It was six in the evening when the van broke down. Along with her Latin 101 and 301 students, Visiting Assistant Professor of Classics Claudia Zatta was stuck in Chicago as night fell swiftly on the windy city.
Being a teacher in a foreign country is demanding. But having problems on a field trip made the job all the more difficult.
Not that Professor Zatta was under qualified. In fact, a history of commitment to a Classical education and an international outlook makes her a valuable help to the liberal arts atmosphere of Wabash College.
Zatta began her study of Greek and Latin at fourteen in a Classical high school in Italy. She then attended the University of Padua (founded in 1222) in Italy for her laurea in Classical Studies, then won a scholarship to attend Boston University for a semester of graduate studies.
Zatta returned to Padua for post-graduate work in anthropology. After some time in the American Academy in Rome and the University of Chicago, she worked in the American School of Classical Studies in Athens for two years as part of her Ph.D. program. She received her Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins in 2004.
Teaching at universities from Buffalo, New York to Eugene, Oregon, Zatta has taught classes primarily in Greek and Latin.
Her resume outside the classroom is just as outstanding. Zatta published her first book, Incontri con Proteo, in 1997. The book explores the Greek god Proteus “the Old Man of the Sea,” a shape shifting god who appears in the Odyssey of the island of Pharos.
She helped in Djerba (purportedly the island of the Lotus-Eaters in the Odyssey) as part of an archeological survey of an island by the American Academy in Rome to reconstruct the history of the island in looking for Punic Roman and medieval settlements
With such a vast experience it’s easy to see how a woman like this fits in at Wabash College. Yet her focus is not entirely in the past. Zatta believes the study of Classics remains relevant in today’s world.
“For the ancient Greeks, the reflection about human beings and their position in the world took center stage,” said Zatta. “Their texts reveal a profound humanism and touch upon core values that are still present today, such as the nature of justice or democracy, what is happiness, the importance of friendship, etc.”
Friendship certainly saved the day for the Latin students’ trip to Chicago. Fortunately, students knew Chicagoan Adrian Mendoza (’08), who jumpstarted the van so the group could continue on its way. “I think that it is a Wabash story in the sense that it shows the connections that may arise amongst good students.”
This type of environment helps her as a teacher; “there is more cooperation in the classrooms—a desire to help one another,” said Zatta. “It creates an environment that is pleasant and not stressful to work in.”
This semester, she’s taught three classes: Latin 101, Greek 201 and Latin 301. The introductory Latin class is perhaps most effectively described by Grayson Stone (’12): “I don't know how she can be so patient with me.” The class focuses on the fundamentals with an emphasis on vocabulary. Greek 201 (“the wonderful four,” as Zatta affectionately calls her small class) has read from a variety of texts including an oration by Lysias relating to gender relations and Plato’s Apology. Latin 301 translated poetry and prose of the age of Caesar, from authors like Lucretius, Cicero, Catullus and Caesar. The class explored the authors and the works themselves within the context of Classical literary and philosophical traditions.
The plans for the future remain strong. She will be teaching Latin 102, a continuation of the introductory course, enabling students “to read good Latin prose and poetry” and augment their understanding of English etymology and Latin syntax. A Greek 302 will read Oedipus Rex. Classics 102 will read translations of fifth-century Greek examples of comedy and tragedy and attempt to reconstruct an ancient understanding of the texts as well as understanding their impact in today’s world.
In the spirit of juxtaposition, Professor Zatta compares listening to students from Florence, Italy to witnessing her first Chapel Sing. “[The Italian song] was more singing and less shouting,” she said, “but it was still a moment of bonding.” Professor Zatta seeks to examine “the connection with what happens here and what happens outside Wabash. The moment when we compare the two experiences is a fruitful moment.”