Classics

This course takes you through the history of the Greek world during one of its most significant periods. It examines the relationships between Greek cities, and in particular the Peloponnesian War between Athens and its allies, and Sparta and its allies. It also looks at the importance of the Persian empire in this period, and examines social issues including democracy, slavery, and gender roles and relations.

Ancient Greek and Roman literature (covering a period from approximately 800 BCE to 500 CE) is in many ways the basis of our own culture and our own way of thinking; numerous literary texts produced in classical antiquity have been highly influential on the literature of later periods and remain so to this day. This course provides an overview of the literary history of the classical world and presents, in its main part, an introduction to the most important works of Greek and Roman literature. All texts are read in translation.

This course involves the study of major literary genres of importance for the European literary tradition in translation. It is suitable for students of Classics as well as outside Classics, because it aims to help students to read widely and to engage with a broad range of literary-critical issues. The course focuses on Homer, but also includes reference to other archaic epics (e.g. Hesiod). Issues discussed include structure, plot, and character of the epics, the role of the gods, war and battle scenes, issues of gender and social values, the reception of Homer in later ages.