Greece and the Political Imagination

Catalog description

As a region once comprised of many city-states, transformed into an empire, occupied by foreign armies, and now unified as a nation-state, Greece plays a pivotal role in the political imagination. Themes of freedom, war, justice, heroism, piety, beauty, love, tyranny, democracy, colonialism, nationalism, immigration, and sovereignty pervade its rich literary, artistic, and intellectual heritage. This course examines how these themes are expressed in literary and artistic political works that reflect the history of Greece in all of its variety. These themes are also discussed through a survey of Greek political philosophy from antiquity to the present. The class will meet regularly on the Rochester campus in the spring semester for discussions and assignments. After the spring semester, coursework will continue in the summer while studying abroad for two to three weeks in Greece, which is mandatory. Students will receive an “Incomplete” in the spring semester, which will be changed after completing the summer travel