CLAS 101 E: Latin and Greek in Current Use

CLAS101 - Latin and Greek in Current Use

Spring 2025, Section E (T/Th 8:30-9:20, DEM 124)

Classics 101 has for many years been a popular 2-credit course option for students throughout UW. The course is designed to improve and increase your English vocabulary through a study of the Latin and Greek elements in English, with emphasis on words in current literary and scientific use. The Latin and Greek words and word roots learned in this course will help you better understand how many words in English have evolved and will prepare you to continue expanding your English vocabulary well after the class is over.

More than that, the 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 such as Mythology (Who is Tantalus, and why is he the root of the word tantalize?), Medicine (How has Hippocrates’ Theory of the Four Humors impacted modern medical practices such as bloodletting?), Politics (Why is the government of the United States partially based on that of the Roman Republic?), Philosophy (How did the theory of atomism first develop over 2,500 years ago in Archaic Greece?), and more. 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.

Course Goals

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

• Break down English words into their Greek and Latin roots and explain their meanings; 
• Discuss literary, historical, and cultural contexts of important Greek and Roman stories and ideas;
• Recognize the influence of these Greek and Roman stories and ideas on modern cultures.

Required Text

William J. Dominik, Words and Ideas (Bolchazy - Carducci).

Recommended Reference Texts

• Any reputable English dictionary with etymological entries, such as The American Heritage Dictionary (3rded.), or Webster’s New World Dictionary.
• The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is also available free online: go to http://lib.washington.edu and log in → “Start Your Research” → “Articles & Research Databases” → click “Oxford Dictionaries.”

Class Conduct

• 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 on silent or off. Similarly, technology such as computers or tablets must be on task. University conduct and scholarly integrity codes should be followed at all times.
• If absence is unavoidable due to illness or other circumstance (e.g. family emergency, religious or cultural obligaiton, court date, university-sponsored competition, etc.), please contact me via email 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 Etiquette: You can reach me at amuh@uw.edu on weekdays from 9am-5pm. I will do my best to answer as promptly as possible. Please keep in mind that our email 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.

• I cannot discuss grades during class or via email 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.

Grading

Homework and Participation. Active classroom participation is important! The first step in participating in class is regularly attending. Beyond simply showing up, I expect everyone to both be prepared (by having read the assigned material and completed any homework assignments) and to actively participate in class discussions and activities.

• Completion of homework assignments will count for 30 points, as will regular participation in class, for a total of 60 points. There will be four submitted homework assignments, each worth 10 points. Your lowest homework grade will be dropped.
• I will not accept late homework except in the case of an excused absence. Homework and participation account for a large portion of your grade –– if you were to get a zero in this category, the highest course grade you could receive is a 3.1. Homework assignments will include both word-building exercises from your textbook and written reflections based on the course readings (Connections/Reflections).

Quizzes. There will be three quizzes worth 80 points each given over the course of the term (see schedule below for dates). These 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 emails me to reschedule. 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 earn higher scores. Some bonus points will be offered in the quizzes and in the final. Even if a student has achieved the maximum score for a given quiz or final without the bonus points, any earned bonuses will be “banked” for use towards the student’s overall points total for the course.

Final Exam. The final exam, worth 130 points, will be on WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19TH, 4:30 - 6:20 PM IN SMITH 311. 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

Grading Breakdown

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

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• Total 430 points

Grading Scale

Academic Integrity

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

Cheating on any course assignment will not be tolerated and may result in receiving a zero on the assignment and a referral to the Office of Student Conduct.

Policy on Artificial Intelligence: 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 and paraphrase your 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.

Learning Support: Access and Accommodations 

Your experience in this class is important to me. 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 on your campus. 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.

Religious Accommodations

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.

Further Resources

UW Campus Food Pantry: Provides UW students, staff, and faculty with nonperishable groceries and select fresh produce for no cost.

Counseling Center: 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.

Leadership Without Borders: Resources for undocumented students.

International Student Services Office: Visa and immigration advising for international students on F or J student visas.

Safe Campus: How to report violence or threats to the safety of yourself or others.

Schedule

All readings and assignments are due on the day they are listed in the syllabus. Your assignments are bulleted below the days on which they are due. 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. I reserve the right to modify the schedule as needed.

WEEK 1

1. 4/1 - Syllabus and Introduction to Classics

Th. 4/3 - Proto-Indo European Languages and Introduction to Word Building

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

WEEK 2

1. 4/8 - Word Building

• Memorize Greek Nouns/Adjectives (pp.19-25) (memorize all bulleted bases/combining forms in these sections. E.g. know that the combining form ‘-archy’ means ‘rule by.’)

Th. 4/10 - Mythology: The Primordial Gods and Hesiod’s Theogony

• Read: Chapter 4 – Mythology (pp. 75-99)
• Memorize Greek Adverbs/Verbs (pp.25-29)

WEEK 3

1. 4/15 - Mythology: The Children of Zeus and the Homeric Hymns

• Homework #1: Ch. 4 ex. 2-3 (p. 101) and Connection/Reflection on Mythology

Th. 4/17 - Mythology: Heroes and the Underworld

• Memorize Greek Prefixes/Suffixes (pp. 29-36)

WEEK 4

1. 4/22 - Mythology: The Trojan War, the Iliad, the Odyssey, and the Aeneid

• Review all previous material in preparation for Quiz #1

Th. 4/24 - Quiz #1: Word Building and Mythology

WEEK 5

1. 4/29 - Medicine: The Cult of Asclepius

• Read: Chapter 5 – Medicine (pp. 105-139)

Th. 5/1 - Medicine: Theory of the Four Humors and Gynecology

• Homework #2: Ch. 5 ex. 4a-k, 5a-h, 6a-f (pp. 142-143) and Connection/Reflection on Medicine

WEEK 6

1. 5/6 - Philosophy: Introduction to the Philosophers

• Read: Chapter 8 – Philosophy and Psychology (pp. 191-206, stop before “psyche”)
• Memorize Latin Nouns/Verbs (pp. 45-48)

Th. 5/8 - Psychology: Oedipus, Electra, and Narcissus

• Read: Chapter 8 – Philosophy and Psychology (pp. 206-219)
• Review all previous material in preparation for Quiz #2

 WEEK 7

1. 5/13 - Quiz #2: Philosophy, Psychology, and Medicine

Th. 5/15 - Ancient Greek History and Historians

• Read: Chapter 9 – History (pp. 227-246)
• Memorize Latin Prefixes (pp. 48-55)

WEEK 8

1. 5/20 - Ancient Roman History and Historians

• Homework #3: Ch. 9 ex. 1, 2a (p. 248) and Connection/Reflection on History
• Memorize Latin Suffixes (pp. 55-63)

Th. 5/22 - Greek Politics and Law

• Read: Chapter 6 – Politics and Law (pp. 145-164)

WEEK 9

1. 5/27 - Roman Politics and Law

• Homework #4: Ch. 6 ex. 3 (p. 166) and Connection/Reflection on Politics/Law
• Review all previous material in preparation for Quiz #3

Th. 5/29 - Quiz #3: History, Politics and Law

WEEK 10

1. 6/3 - Commerce and Economics: Enslavement and the Zoninus Collar

• Read: Chapter 7 – Commerce and Economics (pp. 169-187)

Th. 6/5 - Course Review

• Review all course materials and bring questions!
• Extra Credit Assignment Due (optional)

FINAL EXAM: TUESDAY, JUNE 10TH, 10:30AM - 12:20 PM, DEMPSEY 124