LAPI 827 - Greece: Democracy and Empire

Greece: Democracy and Empire is an introduction to classical Greece. It explores the historic forces, intellectual currents, cultural and social phenomena that shaped fifth century Athens and analyzes the tensions between imperialistic aspirations and artistic production. The course looks the development of colonial settlements during the Archaic period to understand the fundamental institutions which defined and ultimately spelled out the demise of classical Greece. Through the bulk of the semester, however, we focus on the historical events that shaped the Hellenic culture: the Persian and Peloponnesian Wars. We investigate the way in which the wars depended on and challenged the ideas about humanness and civilizations which the Greeks thought central and unique to their own culture to see how these events ultimately influenced, shaped and altered Greek drama. As we read the plays, we resort to both extant theoretical writings on dance and the vase painting to understand their performative aspect.

Prerequisites & Notes
LACR 102

Credits: 3 cr, 3 hrs