About this course: This is a survey of ancient Greek history from the Bronze Age to the death of Socrates in 399 BCE. Along with studying the most important events and personalities, we will consider broader issues such as political and cultural values and methods of historical interpretation.
Created by: Wesleyan University
Taught by: Andrew Szegedy-Maszak, PhD, Professor
Classical Studies
| Commitment | 3-5 hours/week |
| Language | English, Subtitles: Spanish |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Prehistory to Homer
We will start our first module with an overview of the physical and geographical setting for our class – “the Greek world.” Then we will move rapidly across many centuries, beginning with two Bronze Age civilizations: Minoan on the island of Crete, and Mycenae...
6 videos, 2 readings
Graded: Prehistory to Homer
WEEK 2
The Archaic Age (ca. 800-500 BCE)
Module 2 brings us into the turbulent, creative Archaic Age, during which the Greeks acquired a cultural identity distinct from that of their neighbors in the Eastern Mediterranean. They developed their characteristic form of community, the polis, or “city-st...
6 videos, 6 readings
Graded: The Archaic Age
WEEK 3
Two City-States: Sparta and Athens
In Module 3 we will analyze some major political developments in the Archaic Age, which were largely responses to the huge societal changes discussed in Module 2. We will focus on Sparta and Athens. Sparta evolved into a unique hoplite-polis, famed for strict...
6 videos, 4 readings
Graded: Two City-States: Sparta and Athens
WEEK 4
Democracy. The Persian Wars
Module 4’s sessions will begin by focusing on the crucial decade at the end of the 6th century, when the Athenians instituted full democracy. In fact the development of democracy is one of the principal reasons to study Greek history. Athens was also the adop...
6 videos, 6 readings
Graded: Democracy. The Persian Wars
WEEK 5
"The Great 50 Years" (ca. 480-431 BCE)
Module 5 surveys the period between the end of the Persian Wars and the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War, which came to be known as Athens’ “Golden Age.” After the Persian Wars, there grew an alliance of Greek states that was meant to maintain security. The a...
6 videos, 5 readings
Graded: "The Great 50 Years" (ca. 480-431 BCE)
WEEK 6
The Peloponnesian War I
For Module 6, we turn first to Thucydides the Athenian. He “wrote the war” that broke out between the Athenians and the Spartans and their allies and eventually affected almost all the Greek poleis. Thucydides’ method is very different from that of Herodotus. ...
6 videos, 6 readings
Graded: The Peloponnesian War I
WEEK 7
The End of the War, the End of the Century
The final Module brings us to the end of the fifth century and beyond. The charismatic Alcibiades persuaded his fellow citizens to invade Sicily. Eventually they were routed. Along with the events of the end of the war, we will consider the social and economic...
6 videos, 4 readings
Graded: The End of the War, the End of the Century
Course Pages
2 readings
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Ratings and Reviews
Very interesting course! Combined aspects of art, architecture, military conflicts, political developments, literature, and philosophy into a wide-ranging overview of ancient Greece. Helped to put a lot of things into perspective. Good use of visuals and supplemental reading material.
Excelente curso
Very Good.
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FM
Great course. I had a lot of fun and learned a lot. The fact that there were liks with assigned readings was really educational. Thank a lot to Coursera and to Professor Andrew Szegedy-Mazak.