29 courses with the subject ANCH, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
ANCH 006BThe Talmud1
(Cross-listed as RELG 006B ) This class explores rabbinic constructions of the body and embodiment, which include constructions of gender, dis\ability, dis-ease, and health. We examine rabbinic traditions about fetal creation and development, nonbinary and “binary” gender, madness, and mental health. We contextualize these traditions in their broader Late Antique Greco-Roman settings in order to compare and contrast ancient historical and contemporary theories about reproduction, wellness, illness, pain, suffering, and trauma on both individual and collective levels. Humanities. Writing course. 1 credit. Eligible for ANCH, CLST, GSST, PEAC, RELG Spring 2027. Kessler.
ANCH 010First-Year Seminar: Slavery in Ancient Greece and Rome1
According to the ancient historian M. I. Finley, there have been only five genuine slave societies, and two of them were ancient: those of classical Greece and Rome (the other three are the United States, the Caribbean and Brazil). Slavery was deeply woven into the fabric of everyday life in both societies, since it functioned as the key principle of social organization and the dominant mode of production. This course will explore slavery as a social, political, legal, economic and cultural institution in both the Greek and Roman worlds. In order to consider the impact of slavery on state and society in ancient Greece and Rome we will reflect on a number of topics, including the origins of slavery; the sources, number, legal status and treatment of slaves; ancient attitudes towards slaves and slavery; the family life of slaves; the many forms of slave labor; slave revolts and resistance; and manumission and freedom. We will also consider slavery in the American south to help us situate ancient slavery in a broader historical context. Social sciences. Writing course. 1 credit.
ANCH 011First Year Seminar: Rome: The Archaeology of Empire1
This first year seminar explores the physical development of Rome as it progressed from a tiny village of shepherds to become the metropolis of the ancient Mediterranean. Through reading ancient sources and examining archaeological sites and monuments, we will investigate the relationships linking politics, religion, art, and architecture in the ancient world. Social sciences. 1 credit.
ANCH 012FYS: The World of the Pharaohs: An Introduction to Egyptology.1
This first year seminar explores the culture of ancient Egypt, beginning with its foundations in the 4th millennium BC and culminating in the internationally renowned pharaohs of the New Kingdom (1550-1070 BC). Students will investigate the difficult relationship of Thutnose III and his stepmother Hatspehsut, the only female pharaoh, the revolutionary but ultimately disastrous reforms of he heretical monotheist Akhematen, and the imperialism of Ramses II, usually identified as the pharaoh of the Exodus. Through discussion of the literature, mythology, history and archaeology, we will consider how the rulers of ancient Egypt utilized architecture, writing and religion in order to establish and grow the Nile valley’s earliest civilization. Students will leave the course with a deep appreciation for and understanding of the historical figures and monuments of Egypt. Social Sciences. 1 credit.
The great-nephew and adopted son of Julius Caesar rose to sole power in Rome after a series of civil wars culminating in the defeat of Antony and Cleopatra. He, along with his wife Livia, transformed Rome by creating a monarchical system that hid the real power behind the traditional institutions of the Roman republic. The process was supported and explained by a unique program of literary, artistic, and architectural revival. Ancient authors to be read (in English) may include Augustus himself, Livy, Vergil, Horace, Propertius and Ovid; we will also study the artistic and architectural projects that helped to communicate the ideologies of the new regime. Social sciences. Writing course. 1 credit.
ANCH 017First-Year Seminar: Pompeii: In the Shadow of Vesuvius1
Destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 CE, Pompeii continues to captivate the Western imagination as the prototypic image of apocalyptic disaster. In this course we will use Pompeii to explore how we think about the past. We will study the physical remains of the ancient town in order to better understand social, political and commercial life in the Roman world. We will also consider the site’s role in the development of archaeology as a discipline, from its origins in the eighteenth century as a scientific form of treasure-hunting, up to the present day, when scholars are questioning the ethics of excavating at all. Finally, we will consider how the last days of Pompeii have been imagined and even romanticized in various forms of mass media, such as novels, films and television programs. Social sciences. Writing course. 1 credit.
(Cross-listed as CLST 021 ) This class will examine the interconnected roles of food and war in ancient Roman society. The first part of the semester will focus on the practicalities of the Roman diet. Building on this knowledge, we will explore how food and war together shaped the Roman sense of identity. Finally, we will study how food drove Roman military and political policy. The last seven weeks of the term will involve detailed case studies considering how issues directly related to food shaped the decisions and actions that enabled Rome to expand from the Italian peninsula to a Mediterranean empire in only 100 years, and then later tear itself apart in civil wars, only to emerge as a stable empire. This class will combine social, political, and military history while looking at a variety of sources of evidence. Social Sciences. 1 credit.
In this course we will survey the art and archaeology of Ancient Greece from its origins through the Hellenistic period. We will investigate a variety of topics, including the beginnings of human activity in the Aegean region during the Neolithic and Bronze Ages, the palace cultures of Minoan Crete and Mycenaean Greece, the development of Panhellenic sanctuaries and Olympic-style athletic contests, the rise of the Greek city-states, the material culture of Classical Athens, and the multicultural world of Alexander the Great and his successor. In these pursuits we will examine a range of different artifact types, such as pottery, sculpture, painting, and architecture. We will also explore the different methods of archaeology: excavation, survey, archaeometry, and conservation. By the end of the course, you will have a clear understanding of Greek material culture as it developed from ca. 3000 BC until 31 BC, and you will have a deeper understanding of key works of ancient Greek art. Social Sciences. 1 credit.
The conquests of Alexander the Great (332-323 BCE) as far as Afghanistan and the Hindu Kush mark one of the great turning points of ancient history. In his wake, what it meant to be Greek was radically changed, and a new world and culture emerged. In this course, we start with the life and campaigns of the Macedonian King, before turning to the Hellenistic world of his successors, following events down to the rise of Rome. Along with the political narrative, the course will consider Hellenistic poetry and historiography, archaeology and architecture, and the documentary evidence for daily life. Social sciences. 1 credit.
This course explores the history, culture, and literature of ancient Egypt, beginning with its foundations in the 4 th millennium BC and culminating with the internationally renowned pharaohs of the New Kingdom (1550-1070 BC). Students will investigate a wide variety of topics, such as the following: Egyptian cosmology, mythology, and religion; the rise of the earliest pyramid builders and their accompanying ideology, which claimed that the pharaoh was a living god; the development of Egyptian writing, bureaucracy, and militarism; issues of gender in ancient Egypt, best exemplified by the difficult relationship of Thutmose III and his stepmother Hatshepsut, the only female pharaoh; the revolutionary but ultimately disastrous reforms of the heretic Akhenaten, who is widely recognized as the world’s first monotheist; and the imperialism of Ramses II, usually identified as the pharaoh of the Exodus. Through discussion of literature, mythology, history, and archaeology, we will consider how the rulers of ancient Egypt utilized architecture, writing, and religion in order to establish and grow the Nile valley’s earliest civilization. Students will leave the course with a deep appreciation for and understanding of the historical figures and monuments of Egypt. Students will learn how to read material culture and answer the following question: how does a state use symbols, monuments, and - more generally - material things to express its power and ideals to itself, its neighbors, and its enemies? Social Sciences. 1 credit. Fall 2027 Mahoney.
ANCH 030History and Archaeology of the Early Roman Empire1
This course is an introduction to the history and archaeology of the Roman Empire from the fall of the Republic through the Antonine Age (50 BCE-192 CE). Major themes include the political, economic, social and cultural impact of the Roman Empire; the material, visual and spatial manifestations of power; the homogeneity and diversity of Roman imperial culture; and the changing relationship between the state and society. We will draw on a wide range of evidence to explore these themes, focusing mainly on the close reading of works of ancient literature and the study of ancient artifacts and monuments. Key authors include Petronius, Suetonius, Tacitus and Apuleius. Social sciences. 1 credit.
This course studies the political and social history of Greece from the Trojan War to the Persian Wars. We will examine the connections between Greeks and non-Greeks and their perceptions of mutual differences and similarities. Readings include Homer, Hesiod, the lyric poets (including Sappho), and Herodotus and Near Eastern documents. Social sciences. Writing course. (Note: Not a Writing Course Fall 2025) 1 credit. Eligible for GLBL - Paired
This course studies Rome from its origins to the civil wars and the establishment of the principate of Augustus (753-27 B.C.E.). Topics include the legends of Rome’s foundation and of its republican constitution; the conquest of the Mediterranean world, with special attention to the causes and pretexts for imperialism; the political system of the Late Republic, and its collapse into civil war. Social sciences. Writing course. 1 credit. Eligible for GLBL-Paired Spring 2028 Mahoney.
In this course, students will be introduced to the field of archaeological science and its contributions to our knowledge of the human past, with an emphasis on the ancient Mediterranean especially. Students will learn about the applied analytical methods that are most used to date, source, and characterize different archaeological materials, and the scientific concepts that underpin these. The course will survey a variety of methodologies, including (but not limited to): radiocarbon dating, dendrochronology, thin section petrography, mass spectroscopy, neutron activation analysis, and photogrammetry. Throughout the semester, students will also review current topics, major debates in the field, and recent case studies from the Mediterranean. Social Sciences. 1 credit.
ANCH 035History and Archaeology of Republican Rome1
This course is an introduction to the history and archaeology of Rome from its early beginnings in the 9th century BCE to the establishment of the Roman Empire in the 1st century BCE. We begin with the pre-Roman inhabitants of central Italy who most influenced early Rome, continue with the foundation of the city and its growth as the leader of peninsular Italy and Mediterranean world, and end with the social turmoil of the late Republic and the establishment of the principate of Augustus. The course combines the study of Italy’s rich archaeological record with a close reading of ancient texts including Plautus, Polybius, Plutarch, Cicero and Livy. Social sciences. 1 credit.
ANCH 039Identities in the Ancient World: Race, Gender, and Ethnicity1
In this course, we will survey a wide range of literary, art historical, anthropological, and archaeological evidence in order to investigate the construction of identities in the ancient Mediterranean world and beyond. Key issues to be discussed will include the ways in which ancient ethnic identities were forged, sustained, and elaborated through time; the intersection of gender, power, and ritual; and the diverse manners in which race was perceived and instrumentalized in different media across the cultures of the Grego-Roman, Egyptian, and ancient Near Eastern worlds. Social Sciences. 1 credit.
ANCH 040The New Testament in the Greco-Roman World1
This course will treat the New Testament as historical documents. We will consider the writings of Paul, the accounts of the life of Jesus, and related texts. The texts of the New Testament, though written in Greek, invariably intersect with Jewish traditions and with Christian thought, but this course will consider them above all as artifacts of the Roman empire in which they were produced, focusing particularly on the influence of Greek thought (e.g. Platonism, Stoicism, Cynicism). We will also give some attention to some Jewish texts influenced by Greek thought (Philo, Maccabees, The Wisdom of Solomon ), and to the pagan response to both Judaism and to the early Christians. Social Science. 1 credit.
ANCH 042Democracy and Its Challenges: Athens in the Fifth Century1
Using diverse primary sources (Thucydides’ Histories , tragedy, comedy, and others), this course explores several aspects of classical Athenian culture: democratic institutions and ideology, social structure, religion, intellectual trends, and the major historical events that affected all of these and shaped the Greek world in the fifth and early fourth centuries B.C.E. Social Sciences. (Writing course)
Thucydides’ History is much more than a report on the causes and progress of the fifth-century BCE “Peloponnesian War’ between Athens and Sparta. It is a fundamental text that has been repeatedly debated, appropriated, and re-interpreted by different ideological camps, most recently in times of turmoil caused in this country by the Vietnam and Iraq wars. Thucydides concretely addresses our present uncertainties about the ideals of democracy, the nature of international justice, the value of public debate, the guilt (but also self-criticism) of imperialism, and the vulnerability of a developed and self-confident super power in the face of unexpected natural disaster. This course will give you access to the incredible intellectual value of Thucydides’ analysis of issues that are crucially important for our own society. Social Sciences. 1 credit.
A detailed study of the political, economic, social, and cultural history of the Roman world from the fall of the Republic through the Antonine Age (50 B.C.E.-C.E. 192). Ancient authors read include Petronius; Apuleius; Suetonius; and, above all, Tacitus. Social sciences. Writing course. 1 credit.
ANCH 046The History and Archaeology of the Late Roman Empire1
This course will examine the history and archaeology of the late Roman Empire from its height under Septimius Severus (ca. 193-211 CE), through the “conversion” of Constantine and the foundation of Constantinople, to the sack of Rome by Alaric the Visigoth (ca. 410 CE). The course will involve an historical overview of this period, with a view to understanding the social, political and military aspects of the empire, as well as the religious and cultural conflicts that emerged between pagans and Christians and within the Church itself. We will draw on a wide range of evidence to explore these themes, focusing on the close reading of works of ancient literature. Principal texts include the accounts of Christian martyrs, Eusebius, Ammianus Marcellinus, and Augustine. In order to enhance and complicate these accounts, we will also examine the archaeological remains of the empire, focusing on those recovered from the city of Rome, the important provincial centers of North Africa and the eastern Mediterranean, and the frontiers of the empire. The class takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of history, and as such its main goals are to learn the history of the late Roman Empire and to interpret material and visual culture within its historical context. Social Sciences. Writing course. 1 credit. Spring 2027. Czujko.
ANCH 056Pagans and Christians in the Roman Empire1
This course considers the rise of Christianity and its encounters with the religious and political institutions of the Roman Empire. It examines Christianity in the second and third centuries of the Common Era and its relationship with Judaism, Hellenistic philosophies, state cults, and mystery religions and concentrates on the various pagan responses to Christianity from conversion to persecution. Ancient texts may include Apuleius, Lucian, Marcus Aurelius, Porphyry, Justin, Origen, Lactantius, Tertullian, and the Acts of the Christian Martyrs . ANCH 044 (The Early Roman Empire) provides useful background. Social sciences. Writing course. 1 credit. Eligible for GLBL-Paired
This course will consider the history of the Roman Empire from its near collapse in the third century C.E. through the “conversion” of Constantine and the foundation of Constantinople to the sack of Rome by Alaric the Visigoth in 410 C.E. Topics will include the social, political, and military aspects of this struggle for survival as well as the religious and cultural conflicts between pagans and the Christian church and within the Church itself. Principal authors will include Eusebius, Athanasius, Julian the Apostate, Ammianus Marcellinus, Ambrose, and Augustine. Social sciences. Writing course. 1 credit.
Independent study taken normally in the spring of senior year by course majors. Students will prepare for a graded oral exam held in the spring with department faculty. The exam will be based on any two-credit unit of study within the major (Honors seminar or course plus attachment), with students submitting their final exam and a paper, which can be revised. 0.5 credit.
