It is a truism that a great deal in modern Western culture defines an echo of ancient Greek culture. Indeed, the word “echo” is Greek. Other Greek words include “history,” “tragedy,” “poetry,” “philosophy” and “democracy.” In this course, we will learn about the development of these genres and institutions in the context of Hellenic social and political life. Other topics may include Greek art and religion, gender roles in ancient Athens and Sparta, the ancient roles of slavery and freedom, and the legacy of ancient Greek medicine and science.
We will read excerpts from the glorious and terrible accounts of the Persian and Peloponnesian wars provided by Herodotus and Thucydides. We will read tragedies by Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides and a comedy by Aristophanes. We will explore the bearing of these works on ancient Athenian life, the trail of Socrates, the genre and ideas developed by Plato, and our civic and cultural lives today. Specific readings will vary, depending on the semester.