Love in the Ancient World

Catalog description

This course is intended for all CARS majors and minors as a capstone covering the topic of love as a central pillar of human thought in the cultures of the ancient Mediterranean world, most especially in Greek, Roman, and Hebrew cultures. Engaging with primary and secondary sources, archaeological data, historical narratives, and comparative studies, students develop an inclusive humanistic view of the range of subjects taught in the department by looking at them all through the prism of love. The wide variety of human expressions and descriptions of love in literature, poetry, and in historical, philosophical, and religious texts is explored, as is evidence drawn from material culture such as epitaphs, inscriptions, papyri, art, and architecture. This course also emphasizes the development of oral presentation skills.