Animals in the Greco-Roman World

Animals are an important part of any culture. This is especially true for the civilizations of the ancient world, which used animals not only for food and companionship but also for labor power, medicine and entertainment. In this class, we will explore the role of animals in the civilizations of the Greco-Roman world, looking at both practical uses and literary or artistic portrayals. We will focus on ancient beliefs about animals that now seem strange to us (kneeless elephants, self-castrating beavers, venomous mice, etc.), and we will try to explain how those beliefs came to be so widely held.