Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2026 - HUM 110 D100

The Greek World (3)

Class Number: 4752

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 9 – Dec 7, 2026: Wed, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Interdisciplinary introduction to Greek culture in different periods. Using various sources and materials the course explores continuities and ruptures, evolutions and revolutions, and the impact such issues have on the imagination of people today. Students with credit for HS 100 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities.

COURSE DETAILS:

 

On a small corner of Europe, a people still speaks the language of Plato. This ancient land, visited every year by millions of tourists, is rich in history and culture. The course before you is a study of this land and of the Greek world at large from the time when civilization first stirred in the Aegean Sea through the modern age, by which time Greek ideas and the Greeks themselves have truly gone global. 

From the dawn of civilization in the Near East we move to Homer’s heroic times, and then examine the rise of city-states, study the vibrancy of the Athenian Democracy and the stark might of militaristic Sparta and mythical Thebes. Alexander the Great takes us to the rich Hellenistic world of the east. We then explore the lives of the Greeks and the afterlife of their ideas in the Roman era when the teachings of Jesus are recorded in Greek into the New Testament and preached by St Paul by the Acropolis. Then we visit Byzantium’s palaces, where Christian Roman emperors speak Greek. By the time of the Renaissance Byzantine intellectuals teach Greek philosophy to Italian aristocrats in Florence while merchants link, by way of trade, new and old Greek communities in Ottoman Constantinople, Venice, and Odessa. As we arrive at the 19th c. Greek speakers and Christians of the Ottoman Empire reconfigure themselves as a nation of Greeks that seeks a place in an emerging world of nations, even as many of those very same Greeks travel the world seeking a better life in the Diaspora. Our journey ends in the present, reflecting on the economic crisis of the 2010s, cutting edge cinema, refugee movements, and globalized tourism. 

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

Students taking The Greek World will acquire a concrete sense of the significance of the Greek experience and achievement, setting both in a global context and considering their importance for the citizen of the 21st century. Through word, sound, image, reason and emotion they will be introduced to the rich history and culture of the Greeks and have their interest stirred about the world of Hellenism. Join us then for a journey through The Greek World. 

Grading

  • In class lecture quizzes (every two weeks) 10%
  • Class Participation 15%
  • In class Test 1 (identify term/name, Multiple Choice, Short Essay, 50 mins) 25%
  • In class Test 2 (identify term/name, Multiple Choice, Short Essay, 50 mins) 25%
  • In class Test 3 (identify term/name, Multiple Choice, Short Essay, 50 mins) 25%

NOTES:

This is a team-taught course, course instructors include: D. Krallis, E. Kotsovili, E. Freeman, S. Sofos. 

This course fulfills the Global Humanities requirements for the

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

All reading materials will be provided for free on Canvas in PDF form or through SFU library online links. 

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.

To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit: 


RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.