In this course, students will translate and analyze two ancient Greek tragedies: Aeschylus' Suppliants (c. CLASSICS 463 BCE) and Euripides' Medea (CLASSICS 431 BCE). As the only extant tragedy from Greek antiquity featuring characters who explicitly reflect on their black skin color, Suppliants destabilizes a monolithic definition of alterity as fifty black Egyptian Greek women transform from frightened maidens into astute performers. In line with their interrogation of foreignness in the Suppliants, students will examine Euripides' characterization of Medea. Namely, after Medea learns that her husband will marry another woman, she kills her own children and leaves a foreign country with her safety intact. Altogether, students will increase their knowledge of Greek grammar and syntax and become familiar with essential aspects of Greek tragedy in primary and secondary sources.
3-5 units · Letter (ABCD/NP)
In this course, students will translate and analyze two ancient Greek tragedies: Aeschylus' Suppliants (c. 463 BCE) and Euripides' Medea (431 BCE). As the only extant tragedy from Greek antiquity featuring characters who explicitly reflect on their black skin color, Suppliants destabilizes a monolithic definition of alterity as fifty black Egyptian Greek women transform from frightened maidens into astute performers. In line with their interrogation of foreignness in the Suppliants, students will examine Euripides' characterization of Medea. Namely, after Medea learns that her husband will marry another woman, she kills her own children and leaves a foreign country with her safety intact. Altogether, students will increase their knowledge of Greek grammar and syntax and become familiar with essential aspects of Greek tragedy in primary and secondary sources.
Offered in Spring 2026 at Stanford University.