2000 Level Courses

GENERAL CLASSICAL STUDIES COURSES:

**Please note that you can only count 1.0 Classical Studies courses at the 2000 level towards the
Honours Specialization or Major in Classical Studies. Classical Studies program students are encouraged to take Classical Studies 3000 level courses already in their second year of university studies

2024-2025

*all Asynchronous Online courses in 24-25 will have IN-PERSON exams*

(Preliminary course outlines can be found in the links below)

CS2200-650: Classical Mythology (Asynchronous Online)

Students will be introduced to the major myth cycles of ancient Greece and Rome, with reference to the cultural contexts in which they were produced and received. Students will become familiar with the ancient images and original texts (in translation) that provide us with evidence for the mythic narratives. Some of the major theoretical approaches to the study of myth will be briefly introduced.
2 lecture hours; 1.0 course
Course Outline for CS2200

CS2300-650: Sport and Recreation in the Ancient World (Asynchronous Online)

This course will examine the various sports, and recreational and leisure activities available to people in the ancient world (principally Greece and Rome) using literary and artistic sources. Topics to be examined include ancient Greek athletics and the Olympic Games; the Panathenaia; erotics and athletics; ball games; the symposium, prostitution; Roman gladiatorial combat and other amphitheatrical events; chariot racing; eating and drinking; baths and bathing; gambling; and taverns and bars.
2 lecture hours; 1.0 course
Course Outline for CS2300

CS2440B: Alexander the Great

Alexander III of Macedon (reigned 336-323 BC), although only thirty-two at the time of his death, is arguably one of the most significant figures in all of recorded history. Equally, almost every aspect of his life and legacy has been the subject of intense controversy. This introductory course will consider the rise of Macedonia to supremacy in the Greek world, Alexander’s background and upbringing, and his military campaigns, policies, plans and personality. The reasons for the differing views about him will also be explored.
2 lecture hours, 0.5 course
Course Outline for CS2440B

CS2480A-650: Roman Emperors: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (Asynchronous Online)

This course examines the characters, policies, and actions of famous and infamous Roman emperors. It examines the virtues of the best emperors, the depravities of the worst emperors, and how these men are judged, using literary, documentary and archaeological evidence to see how their reputations have evolved over time.
2 lecture hours, 0.5 course
Course Outline for CS2480A

CS2500A-650: Ancient Cities in the Mediterranean (Asynchronous Online)

The course focuses on the archaeological remains of some of the earliest and most impressive cities and civilizations in human history, such as Jericho, Mycenae, Athens, and Rome. Throughout the course, we will investigate the earliest signs of urban organization in the archaeological record and track the evolution of the physical layout and social organization of urban life through 10,000 years of history in western Asia and the Mediterranean. The course ends with an in-depth look at the urban centres of Greece and Rome.
2 lecture hours; 0.5 course
Course Outline for CS2500A

CS2840A: Cleopatra: History, Dreams, and Distortions

This course examines the life and times of Cleopatra in Egyptian and Roman history, ancient art and coinage. The Cleopatra we know is the Cleopatra of myth and fantasy as well. We also look at the reception of her image from antiquity to the present in literature, art, and film. 
2 lecture hours; 0.5 course
Course Outline for CS2840A

CS2902A/B-650: Special Topic: Ancient Greek and Roman Medicine (Asynchronous Online)

This course will trace the development of ancient medicine from the earliest evidence of Egyptian and Mesopotamian medical practices, the development of Greek concepts of health and disease, through to the flourishing of Greco-Roman medicine at the height of the Roman Empire. Of particular interest to this course is the social dimension of ancient medicine, including questions of ethics, the social standing of medical practitioners (and their patients), and the role of women, both as healers, and patients. This course will also highlight the influence of ancient medicine on medical theories and practices during the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and up to early modern times.
Antirequisite: CS2902A is an antirequisite for CS2902B.
2 lecture hours; 0.5 course
Course Outline for CS2902A
Course Outline for CS2902B

CS2903B-650: Special Topic: Daily Life in Ancient Rome (Asynchronous Online)

This course will re-create the daily lives of the ancient Romans using secondary readings, ancient literature, and art and archaeology. Topics to be covered include social structure, writing and education, clothing, housing and city life, food and drink, sexuality, slavery, the family, and leisure activities. 
2 lecture hours; 0.5 course
Course Outline for CS2903B