HIST 310 - The Greek And Roman World

Credit(s): 3
This course will explore classical Greece and Rome, the two civilizations that lie at the foundation of Western society. The course will begin with the rise of the Greek city-states and, in that context, will explore developments and innovations in political institutions, law, philosophy, religion and the arts. Attention will be paid to competing political and cultural programs among the Greek city-states, Greek military and cultural imperialism under Athenian democracy and Alexander the Great and to changes over time. Further, the course will outline the conditions and dynamics that allowed for the emergence of a powerful Roman city-state, dominant in the Italian Peninsula, and later in the Mediterranean and Western Europe. It will explore the culture, economy, and political institutions of the Roman Republic and outline factors that led to its transition to the Empire. Finally, factors leading to the break-up of the Empire will be discussed, and those forms and institutions enduring into the European Middle Ages will be highlighted.

Prerequisites: HIST 101 or permission of the instructor.
Course Level: Undergraduate