Have you ever wondered where the months of the year got their names? Are you curious where our modern calendar comes from? Have you ever read your horoscope for fun and wondered about some of the stories behind the names and symbols of the different zodiac signs? Do you want to learn how to read and write Roman numerals? Have you ever wondered where stories of werewolves came from? Are you fascinated by tales of myth and legend? Do you love stories of gods and heroes? Are you curious about the ancient Greeks and Romans and the world they inhabited? Do you want to impress your friends with your knowledge of how the ancient world of Greeks and Romans still shows up in unexpected places in our world today? Are you still not totally sure what it means to study "classics?" 

If you answered "yes" to one or all of these questions, then this class is for you! The classical world remains extraordinarily influential in our modern day lives, and as a famous Roman by the name of Cicero once said, "Not to know what happened before you were born is to always be a child." In order to know more about our world today, we must look to the past and the people who inhabited it. Everything from the English language (not to mention modern Romance languages like Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian) to the months of the year to many governmental and legal systems in the Western world owe their origins to the Greeks and Romans. We still tell the mythological stories of the Greeks and Romans today. Art, including fine art, literature, film, and television, still looks to the classical world for inspiration. Even some of the mottoes of many countries, universities, and institutions come to us from the ancient world. 

In this class, we'll discuss a different classical topic each week. Games, discussion, slideshows--all of these will be a part of this class. This is an ongoing class, so learners can feel free to join or to leave at any time; each meeting stands alone and does not assume knowledge from prior meetings. Further, though learners can expect to be exposed to etymology and some Greek and Latin phrases, no knowledge of either language is required. Though this class can be a good complement for learners who are enrolled in one of my Latin courses (or any Latin--or Greek!--course, for that matter), as it can be a source of greater context for these languages, learners should not feel that they need to have any previous knowledge of classics, classical languages, or mythology to enroll in this class (if they do, that's also awesome!). As this is designed as a club-style class, discussion is very much encouraged, and learners should feel empowered to bring their own questions, thoughts, and ideas to class, as well as any knowledge they may have. Some class meetings may make use of online games through Kahoot or Blooket; this would require learners to use a code to access the game through the respective websites or apps. Learners will be informed of this via a post in the classroom prior to the class meeting so that they can be sure they are prepared to participate.

Though I very much wish for learner interest and preferences to be taken into account when choosing weekly topics, and I wish for learners to feel free to make requests, the current schedule of topics for the first many weeks can be found below (please note that these topics will be updated should additional class meetings past these initial weeks be added). 

Week of November 14th: Roman Numerals
Week of November 21st: **NO CLASS--THANKSGIVING**
Week of November 28th: Ghosts, Monsters, and Ghouls:  Greek and Roman stories of ghosts, werewolves, and other creatures that go bump in the night
Week of December 5th: The stories behind the months of the year and discussion of the Roman calendar
Week of December 12th: All about the Roman festival and holiday of Saturnalia!
Week of December 19th: **NO CLASS--CHRISTMAS**
Week of December 26th: The history of New Year's Day
Week of January 2nd: Infamous Roman Emperors: Caligula
Week of January 9th: The first six zodiac signs (Aries-Virgo) and the mythological stories behind them (PLEASE NOTE: This class session is not designed to present astrology from a pseudoscientific perspective. The zodiac "signs" are all Latin words ("leo" means "lion" in Latin, "gemini" means "twins," "taurus" means "bull," etc.), and so there is yet another link between our modern-day world and the classical world; further, each "sign" is linked to a constellation that has a Greek mythological story behind it. The intention is to provide learners with an introduction to Latin words and their meaning, as well as to explore some Greek/Roman mythological stories. The zodiac signs simply provide us with the jumping off point.)
Week of January 19th: The last six zodiac signs (Libra-Pisces) and the mythological stories behind them (AGAIN, PLEASE  NOTE: This class session does not concentrate on astrology or offer a pseudoscientific perspective. The class concentrates on the Latin etymology of the names for the various "signs" and also explains the mythological stories linked to the constellations associated with each sign.) 
Week of January 24th: Infamous Roman Emperors: Nero
Week of January 30th: **NO CLASS**
Week of February 6th: Stories Behind Some of the Most Famous Constellations
Week of February 13th: Ancient Roman Houses
Week of February 20th: Roman Baths
Week of February 27th: The Original Celebrity Athletes: Gladiators
Week of March 6th: Roman Republican Government
Week of March 13th: School and Studies in Ancient Greece and Rome

This is a relaxed, casual, club-style class where learners should feel free to bring snacks, to wear their most comfortable clothes, and to relax and have fun. Learners can feel comfortable interacting with their classmates and with me. Come and join us as we explore some of the coolest customs, traditions, stories, and history of the classical world.