CLAS 101 F: Latin and Greek in Current Use

This course examines the ever-changing relationship between language and ideas in order to better understand the continuing impact of classical Greece and Rome on modern cultures. We explore topics like mythology, medicine, politics, and philosophy, as well as the English words that derive from Greek and Latin. Classics 101 gives you a sense of the words, ideas, and stories that we have adopted from the ancient Greeks and Romans, and helps you identify and contextualize the classical influences you encounter every day.

Knowledge of Latin or Greek is not required.

Instructor: Madalena Parsons

Pronouns: she/her

Email: mcpars@uw.edu

Office Hours: Tu/Th 10:30–11:30

Mailbox: Classics Dept. Office, Denny 262

Office: Denny Hall 400K

Department Phone: (206) 543-2266

Faculty Course Coordinator: Sarah Levin-Richardson

Email: sarahlr@uw.edu

Office: Denny 227

COURSE GOALS

In this course, we will use discussions, exercises and written reflections to demonstrate that you can:

• Break down English words into their Greek and Latin roots and explain their meaning.
• Trace the historical connection between the Greek and Latin languages and modern English.
• Understand and explain literary, historical and cultural contexts of important Greek and Roman stories and ideas.
• Recognize these Greek and Roman stories and ideas and their influence on modern cultures.

Books

• REQUIRED: William J. Dominik, W​ords and Ideas ​(Bolchazy-Carducci).
• The physical copy (rather than the electronic) is recommended, as it coincides with the page numbers listed on the syllabus.
• A copy is on reserve at Odegaard Library.
• The Undergraduate Textbook Fund is available to Classics majors and minors: https://classics.washington.edu/undergraduate-textbook-fund
• Recommended: Any reputable English dictionary with etymological entries, such as The American Heritage Dictionary (​3​^rd e​d.), or W​ebster’s New World Dictionary. ​
• The O​xford English Dictionary (OED): http://lib.washington.edu → log in → “Start Your Research” → “Articles & Research Databases” → “Oxford Dictionaries.”
• Optional: A dedicated etymological dictionary.
• The Online Etymology Dictionary: https://www.etymonline.com/

Course Policies

General Policies

1. University of Washington students are expected to practice high standards of academic and professional honesty and integrity as outlined here: https://www.washington.edu/cssc/for-students/academic-misconduct/
2. Academic misconduct includes but is not limited to: cheating/unauthorized collaboration (working collaboratively on assignments, sharing answers); and plagiarism (representing others’ work as your own without proper citation). Misconduct may result in no credit for an assignment or exam; failing the course; and being reported to the University.
3. In this class, you may NOT use ChatGPT, Large Language Models (LLMs), or any other AI tools to assist you. This includes using these tools to generate ideas or to rephrase or paraphrase yours or others’ work. Using such tools will be considered an academic integrity violation and may result in a zero on the assignment and the student being reported to the Office of Community Standards and Student Conduct.
4. If you are unsure if something is academic misconduct, ask me!
5. Out of courtesy to your classmates and to me, please come to class on time and prepared to contribute. Cellphones and other such electronics must be silent or off. Similarly, technology such as computers or tablets must be on task.

Absences

1. If absence is unavoidable due to illness or other circumstance (e.g. family emergency, religious or cultural obligation, court date, university-sponsored competition, etc.), please contact me via e-mail to let me know before class. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to find out what you missed in class, to catch up on any missed homework and to schedule make-ups for any quizzes or exams.

Email

1. You can reach me at mcpars@uw.edu on weekdays from 9am-5pm. I will do my best to answer as promptly as possible.
2. Please keep in mind that our e-mail correspondence is a public record according to RCW 42.56, the Washington State Public Records Act, and I have the right to share it with my supervisor if I think it is necessary. All email correspondence should be polite and professional.
3. I cannot discuss grades during class or via e-mail due to university policy, but rather during office hours and by appointment only. If you have questions regarding assignments, tests, homework or any other matter, I would be happy to discuss that in my office. In order to make sure all students have available time to ask questions, please come to office hours having prepared the relevant course work and with specific questions.

Grades

Quizzes

1. There will be three quizzes worth 80 points each given over the course of the term (see schedule below for dates). These will include questions that address both breaking down word etymology and short answers on Greco-Roman culture and readings. You will be given the entire class period to complete them. Make-up opportunities will only be given due to an excused absence, as defined above, and then only if the absent student promptly e-mails me to reschedule.
2. I strongly recommend keeping up on relevant vocabulary from each chapter as we cover it by completing your homework and attending class; this will make preparation easier and allow you to get higher scores.

Participation

1. Active classroom participation is important. The first step in participating in class is regularly attending. Beyond simply showing up, I expect everyone both to be prepared (by having read the assigned material) and to actively participate in class discussions and activities. Your regular participation is worth 60 points; if you were to get a zero in this category, the highest course grade you could receive is a 3.1.

Final Exam

1. The final exam, worth 130 points, will be on Wed, Dec 11, 10:30 AM – 12:20 PM, DEN 113. In accordance with university policy, the final exam will be administered only on this date and at this time. For the Final Examination Guidelines, including policy on unavoidable absences, see: https://www.washington.edu/students/reg/examguide.html.

Extra Credit

1. On Monday of week 8, I will publish an extra credit assignment, which will be worth 20 points. I will consist of summarizing and reflecting on your choice of a handful of essays about Classics.

Grading Breakdown

• Participation: 60 points
• Quizzes: 3 x 80 = 240 points
• Final exam: 130 points

-------------

• Total: 430 points

Grading Scale: Note that in order to pass this class, you must receive 246 points or more.

Academic Integrity

“The University of Washington Student Conduct Code (WAC 478-121) defines prohibited academic and behavioral conduct and describes how the University holds students accountable as they pursue their academic goals. Allegations of misconduct by students may be referred to the appropriate campus office for investigation and resolution. More information can be found online here.”

University of Washington students are expected to practice high standards of academic and professional honesty and integrity as outlined here: https://www.washington.edu/cssc/for-students/academic-misconduct/

Access and Accommodations

If you have already established accommodations with Disability Resources for Students (DRS), please communicate your approved accommodations to me at your earliest convenience so we can discuss your needs in this course. If you have not yet established services through DRS but have a temporary health condition or permanent disability that requires accommodations (conditions include but are not limited to: mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts), you are welcome to contact DRS at (206) 543-8924, uwdrs@uw.edu, or disability.uw.edu. DRS offers resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities and/or temporary health conditions. Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process between you, your instructor(s) and DRS.

It is the policy and practice of the University of Washington to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law. This includes not only health-related accommodations, but also those relating to religion, faith, or conscience:

“Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy. Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request Form.”

You can learn more at the following link: https://registrar.washington.edu/staffandfaculty/religious-accommodations-policy

Schedule

All readings and assignments are due​ on the day they are listed on the syllabus. Your assignments are bulleted. Please note that page numbers are for the physical copy of the book and do not apply to the electronic version. If you are using the electronic version, use the headings to navigate to the relevant pages.

Week 0: Introduction

Thursday, September 26: Introduction and syllabus

• No homework for this class

Week 1: Linguistics and word building

Tuesday, October 1: Proto-Indo European language and linguistics

• No homework for this class

Thursday, October 3: Word building

• Read Chapter 1 – Word Building Basics (pgs. 1–15)
• Read Appendices I–III (pgs. 251-256)

Week 2: Mythology

Tuesday, October 8: Introduction to mythography; Titans and Olympians

• Read Chapter 4 – Mythology (pp. 75-99)
• Memorize Greek Nouns/Adjectives (pgs. 19-25)

Thursday, October 10: The Trojan War cycle

• Memorize Greek Adverbs/Verbs (pgs. 25–29)

Week 3: Mythology (cont.) and quiz 1

Tuesday, October 15: Mortals, heroes, and the underworld

• Memorize Greek Prefixes/Suffixes (pgs. 29–36)

Thursday, October 17: Quiz 1 (Word building and mythology)

Week 4: History and historiography

Tuesday, October 22: Greek history and historiography

• Read Chapter 9 – History (pgs. 227–246)

Thursday, October 24: Roman history and historiography

• Read “Why I Became a Historical Novelist” (Mantel; also available on Canvas)
• Memorize Latin Nouns/Verbs (pgs. 45–48)

Week 5: Medicine and psychology

Tuesday, October 29: Ancient medicine

• Read Chapter 5 – Medicine (pgs. 105–139)
• Memorize Latin Prefixes (pgs. 48–55)

Thursday, October 31: Modern psychology and the classics

• Read the second half of Chapter 8 – Philosophy and Psychology (pgs. 206–219)
• Memorize Latin Suffixes (pgs. 55–63)

Week 6: Philosophy and quiz 2

Tuesday, November 5: Introduction to the philosophers

• Read the first half of Chapter 8 – Philosophy and Psychology (pgs. 191–206)

Thursday, November 7: Quiz 2 (History, medicine, psychology, and philosophy)

Week 7: Law and politics

Tuesday, November 12: Greek law and politics

• Read Chapter 6 – Politics and Law (pgs. 145–164)

Thursday, November 14: Roman law and politics

• Read “Roman Law and Latin Literature” (Lowrie; also available on Canvas)

Week 8: Economics and Quiz 3

Tuesday, November 19: Enslavement in Greece and Rome

• Read Chapter 7 – Commerce and Economics (pgs. 169–187)
• Extra credit assignment posted

Thursday, November 21: Quiz 3

Week 9: Literature

Tuesday, November 26: Literature

• No homework for this class

Thursday, November 28: Thanksgiving (no class)

Week 10: Literature (cont.) and review

Tuesday, December 3: Literature

• Extra Credit Assignment Due (optional)

Thursday, December 5: Course Review

• Review all material and bring questions

FINAL EXAM will be on Wed, Dec 11, 10:30 AM – 12:20 PM, DEN 113.

Student Resources

Education

• UW Libraries
• UW Course Reserves
• Student Tech Loan Program 
• Sportula Micro-grants: Micro-grants (up to $300) aimed at helping classics students make ends meet, no questions asked.
• UW Classics Undergraduate Textbook Fund: Available to students who are classics majors or minors.

Health

• UW Coronavirus Info 
• UW Virtual Medicine
• UW Food Pantry: Provides UW students, staff, and faculty with nonperishable groceries and select fresh produce for no cost.
• UW Mental Health Resources: Resources for students seeking help in coping with stress or other mental health concerns.
• Let’s Talk: Free, confidential, informal drop-in counseling service at UW.

Other

• Safe Campus: 206-685-7233 (M-F 8am-5pm). In urgent or dangerous situations call 911.
• UW Emergency Aid: Providing resources, loans, grants for housing, food, medical expenses, etc.
• UW Student Legal Services: Both free & low-cost, confidential legal consultation for students including (but not limited to) tenant rights, immigration, and discrimination.
• Leadership Without Borders: Resources for undocumented students.
• International Student Services Office: Visa and immigration advising for international students on F or J student visas.