Class Schedules

This two-term sequence introduces the grammar and vocabulary of Latin, the language of the ancient Romans. Students learn through reading adapted passages, by breaking down grammatical structures into recognizable patterns, and through tutorials and drills. We aim to cover all basic grammar by the end of the year. In the second semester, students begin to read easy Latin such as the Bible, Pliny, Cornelius Nepos and/or Caesar.

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Course Materials

This two-term sequence introduces the grammar and vocabulary of Latin, the language of the ancient Romans. Students learn through reading adapted passages, by breaking down grammatical structures into recognizable patterns, and through tutorials and drills. We aim to cover all basic grammar by the end of the year. In the second semester, students begin to read easy Latin such as the Bible, Pliny, Cornelius Nepos and/or Caesar.

General Education Requirements:

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Course Materials

In this two semester program, students learn to read, write and converse in Modern Standard Arabic, the form of Classical Arabic used in contemporary news media, documents, literature, education and religious practice in the many countries of the Arab world. The purpose of this course is to develop beginning students' proficiency and communication in the four basic language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students will also participate in tutorials and/or practice labs.

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Course Materials

In this two semester program, students learn to read, write and converse in Modern Standard Arabic, the form of Classical Arabic used in contemporary news media, documents, literature, education and religious practice in the many countries of the Arab world. The purpose of this course is to develop beginning students' proficiency and communication in the four basic language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students will also participate in tutorials and/or practice labs.

General Education Requirements:

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Course Materials

An introduction to the language and literature of classical Hebrew. The study of grammar and vocabulary is supplemented with practice in oral recitation and aural comprehension. Basic biblical texts are analyzed and translated, including selections from the books of Genesis and Ruth.

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An introduction to the language and literature of classical Hebrew. The study of grammar and vocabulary is supplemented with practice in oral recitation and aural comprehension. Basic biblical texts are analyzed and translated, including selections from the books of Genesis and Ruth.

General Education Requirements:

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Course Materials

An introduction to the language and literature of classical Hebrew. The study of grammar and vocabulary is supplemented with practice in oral recitation and aural comprehension. Basic biblical texts are analyzed and translated, including selections from the books of Genesis and Ruth.

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This course is taught jointly between the department of Religious Studies and the department of Classics, by a specialist in the Roman East and a specialist in classical India. We will start on either side of this world, with Alexander the Great and Ashoka, exploring the relationship between empire and religion from Rome to India in the world's crossroads for the thousand years between Alexander and the rise of Islam.

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Internationalism

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Humanities

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Designed to prepare students for CLAS 155: January in Rome, offered in 2025. Students will learn the history of the city; draft the material culture report they will present on site; choose a literary passage to read in Rome; and discuss the required course readings. No prerequisites. The course is strongly recommended -- but not required -- for participation in the January course. Students may also take this course without joining us in the Eternal City. For information about the study away course, see the January Programs website of the Department of the Classical Mediterranean and Middle East.

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This course is an intro-course aimed at providing an overview of the pre-classical and classical periods of Ancient Greek philosophy. Throughout the course, students will become familiar with the major works and views of three of the most influential philosophers of all time: Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. In many ways, these three figures set the tone for all western philosophy that comes afterwards, identifying key topics with which it is concerned as well as methods and means by which philosophy is done to this day. These core throughlines in western philosophy still offer valuable insight into the means of critical investigation while also showing how much (or little) has changed since their creation. This course will a) familiarize students with the central topics and means developed by our core figures, b) ensure that students are able to see their relevance to current issues and investigations and c) ensure that students are able to draw from this material in their future endeavors (be they philosophical or not).

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Writing WA

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Humanities

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A thorough review of Latin grammar followed by a study of a Roman prose author or authors. Students build reading skills while gaining an appreciation for the literary and cultural aspects of Latin prose. Particular texts to be studied may include Petronius' Satyricon , the letters and/or speeches of Cicero, letters of Pliny, or Livy's History of Rome. Prerequisite(s): CLAS 212 or its equivalent.

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This course focuses on expanding vocabulary and grammar through simple texts, dialogs and stories. Prerequisite(s): CLAS 214 or equivalent.

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This course focuses on expanding vocabulary and grammar through simple texts, dialogs and stories. Prerequisite(s): CLAS 214 or equivalent.

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​This course surveys the visual and material culture of Europe, the Middle East and the broader Mediterranean world from prehistory through the late Medieval period, including early Christian, Jewish and Islamic cultures. We consider the artistic and archaeological remains from the Near East, Egypt, the Aegean, Greece, Etruria, Rome, and western Europe from a contextual perspective in order to understand each culture's ideologies, and the diverse social and artistic purposes for which art and architecture was created and used.

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Fine arts

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This third course in the ancient Greek language sequence involves review of basic grammar and extensive reading in works of ancient prose. Students will build familiarity with forms and vocabulary while gaining confidence as readers and an appreciation for ancient literature. Authors may include Plato, Herodotus, Attic orators, or Lucian. Prerequisite(s): CLAS 235 or equivalent.

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This course explores the four significant periods of theater history (Classical, Medieval, Renaissance, and Restoration) through learning about the historical context, the physical theater elements, the plays that defined the time and the playwrights who wrote them. Students will engage with script analysis of the plays through staged readings.

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Fine arts

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The final semester in the two-year survey of the Hebrew language from ancient to modern. Students will read selections from the Biblical books of poetry such as Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, and Psalms. The second half of the semester is devoted to modern conversational Hebrew. Prerequisite(s): CLAS 237 or equivalent.

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The Senior Seminar caps the experience of being a Classics major. Students in all three tracks (Archaeology, Civilization, and Languages) join together to explore the history of the discipline and its relationship to their own histories and future plans. Students learn about, draft and critique documents useful for their next steps, including resumes, personal statements and cover letters, along with discussing selected readings in a seminar setting. Each student also works with an advisor from the department to develop and execute a major piece of work in their chosen field, Majors who have completed the Senior Seminar have thus executed a substantive independent project and can articulate the place of their Classics major within their personal and professional development. Prerequisite(s): Must be a declared Classics major

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Humanities

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Why are Arabic, Greek, Hebrew and Latin all taught in the same department at Macalester? Today Islam and the Arab world are often presented in contrast with the West in a sort of timeless and unending 'clash of civilizations.' Classics 101 aims to counter this narrative by exploring the multiple deep, long-term connections among the languages, religions and peoples around the Mediterranean Sea. What were the relationships among speakers of these languages in the past? How did Judaism, Christianity and Islam develop among them? Why are Greek and Roman traditions sometimes seen as in tension with Christian or Arab traditions -- and has that always been the case? Readings include selections from Genesis, Exodus, Homer, Herodotus, Euripides, Plato, Vergil, the Gospels, Josephus, Imru Al-Qays, the Qur'an and 1,001 Nights. Legendary and historical figures include Moses, Helen of Troy, Cyrus, Darius, Pericles, Alexander, Cleopatra, Jesus, Augustus, Perpetua, Constantine, Muhammad, Fatima, Aisha and Omar. Suggested subtitles for the course include Before East and West, We Hear Dead People, Great Books Reimagined, and Hey, You Should Know This Stuff. Required for all majors in the Classical Mediterranean and Middle East.

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Humanities

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This course studies some of the world's great storytellers-the ancient Greeks. First, we read from translations of Greek poetry to become familiar with the key figures and events in mythology, including the Olympian gods and their origins, the major heroes, and the Trojan War. Then we explore more broadly the adaptable nature of these myths and the variety of forms in which the Greeks told stories, from epic and personal poetry to philosophy, drama, sculpture and vase painting. At the same time, we investigate the ways in which moderns have interpreted these stories. We analyze myths using Freud's psychoanalytical techniques, as folklore and ritual, and through theoretical perspectives including structuralism, new historicism and feminism. Finally, we investigate the later life of Greek myths, focusing on how and why these stories have been retold by the Romans, later European authors and artists, American film makers and playwrights, and science fiction writers.

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Humanities

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This course provides an introduction to the history and arts of the Islamicate manuscript. It will cover the constituent arts of calligraphy, illumination, illustration, and binding from the origins of Islam in the seventh century through the early modern period, encompassing the full range of historical cultures (Arab, Persian, Turkish and Indian). Course topics include: the codicology of Islamicate manuscripts (materials and techniques); issues of text, style, and aesthetics; and the human dimension of manuscripts, including collaboration between artists, the role of patrons, buyers, owners, and readers, the circulation of texts after production, and modern conservation and preservation efforts. We will work hands-on with manuscripts and also try out different elements necessary to crafting manuscripts.

General Education Requirements:
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

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This course introduces students to the foundations of utilizing digital tools for archaeological investigation and other allied fields. The seminar will provide hands-on experience using these tools in real world scenarios through a series of practical research projects. We will discuss the foundations for the utilization of GIS, network analysis, data analysis, and 3D modelling in the fields of archaeology, geography, and data science. Students will engage in a research practicum that utilizes their theoretical knowledge in real world scenarios. We will explore GIS fundamentals like creating basic maps, analyzing topographic data from Digital Elevation Models, and performing visibility and least-cost path analyses on sites ancient and modern. This seminar provides an introduction to basic data and network analysis skills, learning how to create, clean, and analyze data from a variety of sources. Students are expected to have a basic familiarity with computer programs like QGIS/ArcGIS and SketchUp/AutoCAD or similar CAD software. By the end of the course students will have the skills necessary to continue their own research using a range of digital tools.

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Humanities

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Like Latin and Greek in Europe, Sanskrit is a highly inflected language of scholarship and revered as the perfect medium for discourse on everything from science and sex to philosophy and religion. It flourished in its classical form after the age of the Buddha (5th century BC) and served as a scholarly lingua franca in India until the Islamic period. This course serves as an introduction to the grammar an script of Sanskrit, and we will advance to a point of reading simplified texts from the classical epic Ramayana.Students will be expected to attend class regularly and spend at least ten hours a week outside class studying the grammar and vocabulary. Without this sort of effort, no progress is possible in such a complex language. In addition to the rigorous study of the language, we will consider both the role of the language in classical Indian culture and religion, and some texts from the Ramayana, looking at both English translation and Sanskrit originals.

General Education Requirements:
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

This two-term sequence introduces the grammar and vocabulary of Latin, the language of the ancient Romans. Students learn through reading adapted passages, by breaking down grammatical structures into recognizable patterns, and through tutorials and drills. We aim to cover all basic grammar by the end of the year. In the second semester, students begin to read easy Latin such as the Bible, Pliny, Cornelius Nepos and/or Caesar. Prerequisite(s): CLAS 111.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

This two-term sequence introduces the grammar and vocabulary of Latin, the language of the ancient Romans. Students learn through reading adapted passages, by breaking down grammatical structures into recognizable patterns, and through tutorials and drills. We aim to cover all basic grammar by the end of the year. In the second semester, students begin to read easy Latin such as the Bible, Pliny, Cornelius Nepos and/or Caesar. Prerequisite(s): CLAS 111.

General Education Requirements:

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Course Materials

This two-term sequence introduces the grammar and vocabulary of Latin, the language of the ancient Romans. Students learn through reading adapted passages, by breaking down grammatical structures into recognizable patterns, and through tutorials and drills. We aim to cover all basic grammar by the end of the year. In the second semester, students begin to read easy Latin such as the Bible, Pliny, Cornelius Nepos and/or Caesar. Prerequisite(s): CLAS 111.

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Elementary Arabic II is the second half of an introductory course to both written Arabic (Modern Standard Arabic) and a spoken Levantine dialect that is widely understood throughout the Arab world. By the end of the semester, you will be able to read, write, and comprehend simple texts as well as carry on basic conversations related to daily activities, your interests, your studies, the weather, travel, etc. This class meets four times a week.

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In this two semester program, students learn to read, write and converse in Modern Standard Arabic, the form of Classical Arabic used in contemporary news media, documents, literature, education and religious practice in the many countries of the Arab world. The purpose of this course is to develop beginning students' proficiency and communication in the four basic language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students will also participate in tutorials and/or practice labs. Prerequisite(s): CLAS 113.

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Course Materials

An introduction to the language and literature of classical Hebrew. The study of grammar and vocabulary is supplemented with practice in oral recitation and aural comprehension. Basic biblical texts are analyzed and translated, including selections from the books of Genesis and Ruth. Prerequisite(s): CLAS 117.

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Course Materials

An introduction to the language and literature of classical Hebrew. The study of grammar and vocabulary is supplemented with practice in oral recitation and aural comprehension. Basic biblical texts are analyzed and translated, including selections from the books of Genesis and Ruth. Prerequisite(s): CLAS 117.

General Education Requirements:

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Course Materials

An introduction to the language and literature of classical Hebrew. The study of grammar and vocabulary is supplemented with practice in oral recitation and aural comprehension. Basic biblical texts are analyzed and translated, including selections from the books of Genesis and Ruth. Prerequisite(s): CLAS 117.

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This course explores the art, architecture, and religious institutions produced in Iran, broadly conceived, from the Dalma culture of the 5th millennium BCE to the end of the Sasanian empire in the 7th century CE. We will explore topics such as the evolution of trade relations between the Mediterranean basin, Western Asia, India, and Central Asia along the Silk Road, the rise and spread of Iranian religions like Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism, and the cult of Mithras, as well as the exchange and development of visual culture between the great empires that existed from the first millennium BCE to the first millenium CE. This course requires no prior knowledge of art, archaeology, religion, or of Western Asia and is open to all students wanting to learn about the land between the Nile and the Indus.

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A course in the poetic literature of the Republican and/or Augustan Ages with concentrated study on one or two authors. Students work toward grammatical and lexical mastery while learning about the forms, styles and cultural aspects of Latin poetry. Authors to be studied may include Plautus, Catullus, Horace, Vergil, or Ovid. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite(s): CLAS 231or equivalent.

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Intermediate Arabic II is a continuation of both written Arabic (Modern Standard Arabic) and a spoken Levantine dialect that is widely understood throughout the Arab world. You will continue to develop your reading, writing, speaking and listening abilities as well as your grasp on written and spoken grammar structures. You are also encouraged to participate in Arabic House activities and cultural events that happen around the Twin Cities to improve your speaking, listening, and appreciation of culture. This class meets four times a week.

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This course introduces students to more authentic texts and samples a variety of authors and genres from around the Arab world. Prerequisite(s): CLAS 241 or equivalent.

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This fourth course in the ancient Greek language sequence involves extensive reading in works of ancient poetry. Students will work toward mastery of grammar and vocabulary while exploring the formal, artistic and cultural dimensions of poetic composition. Most often readings will be from the Homeric epics (Iliad or Odyssey), but other works may be taught, including tragedy, comedy or lyric. Prerequisite(s): CLAS 261or equivalent.

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Humanities

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Students who pursue Latin at the advanced level will study closely one or more works and explore relevant problems in literary or textual criticism, linguistic, social or cultural history, and/or reception. Authors may include Tacitus, Seneca, Apuleius, Juvenal, Martial or others. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite(s): CLAS 332or equivalent.

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Humanities

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