CLAS - Classics (CLAS)
CLAS 101 Beginning Classical Greek I
Credits 4.
4 Lecture Hours.
Introduction to the language and culture of Greece; basic grammar and vocabulary; readings and slide lectures designed to place language study in its cultural and artistic context.
CLAS 102 Beginning Classical Greek II
Credits 4.
4 Lecture Hours.
Continuation of CLAS 101; basic grammar and vocabulary; readings and slide lectures designed to place language study in its cultural and artistic context. Prerequisite: CLAS 101.
CLAS 121 Beginning Latin I
Credits 4.
4 Lecture Hours.
(LATI 1411) Beginning Latin I. Introduction to grammar and vocabulary with a contrastive approach; reading of graded material.
CLAS 122 Beginning Latin II
Credits 4.
4 Lecture Hours.
(LATI 1412) Beginning Latin II. Completion of elementary grammatical structures; introduction to Latin historians. Prerequisite: CLAS 121.
CLAS 211 Intermediate Greek
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Completion of study of grammar and syntax; introduction to reading ancient Greek authors in the original language. Prerequisite: CLAS 102.
CLAS 220 History of Christianity I - Origins to the Reformation
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
CONTENT. History of Christianity from its inception until the beginnings of European colonial expansion in the first half of the 16th century. Themes include the teachings of Jesus and his disciples; the growth of Christianity as it spread throughout the Mediterranean basin into Mesopotamia, Africa, Northern Europe and central Asia; variations in doctrinal development and religious practice in diverse social, political and geographical situations. Course content is selected to align with the course description and the current state of scholarship in the field. The presentation of course content fosters critical thinking in the context of scholarly consensus and debate, rather than instructors’ views, values or beliefs. Instructors may assign different readings and/or topics that fit within the course description and meet the learning objectives. BENEFITS. History teaches evaluation and synthesis of evidence, development of persuasive arguments in written and oral form, expansion of understandings of historical contexts that have contributed to human complexity past and present, including but not limited to the formation of group and individual identities, social and political dynamics, and debates about values and rights. Applying this knowledge produces more informed citizens, who are proficient in the abilities required by today’s workforce. Cross Listing: HIST 220 and RELS 220.
CLAS 221 Intermediate Latin I
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
(LATI 2311) Intermediate Latin I. Practice in reading Latin prose writings, especially historical writings and letters. Prerequisite: CLAS 122.
CLAS 222 Intermediate Latin II
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
(LATI 2312) Intermediate Latin II. Practice in reading Latin poetry writings, especially Virgil, Horace and Ovid. Prerequisite: CLAS 221.
CLAS 236/HIST 236 War and Violence in the Ancient World
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Equipment, organization, tactics and strategy on land and sea in the wars of the Ancient World, including the Near East, Greece and Rome; use of force and violence in the furtherance of political objectives and social control; winners, losers and survivors. Cross Listing: HIST 236/CLAS 236.
CLAS 250 Greek and Roman Civilization
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Introduction to the civilizations of classical antiquity from Bronze Age Greece to the dissolution of the Roman Empire; examination of major social, intellectual, and political developments in ancient Greece and Rome.
CLAS 251/RELS 251 Classical Mythology
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Introduction to the most important myths of the Greeks and Romans; ancient and modern methods of interpreting myths; the role of myths in ancient literature; readings in English. Cross Listing: RELS 251/CLAS 251.
CLAS 261 Great Books of the Classical Tradition
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Survey of important and enduring works of literature, history and philosophy from Classical Antiquity (8th century BC to 2nd century AD), with emphasis on questions of morality and mentality.
CLAS 262 Great Books of Christian Antiquity and the Latin Middle Ages
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Survey of important and enduring works of literature, history, and philosophy from Christian Late Antiquity and the Latin Middle Ages (4th to 13th centuries AD) with emphasis on questions of morality, religion, and mentality.
CLAS 285 Directed Studies
Credits 0 to 4.
0 to 4 Other Hours.
Individual supervision of readings or assigned projects in Classical Languages, selected for each student individually. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor and department head.
CLAS 289 Special Topics in...
Credits 1 to 4.
1 to 4 Lecture Hours.
Selected topics in an identified area of Classical Languages. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.
CLAS 291 Research
Credits 0 to 3.
0 to 3 Other Hours.
Research conducted under the direction of faculty member in classical studies. May be taken three times for credit. Prerequisites: Freshman or sophomore classification and approval of department head.
CLAS 311 Advanced Greek: New Testament
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Readings of the New Testament and works contemporary with it in the original language; introduction to the linguistic, historical, literary and cultural background of the New Testament. May be repeated for credit with different readings. Prerequisite: CLAS 211.
CLAS 312 Advanced Classical Greek Poetry
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Readings of selections from ancient Greek authors of poetry (lyric, epic, or drama) in the original language; discussion of the intellectual, historical, and literary background of the works, and of the lives and thought of the writers. May be repeated for credit with different readings. Prerequisite: CLAS 211.
CLAS 313 Advanced Classical Greek Prose
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Readings of selections from ancient Greek authors of prose (history, oratory, letters, philosophy) in the original language; discussion of the intellectual, historical, and literary background of the works, and of the lives and thought of the writers. May be repeated for credit with different readings. Prerequisite: CLAS 211.
CLAS 320 Survey of Latin Literature
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Latin literature from the republican through the imperial period; systematic overview of the development of literary genres and themes, to provide context for the intensive study of individual authors in other courses. Prerequisite: CLAS 222 or equivalent.
CLAS 321 Advanced Latin Prose
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Readings of selections from ancient Roman authors of prose (history, oratory, letters, philosophy) in the original language; discussion of the intellectual, historical and literary background of the works, and of the lives and thought of the writers. May be repeated for credit with different readings. Prerequisite: CLAS 222 or equivalent.
CLAS 322 Advanced Latin Poetry
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Readings of selections from ancient Roman authors of poetry (lyric, satire, epic, or drama) in the original language; discussion of the intellectual, historical, and literary background of the works, and the lives and thought of the writers. May be repeated for credit with different readings. Prerequisite: CLAS 222 or equivalent.
CLAS 330 Women in Ancient Greece and Rome
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Survey of women in classical Greece and Rome; emphases on female occupations and family relationships, legal and political status, traditional values, notorious women, how women were viewed and how they viewed themselves. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification. Cross Listing: HIST 330 and WGST 330.
CLAS 352 Greek and Roman Drama
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Dramatic literature of Ancient Greece and Rome; works of the major classical playwrights; the origins of comedy and tragedy; visual and musical aspects of production; political and intellectual ideas as reflected in the plays; readings in English.
CLAS 353/ANTH 353 Archaeology of Ancient Greece
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
COURSE OVERVIEW. Surveys the archaeology of ancient Greece from the Stone Age through the Hellenistic Period, concluding with the rise of Rome. Explores the material culture, art, architecture and social history of the Greek world across its major cultural phases, from the Bronze Age civilizations of Minoan Crete and Mycenaean Greece to the flourishing of Classical Athens and the cosmopolitan Hellenistic kingdoms. Emphasizes the integration of archaeological evidence, ancient texts and artistic traditions to illuminate Greek religion, civic life, domestic space and cultural interactions across the Mediterranean. By examining key sites, monuments, artifacts and artistic achievements, students gain a comprehensive understanding of Greek society and its enduring legacy in Western civilization. TOPICS AND THEMES. Stone Age and Neolithic Greece; Bronze Age civilizations; Minoan Crete; Mycenaean palaces and the Trojan War; the Greek Dark Ages; Geometric period art and society; Archaic architecture, sculpture and vase painting; Classical Athens and the Acropolis; sanctuaries such as Delphi; fourth-century Greece and the rise of Macedon; Hellenistic art, architecture and urbanism; Greek houses and domestic mosaics; shipwreck archaeology; coinage and economic history; Greek religion and votive practices; interactions with Magna Graecia and the wider Mediterranean; Greek artistic and cultural legacy in Rome and later neoclassicism. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor. Cross Listing: ANTH 353/CLAS 353.
CLAS 354/ANTH 354 Archaeology of Ancient Italy
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
COURSE OVERVIEW. Surveys the archaeology of ancient Italy from the Stone Age through the collapse of the Roman Empire in the fourth century CE. Students examine the material culture, art and architecture of the Etruscans and Romans, as well as the prehistoric and early Italic foundations that shaped them. Explores how Italy’s peoples expressed identity, religion and power through sculpture, painting, mosaics, inscriptions, temples, homes and civic monuments. Special emphasis is placed on the development of Rome from a small city-state into a vast imperial capital, the role of urbanism and daily life, and the ways in which material remains reveal both continuity and transformation across centuries of Italian history. TOPICS AND THEMES. Prehistoric Italy and the Stone Age; Villanovans and the emergence of the Etruscans; Etruscan cities and art; early Rome and urban foundations; Romanization and the Republic; Augustan classicism; imperial art and architecture under the Julio-Claudians, Flavians and Antonines; wall painting, mosaics and domestic life; Pompeii and Herculaneum; the lure of the games and public spectacles; baths, theaters and civic monuments; coinage and inscriptions as evidence of social and political life; Ostia and imperial urbanism; ships and shipwrecks of Roman Italy; Severan and Late Roman art; Constantine and the transformation of Roman identity; collapse of the Roman Empire in the fourth century CE. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor. Cross Listing: ANTH 354/CLAS 354.
CLAS 371 In Search of Homer and the Trojan War
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
The nature, background, authorship and historicity of the Iliad and the Odyssey; Aegean culture in the Stone, Bronze and early Iron ages; the value of Greek epics as historical documents; oral poetry; the Trojan War in Greek literature; readings in English; also taught at Galveston campus.
CLAS 372 Greek and Roman Epic
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Study of the ancient epic in its historical and cultural context; oral poetry; Homer, archaeology, and history; creation of Greek mythology; Alexandrian written epic; early Latin epic; Virgil's Aeneid as national epic; Virgil and the Homeric tradition; Silver Age Latin epics; readings in English. Prerequisite: Sophomore classification or approval of instructor.
CLAS 410 Seminar in Classical Studies
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Exploration of a significant topic, work, or period in Greek or Roman literature, culture, or history; emphasis on development of research skills in Classical Studies. May be taken three times for credit. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification, or approval of instructor.
CLAS 415/FILM 415 The Ancient World in Film
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Study of modern films as they relate to ancient literary texts that inspired them or with which they share common themes; relationship between Greek epic, tragedy, and comedy and their cinematic adaptations; treatment of Rome as an idea or ideal in the work of both ancient Romans and modern filmmakers. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification, or approval of instructor. Cross Listing: FILM 415/CLAS 415.
CLAS 417/ANTH 417 Naval Warfare and Warships in Ancient Greece and Rome
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
COURSE OVERVIEW. Surveys topics such as Greek and Roman warships, naval warfare, naval strategy and tactics, drawing upon archaeological evidence, literary documentation and iconographic material. Covers the development of Mediterranean naval power from the Bronze Age (including Ancient Egypt and the mythical Trojan War) to the Imperial Roman Navy. Examines Greek naval dominance during the Persian and Peloponnesian Wars, the evolution of warships such as triremes, Roman naval organization and imperial fleets, and the technological, strategic and political dimensions of naval warfare. Students analyze ship construction, rigging, armament and naval technology within their historical and cultural context. TOPICS AND THEMES. Bronze Age Mediterranean warships; Egyptian naval warfare; Bronze Age naval battles; Athenian Navy; trireme; Greco-Persian Wars (499-449 B.C.); Peloponnesian Wars (431-404 B.C.); naval campaigns of Alexander the Great; Age of Titans; Greek war machines and weapons; Greek naval monuments; Phoenician Navy; Punic Navy; Roman naval organization; Roman Imperial Navy; Roman warships and tactics; Mare Nostrum; Punic Wars (264-146 B.C.); Roman Navy in the Eastern Mediterranean; naval campaigns of Julius Caesar; naval campaigns of Octavian; Roman fluvial warships; Roman naval shipwrecks; Roman war machines and tactics; ship construction; rigging; armament; naval technology; maritime strategy; naval logistics; naval archaeology; iconography; material culture; maritime military history; technological arms race at sea. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification, ANTH 202 or approval of instructor. Cross Listing: ANTH 417/CLAS 417.
CLAS 418 Intellectual History from the Ancient Near East to the Early Middle Ages
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Political, social, cultural and religious histories of significant figures, groups, schools of thought and movements in western Afro-Eurasia from the Assyrian Empire to the later Roman Empire; developments in political theory, literature, sociology, arts, architecture, music, philosophy, law, sciences and education. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification. Cross Listing: HIST 418 and RELS 418.
CLAS 426/HIST 426 The Ancient Greeks
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Greek History and civilization from the Archaic Age to Alexander the Great (8th-late 4th century B.C.). Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification, or approval of instructor. Cross Listing: HIST 426/CLAS 426.
CLAS 427/HIST 427 The Roman Republic
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Major events and issues in Roman history from the beginnings of the Republic to its incipient disintegration. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification, or approval of instructor. Cross Listing: HIST 427/CLAS 427.
CLAS 428/HIST 428 The Roman Empire: Principate
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Major events and issues in Roman history from the late Republic to the consolidation of the state of Late Antiquity. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification, or approval of instructor. Cross Listing: HIST 428/CLAS 428.
CLAS 429/HIST 429 The Roman Empire: Transformations
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Major events and issues in Roman history from the rise of Christianity as an imperial religion to the end of Late Antiquity. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification, or approval of instructor. Cross Listing: HIST 429/CLAS 429.
CLAS 444/ANTH 444 Classical Archaeology
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
History of the discipline through the individuals, organizations, excavations, theoretical models and ethical issues that have shaped it. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification. Cross Listing: ANTH 444/CLAS 444.
CLAS 481 Seminar
Credits 3.
3 Other Hours.
Exploration of a significant topic, work, issue, event or period in Greek or Roman literature, culture or history; use of ancient source materials connected with the field of the seminar; problems of bibliography, historiography and historical method; emphasis on development of research and writing skills in classical studies and history. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor.
CLAS 485 Directed Studies
Credits 0 to 4.
0 to 4 Other Hours.
Individual supervision of readings or assigned projects, selected for each student individually. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor and department head.
CLAS 489 Special Topics in...
Credits 1 to 4.
1 to 4 Lecture Hours.
Selected topics in an intensified area of classical languages and culture. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.
CLAS 491 Research
Credits 0 to 3.
0 to 3 Other Hours.
Research conducted under the direction of faculty member in classical studies. May be taken three times for credit. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification and approval of department head.