Classics course catalog

2026-27 Catalog

Augustana offers a wide variety of classes in the study of Greek and Roman antiquity, including courses in beginning through advanced Greek and Latin, along with related courses taught in English. See requirements for the Classics Major, which has a greater focus on ancient languages, and for the Greek and Roman Studies major and minor.

KIRSTEN DAY, Professor
B.A., Rice University; M.A., Ph.D., University of Arkansas at Fayetteville

NICHOLAS DOBSON, Adjunct Assistant Professor
B.A., Rice University; M.A., Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin

MISCHA A. HOOKER, Continuing Lecturer
B.A. Calgary; M.A., Ph.D., Cincinnati

MAJOR IN CLASSICS (total credits: 30)

• Beginning Greek or Latin sequence (8 credits). Incoming students with prior experience in Ancient Greek or Latin should consult with Classics faculty about placement; these students may be eligible for substitutions in consultation with their Classics advisor.* 
• 6 credits of 200/300 level Greek or Latin, with at least two at the 300 level.
• At least 14 additional credits from NTGR 201, PHIL 201, RELI 214, HIST 305, HIST 306, ARHI 361, or any course in CLAS, GREK, or LATN. A minimum of eight credits should be at the 300 level.
• The Classics SI (2 credits). Students who complete an SI in another major may substitute an additional Greek or Latin course or a 300-level Classics course in consultation with their advisor.*
• Reflective Essay (0 credits).

MAJOR IN GREEK AND ROMAN STUDIES(total credits: 30)

• Beginning Latin or Greek sequence (8 credits). Incoming students with prior experience in Ancient Greek or Latin should consult with a Classics advisor about placement; these students may be eligible for substitutions in consultation with their Classics advisor.*
• 20 additional credits from PHIL 201, RELI 214, HIST 305, HIST 306, ARHI 361, or any course in CLAS, GREK, or LATN. A minimum of eight credits should be at the 300 level.
• The Classics SI (CLAS 401) (2 credits). Students who complete an SI in another major may substitute an additional 200/300 level Greek or Latin course or a 300-level Classics course in consultation with their advisor.*
• Reflective Essay (0 credits).

**Students who utilize these substitutions may have a credit expectation that varies slightly from the baseline of 30.

MINOR IN GREEK AND ROMAN STUDIES (total credits: 20)

• 20 credits from PHIL 201, RELI 214, HIST 305, HIST 306, ARHI 361, or any course in CLAS, GREK, or LATN. A minimum of four credits should be at the 300 level.
• Reflective Essay (0 credits).

Grade Point Average Notation: All courses listed in the catalog as required courses for any major and/or minor, including those courses outside of the department or with a different subject coding, are considered part of the major and will count in the grade point average. Some departments may have additional grade requirements for the courses offered within their department. Recommended supporting courses that are optional and not required may also count in the major depending on the program. For more information see your department chair or the degree requirements for Bachelor of Arts and information on Majors/Minors.

Courses in Classics (CLAS)

No knowledge of Greek or Latin is required for the following courses.

Courses in Greek (GREK) and (NTGR)

GREK courses numbered 200 and above are offered on a rotating basis and may be repeated for credit.

Courses in Latin (LATN)

Courses numbered  200 and above are offered on a rotating basis and may be repeated for credit.

Courses in Hebrew

Other supporting courses

ARHI-361 Greek & Roman Art (4 Credits)
(PP, G)Ancient Greek and Roman art and architecture from early Aegean culture to the fall of the Roman empire examined within political, social, religious and mythological contexts. May be team taught with faculty from Classics.

HIST-305 Ancient Greece (4 credits)
(PP) A survey of the history and culture of the ancient Greeks from the beginnings of their civilization in the Bronze Age down to the conquests of Alexander the Great in the late fourth century BCE, a span of well over a thousand years.  Special attention is given to the types of source material, both material and literary, used by historians to reconstruct Greek history, and also to the problems and limitations of these sources.

HIST-306 Ancient Rome (4 credits)
(PP) A survey of the history and culture of the ancient Romans from the beginnings of their civilization in the 8th century BCE through the fall of the western Roman Empire in the 5th c. CE, a span of over 1200 years.  Special attention is given to the types of source material, both material and literary, used by historians to reconstruct Roman history, and also to the problems and limitations of these sources.  

PHIL-201 Classical Philosophy (4 Credits)
(PP) Study of the beginnings of philosophical thought in Classical Greece, with particular attention to the fragments of the pre-Socratics, the dialogues of Plato, and the treatises of Aristotle. Topics will include early physics and metaphysics, theories of knowledge, human nature, happiness and virtue ethics.

RELG-214 Angels and Demons (4 Credits)
(REF) The interactions of paganism and Christianity are examined through Greek and Latin literature of the 4th-5th centuries CE — from Diocletian's Great Persecution to the triumph and establishment of Christianity, including the momentous and controversial reigns of Constantine the Great and Julian the Apostate. Study of the encounter highlights tradition and innovation in literary genres, dialogue, and conflict in the relations between the two traditions. In the end, the establishment of Greco-Roman paganism and Christianity as twin poles in an ongoing tension continues to produce new ways of thinking about their relationship.