As inhabitants of the West, our culture often invokes the influence of the Greeks and Romans without understanding the contributions the Ancient Near East (today's Middle East) bequeathed to the Greeks and Romans. Thus the class will study the cultures of ancient Mesopotamia (Iraq), Persia (Iran), Turkey (Hittites and Troy), Syria (including Palestine), Phoenicia (Lebanon), and the defeat of the Persians under Alexander the Great and examine its impact on the cultures of Greece and Rome.

Classical Archaeology introduces students to the material culture of the Greco-Roman world as well as the methodologies that allow scholars to reconstruct such a distant time period. Students develop an appreciation of the contributions of the Greeks and Romans in such fields as art, architecture, urban planning, and landscape that will enable the student to appreciate the extensive impact such a culture (or cultures) had on the evolution of Western culture. Within the scope of the course, students look at the formative periods of the Greco-Roman world, from the period of Iron Age Greece to the transitional period of the late antique. In addition, students learn how to distinguish between different artistic styles (archaic, classical, Hellenistic, Roman, etc.).

The World of Late Antiquity studies the transformation of what had been the Roman Empire, beginning with the reign of Diocletian, into the worlds of Byzantium, Islam, and the West. In this course, the student focuses on the major political, social, and cultural changes from 284-750 when the culture is no longer considered "classical." Students will also discover how ancient civilizations, as we understand them, disappear for all time and how in the deeply fragmented remains of a once-homogeneous world three different (Medieval, Byzantine, and Islamic) cultures arise. The impact of Christianity's emergence is central to the study of this period.

A study of how the Greeks and Romans perceived those who lived outside their respective cultures, how they interacted with them, how they treated marginalized elements of their society (women, slaves, foreigners), and how they reacted to physical differences that existed among races. In sum, the course deals with definitions of gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, and "otherness" in general (using both modern and ancient definitions). Fall.

An introduction on how to conduct research through the focus on one topic from the following disciplines: philosophy, religion, or classics. The class will focus on learning how to distinguish and evaluate primary and secondary sources; to write a researched paper; to recognize different approaches (theoretical) to a given topic; and to become familiar with the work of representative classicists/philosophers/theologians/ historians. Offered only in spring term.

An intensive and interdisciplinary approach to one of the most seminal periods in Western history: the Age of Pericles. Called the Golden Age of Athens, this period bequeathed to Western culture ethical philosophy, the ideals of democracy, the classical style as perfected in the Parthenon, and masterpieces of tragedy and history. Students will read the literature of the time, study Athens' monuments and art, and come to understand how, under the driving force of one person, all these disciplines interacted with each other

Students gain archaeological experience in the field with an orientation that focuses on the period(s) of the site, its history, its ancient context and so forth.