11 May 2024

This week we’re discussing the principate. What exactly is the principate? How is it that Rome, which was so intolerant of the idea of a king that the mere rumor he was angling to become king factored into Caesar’s assassination, accepted the one-man rule of Octavian, who came to be called Augustus? What made Augustus different from a king?

Looking forward to an interesting discussion. See you Tuesday!

Link to Schedule page

5 May 2024

This week we’re talking about a series of massive turning points for the Roman Republic: the very different dictatorships of Sulla and Caesar, and the final collapse of the Republic, to be replaced by the one-man rule of Augustus.

What do you think Sulla was most interested in accomplishing? What is his legacy? What do we think of Pompey?

What was Caesar’s goal, for himself and for Rome, and why was he killed? All things considered, does he deserve praise as a great leader or censure as an ambitious seeker of power? What about Antony—he was the experienced lieutenant of Caesar, so why did he lose out to a kid who started with nothing but Caesar’s name?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and reactions. See you Tuesday!

Link to Schedule page

27 April 2024

This week, after we discuss Roman contest with Carthage, we see the culmination of the Roman empire as it gains control over the west and east—only to fall apart at home in a series of assassinations, scandals, and civil wars.

Two factions emerge in the Roman aristocracy as we head into the Late Republic: the optimates—those who believe in tradition and the systems of the Republic; and the populares—those who insist Rome must take a new direction to survive. Why does this break occur? What do the two sides really stand for? Are populist firebrands like Tiberius Gracchus heroes of the people, or self-serving demagogues?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and reactions. No class Tuesday—see you on Thursday!

Link to Schedule page

21 April 2024

Enjoy your break. Email me with any questions about the Images Essay, which is due on May 13. Our next class meeting is on May 2. See you then!

Link to Schedule page

14 April 2024

This week we’re talking about the Romans replacing the kings with a Republic. What stands out to you as the defining characteristics of the Republic? What does this idea mean to the Romans? The early history of the Republic involves an ongoing conflict between the patricians (families that control the priesthoods) and the plebeians (all other families of any class). Where does this conflict come from? Why are the priest-families so important to the Roman political system?

This week we’re talking about how and why the Romans shift toward military expansionism, and some of the repercussions that follow. Why do the Romans become militaristic and expansionist?

How do you think they see their rivalry with Carthage? Why do you think Hannibal is able to almost win—and why does he ultimately lose? Why does Rome seem to have such an off-hand approach to governing the territories it consumes or conquers?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and reactions. See you Tuesday!

Link to Schedule page

7 April 2024

This week, after we discuss Alexander and the Hellenistic East, we’re looking at ancient North Africa and Italy, and then we’re starting our exploration of the Romans and their story. This is the beginning of the rise of the people that within a few centuries would dominate the entire Mediterranean, including most of the peoples we’ve studied.

At first Rome starts out as a city-state within the city-state culture of Latium with its own priest-king, just like the city-states in Sumer. But the Romans get fed up with the kings after a while and eject them from Rome. What do you think makes them turn against the kings? Is it just the actions of the kings, or does it go deeper? Why do you think the legends about the fall of the kings focus so much on the Rape of Lucretia as the thing that turns the Romans against the kings? What does the story of that rape signify to them?

Remember, also, to come to class on Tuesday with questions about Clouds. Why does this story end the way that it does? What is this play fundamentally about?

Looking forward to your discussions and reactions. See you Tuesday!

Link to Schedule page

30 March 2024

This week we’re talking about the Peloponnesian War and its aftermath.

With the Peloponnesian Wars, the Greeks are fighting each other in a massive, generation-long slog unlike anything the ancient war has seen. Why? Why are they fighting, and why does it last for decade after decade? What is this war really about? Can we blame a particular city for this? Why do you think it turns out the way it does?

More wars between the Greeks opened them up to invasion by Macedon and the famous conquests of Alexander the Great. Why do you think the Greeks couldn’t maintain any real peace during this era, even when danger loomed from the north? What were they really fighting about?

A big part of this story is the two Macedonian kings, Philip and Alexander. What do you think was most instrumental in Philip being able to take over Greece? Was his son, Alexander, really that “great”? Was his conquest a failure because it didn’t remain unified? What are Alexander’s legacies for the world?

The other thing I really wanted to do with you folks this week is hash out what you guys think of Clouds now that we’re finishing it. There are some very striking scenes toward the end. What was most shocking or impactful for you—the debate where Unjust Argument wins (and: why does he win?); Pheidippides attacking his father; or Strepsiades abandoning rational discourse and taking up a torch?

Looking forward to discussing all of this with you. See you Tuesday!

Link to Schedule page

24 March 2024

This week we’re exploring two great Greek cities. One is Sparta, a society dedicated to the art of war. What do you think goes into making the Spartans like this—so different, so focused on being warriors? What does being a warrior society mean to them? Why aren’t more poleis like this, especially given the other cities are so impressed by the Spartans’ dedication? Is the Spartan experiment a success, in Greek terms? What are the most positive aspects of the Spartan society in terms of the well-being of its citizens? What are the biggest drawbacks of the Spartan system?

We’re also covering the foundations of Athenian society. Culturally, Athens is the most important of the Greek poleis—just ask them!—but their story is like a fever dream, starting out as a tightly-managed oligarchy of a few privileged families and ending as Hellas’s only radical democracy. Why do you think Athens was so volatile? What is it about Athens that made them so aggressive in seeking cultural dominance?

The Persian Wars are a huge watershed for the Greeks. Even the battles of this war are remembered forever—Marathon, Thermopylae, Salamis. Why do you think the Greeks were really able to defeat the vastly more powerful Persians? How do you think the war changed them? What was most remarkable to you about the Persian Wars?

Also, we see the middle section of Clouds, where the “Socrates” character gets weirder and weirder, and Strepsiades gets more and more confused. What do you think Aristophanes is getting at here? What was he trying to show by having “Socrates” talk about the gods and he-chickens and she-chickens and things like that?

Looking forward to discussing all of this with you. See you on Tuesday!

Link to Schedule page

16 March 2024

This week, as we continue exploring the early Iron Age, we’re talking about the so-called Greek Dark Age—the period during which the Greeks recovered from the collapse of the Bronze Age and built a new civilization.

The Greek Dark Age is frustrating and fascinating to historians of ancient Greece, because this period of rebirth, during which the foundations and chief elements of Hellas as we know it come into being, happens while the Greeks have no writing system and so there are no literature or records until the very end—we can’t hear them creating a new Greek society.

What do you think most drove the Greeks during the Dark Age? If the communities of the Aegean were so isolated and so fiercely independent, how did they end up having so much in common? How did they end up with such a clear idea of what it meant to be Greek?

After that we’re talking about the period after the so-called Greek Dark Age, when from our perspective Hellas can be heard and seen again, with the foundations of Greek culture already laid down in the previous, unseen centuries. Two influential cities emerge in this period, both with opposing and increasingly extreme ideas of what it means to be Greek.

Looking forward to discussing all of this with you. See you Tuesday!

Link to Schedule page

16 March 2024

I’ve had a couple of questions about the readings in Clouds, so I wanted to make sure everyone was clear on what’s assigned.

If you are looking at the schedule for this week you’ll notice there’s a button that says “Note” next to the list of readings. If you open that up, you’ll see I’ve divided Clouds into six sections. You won’t find these divisions in whichever copy of Clouds you’re using—Clouds is all one play, so I just cut it up into six pieces to parcel up the readings and talk about different sections in class.

For each of these sections I give the page numbers in West’s Four Texts About Socrates (the recommended text). Like all ancient plays and poems, Clouds also has standardized line numbers that will appear in the margins in any good edition of the play, so if you’re not using West you can still use the line numbers to determine how far you need to read for each assignment.

For the next class meeting I am asking you to read the introduction to the play in whatever edition you have, so that you have the background for the action of the play, and then the first section (which I call “Strepsiades’s Problem”). This first section covers lines 1–133, or pages 115-120 in West.

Reading a play can be challenging, and we’ll talk more in class about how we can approach the text. For now, focus on the protagonist, Strepsiades. What is motivating him? How is the playwright depicting him?

The other key character to watch for, starting in the next section, is “Socrates.” This character is nothing like the real Athenian philosopher Socrates—this play was written specifically to discredit him and others like him—so you’ll want to keep a close eye on what the playwright is having this fake Socrates say and do.

More on this in class. See you soon!

Link to Schedule page

10 March 2024

This course focuses on the Mediterranean, but we’re talking a side trip to ancient Asia this week as well. Why did the Greeks romanticize the Scythian barbarians? Is it a coincidence that the same kinds of things are happening in the Indus valley as are happening in Mesopotamia and along the Nile? What jumps out at you about the culture and religion of ancient South and East Asia?

The midterm exam will be held in-person on Thursday, March 14 in our normal meeting room and class period. Please arrive on time. You will only have the normal class period (from 3:00 to 4:15 p.m.) to take the exam. Make-up exams will be arranged only in cases of documented medical/family emergency.

The review sheet (detailing content and is posted on the Exams page on the course website, along with links to other resources. Make use of your notes, fellow students, quiz notes, and so on. Remember the Videos page has videos on every subject covered in class. The midterm will cover everything in the course so far up through the meeting on Ancient Asia.

See the sticky at the top of the Announcements page for more guidance. Email me with any questions, and good luck!

Link to Schedule page

2 March 2024

This week we’re talking about two very different empires in the same part of the world: the Iron Age Assyrians, also known as the Neo-Assyrians, and the Persians. Was the Neo-Assyrian empire really a failure? What went wrong, and why did it come apart so catastrophically?

Did the Neo-Assyrians and the Persians have anything in common apart from being empires? What do you think were the most important keys to the success of the Persian empire a century or so later?

Looking forward to discussing all of this with you. See you Tuesday!

Link to Schedule page

2 March 2024

The midterm review sheet is now available on the Exams page, either as a web page or as a PDF. The first page details the content and structure of the midterm, which will cover everything up through the March 12 class meeting.

The midterm exam will be held in-person on Thursday, March 14 in our normal meeting room and class period. Please arrive on time. You will only have the normal class period (from 3:00 to 4:15 p.m.) to take the exam. Please note: You must attend and take the exam in person on March 14. I do not give make-up exams except in the case of documented medical/family emergency.

The review sheet is not designed to be a list of answers so much as questions you can use to guide you toward the areas you want to focus on in your review. As you read through the questions on the review sheet, those you have a sense of how you might answer are lower priority for review than those questions you’re not sure how you would answer; those you’d then want to go back and spend some time reviewing in your notes, the readings, the videos, quiz notes, and class discussions.

Also note that the terms are a useful way of finding concepts you need to go back and review, so I’d advise stepping through the terms at the end of each topic and making sure you have a sense of what they mean and why we’re studying them.

To prepare for the essay, I suggest that you focus on the four themes of the course as discussed in the Welcome video—individual/community, mortal/divine, male/female, city/empire—and think about possible questions that relate to those topics across the cultures and peoples we’ve explored. For the essay you’ll be asked to give three examples, so you can sketch out a question about (for example) ancient peoples and their gods and three similar or contrasting examples of societies that show what the gods meant to the ancients.

We will discuss further in class—please come to class with questions about anything you’re not sure of or want to hear more about.

Link to Exams page

25 February 2024

This week we’re talking about the Bronze Age Aegean: the indigenous inhabitants, especially the mysterious Minoans, and the invading Greeks, who swarm in from the north and take over the Aegean world before bringing about their own spectacular collapse, bringing down the whole Bronze Age with them.

There are a lot of things to talk about here. What strikes you as most intriguing about the Minoans—what we know of them? Why do you think the Mycenaean Greeks were so successful in surpassing them? If you were to talk about what was important to the Minoans and to the Mycenaean Greeks, what would be similar, and what would be distinctive? Were the Mycenaean Greeks their own worst enemy in too-greedily building a trade empire, or should we emphasize other factors in the great cataclysmic collapse of the Bronze Age and its civilizations?

We’re also talking about the dawn of the Iron Age, which we see first in Canaan—now that it’s not being warred over by the surrounding Bronze Age empires, the lands along the eastern shores of the Mediterranean are free to develop their own strength and economic reach. And they’re very characteristic of how the Iron Age differs from the Bronze Age. We’re focusing on three very distinct peoples who are rivals for land and independence in early Iron Age Canaan: the Phoenicians, the Philistines, and the Hebrews.

Why is the Iron Age so different, do you think? Why does a shift to iron matter so much? What do you think most sets apart a trade empire like that of the Phoenicians from the empires of the Bronze Age we discussed? What do you think are the biggest factors in the Hebrews being able to create their own state in Canaan despite huge disadvantages? How does religion factor into the story?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and reactions. See you Tuesday!

Link to Schedule page

18 February 2024

This week we’re talking about the rise of Egypt as a power in the Mediterranean world, and how that affects the power dynamics of Egypt. Why is New Kingdom Egypt so different from Old Kingdom Egypt? What does the reign of Akhenaten tell us about the New Kingdom? After all that change, what's constant about what it means to be an Egyptian?

We'll also be looking at the death of Enkidu. How does that come about, and how do Enkidu and Gilgamesh react to it? What is the story telling us about the Sumerian attitude toward death?

Looking forward to discussing all of this with you. Remember, no meeting on Thursday. See you Tuesday!

Link to Schedule page

18 February 2024

Here are a few brief reminders about the Gilgamesh essay, which is due very soon on Monday, March 4.

• Watch the video. Make sure to watch the overview video, since that tells you exactly what I am looking for. It’s on the Essay #1 page.
• Thesis statement. Make sure you have an introduction with a thesis statement (your argument asserting your position on the question/problem being addressed) and a body that described and discusses three examples from the Epic supporting your thesis statement. For models and explanations on how to do this, I urge you to watch the “Structure Musts” video on the the Essay Musts page. See also “Writing a Position Paper” (a.k.a. “The Elephant Pamphlet”), which is on the Resources page on the website.
• Sources. For your examples you may use all of Gilgamesh, including the tablets that were not assigned if they contain helpful support for your thesis. You do not need to use other sources for this assignment; this essay is about your interpretation of Sumerian culture as represented in the beliefs, actions, and relations of the characters in the Epic.
• Requirements for all papers. You must adhere to the requirements for all papers (listed on the Essay Musts page). Not meeting the formatting, structure, and evidence requirements for all papers will mean a lower grade. There are new videos posted there for formatting musts, evidence musts, and structure musts guiding you toward what is required and how to do it.
• Template. An MS Word and a Google Docs template already set up with some of the formatting I require can be found on the Resources page. If you use Word or Google Docs I strongly recommend making use of these templates.
• Late papers. As per the syllabus, late papers are marked down by ten points per class meeting, up to a cap of thirty points. Avoid this penalty and block out the time you need to prepare, write, and review your essay so that it can be submitted on time.
• BlackBoard. All essays are uploaded to BlackBoard. Look for “Upload Assignments Here” in the left-hand menu. Your essay needs to be uploaded as a Word (preferred) or PDF file attachment, not pasted in as text submission. If you use a browser-based word processor, you’ll need to download or export to a Word document and upload that.

I’m happy to discuss any aspects of the Epic or the essay, so please come to me if there’s anything you’re not sure about. I’m looking forward to hearing your interactions with the folks of Uruk!

Link to Essay #1 page

10 February 2024

This week we’re talking about Egypt! This is a society that emerges around the same time as Sumer, and yet they could not be more different. Ancient Egypt has fascinated and perplexed students of history for thousands of years. What stands out the most to you about Egyptian society and culture?

This is one of those rare cultures where absolute monarchy remains stable and effective for century on century. Why is that? What do you think makes the role of the pharaoh work without abuse of power? What do you think are the most important values and beliefs to an Egyptian? How does this affect the way they think about the gods? How does it affect how they think about death? How is Egypt during the New Kingdom different from the Old Kingdom?

It’s striking how different Sumer is from Egypt. What do you think goes into making them so opposite to each other? Egypt unified early. Why was it possible there, and not in Sumer, where the city-states remained fiercely independent? What’s most different about their views of the gods, of kings, of death?

Speaking of death, this week we also read the next two assigned tablets of Gilgamesh. Why do the gods agree to send the bull and to punish Enkidu, when they were the ones that created Enkidu in the first place? What does Enkidu’s death mean for Gilgamesh? What is the author trying to impress on the reader in this climax to Gilgamesh’s relationship with Enkidu?

Looking forward to discussing this with you. See you Tuesday!

Link to Schedule page

2 February 2024

This week we’re progressing through the story of the civilizations of Mesopotamia, the land between the rivers: the original inhabitants in Sumer to the south, and the alien newcomers, the Semitic tribes that settle in Akkad, Babylon, and Assyria. They’re the strangers with their own languages and cultures who start to emulate, and, later, absorb the great cities and culture of the Sumerians.

In the discussion this week I want to talk about lots of things. What characteristics are distinctly Sumerian? How do they see the world, and why? Another topic is how different the Sumerians and the Semitic peoples were—why did they build Sumer-style city-states, even down to the ziggurats for their own gods, and end up adopting Sumerian technology? Why do you think the Sumerians didn’t survive? When Sargon of Akkad built an empire, what was it based on, and why didn’t it last very long after he died? Why do you think so much significance is attached to the Code of Hammurabi?

This week we’re also looking at tablets 2 and 5 of Gilgamesh—the taming of Enkidu and the fights with Humbaba, the forest guardian. What jumps out at you most from these two tablets? Why do Gilgamesh and Enkidu go on this quest? Is it just about glory, or is there more to it? What do you think is the symbolism in Gilgamesh and Enkidu attacking the guardian of the cedar forest? Note what happens to the cedar, too—what can we say about that? And what about the way Enkidu and Gilgamesh interact in these tablets? What’s that telling us about these two, and why Enkidu was the gods’ solution to Gilgamesh’s bad rule?

Looking forward to discussing all of this with you. See you Tuesday!

Link to Schedule page

28 January 2024

This week we’re talking about the origins of the unique culture of Sumer and their city-state culture. What do you think drives your identity—your sense of who you are—if you’re from one of these city-states?

We’re also reading Tablet 1 of Gilgamesh. Pay special attention to why the citizens of Uruk are angry with Gilgamesh—what does that tell us about the role of the king in their community?

Looking forward to discussing all of this with you. See you Tuesday!

Link to Schedule page

21 January 2024

This is just a quick note to welcome you all to the first week of Civilizations of the Ancient World. I’m looking forward to exploring the ancient world with all of you, starting with our first meeting on Thursday. The meeting is in-person, 3:00 – 4:15 p.m., in Carman 209.

At our first meeting we’ll be laying some important foundations we’ll be building on throughout the semester, including the themes of the course and some of the things we’ll be looking for as we explore the ancient world. One of the things I want to talk about on Thursday is the word “civilization” itself. What does it mean to have become “civilized”? What kinds of changes do you think it involved? What’s likely to be different from one early community to the next, and what might they maybe have had more in common?

Syllabus and video: As a reminder, the syllabus, assignments, and requirements are all on my website, markbwilson dot com. Make sure you’ve looked through the site and that you’ve watched the welcome video, which talks about how the course works and answers some common questions.

Books: Also make sure you have the books. We won’t need the Four Texts about Socrates until March, but you’ll need both the textbook and Gilgamesh right away, as there are assignments this week. The reading assignments on the Schedule page of the website are what you need to have read (and thought about) before coming to class.

Email me: Many of you replied back to the welcome-to-the-course email I sent you after you enrolled, confirming that I have a good email address for you. If you didn’t, could you do me a favor and email me and let me know that I can use this address, or that that a different email is better for you? Thanks.

That’s it for now. Let me know if you have any questions. I’ll see you all on Thursday!

Link to Schedule page

9 January 2024

Welcome to Civilizations of the Ancient World! I’m looking forward to a great semester exploring the cultures and transformations of ancient societies, from “prehistory” to the rise of the Roman Empire.

Right now, I need you to do three things.

First, look over the course web page, which will be our base of operations. Watch the quick welcome and orientation video (linked here and on the overview page). Look through each of the pages on the website to see how the course will work, and make sure to click through to the schedule page to see how the readings, videos, and discussions are set up. Any questions about how it works, please send me an email.

Second, get the books now if you can. A lot of you will be ordering books online, and you need to make sure you have the books and are ready to go when the course starts on January 25. On the “Books” page I’ve tried to give you lots of different options for getting what you need, but you should order now if there’s going to be any kind of shipping involved. (If you come across a legitimate online/e-text version of one of the assigned readings that’s not already listed, please let me know.)

Finally, send me an email so that I know I have a working email address for you. You can just send a blank email, email and say “hi”, or email with a question or concern, but I want to make sure I can contact everyone. If you receive an email from me but there is an email address you prefer I use instead of this one, please definitely reply and tell me that.

Email me anytime with questions at mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu. I’m looking forward to starting our journey together.

Link to Overview page