Greece and Italy: An Artistic and Literary Odyssey

The legacy of the Greek and Italian cultures in the Western world -- from the Minoan world to that of the Italian Renaissance -- continues to hold considerable sway over contemporary cultures. The great writings and powerful visual arts that were produced in Greece and Italy established standards of excellence which succeeding generations have both struggled against and paid homage to up to the present day. In this program, we will study the texts and monuments of two of the most dynamic and seminal cultures in Western history: Classical Greece and Renaissance Italy. We will read writings from the periods we study, such as Homer's Odyssey , Aeschylus' Oresteia , and Vasari's Lives of the Artists, as well as contemporary offerings such as Mary Renault's The King Must Die and Roberto Calasso's The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony. Throughout the program we will learn about modern rediscoveries and re-interpretations of all of these periods and places, as well as to create our own. By coming to a greater understanding of this rich and often controversial legacy, we expect to learn a great deal about ourselves as well. We do not approach the pots, poems, or palaces of the past as mere artifacts, but as living expressions of ideas and ideals that deserve serious consideration - not only in terms of their influence but also in terms of their contemporary viability. That is, Plato and Titian (to take a couple of examples) can help us deepen our understanding of desire; Pheidias and Dante have much to teach us about the intersection of piety and politics.

Fall quarter ("Naissance"), we will investigate the rise of the Greek polis , or city-state, from the ashes of the Bronze Age Aegean civilizations and that of the Etruscans in what is now Tuscany. In addition to reading primary source materials, we will study the architecture, sculpture and painted pottery that was produced. To further our understanding, we will also study the ancient Greek language and the basics of drawing.

Winter quarter ("Renaissance"), our focus will be on the Roman appropriation of Greek art and thought and the later Florentine rediscovery and interpretation of the Classical past. We'll study how 15th-century Italians used the ideas they found in classical literature and learning as the basis for revolutions both in artistic practices and the conception of humanity. We will continue our study of ancient Greek and also learn the basics of photography.

The Spring is divided into a "home" and an "abroad" program, both of which will build on the previous two quarters' work. The "abroad" program in the spring ("Odyssey") will travel to Greece and Italy for a seven-week journey, during which we will visit many of the sites and examine many of the artifacts and artworks that we encountered second-hand in the previous quarters. While in Europe we will have additional readings by modern authors, seminars, and more practice on language and studio arts skills acquired in the previous two quarters.

The "home" program will deepen and expand our knowledge of Greek, Etruscan, Roman, and Renaissance art, architecture, literature, society, and culture. Readings will include Homer's Odyssey, Aristotle's comedies, Sophocles' tragedies, Ovid's Metamorphoses, Dante's Purgatorio and Paradiso, and Mary Renault's The King Must Die. In addition to this material, students will be expected to embark on a major research project of their own choosing that builds on and deepens knowledge already tapped into or touched upon within the parameters of our previous two quarters. The progress and results of each student's research will be presented to the class throughout the quarter. We encourage any student wishing to engage in research on a topic within these chronological and geographical restraints to participate in the "home" part of our program in the spring.