Overview

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Surveys the history of Greek civilization from Mycenaean Greece to the twentieth century. Students who have taken HIST 307 under this topic or HIST 277 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities.

COURSE DETAILS:

NB: The bulk of this course will be conducted online; weekly lectures will be offered in person and via videoconferencing.

Having been asked on his deathbed to whom he bequests his empire, Alexander the Great, according to a legend, responded: “To the best one.” Thus, began to develop legends about the great general and king of Macedon and Asia, Alexander who is to be known as Great. Similarly, tales and myths have evolved around other Greek kings, masters, slaves, heroes, and even whole cities so that the Ancient Greeks would be able to explain and remember their own great past.  

This course follows the socioeconomic and political evolution of Greek civilization from c. 3000 BCE and the rise of the first sedentary culture of the Minoans in Crete to 146 BCE when the Greek city-states of Greece were conquered by the Romans. It examines the outcomes of migration, the rise of cities, development of trade, economy and colonialism in the Ancient Greek world.  

Throughout the semester, students learn about the shifts in power relations between different city-states in Greece, as well as of the role non-Greek cultures played in developing a specifically Greek identity. Under the guise of common faith, language, and ancestors the Greeks developed a sense of being the same vs. the rest of the world which they saw as very different from their own. The contact between the Greeks and ‘the other’ also encouraged cultural exchange, which helped shape a distinctly Hellenic civilization.  

By engaging in an in-depth reading and analysis of primary sources, students are exposed to questions of historical significance that are important not only for understanding the Ancient Greek world, but other historical periods as well. By reading and writing about these documents, students will be introduced to the processes by which historians derive interpretative conclusions from primary source material and will deepen their understanding of the vital analytical tools that promote critical thinking. Students learn about Ancient Greek history either by reading relevant chapters from academic books or by listening to recorded lectures. By being exposed to both written and audio-visual materials, course participants are able to develop their comprehensive skills that stem from both reading and listening.