CLST 200
Type: 200 level
Units: 3.00
Term: Fall 2024
Instructor: Dr. Skaltsa
Delivery: In-Person
Textbook: Pomeroy, S.B. et al. 2019, A Brief History of Ancient Greece: Politics, Society, Culture, 4th edition, Oxford University Press
Did the Trojan War really happen? Under what circumstances did Greek identity come into being? What did Alexander’s conquests’ hope to achieve? This course by offering a comprehensive overview of the Ancient Greek World from the Late Bronze Age to the death of Cleopatra will try to tackle these questions and many more, while pointing to new evidence, to problems with our sources, and to the gaps that remain in our understanding. After all, Greek history is still in the making.
We will examine a range of social, political and cultural developments from Archaic to Hellenistic times, with special focus on some major powers, such as Sparta, Athens, Thebes and the kingdom of Macedon. We will also explore how the Greeks interacted with other cultures of the ancient world and periodically pause to enquire about the relevance of the study of Greek history in modern debates.