Labor in the Ancient World

Catalog description

This course looks at different aspects of work and working in the wider ancient Mediterranean world. From Roman soldiers stationed in Britain to Athenian sex workers and Pompeian gladiators to Babylonian merchants, we will delve into what kind of jobs were considered notorious, risky, or highly specialized and coveted. We will also consider how someone’s personal status (as, for example, a male citizen, or a free woman, or enslaved person) affected their access to economic opportunities and created economic inequality. No prior knowledge of the ancient world is necessary. (HIST-HEU, HIST-HPE)