The Culture of Athenian Democracy

A political and cultural history of Athens during the creation and height of its democracy (circa 480-400 B.C.E.). The course will consider the Persian Wars and their effect on political and constitutional developments in Athens, the workings of the Athenian Democracy under Pericles, and the eventual collapse following the Peloponnesian War. Readings in translation include Thucydides, Plutarch, Aristotle, Xenophon, Plato, and the Greek playwrights (Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes). Emphasis will be on integrating historical, literary, and archaeological evidence to provide as complete a picture as possible of this dynamic period of ancient history.