Last updated: April 14, 2008

The Roman theater at Ostia.

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Classics Section 
Major/Minor Programs in Classics at BGSU
Department of Romance and Classical Studies
Bowling Green State University


 Street scene from an ancient comedy
  A street scene from an ancient comedy; mosaic in the Museo Nazionale, Naples; photo by JMP

CLCV 382: Ancient Drama
Tues./Thurs. afternoons; Torre di Babele

Instructor:

James M. Pfundstein, Ph.D.
Shatzel 222
Office Hours: by appointment.
Cell phone (in Italy): 334-8015143
e-mail: jmpfund@bgnet.bgsu.edu
web-page: http://personal.bgsu.edu/~jmpfund/JMP.html

Texts
:
Duckworth, The Nature of Roman Comedy (Oklahoma)
(Used copies of older editions are okay.)
ISBN: 0806126205

Parker & Berg (trans.), Plautus & Terence: Five Comedies (Hackett)
(Used copies are okay, but make sure you get these translations.)
ISBN: 087220362X

Ahl (trans.), Seneca: Three Tragedies: Trojan Women, Medea, Phaedra (Cornell)
(Out of print; used copies okay.)
ISBN: 0801416647

OR the same translations in individual paperbacks (in print, but a tad more expensive).

Seneca: Phaedra
ISBN: 0801494338

Seneca: Medea
ISBN: 080149432X

Seneca: Trojan Women
ISBN: 0801494311


Online Resources:

The first stop for the study of ancient theater on the web is Didaskalia— Ancient Theatre Today: a rich resource for background material, information about ancient stagecraft, contemporary productions of ancient plays, and more.
http://www.didaskalia.net/

Tufts University’s Perseus Project: Texts, translations, images, secondary sources for the study of the ancient world (especially ancient Greece)
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/

Another great source for images (which can be searched by keyword) is VRoma:
http://www.vroma.org/images/image_search.html

The Ancient Library has a number of useful reference works (lapsed into the public domain):

Smith’s Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology:
http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/index.html

Smith’s Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities:
http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-dgra/

Seyffert’s Dictionary of Classical Antiquities:
http://www.ancientlibrary.com/seyffert/

Affiliated with the Ancient Library is the Theoi Project, a copiously illustrated and scholarly guide to Greek mythology.
 http://www.theoi.com
Carlos Parada's Greek Mythology Link: Images and summaries
http://homepage.mac.com/cparada/GML/index.html

Grading
:

In-class discussions; reaction writing; quizzes
40%
Midterm
(Tues. June 3)
30%
Final Examination
(Thurs. June 19)
30%

 
 
 
THE FINE PRINT:
No makeups given due to absence without prior arrangement with the instructor.
No one can pass the course without passing the final examination and turning in all the reaction-pieces.
No incompletes issued except for pressing reasons and by prior arrangement with the instructor.
"'Mouse' is a syllable. A syllable does not eat cheese. Therefore a mouse does not eat cheese."--Seneca
The instructor reserves the right to recognize significant improvement (or decline) in student performance when awarding the final grade.
The maximum amount of extra credit which may count towards the final grade = 5% of the total course points.
The syllabus is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor; changes will be announced in class and posted on-line.

 
SCHEDULE
CLASS DATES READING ASSIGNMENT OTHER
Week 1
May 13, 15
Tues: Duckworth, chs. 1-3

Thurs: Plautus, Miles Gloriosus
(Major Blowhard)
Duckworth, ch. 4
Tues. May 13: Intro

Thurs. May 15:
Reaction for Miles Gloriosus
Week 2
May 20, 22
Tues: Plautus, Menaechmi
(Double Bind)

Duckworth, ch. 5

Thurs: Plautus, Bacchides
(Those Wild, Wild Women)
Duckworth, ch. 7
Tues. May 20:
Reaction for Menaechmi

Thurs. May 22:
Reaction for Bacchides
Week 3
May 27, 29
Tues: Terence, Hecyra
(The Mother-in-Law)
Duckworth, ch. 9

Thurs: Terence, Adelphoe
(The Brothers)
Duckworth, ch. 10
Tues. May 27:
Reaction for Hecyra

Tues. May 29:
Reaction for Adelphoe
Week 4
June 3, 5
Tues: Midterm

Thurs: Seneca, Trojan Women
Tues. June 3: Midterm
(Assigned readings and class-sessions, weeks 1-3)

Thurs. June 3:
Reaction for Trojan Women
Week 5
June 10, 12
Tues: Seneca, Medea

Thurs: Seneca, Phaedra
Tues. June 10:
Reaction for Medea

Thurs. June 12:
Reaction for Phaedra
Week 6
June 17, 19
Tues: Seneca, Oedipus

Thurs: Final
Tues. June 17:
Reaction for Oedipus

Thurs. June 19: Final
(Assigned readings and class-sessions, weeks 4-6)

 
 
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