New York University Courses in Classics

Seth Benardete taught Greek and Latin poetry, history and philosophy at New York University. For more information on these courses, see The Seth Benardete Papers Collection Guide (.pdf).

SemesterDescription
Fall 1966 Sophocles
(G27.2965) Monday, 6:10-7:50
Readings of the plays of Sophocles as living theatre.
Spr. 1967Seminar in Greek Historians
(G27.3242) Monday, 6:10-7:50
The historians to be studied are Herodotus, Thucydides, and Xenophon: the design and intention of their works and their understanding of what we call history.
Spr. 1968Xenophon'’s Socratic Writings
(G27.2935) Wednesday, 6:10-7:50
Study of Xenophon’'s Memorabilia, Apology, and Symposium, in an effort to supplement and correct the Platonic picture of Socrates.
Fall 1968Proseminar in Classical Philology
(G27.1001) Monday, 8-9:40
A survey of the tools and methods used in classical philology: papyrology, paleography, stemmatization of manuscripts, editing of texts, source criticism (reconstruction of lost works, disentangling of diverse traditions), historiographical use of literary material. All topics are illustrated through specific examples, which are set as problems for the class to solve. Required of all candidates for A.M.
Spr. 1969Doctoral Seminar: Homer, Iliad I
(G27.3902) Hours arranged
Doctoral Seminar: Homer, Iliad II
(G27.3904) Hours arranged
Fall 1969Doctoral Seminar: The Ancient Historians I
[co-taught with Prof. Haywood]
(G27.3903) Hours arranged
Doctoral Seminar: The Ancient Historians II
[co-taught with Prof. Haywood]
(G27.3905) Hours arranged
[semester/year unknown]
(1967-1969)
Ancient Political Theory
(W27.0206)
Not open to freshmen. An examination of the foundation of the ancient polis and its ancient interpretations. The course is centered on how political philosophy as a distinct subject emerged with Socrates, but the “pre-Socratic” and post-Socratic understanding of the city is neglected. As far as possible, only ancient sources are used, though they are supplemented by what modern scholarship has discovered, particularly in so far as these discoveries pertain to the religious foundations for the city. Aeschylus’ Seven Against Thebes is the first text studied, since it shows what the ancients from the start regarded as the problems inherent in political life that, in whatever way they were “solved,” always persisted beneath any apparent solution. Proceeding, then, through the Oresteia, as the first example of a solution, the course examines (among others) Sophocles'’ Oedipus Tyrannus, Aristophanes’' Knights, Plato'’s Republic, Aristotle'’s Politics, Cicero'’s Republic and Laws.
[semester/year unknown]
(1967-1969)
Thucydides, Peloponnesian War
(W27.0914)
The selected readings in Thucydides covered in this course are designed to show the full extent of the peculiarities of his style, and how far he diverges from both the “genius” of the Greek language and the historical trends of Greek prose writing. The differences, stylistic as well as conceptual, between the speeches and the narrative are studied intensively. An attempt is then made to connect Thucydides’' style with his intention, to be both a recorder of the Peloponnesian War and its interpreter. The student is expected to do a paper on some aspect of Thucydides'’ style.
Spr. 1970Homer
(G27.2981) Monday, 6:10-7:50
Essentially a reading course; as many books as possible are reviewed. Some glances, however, at the newly discovered world of the heroes and their ancestors.
Fall 1970Proseminar in Classical Philology
(G27.1001)
A survey of the tools and methods used in classical philology: papyrology, paleography, stemmatization of manuscripts, editing of texts, source criticism (reconstruction of lost works, disentangling of diverse traditions), historiographical use of literary material. All topics are illustrated through specific examples, which are set as problems for the class to solve. Required of all candidates for A.M.
Doctoral Seminar: History and Archaeology I
(G27.3903) [co-taught with Prof. Trell]
Doctoral Seminar: History and Archaeology II
(G27.3905) [co-taught with Prof. Trell]
Spr. 1971[not available]
Fall 1971[not available]
Spr. 1972[not available]
Fall 1972[not available]
Spr. 1973[not available]
Fall 1973[not available]
Spr. 1974[not available]
Fall 1974[not available]
Spr. 1975The Greek Thinkers (U) (V27.0700)
Fall 1975[not available]
Spr. 1976Greek Drama: Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides (U) (V27.0143)
Fall 1976Herodotus (G)
Spr. 1977Intermediate Greek: Herodotus (U)
Advanced Latin (U): Georgics and Eclogues (V27.0871)
Advanced Greek (U)
Horace, Odes & Epistles (G)
Fall 1977Greek Drama (U)
Thucydides & The Age of Pericles (G)
Spr. 1978Greek Drama (U)
Advanced Latin (U): De Rerum Natura
Aeschylus (G)
Fall 1978The Greek Thinkers (U)
Plato, Republic (G) (V27.0878)
Spr. 1979Ancient Political Theory (U)
Aristotle, Poetics (G)
Fall 1979The Greek Thinkers (U)
Sophocles (G)
Spr. 1980Greek Drama (U)
Ancient Political Theory (U)
Tacitus (G)
Fall 1980The Greek Thinkers (U)
Advanced Greek (U)
Herodotus (G)
Spr. 1981Greek Drama (U)
Ancient Political Theory (U)
Advanced Greek II (U)
Aeschylus (G)
Fall 1981(none)
Spr. 1982Greek Drama (U)
Ancient Political Theory (U)
Advanced Greek (U)
Lucretius (G)
Fall 1982Intermediate Latin: Cicero (U)
Greek Drama (U)
Sophocles (G)
Spr. 1983Greek Drama (U)
Greek Thinkers (U)
Tacitus, Annales (G)
Fall 1983Intermediate Greek: Plato (U)
Greek Drama (U)
Advanced Latin (U): Sallust, Bellum Catilinae; Tacitus, Agricola
Intro to Classical Studies (G)
Spr. 1984Greek Thinkers (U)
Petronius & Apuleius (G)
Homer (G)
Fall 1984Greek Thinkers (U)
Advanced Greek (U)
Euripides (G)
Spr. 1985Advanced Greek (U)
Cicero (G)
Fall 1985Greek Thinkers (U)
Advanced Greek (U)
Sophocles (G)
Spr. 1986Intermediate Latin (U)
Advanced Greek (U)
Fall 1986Ancient Political Theory (U)
Advanced Greek (U)
Virgil, Aeneid (G)
Spr. 1987Advanced Greek (U)
Greek Lyric Poetry: Pindar (G)
Fall 1987Intermediate Greek (U)
Advanced Greek (U)
Plato (G)
Spr. 1988Intermediate Greek (U)
Herodotus (G)
Fall 1988Seminar in Classical Studies I (U)
Advanced Greek (U)
Petronius, Satyricon (G)
Spr. 1989Advanced Greek (U)
Sophocles (G)
Fall 1989The Greek Thinkers (U)
Advanced Greek (U)
Thucydides (G)
Spr. 1990
Ancient Political Theory (U)
Plato (G)
Fall 1990Advanced Greek (U)
Ovid (G)
Spr. 1991Ancient Political Theory (U)
Advanced Greek (U)
Aeschylus (G27.2963)
Fall 1991Advanced Greek (U)
Thucydides (G)
Spr. 1992Advanced Greek (U)
Fall 1992Intermediate Greek (U)
The Greek Thinkers (U)
Advanced Greek (U)
Spr. 1993Advanced Latin (U)
Advanced Greek (U)
Hesiod (G)
Fall 1993Advanced Latin (U)
Spr. 1994(none)
Fall 1994Ancient Political Theory (U)
Aeschylus (G)
Spr. 1995Seminar in Classical Studies: Ancient Rhetoric (U)
Advanced Greek (U)
Fall 1995History of Ancient Law (U)
Latin Rhetoric/Stylistic (G)
Comment: The second half of the course focused on a close reading of style in Ammianus Marcellinus. -T.L.
Spr. 1996Advanced Latin (U)
Advanced Greek (U)
Fall 1996Advanced Greek (U)
Petronius & Apuleius: Roman Novel (G)
Comment: Only Apuleius’' Metamorphoses was taught. The class read the whole text from beginning to end. -T.L.
Conversations of the West: Antiquity and the 19th Century (at N.Y.U.'s Morse Academic Plan) (V55.0404.008)
Spr. 1997Ancient Political Theory (U)
Advanced Greek (U)
Fall 1997Intermediate Greek: Plato (U)
Advanced Greek (U)
Conversations of the West: Antiquity and the Enlightenment (at N.Y.U.'s Morse Academic Plan) (V55.0403.008)
Spr. 1998Advanced Greek (U)
Caesar & Lucan (G)
Fall 1998(none)
Spr. 1999Greek & Roman Epic (U)
Aeschylus’, Persians (G)
Fall 1999Ancient Political Theory (U)
Herodotus (G)
Spr. 2000The Greek Thinkers (U)
Advanced Greek (U)
Greek Poetry from Homer to Hellenistic Period (G)
Fall 2000Advanced Latin (U)
History of Ancient Law (U)
Sophocles, Philoctetes (G)
Spr. 2001Advanced Greek (U)
The Greek Thinkers (U; cancelled)
Fall 2001Greek and Roman Epic (U): Iliad, Odyssey, Aeneid, Paradise Lost
Conversations of the West: Antiquity and the Renaissance (at N.Y.U.'s Morse Academic Plan) (V55.0402.027) (course completed by Prof. Holly Haynes)
Spr. 2002Vergil, Aeneid (G; cancelled)

Sources: N.Y.U. Classics Department, GSAS Bulletins (1966-1971), Washington Square College Bulletin (1967-1969), Vince Renzi and the students of Seth Benardete. Special thanks to Nancy Smith-Amer and the Bobst Library N.Y.U. Collection for their help in assembling this list.