Civilizations of the Ancient World (Spring 2026)

Welcome to Week 8!

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Sat, 14 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

The midterm exam will be held in-person on Tuesday, March 17 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 structure) 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 the Persian Empire.

This course focuses on the Mediterranean, but after the exam we’re taking 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?

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

Quiz #5 grades and markups posted

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Sat, 14 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

The grades and markups for Quiz #5 are posted on the My Grades page on the course website.

I recommend spending a moment to take a look at the Quiz Notes for this quiz, which are live on the Quiz Notes page and on the Print/PDF page, and are also included in the quiz markups.

Midterm Exam review sheet posted

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0500

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 prior class meeting (March 12).

The midterm exam will be held in person on Tuesday, March 17 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 17. I do not give make-up exams except in the case of a 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, group those you have a sense of how you might answer as having a lower priority for review than those questions you’re not sure how you would answer. The ones you’re less sure of, you’d then want to go back and spend some time reviewing, using 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 main themes of the course as discussed in the first meeting and 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 as you prepare, 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.

Quiz #4 grades and markups posted

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0500

The grades and markups for Quiz #4 are posted on the My Grades page on the course website.

I recommend spending a moment to take a look at the Quiz Notes for this quiz, which are live on the Quiz Notes page and on the Print/PDF page, and are also included in the quiz markups.

Welcome to Week 7!

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0500

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.

Things to ponder as you explore the materials. 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 hearing your thoughts and reactions. See you Tuesday!

Quiz #3 grades and markups posted

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0500

The grades and markups for Quiz #3 are posted on the My Grades page on the course website.

I recommend spending a moment to take a look at the Quiz Notes for this quiz, which are live on the Quiz Notes page and on the Print/PDF page, and are also included in the quiz markups.

Welcome to Week 6!

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0500

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.

What strikes you as most intriguing about the Minoans—given what little 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?

After that comes 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?

Remember to come to class with any questions you have about Gilgamesh and the essay. What is the author trying to emphasize? What is the story telling us about what it was like to live and think as a Sumerian?

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

NO MEETING TUESDAY

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

In the wake of the storm, CUNY is continuing remote operations on Tuesday, February 24.

Rather than having a remote meeting, I'm going to push our next class meeting to Thursday. Upcoming readings and topics will shift forward one meeting as a result. The meeting schedule on the website will be adjusted accordingly later today.

NOTE: the essay deadline is NOT moving. The essay will still be due on March 9.

Please stay safe and warm and be careful going out. See you Thursday!

UPDATE: The schedule page has been revised to reflect the new meeting dates.

Welcome to Week 5!

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Sun, 22 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Note: As of now we will be meeting as usual on Tuesday. Lehman is currently scheduled to be closed Sunday and in remote learning mode on Monday. If this changes and Tuesday meetings are affected, you’ll be notified by the school, and I’ll confirm by announcement and email. (If you are not signed up for CUNY Alerts, I strongly suggest you do so.)

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. We’ll then move on to 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.

Things to ponder as you explore the materials. 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? How does the encounter with the flood survivor Utanapishti affect Gilgamesh?

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

Important notes on Essay #1 (due March 9)

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Sun, 22 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Here are a few brief reminders about the Gilgamesh essay, which is due very soon on Monday, March 9.

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 describes 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 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 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 week, 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.

Brightspace. All essays are uploaded to Brightspace. 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 export your paper as 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!

Quiz #2 grades and markups posted

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Sun, 22 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

The grades and markups for Quiz #2 are posted on the My Grades page on the course website.

I recommend spending a moment to take a look at the Quiz Notes for this quiz, which are live on the Quiz Notes page and on the Print/PDF page, and are also included in the quiz markups.

Quiz #1 grades and markups posted

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

The grades and markups for Quiz #1 are posted on the My Grades page on the course website.

To access your grades, go to the course website and navigate to the My Grades page. Choose your name from the dropdown and enter your password for the My Grades page.

This is a special password just for this page. If you have had me before, it's the same password. If you haven't or don't remember, click on "Email me my password" and you'll receive an automated email sent to the address I have for you in the roster. If you do not receive the email, contact me and I'll send the password to you manually.

Scoring: Each quiz is scored out of 5. Normally on the My Grades page you’ll see the current quiz average, including the lowest quiz being dropped, but I won’t start showing that until we’ve had a couple more quizzes. That’s why right now it says there are too few grades to show an average in the Quizzes line on the My Grades pages. Later, you’ll see the average quiz grade there.

If your quiz grade isn’t what you’d like it to be, don’t panic! It’s still very early and there are lots of opportunities to improve the quiz grade, as well as getting other kinds of grades to balance things out. Quiz averages tend to improve over the semester as the quiz process and the material become more familiar. The key step is to come into class on time and prepared, and to ask questions—as you study, by email, in office hours, and in class.

Quiz notes: I recommend spending a moment to take a look at the Quiz Notes for this quiz, which are live on the Quiz Notes page and on the Print/PDF page, and are also included in the quiz markups. The quiz notes are not meant to be the “right answers” so much as information relevant to the choices you might make in response to these questions.

Reminder: No meeting Tuesday

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

According to the Registrar’s academic calendar, no classes are scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 17. See you Thursday!

Welcome to Week 4!

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Sun, 15 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

This week, after we finish with Akkad and Babylon, we’re moving on to the other earliest civilization—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?

Things to ponder as you explore the materials. Egypt 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?

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?

For Gilgamesh, we’re reading tablet 6 this week: the fiery goddess Ishtar and her face-off with Gilgamesh. What motivates Ishtar to approach Gilgamesh, and why does Gilgamesh defy her?

No class meeting Tuesday. Looking forward to discussing this with you. See you Thursday!

Welcome to Week 3!

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

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 settled 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.

Things to ponder as you explore the materials. 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?

For Gilgamesh, we’re reading tablet 5 this week: the combat with Humbaba. 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?

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

Welcome to Week 2!

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Sun, 01 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

This week we’re talking about the story of the civilizations of Mesopotamia, the land between the rivers, starting with the earliest culture to arise there: the unique culture of Sumer and their city-state culture.

Things to ponder as you explore the materials. What do you think drives your identity—your sense of who you are—if you’re from one of these city-states? How do the Sumerians think about the gods? Why do you think they see the gods this way? Also, what kind of impact does that perspective have on how they look at life and the world around them?

We’re also reading Tablets 1 and 2 of The Epic of Gilgamesh, which introduce us to king Gilgamesh, the harlot Shamhat, and the wild man Enkidu. As you read the story, I want you to think about what is motivating these characters to do what they are doing, and what ideas you think the author might be trying to get across.

For example, 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?

Enkidu undergoes a change in this part of the story. What is this change about, and what role does the harlot Shamhat play in it? Also, think about the way Enkidu and Gilgamesh interact in these tablets. Why was Enkidu the gods’ solution to Gilgamesh’s bad rule?

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

Weekly responses start this week

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Each week, in addition to our in-class lecture and discussions, we’ll be having an online discussion in which everyone responds to a reading or some other prompt that relates to the week’s topics. The responses start this week with the Week 1 response, which is sort of an open introduction to thinking about history.

The weekly responses are a part of your grade, so making a substantive post every week will be part of the routine for this course. (I used to ask these kinds of questions about the readings on the quizzes in class, but I opted for shorter quizzes and shifted this discussion to the online responses.)

Responses are due by the Sunday after the class meetings for that week. For example, this week’s responses are due Sunday, February 1. Of course you can make your responses anytime during the week, and I’ll always particularly appreciate responses posted before the class meeting in case there are ideas or questions I want to bring up in class.

To post your response, go to the course website (follow the links sent previously, or find markbwilson dot com and click on Courses), then click on Responses on the side menu or site map. There’s a link there to the Week 1 thread on Brightspace. You can also go directly to Brightspace and click on the Discussion section.

Make sure your response is substantial—a paragraph or two of your personal thoughts, ideas, and reasoning. Please try to write in complete sentences so your thoughts are clearer to others. Remember, the environment here is academic, not social media; think of this page as being like a group discussion in class about a subject we’re all trying to explore and give our ideas and perspectives on. Try to add to the discussion with new ideas or a new take on what’s been brought up so far by other students.

Any questions or issues, email me and let me know!

Tuesday in-person meeting is still on

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

I hope everyone is safe and well after the storm. Just a reminder that we are meeting in person as planned on Tuesday, January 27. This is an important meeting, as we’ll be establishing some of the key ideas we’ll be using throughout the semester.

Please allow extra transit time, and travel safely. See you in class!

Welcome to Week 1!

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Sun, 25 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

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 Tuesday. The meeting is in-person, 3:00–4:15 p.m., in Carman 209. I know there’s a storm happening Monday, but as of now we will be meeting in person on Tuesday. If that changes I will let you know!

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 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 later, 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 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 Tuesday!

Welcome to Week 0!

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Just a quick note to say hello and to check around for any questions you have about the course. I’m looking forward to setting out on our journey of exploration next week.

If you haven’t already done so at some point, please reply to one of my emails to email me at mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu to confirm I have a good email address for you. I like to send out news and course updates by email, and 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 that one, please definitely reply and tell me that. Thanks!

I’ve made the Brightspace page for the course available, so you should be able to see it in your Brightspace course listing. Note that we are using Brightspace this semester only for uploading papers and posting weekly responses. Everything else is on the course website, which is located at markbwilson dot com. Make sure to check that out if you haven’t yet, and to order the required texts. There’s a link to the course website on the Brightspace navigation banner and home page.

That’s it for now. See you soon!

Welcome to Civilizations of the Ancient World! (Spring 2026)

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

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 27. On the “Books” page I’ve tried to give you some 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.