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.

Education in Greco-Roman antiquity principally trained students to be public speakers. In the course of this instruction techniques for storytelling were imparted. What are the components of a narration? How does one build a compelling plot for a narrative? How can one suggest things that go beyond what one actually says? We will look at some of the instructional materials themselves. Then we will examine a variety of writings from the ancient world to see how the instructions are (or are not) put into practice. These writings will include public speeches, poems, and more. We will also examine more modern works and think about how the ancient advice might be used to critique, expand or reshape it. And, finally, students will try to put some of the ancient advice into concrete practice by making their own creative compositions. 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.