COLORADO CLASSICS DAY 2020
CLASSICS IS COOL(ORADO)
OCTOBER 3, 2020
On Saturday October 3rd, the CU Boulder Department of Classics is proud to (virtually) host Colorado Classics Day, an educational outreach event connecting middle- and high-school students from across the state with faculty at Boulder and other colleges throughout Colorado. Â鶹ÒùÔº will learn fun facts about the ancient world, see how college Classicists teach their favorite subjects, and even get advice about majoring in Classics or pursuing it as a career!
PASSWORD (for all Zoom meetings): magnasaxa
All Talks Streaming At:
10 A.M.: Welcome Address
Dimitri Nakassis, CU Boulder
Zachary Herz, CU Boulder/Colorado Classics Association
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10:15 A.M.: Session 1
Class A: A Day at the Roman Circus Isabel Köster, CU Boulder
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In this session we will learn about Roman chariot racing, the most popular and widespread form of entertainment in the Roman world. We will look at the visual, archaeological, and textual evidence for at the Roman races and focus especially on how fans expressed their enthusiasm for the event and on what we know about Roman race horses (which could become celebrities in their own right).
Class B: (in)Famous: Actors and Acting in Ancient Rome Andrew Lund, Colorado College
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From advertisements to Hollywood blockbusters (and all the tabloid sites in between), we encounter actors nearly every day. Today, these talented men and women can acquire great fame, fortune, and notoriety. But what was it like for actors in ancient Rome, and what can we say about their craft? Join us as we learn about the men (and in some cases, women!) who performed on the dramatic stage, and attempt to reconstruct how an actor might have transformed into Agamemnon or Medea for a performance through things like gesture, movement, costume, voice modulation, and masks. Travel to the stages and theaters in which these actors performed, and learn what the Romans thought about actors and their profession!
Class C: Write like Achilles Elizabeth Bowman, CU Boulder
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Learn about the Mycenaeans (they're the Greeks who fought in the Trojan War) and about Linear B, the script that palace scribes employed to write Mycenaean Greek. Participants will be introduced to the Linear B syllabary (syllabic alphabet) and will have the opportunity to write their names and a few key Mycenaean words in this ancient script.
OPTIONAL MATERIALS: If participants would like to create their own lasting clay tablet, they should purchase bakeable polymer clay and styli (many inexpensive options are available on Amazon or similar) in advance. Otherwise, full participation in the workshop requires only paper and writing utensils (fun colored pencils or markers are recommended).
Class D: The Art of Speaking Out: From Rome to Colorado Brittney Szempruch, United States Air Force Academy
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Calling all Ciceros! Â鶹ÒùÔº will be well on their way to speaking like senators after this brief introduction to Roman rhetoric. After an overview of the role of rhetoric in Rome, try your hand at one of the exercises that would have helped young Romans enter the world of public discourse.
11:15 A.M.: Session 2
Class E: Riddles of the Sphinx Travis Rupp, CU Boulder
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The Sphinx, located in front of Khafre’s pyramid in Egypt, is the largest and one of the most recognizable monolithic statues in the world, but what do we really know about it? This presentation will explore the many theories on who carved it and why. Though popularly known, there are many unanswered riddles for this magnificent piece of art.
Class F: Classics...in Space!!!!! Clayton Schroer, Colorado College
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Gods and other mythical creatures fly over your head every year, and you likely don’t even recognize them! Every month, pegasus, centaurs, a minotaur, and— one day soon—even Artemis herself loft American satellites and astronauts into the heavens. In this presentation, you’ll learn more about the peculiar but fascinating reception of the Greco-Roman antiquities in the realm of American rockets and space programs. You’ll learn about Hermes lifting Mercury into space, about Apollo’s missions to the lunar realm of his sister Diana, and why for a long time Latin was the only language astronauts could use in very particular but important circumstances.
Class G: It’s Not Easy Conquering the World: The Roman Legions and the Second Punic War Ian Oliver, Regis University
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The Roman military was one of the greatest fighting forces in history. We're lucky too that an ancient historian, Polybius, has recorded a pretty full description of what it looked like early on. But it wasn't all unicorns and rainbows. I'll talk about the challenges that Rome faced when the great Carthaginian general Hannibal crossed the Alps, and how the legions (eventually) succeeded in meeting the threat.
1:00 P.M.: Panel Discussion
Majoring in Classics... It’s Pretty Major
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Professors from all over Colorado will discuss how students can turn their passion for the ancient world into a college degree. We’ll be on hand to explain the different kinds of Classics majors our schools offer (No Latin? No problem!), as well as clubs, study abroad, and even archaeological digs.
2:00 P.M.: Closing Remarks
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