HST221 The Ancient World, Greece and Rome

[3–0, 3 cr.]

This course introduces the history of ancient Greece and Rome. Starting with the development of poleis in Greece and Rome from the 8th century BCE onwards, and ending with the reign of the emperor Justinian in the 6th century AD, the course covers landmark events such as the Persian Wars (490-449 BCE), the Peloponnesian wars (431-404), the conquests of Alexander the Great (356-323 BC), the imperial expansion of Rome from the Punic Wars onwards, the rise of Christianity and the Edict of Milan (312 AD), the rise of Constantinople as imperial capital, and finally the various attacks on Rome by Huns, Goths and Germans in the 5th and 6th centuries. Students will engage with a variety of primary and secondary sources. Famous ancient authors such as Plato, Herodotus and Cicero may be discussed, but we will also look at archaeological remains, classical art and epigraphy. The course may focus on themes such as the birth of democracy, imperialism, causes for decline and progress and the ancient economy.

Prerequisite: ENG202 Advanced Academic English