Greek Civilization

Fall 2021

Greek Civilization

Listed in: Classics, as CLAS-123  |  Sexuality, Women's and Gender Studies, as SWAG-123

Formerly listed as: CLAS-23

Faculty

Frederick T. Griffiths (Section 01)

Description

(Offered as CLAS 123 and SWAG 123) We read in English the major authors from Homer in the 8th century BCE to Plato in the 4th century in order to trace the emergence of epic, lyric poetry, tragedy, comedy, history, and philosophy. How did the Greek enlightenment, and through it Western culture, emerge from a few generations of people moving around a rocky archipelago? How did folklore and myth develop into various forms of “rationality”: science, history, and philosophy? What are the implications of male control over public and private life and the written record? What can be inferred about ancient women if they cannot speak for themselves in the texts? How does slavery work in a culture when it is based on capture rather than racial difference? What do we hear when people in bondage are given voice in epic and drama? Other authors include Sappho, Herodotus, Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes, and Thucydides. The course seeks to develop the skills of close reading and persuasive argumentation.

The requirements are three essays, the first ungraded, as well as two take-home, open book tests with time and word limits.

Three class hours per week. Fall semester. Professor Griffiths.

Offerings