Classical Studies (Fall 2025)
CLSS 1005 Introduction to Ancient Egypt (Lingxin Zhang)
This course invites students to explore the social development and transformation of ancient Egypt between the 5th millennium BCE and the 3rd century CE. The course pairs historical outline with thematic discussions, i.e. the early dynastic period and the formation of the early state, the New Kingdom and Akhenaten’s “monotheistic” reform. Students will also learn about different schools of historiography that help us to engage analytically with the question of how to write a history of ancient Egypt, particularly empiricism, post-colonialism, and poststructuralism. At the end of the semester, students will apply all that they have learned by curating a virtual exhibition on one aspect of the ancient Egyptian civilization. The course includes a field trip to the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, MD.
CLSS 1030 History of Ancient Greece (Catherine Keesling)
In this course we will study ancient Greek history from the 8th century BCE through the conquest of the Greek mainland by Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great. Major themes explored will include: the definition of Greek identity, the relationships between Greeks and Persians, the conflict between Athens and Sparta, and the internal dynamics of the Greek polis. We will read and consider in class accounts of the important events in Greek history written by the Greeks themselves (Herodotus, Thucydides, and Xenophon). A major goal of the course is to explore how present-day ancient historians use sparse and sometimes conflicting literary sources, in combination with inscriptions and archaeological evidence, to arrive at an understanding of the distant past. Most class meetings will consist of a combination of informal lecture by the professor and close examination of the assigned readings. Assignments will include two exams and two short papers.
CLSS 1060 Introduction to Roman Literature (Charles McNelis)
This course offers a historical survey of the classical world, from the lifetime of Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) and the establishment of new kingdoms by his successors on to Rome’s liquidation of these kingdoms and establishment of a massive empire in western Europe. Particular topics of concern include comparisons between the rise of two superpowers, Macedon and Rome; the consequences of aggressive imperialism for the traditional city-state culture of the ancient Mediterranean, as well as the enduring significance of major social institutions and cultural practices (including the gymnasium, the drinking party, theatrical performance, public oratory, and religious cults); the writings of Cicero as a mirror for the Roman Republic. Class sessions will consist of lecture as well as discussions of major written sources (primary and secondary).
CLSS 1070 Intro to Mythology (Claire Catenaccio)
Myths are some of the longest-lasting and most powerful stories that humankind has created. They shape our understanding of transitions and crises: right and wrong, life and death, the natural and the supernatural. They are also playful, exuberant, and highly entertaining. This course introduces students to the myths of Greece and Rome, with comparative material drawn from other ancient texts. Throughout the course we will also think about the role of mythology today, and the way that we use stories to come to terms with ourselves and our world.
CLSS 1099 Beginning Sanskrit Language (Andrew Merritt)
This course provides a systematic introduction to Sanskrit, the classical language of Indian civilization. The focus will be on developing thorough familiarity with its grammar and vocabulary, furnishing students with the basic skills necessary for reading classical texts. As we make progress, we will pay particular attention to questions of Sanskrit’s cultural context, historical development, and familial relationships with Greek, Latin, and English.
CLSS 2034 Death on the Nile (Lingxin Zhang)
Upon entering the “House of Millions of Years” of the Great Rameses, located on the west bank of Luxor, visitors become enveloped in a labyrinth of towering columns and the shadows they cast. The weathered reliefs whisper the tales of ancient glories while the shattered colossi lie strewn across the ground. Ancient Egypt evokes a sense of “eternity” yet simultaneously serves as a poignant reminder of the inevitability of death and oblivion. In this course, we will delve into the ancient Egyptians’ view on death and their preparations for the afterlife. Topics for study encompass the treatment of the body, the crafting and decoration of coffins, the selection of burial goods, and the construction of ideal tombs. The course will then focus on several case studies, including the burials of the royals, courtiers, provincial leaders, artists, and foreigners. Assessments consist of quizzes, essays, and a final presentation centered on one specific burial. Throughout the semester, students will have hands-on experiences in compiling, describing, and analyzing funerary practices and material cultures from ancient Egypt while reflecting on the individuality of the burial’s owner. They will also discuss museums’ duties in ethically caring for human remains.
.CLSS 2041 Age of Augustus (Josiah Osgood)
This class offers a study of the rise to power of Rome’s first emperor Augustus and the ways in which he consolidated his power to create a new set of political institutions that endured for centuries afterwards. Emphasis is placed on his own use of political patronage and on the creation of a new imperial culture in literature, the visual arts, and other media that lent support to his rule. Some comparisons will be made with the Alexander the Great and his successors and there will also be consideration of the reuse of Roman imagery in later times, including the Napoleonic Empire and the early United States.
CLSS 4030 Classical Washington DC (Seminar) (Catherine Keesling)
In this course, we will consider the Greek and Roman precedents for the institutions, architecture, monuments, and symbols of the nation’s capital city, as well as the debates and controversies they inspire. Topics to be examined include: the Greek origins of war memorials and commemorative ceremonies for the war dead; the role of ancient Greek, Roman, and Egyptian monuments in the debates about how to commemorate George Washington; L’Enfant’s plan for Washington DC and its approach to public space; and Greek and Roman precedents for today’s ‘monument wars’ over issues such as the lack of diversity in public portraits and what to do with monuments to the Confederacy. Throughout the course students will be encouraged to explore sites and museums related to the material we study in class. Short written assignments will culminate in an independent research project in which students will bring together the Classical past (Greek, Roman, Egyptian) and Washington DC.
Classics: Latin (Fall 2025)
CLSL 1011 Latin I (Andrew Merritt)
This is an intensive introduction to the Latin language. By the end of the year, students will have been introduced to all basic Latin morphology and syntax and will be able to read texts in the original with the aid of a dictionary. Unabridged selections from works by Julius Caesar and the poet Catullus are studied in the spring semester.
CLSL 1511 Intermediate Latin (Justin Haynes)
Intermediate Latin is intended for students who have successfully completed Latin II at Georgetown or have otherwise acquired the ability to read Latin texts in the original, with a good basic knowledge of vocabulary and grammar. While these same elements (vocabulary, morphology, syntax) will be constantly reviewed and constitute an essential part of home and class work, a new stress will be increasingly posed on matters related to literary genres, poetic diction, rhetoric, meter, etc. In fact, students will be introduced to handling Latin literature directly, and especially through the study of those very authors that represent the basis for virtually all grammatical notions and abstractions so far learned, i.e. Cicero and Virgil. Satisfies COL language requirement.
CLSL 2011 Roman Tragedy (Marden Nichols)
The tragedies of Seneca the Younger are rhetorically sophisticated, engrossing, and
devastating. In this advanced Latin course, we will read Seneca’s Phaedra and
Thyestes in Latin, with careful attention to meter and style. Discussion will focus on the
author’s reworking of models from Augustan literature, alongside Greek drama and
myth. With their florid verbal imagery and harrowing plots, these tragedies speak across
the centuries about questions at the heart of human experience. In a world of
inexpressible evil and gruesome death, have the gods forsaken us?
CLSL 2038 Cicero (Josiah Osgood)
Marcus Tullius Cicero was ancient Rome’s greatest trial lawyer. He usually spoke for the defense but in 70 BC, at a key point in his career, he prosecuted a former governor of Sicily, Gaius Verres, for abusing the justice system, unauthorized taxation, and theft of artworks. In this class, we will read in Latin the concluding part of Cicero’s published speech against Verres, paying close attention to Cicero’s rhetorical techniques. We will also study how Cicero put his case together and how Rome’s criminal courts functioned. The class is planned to include a meeting with a federal prosecutor and we will consider similarities and differences between the Roman and American legal systems.
Classics: Ancient Greek (Fall 2025)
CLSG 1011 Ancient Greek I (Alexander Sens)
Greek 1011 is the first half of Georgetown’s year-long introduction to the Ancient Greek language, which is meant to instruct students to read Greek texts through an intensive study of morphology and syntax. During the course, students will be guided through the normative grammar of Attic Greek. By the end of the second semester, we will have completed all 20 units of Hansen and Quinn’s Greek: An Intensive Course as well as selections from the Attic orator Lysias. By the end of the year, after taking CLSG 1011 and 1012, students will have been introduced to all basic Greek syntax and grammar and will be able to read texts by Homer, Euripides, Plato and others in the original, with the aid of a dictionary.
CLSG 1511 Intermediate Ancient Greek (Claire Catenaccio)
This course will consolidate students’ knowledge of Ancient Greek grammar and syntax, as well as introducing them to Attic literature through two of its most brilliant and influential authors, Plato and Euripides. This course is suitable for students who have taken two semesters of Ancient Greek at the college level, or have permission of the instructor. Satisfies COL language requirement.
CLSG 3025 Plato (Charles McNelis)
The Phaedo is one of Plato’s most important and magnificent dialogues. The dialogue recounts the death of Socrates, and in the course of the narrative about Socrates’ final day, fundamental aspects of Platonic philosophy (including the immortality of the soul, expositions of the theory of Forms, and aspects of Platonic epistemology) are revealed. At the same time, the artistry of the dialogue is mesmerizing in its larger thematic interests (including heroism in the broader literary tradition) and its use of language. Students will develop an appreciation of Plato’s contributions to philosophy as well as to the Greek language.