Classics-Part II
The Classics (Part II)
Doctor of Philosophy in Ancient History
Prerequisites
A bachelor’s degree in Classics (or one in History combined with substantial study of Greek and Latin) represents the best preparation for the study of Ancient History, which is here understood to mean Greek history from the Mycenaean period to Roman times, and Roman history from the beginnings to late antiquity. Students applying to study Ancient History in the Department of the Classics must have competence in both Greek and Latin sufficient to take departmental courses numbered above 100 (“upper-level courses”) in one of these languages (the “major language”), and above the beginning level in the other (the “minor language”). However, they will be tested equally in both Greek and Latin, normally by the end of the second year (see General Examinations (1)). Those wishing to study Ancient History at Harvard with less emphasis on languages and texts, and more on other fields of history such as Medieval or Byzantine, should note that the Department of History also offers Ancient History as a field in its PhD program.
Some preparation in German and either French or Italian is also advised before admission to the program.
Entering students should also have taken the equivalent of two one-term introductory surveys in Greek history and in Roman history.
Academic Residence
As for the PhD in Classical Philology (see above).
Program of Study
Such as to foster knowledge of Greek and Roman history and historiography, in association with fields such as philology (in the broad sense), archaeology, epigraphy, and numismatics. Exemptions from specific courses required below may be granted in particular cases on the basis of work already completed elsewhere.
(1) Theoretical and/or Methodological Approaches: a) Classical Philology 350, and b) one appropriate half-course in theoretical and/or methodological approaches to history, normally to be chosen from those offered by the Department of History, to be completed by the time the prospectus is approved.
(2) Ancient History and Historiography: Four half-courses, of which two shall be in Greek and two in Roman; at least one Greek course and one Roman course shall be a graduate seminar. These four half-courses shall ordinarily be taken in the first two years of graduate study.
(3) Languages and Literatures: Such courses as may be recommended by the graduate committee in order to ensure a high level of competence in both Greek and Latin, to be taken before the general examinations.
(4) Archaeology: One half-course, to be passed before the special examinations.
(5) Epigraphy, Numismatics: Two halfcourses, to be passed before the special examinations.
(6) Modern Languages: Two examinations involving translation (with the aid of dictionaries) from German and either French or Italian. This requirement must be fulfilled before the special examinations are taken. Tests are normally administered in September, February, and May.
(7) Study Abroad: Students are required to spend a summer or a semester in an academic program such as the American School of Classical Studies in Athens (for which they should apply for the Charles Eliot Norton Fellowship), the American Academy in Rome, or other programs (including archaeological excavations), which provide the opportunity of working closely with ancient material culture. This period of study should be completed before taking the degree, and preferably before the student commences work on the dissertation.
General Examinations
All students will, normally by the end of April of their second year, take examinations comprising two parts as follows:
(1) Language translation examinations, comprising two written exams of two hours each. Each exam will contain passages for translation taken from the list of ancient authors below. Each of these examinations may be repeated only once in the event of failure. Students are also urged to read the ancient authors widely in translation.
(2) Oral examination of one-and-one-half hours on Greek and Roman history and historiography. This examination will be based on the Reading List below, and will also involve a general knowledge of the outlines of Greek and Roman history. The examining committee will consist of one faculty member chiefly responsible for Greek history; one chiefly responsible for Roman history; and an additional one to moderate the proceedings and to intervene at his or her discretion.
Reading List
The language translation examination (see under General Examinations) will be based on the following list. Students are also urged to read widely in translation from authors and works not included on the list.
Greek Literature:
Aeschylus: Persians
Appian: BC 1
Aristophanes: Acharnians
Aristotle: Constitution of the Athenians
Cassius Dio: 53
Demosthenes: Philippics 1
Dionysius of Halicarnassus: On Thucydides
Herodotus: 1
Homer: Iliad 1, 2, 18; Odyssey 2, 9, 11
Isocrates: Philip
Lucian: Quomodo historia conscribenda sit
Lysias: Against Eratosthenes Maccabees 2
Plato: Symposium, Apology
Plutarch: Pericles, Antony, De Herodoti malignitate
Polybius: 1
Ps-Xenophon: Constitution of the Athenians
Sophocles: Oedipus Tyrannus
Thucydides: 1, 2.34-65, 3.35-85, 5.26, 84-116, 6.8-23, 7.84-87, 8.1
Fragmentary historians: Hellanicus in F. Jacoby, Die Fragmente der griechischen Historiker
Latin Literature:
Ammianus Marcellinus: 22
Augustus: Res Gestae
Caesar: 2 books from Bellum Gallicum or Bellum Civile
Cicero: Pro Milone; De republica; letters, as in D. R. Shackleton Bailey’s Select Letters
Ennius: fragments of Annales as in Skutsch’s edition
Fronto: Principia historiae
Horace: Odes 3.1-6 (Roman Odes)
Juvenal: Satires 1, 3, 10
Livy: 1, 21, 22
Lucan: 1
Pliny the Younger: letters, as in A. N. Sherwin-White’s Fifty Letters of Pliny
Quintilian: Institutio oratoria 10.1
Sallust: Jugurtha or Catiline; selected fragments of the Histories
Scriptores Historiae Augustae: Hadrian
[Seneca]: Octavia
Suetonius: Julius Caesar or Augustus and one other
Tacitus: Histories 1; Annals 4; either Agricola or Germania
Virgil: Aeneid 4, 6, 8
Fragmentary historians: Cato in H. Peter, Historicorum Romanorum Reliquiae
Students may make substitutions of authors or works under the same conditions as students taking the degree in Classical Philology.
Special Examinations
All students will, normally by the end of their third year, take special examinations as follows:
One oral examination of two hours. The exam will cover three areas for questioning, one on a specific topic selected from within one of the seven fields listed below, the other two covering two entire fields more generally (one Greek and one Roman, and both different from the field within which the specific topic has been selected).
Greek history: 1) Minoan and Mycenaean Greece; 2) Dark Age and Archaic Greece; 3) Classical Greece; 4) The Hellenistic World. Roman history: 5) Early Rome and the Roman Republic; 6) The Roman Empire; 7) Late Antiquity.
In preparation for these examinations students will normally take three year-long courses (numbered 302) with members of the department in the two terms prior to their taking the examinations. The departmental members will be responsible for setting and grading the examinations in the relevant fields. At least one of the examination fields selected by the student must be in Greek history, and one in Roman history. With the permission of the graduate committee, which will confer with those members of the department teaching ancient history before giving such permission, students may elect topical rather than chronological fields (e.g., women in antiquity, Roman religion, etc.) for examination. Such permission will be granted only if the three chosen fields ensure sufficiently broad coverage of Greek and Roman history.
Dissertation
At the end of the special examinations, the candidate should specify the area in which the dissertation is to be written and, if possible, the name of the dissertation director. In all other respects the regulations governing the dissertation are the same as those given above for the PhD in Classical Philology.
Doctor of Philosophy in Medieval Latin
Prerequisites and Academic Residence
As for the PhD in Classical Philology.
Program of Study
As well as acquiring close familiarity with Medieval Latin, candidates will be expected to continue their study of both Greek and classical Latin. Programs of study will be determined on an individual basis in consultation with a faculty director in medieval Latin. The program will be such as to foster expertise in:
(1) The methodology covered in the Proseminar or its equivalent in Medieval Studies (one required).
(2) Classical and medieval Latin language and literature, to be tested in the General Examinations (see below).
(3) Advanced interpretation. To this end, before taking the Special Examinations, candidates must pass four half-courses designated “primarily for graduates” and given by faculty of the department or half-courses on medieval topics given outside the department. Two of these half-courses will normally be in classical Latin, two in medieval Latin.
(4) Prose composition. This requirement is met by passing Latin K (or the equivalent) and Greek H; it must be fulfilled before the Special Examinations are taken (see below).
(5) Historical linguistics. This requirement is met by passing Latin 134 or equivalent work; it must be fulfilled before the Special Examinations are taken (see below).
(6) Latin palaeography (which may be met by passing Classical Philology 299 or equivalent work).
Modern Languages
As for the PhD in Classical Philology.
General Examinations
All students will, normally by the end of their second year, take general examinations comprising four parts, namely:
(1) Two written examinations of three hours each in the translation of classical Latin and Medieval Latin authors; each examination will consist of six passages (half prose and half verse) of which two will be at sight.
(2) An oral examination of one-and one-half hours on the history of classical and Medieval Latin literature. The examinations will be based on two reading lists in classical and Medieval Latin which will be approximately the same in length as those in classical Greek and Latin literature required for the PhD in Classical Philology (see above). These examinations may only be repeated once in the event of failure. If a student fails only one part of the examination, then he or she need only repeat that part.
Special Examinations
By the end of the third or, at the latest, the fourth year the candidate must take a two-hour oral examination devoted to (a) an ancient Latin author, with attention to the author’s influence on medieval literature or thought; (b) a Medieval Latin author, including the manuscript tradition of the author’s works and historical background; and (c) a special subject to be selected from the following fields: medieval history, philosophy, theology, law, art, Latin palaeography, Latin grammar and metrics. The choice of authors and subject should be submitted for approval at the time of the general examinations or within a month following them. Preparation for this examination will be by independent study, with regular supervision by a faculty member for each part of the examination (Classical Philology 302). These examinations may be repeated only once in the event of failure.
Dissertation
The regulations governing the dissertation are the same as for the PhD in Classical Philology.
Doctor of Philosophy in Byzantine Greek
Prerequisites and Residence
As for the PhD in Classical Philology.
Programs of Study:
(1) Within the department: It is expected that before general examinations all candidates will take courses in the department in order to improve their knowledge of Greek (classical and Byzantine) and Latin (classical and medieval), acquire familiarity with those ancient Greek authors who were widely read or imitated in Byzantium, and learn the Hellenistic and Roman backgrounds of Byzantine civilization. In choosing the relevant courses for the degree program and thereafter, candidates should consult their supervisor in Byzantine Greek. Between the beginning of the second year and the time of the general examinations, candidates should become familiar with the history of Byzantine literature and the history of Greek in the Byzantine period. Before taking special examinations, each candidate must have specialized in one period of Byzantine literature, have become acquainted with one other aspect of Byzantine civilization (such as art, theology, law, philosophy, or another related medieval literature, including Latin), and have acquired familiarity with one auxiliary discipline (such as Greek palaeography, codicology, epigraphy, or numismatics).
(2) Outside the department: Before taking the special examinations, all candidates must have taken one course in Byzantine history and one in Byzantine art.
Modern Languages
Candidates must demonstrate a reading knowledge of German and one of the following: French, Russian, or (except for native speakers) Modern Greek, to be tested by the department. This requirement must be fulfilled before the special examinations are taken. Tests are normally administered in September, February, and May.
General Examinations
All students shall, normally by the end of their second year, take General Examinations comprising four parts, namely:
(1) Two written examinations of three hours each in the translation of ancient Greek and Byzantine Greek authors; each examination will consist of six passages (four in prose and two in verse) of which two will be at sight.
(2) An oral examination of one-and-one half hours on the history of ancient Greek and Byzantine literature, and on the history of Greek in the Byzantine period.
The examinations will be based on two reading lists in ancient and Byzantine Greek literature which will be approximately the same in length as those in classical Greek and Latin literature required for the PhD in classical philology. These examinations may be repeated only once in the event of failure. If a student fails only one part of the examination, then he or she need only repeat that part.
Special Examinations
By the end of the third or, at the latest, the fourth year the candidate must take a two-hour oral examination devoted to
(a) a Byzantine author writing in high style (including the manuscript tradition of the author’s works and historical background), or a genre in high style, with special attention to their antique models, or a Byzantine author writing in middle or low style, with attention to subsequent literary development;
(b) a special subject to be selected by the candidate from the following fields: Byzantine art, history, law, philosophy, theology, another related medieval literature, including Latin, and an auxiliary discipline (as described above).
The choice of author (or genre) and subject should be submitted for approval at the time of the general examinations or as soon thereafter as possible. These examinations may be repeated only once in the event of failure.
Dissertation
The regulations governing the dissertation are the same as for the PhD in Classical Philology.
Doctor of Philosophy in Modern Greek (subject to further revision)
Library and Research Facilities
Harvard libraries house some 80,000 volumes in modern Greek language, literature, history, and folklore. The collection dates back to the early nineteenth century, and is the largest and richest in the world outside of Greece. Its uniqueness owes much to Harvard scholars, above all to the efforts of C. C. Felton, E. A. Sophokles, C. Whitman, and A. B. Lord. Areas of outstanding excellence include rare nineteenth-century periodicals; first editions of major and minor poets and prose-writers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries; rare printed editions and manuscripts of liturgical and vernacular texts of the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries from Venice, Constantinople, Jassy, Bucharest, Jerusalem (many directly related to the rise of the vernacular and to Cretan Renaissance literature); a virtually complete set of first editions of folksong and folklore publications (including periodicals) in Greek, French, Italian, German, and English; the invaluable Whitman/Rinvolucri collection of karagiozes (shadow puppets); and above all the unique and distinctive Parry/Lord and Notopoulos archives of folk music and folk poetry. In addition, Boston libraries (including Boston University) contain largely unresearched materials on the early nineteenth century Protestant missions to Greece, while the Hellenic College, Brookline, houses an excellent selection of books related to church history.
Prerequisites
Two years of enrollment for full-time study, with a total of at least fourteen half-courses completed with honor grades (no grade lower than B-, half of all grades must be A or A-). A full-time program comprises up to four courses per term, which may include courses of independent study and research. Students may take related courses in other departments in line with their individual interests, but must consult with their supervisor in modern Greek before doing so.
Program of Study
In addition to close analysis of modern Greek texts, all candidates will be expected to take courses, and/or undertake programs of guided reading, prior to the general examinations, in order to improve
(a) knowledge of the history and development of the Greek language, including study of the katharevousa and the principles of modern dialect differentiation;
(b) mastery of the rudiments of postclassical history pertinent to modern Greek;
(c) familiarity with ancient and Byzantine texts relevant to the study of modern Greek culture, including palaeography and the study of Greek manuscripts and early printed editions;
(d) understanding of major cultural trends from the Renaissance to the present day;
(e) awareness of current theoretical approaches.
While programs of study will be determined on an individual basis in consultation with the supervisor, two half-courses each for (a) through (c) and at least one half-course each for (d) and (e) are recommended. The curriculum is designed to foster expertise in (1) and (2) and at least two of (3) through (6):
(1) The study of the modern Greek language, its history and development from the Hellenistic koine to the present day;
(2) The study of modern Greek literature, from the 12th century to the present day;
(3) Literary criticism, with emphasis on the poetry and prose of the 19th and 20th centuries;
(4) Textual criticism, with emphasis on vernacular texts from the 12th to 15th centuries and on Cretan Renaissance poetry and drama from the 15th to 17th centuries;
(5) Comparative analysis in ancient Greek mythology and modern Greek folklore;
(6) Social and anthropological approaches to modern Greek culture.
Languages
In addition to a reading knowledge of ancient Greek (to the level of Greek B or the equivalent), and of Byzantine Greek (two courses or equivalent), a reading knowledge of two other languages relevant to the program of study (e.g., Latin, Ottoman/Turkish, French, German, Italian, Russian), one of which should be either French or German. Requirements may be satisfied either by course work, or by examination (with the aid of dictionaries). This requirement must be fulfilled before the special examinations are taken. Tests are normally administered in September, February, and April.
General Examinations
All students should normally, by the end of their second year, take three general examinations, namely:
(1) Two written examinations of three hours each, covering (a) translation, explication, and commentary on prepared and unprepared texts from the 12th century to the present day, and (b) explication and commentary on prepared texts from a specified field.
(2) An oral examination of one-and-one-half hours, to be conducted in Greek and English.
These examinations may be repeated only once in the event of failure.
Special Examinations
By the end of the third, or, at the latest, the fourth year, the candidate must take a two-hour oral examination devoted to at least one modern Greek author in relation to a genre and/or special subject to be selected from the fields of language, literature, and ethnography. Choice of author(s) and genre/subject should be submitted for approval at the time of the general examinations, or as soon thereafter as possible. This examination may be repeated only once in the event of failure.
Dissertation
The regulations governing the dissertation are the same as for the PhD in Classical Philology, except that the dissertation may be submitted (with approval) in modern Greek.