The Ancient Mediterranean World

4 credits · Undergraduate

This course examines the history of the ancient Mediterranean world, from the rise of states and complex societies c. 3000 BCE to the reign of the first Christian Roman emperor, Constantine, in the fourth century CE. The first part of the course introduces students to the main regions and historical periods of the wider Mediterranean basin. The second part of the course proceeds thematically and considers a wide range of topics, including demography, mobility, economy, political organization, rulership, warfare, social hierarchy, sex and gender, slavery, revolution and resistance, religion and beliefs, and cultural production. The course concludes with a set of comparative perspectives, ancient and modern.