Lecturer
Office
Learning Services Building 336
Office Hours
Spring 2023: Thursdays 2:00p.m. to 4:00p.m.
Dr. Nathaniel Katz earned his PhD in Classics at the University of Texas at Austin and his BA from Kenyon College. He is a Roman historian researching Roman imperial self-representation and regime change. His current research examines Roman imperial assassinations with a particular focus on the political affordances those moments of sudden violence gave the various actors in Roman politics. His other work uses literature, documentary sources, and coins to see how the emperor’s subjects reacted to his political messaging. He also once got a perfect score in Seinfeld trivia.
Currently Teaching
LAT 101 – Elementary Latin I
An introduction to the basic morphology, syntax and vocabulary of Latin through reading and composition.
LAT 102 – Elementary Latin II
A second semester introduction to the basic morphology, syntax and vocabulary of Latin through reading and composition.
CLAS 160B1 – Meet the Ancients: Gateway to Greece and Rome
Journey into the past to discover the worlds of the ancient Greeks and Romans. From democracy and republicanism to literature, philosophy and art, the contributions of these two cultures serve as the foundation for much of what has been described as ""western"" culture. This course explores who these peoples were, how these civilizations developed, what ideas and institutions they created, and why the Greeks and Romans matter today.
Through this exploration into the Greco-Roman world, this course builds connections between the multiple types of evidence that scholars draw upon to paint a picture of the ancient past. Close readings of texts provide a humanistic perspective on classical culture; archaeological data inform us about social scientific trends in demography and economics; environmental evidence from ice cores, botanical remains, and soil samples enable a natural science perspective on the past; and some of the world¿s most famous objects ¿from the Venus di Milo to Grecian vases ¿allow for artistic insights. In this course, students will evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each disciplinary approach to understanding the past, and ultimately weave together multiple strands of evidence to create their signature assignment.
Upon completing ¿Meet the Ancients¿, students will not only have a better understanding of Greco-Roman history and culture, they will, above all, have a deeper understanding of the different perspectives used to approach ancient history and the skills to evaluate and synthesize diverse types of evidence.
CLAS 160D2 – Classical Mythology: Ancient Stories and What they Tell Us
The myths, legends, and folktales of the Greeks, Romans and the peoples of the ancient Near East have remained popular for thousands of years. Together we¿ll not only learn about these stories themselves, but also think about why these stories are so popular, where they came from, and what insights they give us into the various people and cultures who created and reinterpreted them across the millennia.