Greek and Roman Languages and Cultures

Professors: Evans, Manwell (Co-Chair)

The department focuses on the study of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds, including their languages, histories, and material remains. The study of the languages, classical Greek and Latin, is essential to this, but the department also encourages exploration of antiquity through courses in archaeology, art, history, religion, philosophy, as well as literature in translation. In our classes we come to understand the lives of these peoples broadly, emphasizing all aspects of the experiences of ancient peoples: students study emperors and wars, alongside the lives of women, enslaved peoples, and families in ancient cities and towns from Britain to Egypt. We also consider how their interactions with other communities in the Mediterranean—a geographically vast, culturally diverse, and deeply interconnected space—encouraged the exchange of ideas.

The department offers two distinct majors and minors—in Greek and Roman Languages and Greek and Roman Cultures. While the focus of the majors is different (the former emphasizing work in Greek and Latin, the latter on courses in archaeology, history, and culture), both offer students rich and diverse opportunities to dig deep into ancient cultures, whatever their interests. Moreover, our courses help students hone real skills: analysis and synthesis of complex data, problem-solving, clear and compelling writing, confidence in presenting material, organizing multi-staged projects, intercultural awareness, and empathetic listening.

Majors and minors often enhance their studies of the ancient world through experiences that give them a first-hand appreciation of Greek and Roman antiquity. Through participation in our study abroad programs at the College Year in Athens, the American University in Rome, and the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome, students learn about the ancient cities through on-site instruction and augment their studies with courses in ancient and modern languages and cultures. In addition, we work with students to find appropriate summer internships and archaeological fieldwork opportunities. Such a summer experience often provides the basis for a Senior Integrated Project (SIP), which can span a wide range: creative writing, historiography, archaeological fieldwork, literary analysis, and comparative studies of literature and culture.

Our majors have found success in several different fields around the world. The skills gained from studying Greek and Roman languages and cultures prepare students for positions especially reliant on communication, research, and reasoning. Our graduates have gone on to pursue graduate work in classics, as well as careers in law, health care, project management, non-profits, marketing, sales, publishing and data science.

Placement

All incoming students who have previously studied Latin or Ancient Greek in high school or elsewhere must take the College’s placement test. Placement can also be determined by a student’s score on the College Board’s SAT II test or the advanced placement test in Latin.

SAT II

SAT II students with scores of 425 or lower (and with fewer than three years of high school Latin) will be placed in LATN 101 or 102; 426–500 = LATN 102; 501–550 = LATN 102 or 201; 551–670 = LATN 201. If an SAT II score indicates a choice of two levels, a student should consult with a Classics faculty member for placement. A score of 670 or higher may qualify a student for more advanced courses.

Advanced Placement

For students with an advanced placement (AP) score of 4 or 5, credit toward the B.A. degree will be awarded automatically upon admission. Study must begin with Latin 401 or above to receive credit in Latin at Kalamazoo College. Students with AP scores of 3 may be granted the waiver of a prerequisite, but may not count an AP 3 for credit.

Units from Study Abroad and Transfer Credit

Students may receive up to three units of credit toward the major or the minor for classes taken on study abroad. The courses must first receive approval from the chair of the department. Students may also receive no more than one unit of transfer credit. As with courses being considered from study abroad, the course must get pre-approval form the chair of the department. Exceptions to these policies may be granted in unique circumstances and only through prior approval by the department.

Requirements for the Major in Greek and Roman Languages

Number of Units

Nine units are required, which may include the SIP.

Required Courses

Five courses in Greek or Latin above 201
GRLC 390 Junior seminar
Three electives which may include:

  • Any Latin course above 201
  • Any Greek course 101 and above
  • Any course in another ancient language (with approval)
  • The SIP

Students considering a major in Greek and Roman Languages are urged to begin their study of Latin or Ancient Greek in their first year.

Requirements for the Major in Greek and Roman Cultures

Number of Units

Nine units are required, not including Latin or Greek 101, 102, and 201 but may include the SIP.

Required Courses

Two courses in Latin or Greek above the 201 level
GRLC 390 Junior seminar
At least one course in Greek or Roman art or archaeology

  • CLAS/ARTX 208 Introduction to Greek Art and Archaeology
  • CLAS/ARTX 209 Introduction to Roman Art and Archaeology

Five electives, which may include:

  • Any Greek or Roman Cultures, Latin, or Greek course not previously taken
  • The SIP

Requirements for the Minor Greek and Roman Languages

Number of Units

Six units are required above Greek 102 and Latin 102, which may include the SIP.

Required Courses

Four courses in Greek or Latin above the 102 level
Two other electives, which may include:

  • Any other Greek and Roman Cultures courses
  • The SIP

Requirements for the Minor in Greek and Roman Cultures

Number of Units

Six units are required, which may include the SIP.

Required Courses

At least one course in Greek or Roman art or archaeology:

  • CLAS/ARTX 208 Introduction to Greek Art and Archaeology
  • CLAS/ARTX 209 Introduction to Roman Art and Archaeology

Four electives, which may include:

  • Any Classics course not previously taken
  • Any Latin or Greek course above 102
  • The SIP

Department of Greek and Roman Languages and Cultures Courses

Greek Courses

GREK 101 Beginning Greek I Fundamentals of grammar, composition, and reading of ancient Greek. Selected readings from graduated texts, short stories, and dramas; introduction to ancient Greek civilization.
GREK 102 Beginning Greek II Continuation of GREK 101; development of fundamentals of grammar, composition, and reading of ancient Greek. Selected readings from graduated texts, short stories, and dramas; introduction to ancient Greek civilization. Must have completed GREK-101.
GREK 201 Intermediate Greek Intensive grammar review; polishing and reinforcement of basic skills in ancient Greek; readings and discussions of selected works; continued exploration of the ancient Greek legacy. Must have completed GREK-102.
GREK 410 Attic Prose Representative readings, in Greek, from one or more Attic prose authors (e.g. Plato, Lysias, Xenophon). Possible genres include oratory, philosophy, history, and criticism. May be repeated. Must have completed GREK-201.
GREK 475 Topics in Greek Readings to be offered in response to the needs and interests of majors and minors. Topics and/or authors typically include those not offered in the standard curriculum, and may include tragedy, Hellenistic poetry, historians, and lyric, among others. May be repeated. Must have completed GREK-201.
GREK 600 Teaching Assistantship

Latin Courses

LATN 101 Beginning Latin I Fundamentals of grammar, composition, and reading. Selected readings from graduated texts, short stories, and dramas; introduction to ancient Roman civilization.
LATN 102 Beginning Latin II Continuation of LATN 101; development of fundamentals of grammar, composition, and reading. Selected readings from graduated texts, shorts stories, and dramas; introduction to ancient Roman civilization. Must have completed LATN-101.
LATN 201 Intermediate Latin Intensive grammar review; polishing and reinforcement of basic skills; readings and discussions of selected works; continued exploration of the Roman legacy. Must have completed LATN-102.
LATN 415 Latin Elegy, Lyric and Pastoral Representative readings, in Latin, from one or more elegists (Catullus, Tibullus, Propertius, Sulpicia, Ovid), lyric poets (Catullus, Horace) or Vergil's pastoral. May be repeated. LATN-201
LATN 425 Latin Epic Representative readings, in Latin, from one or more writers of epic (typically Vergil or Ovid). May be repeated. Must have completed LATN-201.
LATN 430 Republican Prose Representative readings, in Latin, from one or more Republican prose authors (Cicero, Caesar, Nepos). Possible genres include oratory, philosophy, history, criticism, and epistles. May be repeated. Must have completed LATN-201.
LATN 435 Imperial Prose Representative readings, in Latin, from one or more Imperial prose authors (Pliny the Younger, Seneca, Sallust, Livy, Tacitus, Suetonius). May be repeated. Must have completed LATN-201.
LATN 450 Bad Emperors Ancient historians and biographers have long found bad emperors compelling. Caligula, Nero, and Domitian are among the emperors with the worst reputations, with noted penchants for murder, tyranny, incest, and megalomania. Why are these emperors remembered in this way? How did such negative characteristics come to dominate their legacy? Are the stories even true and how can we tell? In this class, we will read selections from Suetonius' Twelve Caesars about the most notorious emperors of the early Roman Empire. We will consider what the ancient sources have to say about their virtues and vices, consider the extent to which these portray an accurate picture, and what ancient authors were trying to achieve in doing so. Must have take LATN-201.
LATN 475 Topics in Latin Readings to be offered in response to the needs and interests of majors and minors. Topics and/or authors typically include those not offered in the standard curriculum, such as the Roman novel (including Petronius and Apuleius), satire, and Medieval Latin. May be repeated. Must have completed LATN-201.
LATN 476 Latin Fairy Tales What makes a fairy tale? Why do we tell them and love them? We will explore the components of and theories about fairy tales, while reading an array of them in Latin! Fantastical stories from ancient cultures (Roman Italy, North Africa, Syria, and Egypt) will be read alongside those from medieval Europe, as well as Neo-Latin texts. Must have completed LATN-201.
LATN 477 Daily Life in Imperial Rome This is an upper-level Latin course that will focus on reading two key texts to gain insight into everyday life in imperial Rome. The course has two main goals: to improve skills of reading Latin and increase understanding of Roman social history. We begin by reading the letters of Pliny the Younger, who characterizes himself as an erudite magistrate yet reveals intimate details about his personal life, including his relationship with his wife, his views on slavery, his coping with grief, and his experiences during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. We then read the Satyrica of Petronius, which simultaneously revels in and satirizes the mundanities and excesses of urban life by following the narrator and his friends on a journey through Italy. These readings invite us to consider Roman attitudes towards a number of issues still relevant today, including gender, inequality, education, politics, religion, love, justice, and morality. Must have completed LATN-201.
LATN 600 Teaching Assistantship