Handbook

Epic tales of heroes, Delphic oracles sending forth colonists, monumental palaces and temples, accounts of legendary battles, and unexpected heroines – the ancient Greek world has much to amaze and delight.

This unit of study will provide a survey of approximately 1,000 years of ancient Greek history, from the Bronze Age to the death of Alexander the Great (323 BC).  The course will introduce you to the study of ancient Greek history, literature, architecture, and culture, and provides a grounding for further studies in history, philosophy, and literature. A cross-disciplinary approach will be employed that incorporates historical, literary, and archaeological perspectives to provide an holistic view of the ancient Greek world.

As well as surveying the history of this famous land, we will examine ancient Greek religion, life and culture, consider some of ancient Greece's most impressive monuments, as well as reading a number of the most compelling surviving literary texts, including Homer's Odyssey and Sophocles' Antigone.  In the course of our explorations, we will remain cognizant of ancient Greece's place in the wider ancient world.