An update on our classicist

I enjoy lovely, philosophical talks with my ds the classicist. We discuss books, movies, theology, teaching, current events, philosophy...and it's always stimulating and fun! I have become his "bus stop buddy": he calls when waiting for and riding the bus home. I love that connection!

This week I got an update on where he stands in his studies, and some of you like to be kept informed about such things, so here we go. Ben has passed all his Latin comps, and has one more Greek translation comp to pass early next fall. He plans on taking care of his reading comprehensives in 3 modern languages, too: two this summer, Lord willing (German, French and Italian.) He has been given the "green light" to proceed with his "Special Author" study. This is not only a great nod to keep moving, but an implicit go-ahead on his thesis topic for his doctorate: a MAJOR step! his doctoral thesis will have something to do with the Eclogues, a set of 8 pastoral poems by Virgil. For more details, you'll have to ask him.

The "special author" means he is to become an expert: dig a deep hole in one author or time period. Usually, one becomes an expert on the person you are studying for your dissertation, but they don't allow you to do that with Homer or Virgil since the literature is overwhelming. So Ben will be studying late Helenistic poetry as his 'special", including Theocritus, Bion, and Kolymicus, along with the Argonautica (the epic poem of Jason, the Argonauts, the golden fleece, etc.). He will complie a bibliography of 80 - 100 works that he knows well from this time period, and read a minimum of 200 pages in the original (Greek) and will have a set of papers to write. one will be on historical context, one will be on textual traditions of the time period, ad there may be others as well. Then he will have a 2-hour translation test, and a 2-hour essay test from his faculty supervisor. The professor he was assigned is tough and knowledgeable, so Ben is excited at the prospects. And thi is what he loves. there may also be an oral exam. And all this to have the priviledge of working on your thesis!

Way to go, Ben! We are so proud of you!