An introduction to major themes in the development of Greek and Roman civilization, literature and culture.

Gaius Julius Caesar (100 – 44 BC) was a writer, an orator, a reformer, and a builder, as well as a general, a conqueror, an explorer, and a dictator. After his death, he was even worshipped as a god with a temple in the very heart of Rome. According to his critics, both ancient and modern, he was also a megalomaniac, an enemy of the state, a war criminal, and a tyrant. Only a very few individuals have left such an extensive and controversial mark on the history of the ancient world. We shall consider as many aspects of his life and his legacy as we can, from his conquest of Gaul to his decision to plunge Rome into a horrific civil war, from his love-affair with Queen Cleopatra of Egypt to his brutal assassination on the Ides of March. Restricted to first-year students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Unhappy families appear throughout Greco-Roman literature and culture. Spectacular Tragic Houses were filled with several generations of disasters. These inspired a variety of poets to retell select moments in their histories. But even the comic household can mobilize hatred, suspicion, and other ugly feelings to humorous effect. Conflict between domineering fathers and the rest of the household was a staple of rhetorical training. And in many homes we can see the misery of slaves, members who are also not members of the family. This course will survey a variety of intimate disasters. We will explore norms and ideals as well as the sense that the same are fragile, contradictory, or even impossible. Restricted to first-year students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Two thousand years ago Roman hydraulic engineers designed aqueducts and provided hundreds of cities in the Mediterranean region with a richer water supply than any nation could boast before the late 1800s. Ever more sophisticated ships transported goods from harbour to harbour and Roman experts on construction built the Colosseum and other amphitheatres, as well as countless temples, theatres, roads, bridges, and even high-rise apartment buildings, which in some cases survive to this very day. What was the secret of Roman civilization, and what did this level of technology mean for the empire’s inhabitants? This course presents for discussion the many achievements of centuries of Roman presence on three continents around the Mediterranean Sea, while bringing into the equation also the issue of standard of living and the ecological costs. Restricted to first-year students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

This course will survey creative works inspired by Homer's Odyssey. First we will read through the Odyssey, contextualizing the Homeric epic within the larger story of the Trojan War and the subsequent heroic return in the "Epic Cycle." Then we will study various "receptions" of the Odyssey, ancient and modern. Ancient works will include the satyr play Cyclops by Euripides and portrayals of a love-sick Cyclops in Theocritus and Ovid. In True Story Lucian calls Odysseus a liar but rivals his travel tale with episodes placed on the moon and inside a whale. Modern works include Atwood's Penelopiad, Walcott's stage version of the Odyssey, and the film "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" Themes will include travel literature, truth and lying, localization of the wanderings of Odysseus, culture clash, and the definition of home. All this material, various in date, media, and fidelity to their Homeric source, will provide us with a well-rounded sense of how the Odyssey has been re-imagined over the ages. Restricted to first-year students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

After a high water mark of territorial reach and economic success in the middle of the 2nd century CE, the Roman Empire eventually disintegrated. How? Why? When? In this course, we will consider some of the historical features that may have contributed to its political collapse, and we will consider some modern scholarly analyses from Edward Gibbon (late 18th century) to the present. But we will also investigate “decline and fall” as a narrative trope. Why is this story arc always with us? Who decides what qualifies as “decline”? Is the “fall” of some systems necessarily a bad thing? Among the topics to be considered in the context of the Later Roman Empire are several of relevance in the modern world, not least: climate change, disease, human migration, religious difference, and economic inequality. Restricted to first-year students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

The study of technical and scientific terms derived from Latin and Greek: word elements, formation, analysis. The course is designed to give students in any field of specialization a better grasp of the derivation and basic meaning of English words derived from Latin and Greek elements.

The first scientific traditions in the classical Mediterranean and the Near East, with emphasis on Greek science. Discussions of early physical science, biology, mathematics, and astronomy, and their place in ancient life and thought, based on primary sources in translation. Designed for students in both the sciences and humanities.

A survey of the myths and legends of ancient Greece (and their extension to Rome) with some consideration of their role in ancient and modern literature and art.

Already in antiquity, Socrates was viewed as a watershed in philosophical history, and a reference-point for everything that came after him. This course explores the evidence for his beliefs and methods and the context in which he lived and worked, and it introduces a lively circle of interlocutors and pupils going far beyond the most famous, Plato and Xenophon.

A study of the overlapping and contested categories of “magic”, “religion”, and “science” in ancient Greek and Roman thought and practice.

A survey of the practices and theory of archaeology in the Classical Mediterranean, from the Greek Bronze Age through the Roman Empire. This course introduces students to the archaeological record of the Greco-Roman past, as well as the means by which we access it. Students will develop essential skills to recognize and analyze ancient material culture in preparation for upper level classes, or for fieldwork. No previous knowledge of the discipline is required.

An introduction to the military history of ancient Greece and Rome from the 8th century BCE to the 7th century CE, with an emphasis on the political, social and economic implications of warfare and military institutions.

An exploration of the groups and individuals who could be considered "marginal" in Greek and Roman antiquity. Includes discussion of ancient ideas about race, ethnicity, social status, economic class, gender, sexuality, and disability.

A survey of the position of women in ancient Greece and Rome, with focus on women's sexuality and socialization; their economic, religious, and political roles; and their creative production in the arts.

A study of the themes of sex and death and the connection between them in the poetry of ancient Greece and Rome. Readings will be drawn from Greek and Roman lyric, epic, tragedy, and other genres.

A study of the relation between literature and empire in ancient Greece and Rome. The course covers a variety of genres and historical moments, examining how literature can support or challenge imperial power.

A study of letters and letter writing in Greek and Roman Antiquity. Students will be introduced to ancient theories of epistolography and a wide variety of texts, including letters by famous historical figures, philosophical letters, poetic letters, and fictional letters in prose.

A historical survey of the most significant features in the development of the civilization and states of ancient Greece from the Bronze Age to the second century B.C.E.

A historical survey of the most significant features in the development of the civilization and state of ancient Rome from the mythical beginnings to the fourth century C.E.

A study of one or more of the epic poems of Greek and Roman antiquity (e. g. The Iliad and Odyssey of Homer and the Aeneid of Virgil).

An introduction to key issues in methodology and theory in the study of the classical world.

Credit course for supervised participation in faculty research project. Details at https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/academics/research-opportunities/research-opportunities-program. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Credit course for supervised participation in faculty research project. Details at https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/academics/research-opportunities/research-opportunities-program. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

An introduction to the Greek romances of love and adventure (Chariton, Longus, Heliodorus), and the more ironical and socially conscious works of the Roman writers Petronius and Apuleius.

A detailed study of the major modern approaches to the analysis and interpretation of myth with specific reference to their applications to ancient Graeco-Roman myth.

A study of the religious cults and forms of worship in the ancient Greek world.

A study of the religious cults and forms of worship in the Roman world, including the pagan cults, Judaism, and early Christianity.

Ancient Greek and Roman thought about the emotions and the relationship that individuals have, or ought to have, with them. Primary sources in translation drawn from ancient literary, medical and philosophical texts.

A study of slavery and slave systems in ancient Greek and Roman societies.

This course looks at Greek culture in the Roman imperial context. Topics include the Second Sophistic; the creation of canons and the idea of the "Classics"; alterity; the rise of Christianity; cultural loss and nostalgia; the fiction of Greece as a site of cultural capital and prestige. Authors including Pausanias, Philostratus, Plutarch, Aristides, Galen, and Lucian are read in translation.

An exploration of the motivations and consequences of colonial movements and foundations throughout classical antiquity, and the role of race and ethnicity in ancient structures of colonial power. Includes consideration of their influence on later colonial and imperial projects and reactions to them.

Detailed study of the representation of sexuality and gender in Greek and/or Roman literary texts from one or more genres.

An examination of various aspects of athletic competition in the ancient Greco-Roman world, employing literary and archaeological evidence.

Modern reception of the classical world in a variety of media, such as art, literature, music, popular culture, etc.

A study of some of the ways in which ancient Greek and Roman philosophy was itself a literary endeavour, and its relations to other kinds of ancient literature.

A study of legal sources and systems in ancient Greek and/or Roman states with particular attention to social and historical context.

The Greek world from the second millennium B.C.E. to the emergence of the polis

The Greek world from the eighth to the fourth centuries B.C.E., with an emphasis on political events and development.

The Greek world in the age of Alexander the Great and his successors (336 B.C.E. to 31 B.C.E.)

The Roman world from 510 B.C.E. to 44 B.C.E.

The Roman world in the age of Augustus and his dynasty (44 B.C.E. to 68 C.E.)

The Roman world from 68 C.E. to 378 C.E.

The structure and performance of economies in the Greek and/or Roman worlds, and their modern interpretation.

An exploration of the ecology and environment of the ancient Mediterranean basin in classical antiquity.

The history and culture of the Greco-Roman world during the fourth through seventh centuries C.E., with particular emphasis on the decline of the Roman state and emergence of Christianity.

The study of classical tragedy as a literary genre, dramatic production, and social institution, with analysis of representative plays.

The origin and development of Greek and Roman comedy, based on a study of representative plays.

The role in Roman society and culture of public spectacles, including the chariot-races, the gladiatorial games, executions, and triumphal processions.

A study of the representation of ancient Greece and/ or Rome in cinema.

A close study of one or more sites in the ancient world and the cultural significance of the site(s) in question.

Topics vary from year to year.

An instructor-supervised group project in an off-campus setting. Details at https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/academics/research-opportunities/research-excursions-program. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

An instructor-supervised group project in an off-campus setting. Details at https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/academics/research-opportunities/research-excursions-program. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Credit course for supervised participation in faculty research project. Details at https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/academics/research-opportunities/research-opportunities-program. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Credit course for supervised participation in faculty research project. Details at https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/academics/research-opportunities/research-opportunities-program. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Independent Studies. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Independent Studies. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

An advanced research seminar devoted to critical issues relating to Greek civilization. Course requirements include a research essay. Topics vary from year to year.

An advanced research seminar devoted to critical issues relating to Roman civilization. Course requirements include a research essay. Topics vary from year to year.

An intensive introduction to Ancient Greek for students who have no knowledge of the language; preparation for the reading of Ancient Greek literature.

A continuation of the intensive introduction to Ancient Greek in GRK 101H1. Also appropriate for students who have some training in Ancient Greek, but have not completed a whole credit course at University or a final-year (Grade 12) course in secondary school.

Reading of selections of Ancient Greek prose works with systematic language study.

Continued language training with readings in Ancient Greek prose and verse.

Readings from one or more philosophical texts.

Readings from one or more Greek Historians.

Readings from Greek prose authors (e.g., biography, novels, essays, texts in koine).

Readings from Greek epics, including Homer.

Readings from Greek tragedy and/or comedy.

Readings from Greek verse (e.g., elegy, iambics, lyric).

Readings from one or more Greek texts, in prose or poetry, from Athens of the 5th-4th centuries BCE.

Readings from one or more Greek texts, in prose or poetry, from the Hellenistic and/or Roman Period.

Independent Studies. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Independent Studies. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Advanced readings from one or more philosophical texts.

Advanced readings from one or more Greek historians.

Advanced readings from Greek prose authors (e.g., biography, novels, essays, texts in koine).

Advanced readings from Greek epics, including Homer.

Advanced readings from Greek tragedy and/or comedy.

Advanced readings from Greek verse (e.g., elegy, iambic, lyric).

Advanced readings from one or more Greek texts, in prose or poetry, from Athens of the 5th-4th centuries BCE.

Advanced readings from one or more Greek texts, in prose or poetry, from the Hellenistic and/or Roman Period.

An intensive introduction to Latin for students who have no knowledge of the language; preparation for the reading of Latin literature.

A continuation of the intensive introduction to Latin in LAT 101H1. Also appropriate for students who have some training in Latin, but have not completed a whole credit course at University or a final-year (Grade 12) course in secondary school.

Reading of selections of Latin prose works with systematic language study.

Continued language training with readings in Latin prose and verse.

Readings from one or more Latin historians.

Readings from Latin orators, including Cicero.

Readings from Latin prose authors (e. g. biography, letters, philosophy).

Readings from one or more Latin epics, including Virgil.

Readings from Latin comedy and/or tragedy.

Readings from Latin verse (e. g. elegy, lyric, bucolic).

Readings from one or more Latin texts, in prose or poetry, from the Roman Republican Period.

Readings from one or more Latin texts, in prose or poetry, from the period between the late 1st century BCE and late antiquity.

Independent Studies. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Independent Studies. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Advanced readings from one or more Latin historians.

Advanced readings from Latin orators, including Cicero.

Advanced readings from Latin prose authors (e. g. biography, letters, philosophy).

Advanced readings from one or more Latin epics, including Virgil.

Advanced readings from Latin comedy and/or tragedy.

Advanced readings from Latin verse (e. g. elegy, lyric, bucolic).

Advanced readings from one or more Latin texts, in prose or poetry, from the Roman Republican Period.

Advanced readings from one or more Latin texts, in prose or poetry, from the period between the late 1st century BCE and late antiquity.