Ancient Greece

Catalog description

This course provides a survey of Greek history from the Trojan War through the conquests of Alexander the Great. Topics include the formation of the Greek city-states with a focus on Sparta and Athens and the wars between them, the invention of democracy in Athens, the birth of the discipline of history, the development of philosophy, the trial and death of Socrates, and the spread of Greek culture to the borders of India because of the conquests of Alexander the Great. We will explore most aspects of Greek society, using Greek authors and artists to introduce much of the material. Attention is paid to the everyday life of ancient Greeks not just power politics.