Ancient Greek Civilization

Course description: From our alphabet and architecture to the notion of "school" itself, we can feel Greek influence. But how did a tiny civilization scattered across the islands of the Mediterannean come to have such a lasting impact on our world? This course attempts to chart the evolution of what—for want of a better word—we call Ancient Greek civilization, that vast umbrella that extends over two continents, three millennia, and hundreds of millions of individuals. This course's area of study is vast (~1500 B.C.E. to 200 C.E.) with particular attention given to Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic periods. By the end of this course, successful students will have a strong familiarity with the mythology, literature, politics, architecture, philosophy, history, and religion of this rich and multifaceted world.

Text book:

• Pomeroy, S.B. et al. A Brief History of Ancient Greece: Politics, Society and Culture, 4th ed. Oxford University Press, 2017.

Reading list:

• Homer, The Iliad (trans. Robert Fagles)

• Hesiod, Theogony (trans. M. L. West)

• Herodotus (selections)

• Sappho and Alcaeus

• Aeschylus, Agamemnon (trans. Fagles)

• Thucydides (selections)

• Aristophanes, Lysistrata (trans. Stephen Halliwell)

• Sophocles, Antigone (trans. Fagles)

• Plutarch, Alexander Romance

• Callimachus, Aetia (selections)

• Juvenal, Satire 2