Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Spring 2026 - WL 400 D100

Early Literary Cultures (4)

Class Number: 2780

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 5 – Apr 10, 2026: Fri, 12:30–4:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    45 units including two 300-level courses in world literature, English, and/or humanities.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Explores ancient literatures and text networks. May focus on the themes of heroism, war, the rise of ethical systems, love and sexuality from pre-history to the 7th century CE.

COURSE DETAILS:

Early Literary Cultures. Food in the Ancient World
This course explores how ancient cultures imagined food as the foundation of civilization, morality, and identity. Across the ancient world, to eat was never merely to survive –it was to participate in divine order, social hierarchy, and cosmic balance. Through readings from Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, Egypt and Mesoamerica, as well as from the Judeo-Christian tradition, we will trace how feasts, fasts, sacrifices, and banquets shaped early conceptions of the human condition. Students will consider how food reveals questions of ethics, gender, power, and spirituality that continue to haunt modern cultures of consumption.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

  • Interpret ancient literary texts through the interdisciplinary lens of Food Studies.
  • Understand food as a symbolic and ethical language in ancient societies.
  • Compare representations of eating, fasting, and sacrifice across different civilizations.
  • Examine how food connects to broader discourses of gender, class, and the divine.
  • Develop original arguments connecting ancient food imaginaries to modern theoretical frameworks.

Grading

  • Attendance & Participation 10%
  • Oral Report (presented individually) 15%
  • Midterm 20%
  • Final Research Essay (10 pages) 25%
  • Final Exam 30%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

  • The Epic of Gilgamesh
  • Selections from The Bible
  • Selected Chapters from Homer, The Odyssey
  • Hesiod, Works and Days
  • Plato, Symposium
  • Petronius, Satyricon
  • Selected Chapters from The Book of the Dead
  • Popol Vuh

Additional reading/viewing material will be provided by the instructor on Canvas.


REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

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.