammar of the classical stage of the ancient Egyptian language, Middle Egyptian. Students will gain a basic ability to work with original texts and inscriptions.
Read More... NEST318 Egyptomania Sections
The adaptation and appropriation of ancient Egypt in ancient and modern art, architecture, film, and music; the development of Egyptology since the 19th century.
Ancient Egypt has fascinated people and inspired popular culture for the last two millennia. Egyptian architectural forms (such as pyramids and temples) saw a revival in modern buildings of the 19th and 20th c.; obelisks can be found in abundant numbers on cemeteries and as memorials. Egyptian-themed movies – like the "Mummy" sequels –, operas and works of art have fueled modern imagination. Many philosophical, esoteric and religious movements such as the Freemasons, the Mormons or Neo-Pagan cults claim to perpetuate ancient Egyptian religion and wisdom. Starting with the discovery of ancient Egypt in the Napoleonic expedition of 1789, this fascination was fostered by ongoing archaeological discoveries, such as the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922; however, much modern Egyptomania is parallel to and often independent from scientific research, producing political and pseudo-scientific claims. This class will provide a survey of this "Egyptomania" from the ancient Greeks to modern esotericism.
Read More... NEST401 Literature of Ancient Egypt or the Ancient Near East Sections
The main genres and texts of Egyptian and Ancient Near Eastern Literature and their modern Interpretation. Credit will be granted for only one of NEST 401 or 505.
Writing History in Mesopotamia, Egypt, Anatolia, Israel: From the Sumerian King List to the Hellenistic Chronographers
How did the civilizations of the ancient Near East (re)present their pasts? J.M. Alonso-Núñez (“Historiographical Models”: New Pauly. Brill’s Encyclopaedia of the Ancient World. Classical Tradition, vol. II, Leiden and Boston 2007, p. 889) posits that “fundamental differences exist between modern historiographical models and those found in the ancient Orient (Egypt, Hittites, Iran, Mesopotamia). There historiography was conceived of as a list of events and rulers. Oriental historiography was made obsolete by the Greeks and transformed into a presentation of events concerning all, not just certain individuals. Written on scrolls and designed for an audience, this new form of historiographical models is very different from ancient Oriental monumental inscriptions.” This statement not only misrepresents the very diverse and multifaceted evidence we possess from the ancient Near East and employs Orientalist biases. It also operates with...
Read More... NEST402 The Archaeology of the City in the Ancient Near East Sections
The material manifestations of urbanism in the ancient Near East, from the 4th millennium BC up to the 1st millennium BC. Credit will be granted for only one of NEST 402 or 506.
Archaeologies of Space and Place
This course explores the role of built environments – from single rooms to urban landscapes – in past societies. Through participation in a series of seminar discussions, lectures, “hands-on” labs, and two research projects, students will come away with an understanding of contemporary (and past) approaches that archaeologists use to understand buildings, settlements and built landscapes. We’ll examine theories linking past built environments to human and material agency, daily practice, power, identity, and social reproduction, as well as concepts such as place, household, community and neighbourhood, cityscape, monumentality and memory. We’ll also emphasize the application of methods that can help us understand how built environments affect human behavior, experience, and interaction by encoding and communicating meanings. This includes an introduction to emerging digital technologies for recording, modeling, and visualizing past built environments in 3D, as well as the use of space syntax, environmental psychology, visibility analyses...
Read More... RELG: Religious Studies
Winter 2021RELG101 Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Religious Traditions Sections
An overview of the foundational texts, histories, and contemporary expressions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Key concepts and approaches used in the study of religion.
This course provides an overview of the three main western monotheistic (Abrahamic) religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—together with key concepts and issues in the study of religion. The focus will be on the origins, scriptures, histories, and contemporary varieties of each religion. We will explore several dimensions of religion, including identity, ritual, history, and authority as well as features of the texts and social structures associated with each tradition. This course consists of lectures by the instructor on Mondays and Wednesdays, and discussion or tutorial sessions on Fridays led by the Teaching Assistants.
Read More... RELG201 Near Eastern and Biblical Mythology Sections
An introduction to the world of Near Eastern mythology, from the Gilgamesh Epic to the Book of Genesis and beyond.
Section 001 (Cooper)
Although ancient myths from ancient Greece are well known to many, far fewer people are familiar with the myths’ earlier precursors in the ancient Near East (= modern day Middle East), even though they are just as colorful and fascinating. In this course, we will probe ancient myths from Mesopotamia (= Iraq), and ancient Israel, two cultures that display remarkable parallels with regard to language, literature, and the depiction of their gods. Some discussion will also cover myths from other ancient cultures, namely those from ancient Egypt and the lands of the Hittites. Myths include creation and flood myths, solar myths, myths about the underworld, and myths about specific deities, their role in the cosmos, and in their relation to the human condition. Throughout the term, we will consider how knowledge of iconography (visual images and symbols), transmission history (the changes that myths underwent over time) and context...
Read More... RELG203 Scriptures of the Near East Sections
An introduction to the scriptures of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Instructor(s): KEDDIE, GEORGE ANTHONY
This course introduces students to the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, and the Qur’ān—some of the foundational texts of both western and world culture, and the sacred scriptural basis for religious traditions originating in the Near East: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—and, more broadly, the social processes, textual practices, performance modes, and ideological constructs that, in various modes of synergy, constitute the phenomenon of ‘scripture’ in religious traditions. Through close, critical readings and discussions of primary literature (in English translation), this course considers each set of texts in terms of: its contents; confessional and historical-critical theories of its contexts, composition, and canonization; relationship to the other sacred texts; and reception in later religious traditions. The culminating part of the course explores cultural issues surrounding the generation and promulgation of competing character profiles within the scriptures and interpretive traditions of these kindred religions; characters of prominent interest include: Adam, Eve/Hawwāʾ, Satan/Iblīs, Noah,...
Read More... RELG206 Introduction to Judaism and its Texts Sections
What is Judaism? An overview of the key texts that have defined the Jewish religion, from the Hebrew Bible through works of contemporary thinkers. Recommended as a basis for upper-level courses in religious studies.
What is Judaism? This course provides an overview of the history, literature, and culture of Jews and Judaism, from the Hebrew Bible and classical rabbinic literature (e.g., Talmud) through contemporary thinkers and interpreters. All sources will be read in English. This course has no prerequisites.
Read More... RELG306 Archaeology and the Bible Sections
The impact of archaeological research on understanding the history and religion of ancient Israel.
Instructor(s): COOPER, ELISABETH
This course provides an overview of the impact of archaeological research on our understanding of the history and religion of the Land of the Bible (ancient Israel/Palestine) from ca. 2500 BCE up to the 1st century CE (the Roman period and the time of Jesus). We will explore the complicated relationship that exists between the ancient written sources, especially the Bible, and the archaeological record, noting where the sources both agree and disagree. Discussion will be given to explanations that have sought to explain discrepancies among the sources. Along the way, students will be exposed to the scholars, archaeologists and excavation techniques that have helped to uncover the antiquity of the land of ancient Israel/Palestine over the past 200 years. We will also make a careful, critical reading of passages from the Bible and consider the ways it can be used as a tool to inform us about the past...
Read More... RELG307 Sex, Lies, and Violence in the Hebrew Bible Sections
An exploration of the Bible's "dark side," with emphasis on texts that center on sex, deceit, and murder.
For all of its accounts of angels and miracles, the Bible features a staggering number of texts that deal with “real life,” including literature that deals with sex, deceit, and murder. Most of these texts never make it into a synagogue or church sermon, though some of them are persistently (mis-)used to justify the oppression and/or exclusion of women and LGBTQ individuals. Together we will probe these texts within their own ancient contexts, emerging both with a deeper appreciation of the Bible’s “dark side” and with a more sophisticated sense as to what these texts might have meant to their original audiences
Read More... RELG330 The Origins of Judaism Sections
Surveys the history of Jews and Judaism in the Second Temple era, from the destruction of the First Jerusalem Temple (586 B.C.E.) to the beginnings of the rabbinic movement (200 C.E.).
RELG 330 Origins of Judaism
This course surveys the history and literature of Jews and Judaism during the Second Temple era. It covers the formative age of Judaism, from the destruction of the First Jerusalem Temple in 586 B.C.E. to the Babylonian Exile, through the Hellenistic and Early Roman ages, to the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 C.E., and ends with the beginnings of the rabbinic movement (c. 200 C.E.). This course will also provide a broad context for the emergence of early Christianity and the so-called “parting of the ways” with Judaism. We will read from an array of primary sources (all in English translation), including the Hebrew Bible, Apocrypha, Pseudepigrapha, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Hellenistic Jewish writings (e.g. Philo and Josephus), and end with a taste of early rabbinic texts (Mishnah). We will also closely examine archaeological finds from the era, including inscriptions, remains of ancient synagogues,...
Read More... RELG414 The Gospels and the Historical Jesus Sections
The canonical and apocryphal gospels and the life and teachings of the historical Jesus.
The Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) are the historian's main source for his portrait of the historical Jesus. The focus of this course is the examination of various genres in the Gospels - parables, trial narratives, miracle stories, and so on, in order to understand the interplay of tradition and interpretation in the early decades of the Christian movement. The student will be encouraged to appreciate each Gospel as a unified composition, and to recognize each evangelist's principles of selection, arrangement and adaptation. A careful examination of the extra-canonical sources (Gospel of Thomas, Q, Apocryphal Gospels) to determine their relevance for historical Jesus research will be another feature of the seminar.
Prerequisites: None
Read More... RELG475D Topics in Religion - TPCS IN RELIGION Sections
Consult the course registration information each year for offered topics.
Instructor(s): KEDDIE, GEORGE ANTHONY
Romans 13: Authoritarianism and Resistance
“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities … for the authority does not bear the sword in vain.” These famous words from chapter 13 of Paul’s Letter to the Romans in the New Testament have been cited as a divinely inspired rationale for the morality of authoritarian rule and police brutality in multiple contexts throughout the history of Christianity. Most recently, they have been cited by right-wing American Christian leaders as support for police violence against peaceful Black protestors as well as the detention of immigrants. But these verses have also inspired forms of resistance against slavery, colonialism, and racism, as various interpreters have viewed Paul’s ethics as a survival strategy that cleverly mocks imperialism while advancing a radical ethics of love and reciprocity: Paul proceeds in chapter 13 to declare “Love your neighbor as yourself” as the fulfillment of the law. How can...
Read More... RELG475E Topics in Religion - TPCS IN RELIGION Sections
Consult the course registration information each year for offered topics.
The "Bible" in Antiquity: Exodus
The book of Exodus has long been famous for its central events, the exodus and Sinai. Yet, no original copy of Exodus has survived. A close reading of the received text along with archaeological discoveries within the last century raises an important question: What did the book (or scroll) of Exodus look like in antiquity? In this seminar, we will first examine how the narratives, hymns, laws, and instructions in Exodus emerged out of their ancient Near Eastern contexts, and investigate the process by which Exodus was shaped from its constituent parts. Then, we will see how Exodus was reshaped, reimagined, and remained authoritative for the many communities in the ancient Mediterranean world by looking at ancient textual witnesses: including the Samaritan Pentateuch; Septuagint; Dead Sea Scrolls (including Jubilees and “Reworked Pentateuch”); Targums. Throughout the seminar, students will be introduced to the critical methods that have...
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