The Classics Department is seeking students for summer coursework in 2016! Courses offered this summer include Sex and Gender in Antiquity, Medical Terminology, Egyptian Archaeology, and Classical Mythology. Summer study offers a great opportunity to learn about the ancient world in a small class with many exciting activities such as visits to local museums and performances. These classes also fulfill several general education requirements.
Course Descriptions
CLAR 242 Egyptian Archaeology – Maymester (May 11-27) M-F, 9:00 am – 12:15 pm
This Maymester course is an introductory survey of the archaeology, art and architecture of ancient Egypt, ranging in time from the prehistoric cultures of the Nile Valley through the New Kingdom. While the course will examine famous features and characters of ancient Egypt, it will also provide a wide-ranging review of the archaeology of this remarkable land as well as the method and theories used to understand ancient Egypt. Attention will be placed on how major sites and artifacts contribute to our understanding of the Egyptian world-view and its visual expression. Students will also have the opportunity to examine ancient Egyptian objects first-hand through in-class activities and visits to local museums. This course satisfies the following general education categories: World before 1750 (WB); and Beyond the North Atlantic World (BN). Prerequisites: none.
Prof. Jennifer Gates-Foster | jgatesfoster@unc.edu
CLAS 242 Sex and Gender in Antiquity – Summer Session I (May 11-June 16) **Cross-listed with WMST 242** M-F, 1:15 pm – 2:45 pm
The purpose of this course is to explore gender constructs, what it meant to be a woman or a man in antiquity, as revealed in literary, historical and archaeological sources. Throughout the five-and-a-half week course we will analyze and discuss ancient attitudes and ideas about love, sexuality, normative and non-binary gender, and more. The primary readings will be from Homer, Euripides, Plato, Ovid, Petronius, and other ancient authors. Additional readings drawn from the field of gender studies will serve to highlight the primary texts’ issues and their relevance for our contemporary society. This course satisfies the following general education categories: Historical Analysis (HS), North Atlantic World (NA), and World before 1750 (WB). Prerequisites: none.
Instructor: Keith Penich | kpenich@live.unc.edu
CLAS 126 Medical Terminology – Summer Session II (June 20-July 26) M-F, 1:15 pm – 2:45 pm
Gain access to the imposing language of the medical profession through a systematic study of word roots taken from ancient Greek and Latin, the languages of doctors and philosophers from the time of Hippocrates. Prerequisites: none.
Instructor: Andrew Ficklin | aficklin@live.unc.edu
CLAS 131 Classical Mythology – Summer Session II (June 20-July 26) M-F, 11:30 am – 1:00 pm
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the myths of the ancient Greeks and Romans, the stories about gods, goddesses, and heroes that were told and retold throughout antiquity. Reading and discussion will emphasize not only the stories themselves, but also their historical and cultural context. How were myths transmitted in ancient times? What roles did they play in Greco-Roman culture? What can we learn from them about the ways that ancient Greeks and Romans understood the world around them? In our explorations we will concentrate on literary texts, especially epic and tragedy, but will also examine visual representations of myths in painting and sculpture. Alongside daily class discussion, this course will include visits to the Ackland Art Museum, viewings of modern film adaptations of myths, and scavenger hunts for mythological symbolism on UNC’s campus. This course satisfies the following general education requirements: Literary Arts (LA). Prerequisites: none.
Instructor: Tedd Wimperis | wimperis@email.unc.edu