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Your search for courses · tagged with CLAS Civ Historical Anlys · returned 6 results
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CLAS 145 Ancient Greek Religion 6 credits
Greek religion played a crucial role in how the ancient Greeks understood the world around them. Mythology and cosmology shaped their understanding of how the world worked, while the ritual of sacrifice formed the basis of the social fabric underpinning all aspects of Greek society. In this course we will learn about Greece’s polytheistic belief system–its gods and religious rites–as well as examining how religion shaped the daily lives of ordinary Greeks, often in surprising ways. We will read the works of ancient authors such as Homer and Hesiod, study the archaeological remains of sacred sites, inscriptions, and curse tablets, as well as engage with experimental archaeology.
Not offered in 2024-25
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CLAS 220 From the Horn to MelqartAs Pillars: African Perspectives in the Ancient Mediterranean 6 credits
Histories of the classical world often focus on the cultures of Greece and Rome, situated on the northern shores of the Mediterranean. But what can we discover if we ‘flip’ our map of the Mediterranean, putting African perspectives on top? In this class, we will engage with the artistic, literary, and archaeological evidence left to us by the Mediterranean societies of classical Africa, as well as the ways in which these societies are depicted by Greek and Roman sources. Topics covered include ancient Egypt, the colonial “middle ground” of North Africa, and other African cultures on the Mediterranean periphery.
Not offered in 2024-25
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CLAS 227 Athens, Sparta, and Persia 6 credits
Forged in the crucible of wars fought between cultures with diametrically opposed views on politics and society, the fifth century BC witnessed arts, philosophy, and science all flourish in thrilling new ways. The two radically different Greek states of Athens and Sparta first teamed up to defeat the invading Persian empire. While this shocking victory spurred their respective cultures to new heights, their political aspirations drove them to turn on each other and fight a series of wars over control of Greece–all the while with Persia waiting in the wings. We will study these events against the backdrop of the political, intellectual, and cultural achievements of Athens, Sparta and Persia, drawing on the rich body of literature and material culture from this period.
Not offered in 2024-25
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CLAS 229 The Collapse of the Roman Republic 6 credits
The class will investigate the factors that led a Republican government that had lasted for 700 years to fall apart, leading to twenty years of civil war that only ended with the rise of a totalitarian dictatorship. We will look at the economic, social, military, and religious factors that played key roles in this dynamic political period. We will also trace the rise and influence of Roman warlords, politicians, and personalities and how they changed Roman politics and society. We will study many of the greatest characters in Roman history, as well as the lives of everyday Romans in this turbulent time.
Not offered in 2024-25
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CLAS 240 Rome: From Village to Superpower 6 credits
This class will investigate how Rome rose from a humble village of outcasts and refugees to become the preeminent power in the entire Mediterranean. We will trace Rome’s political evolution from kings to the Republic, alongside their gradual takeover of the Italian peninsula. We will study how Rome then swiftly overpowered what had been the most powerful kingdoms in the Mediterranean and established themselves as dominant. Who were these Romans and what were their political, military, religious, and social systems that enabled them to accomplish so much? What critical events shaped their development and ultimately led to total political control of the Mediterranean world?
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HIST 131 Saints and Society in Late Antiquity 6 credits
In Late Antiquity (200-800 CE), certain men and women around the Mediterranean and beyond came to occupy a special place in the minds and lives of their contemporaries: they were known as holy men and women or saints. What led people to perceive someone as holy? What were the consequences of holiness for the persons themselves and the surrounding societies? When they intervene in their worlds, what are their sources of authority and power? How did these holy figures relate to the established institutions–secular and religious–that surrounded them? Working with a rich array of evidence, we will explore themes such as asceticism, embodied and verbal pedagogy, wealth and poverty, work, marginality, cultural difference, and protest/resistance. We will journey from the lands of Gaul, Italy, and Spain to North Africa and Egypt and the Holy Land, to Armenia and the Fertile Crescent.
Extra time
Not offered in 2024-25