Western Civilization I: The Classical World

Course Description: This course focuses on the foundations of Western Civilization by examining the history, language, and culture of significant peoples of classical antiquity, with a particular focus on Greece and Rome. The course begins with Homer and the emergence of epic Greek poetry in approximately the 8th century BC, explores the rise and expansion of Greek civilization and its interactions with the Near East, and addresses the successes of the Roman Republic and the development of the Republic into the Roman Empire, concluding with a brief examination of the fall of the Western Roman Empire. Topics of interest for the course include the emergence of various political systems in the classical world (including Athenian democracy), the geopolitical struggles and successes of the Greek states and Rome in their interactions with their neighbors, and the foundation that these events established for Western Civilization as a whole. In addition to the historical approach taken by this course, the impact of linguistic, cultural, and artistic developments on the civilization in which we currently live are considered. The course emphasizes lecture, student participation, and essay writing—discussion is highly encouraged.

Course Objectives: By the end of the course,

1. The student will be able to construct and express, both verbally and in writing, a coherent framework for the development of Western Civilization from its origins with the Greeks until the flourishing and incipient fall of the Roman Empire.

2. The student will be able to trace the origins of Western culture, language, and law to developments that occurred in classical antiquity.

3. The student will comprehend and be able to express, both verbally and in writing, the reasons underlying major events in classical antiquity and to connect those events with one another to form an overarching conception of the development of Western Civilization during this time.

4. The student will be able to take and defend a position of his or her own choosing regarding a significant topic related to the history, language, or culture of the classical world using sound reasoning and argumentation.

Prerequisites: None