Seeger Center for Hellenic Studies

(previous semesters)

   The Mediterranean and Its Travelers
FRESHMAN SEMINAR

In this seminar we will look closely at the fascination which the physical and cultural environment of the Mediterranean has exerted on its travelers since antiquity. We will ask what the Mediterranean is, how far it stretches, and whether it is an area of geographical and cultural unity. We will also explore the link between travel, curiosity and the imagination, and the idea that travel somehow changes the traveler who writes about it. To this end, we will look at travelers from different periods and to different areas of the Mediterranean, including the ancient historian Herodotus; early pilgrims to the Holy Land; artists and poets in search of artifacts and inspiration; adventurous women travelers in the 18th and 19th century; Mark Twain (who raises the question: is a traveler the same as a tourist?); and some contemporary travel writers and film makers.
Constanze Güthenke

   Elementary Modern Greek
HLS 101/MOG 101

This course is the first part of the modern Greek language sequence regularly offered every year. It aims to set the foundations for acquiring a command of spoken and written modern Greek. The pace is intensive: readings and grammar from textbook, with accompanying daily exercises, and regular language laboratory attendance. Auditors welcome with instructor's permission.
Dimitri Gondicas  Classes: 11:00 -11:50 p.m. MTWTh

  Intermediate Modern Greek
HLS 105/MOG 105

This course is the third part of the modern Greek language sequence offered every year. It will introduce students to themes in the Hellenic tradition through readings in modern Greek literature (Cavafy, Seferis, Ritsos). We will read newspaper articles, listen to Greek songs, and study documentary films. The emphasis will be on improving students' oral and written skills. Classes will be held entirely in Greek. Auditors welcome with instructor's permission.
Zoe Passati-Bouloutas  Classes: 11:00 -11:50 p.m. MTWTh

  Byzantine Art and Architecture
ART 206/HLS 206

Art and architecture of the Eastern Mediterranean and Eastern Europe, from ca. 600 to ca. 1500. The course will focus on the art of the Byzantine empire and its capital, Constantinople, but will also consider its broader sphere of cultural influence (Russia, Armenia, Georgia, Sicily, Venice, Serbia, Bulgaria, Rumania). The course will examine the major factors which shaped the artistic legacy of Eastern Christendom during the Middle Ages.
Slobodan Ćurčić  Lecture: 11:00 -11:50 p.m.TTh

  Introduction to Post-Classical Greek from the Late Antique to the Byzantine Era
CLG 240/HLS 240

Intended for students at all levels beyond that of the textbooks, the course will expose students to a variety of prose genres characteristic of the post-Classical period. Although some attention will be given to literary analysis and Classical predecessors, the main emphasis will be on learning to read such texts with facility.
Susan Wessel  Classes: 1:30-2:30 p.m. MWF

Special Topics In Modern Greek Civilization: Europe and Greece: Between East and West
HLS 361/ECS 361

In this course we will explore evolving conceptions of Europe. We will study how the cultural and territorial borders of Europe have been defined, taking Modern Greece (from the eighteenth century to the present) as our reference point. Greece is a country poised precariously between East and West, in literature and history. We will ask how images of Europeanness have developed and we will focus on the role played by literature in this process, both in staking out familiar territory and creating new grounds.
Constanze Güthenke Seminar: 1:30 - 4:20 p.m. W

Medieval Art : Byzantine Monasteries
ART 430/HLS 430

Byzantine Monasteries: art and architecture of the monastic sphere within the Byzantine Empire and the related lands, from c. 400 to c. 1500. The aim is to understand the main religious, social, and cultural factors within the Byzantine monastic sphere, and the manner in which these factors were expressed in art and architecture created directly under monastic auspices.
Slobodan Ćurčić Seminar: 7:30 p.m. - 10:20 Th
  

Courses of Interest

Spring 2003 course offerings
Fall 2002 course offerings
Spring 2002 course offerings
Fall 2001 course offerings
Spring 2001 course offerings
Fall 2000 course offerings
Spring 2000 course offerings
Fall 1999 course offerings