The Golden Age of Athens
The Golden Age of Athens: History and Literature In this course we will trace the unprecedented intellectual innovation that begins with Greece’s triumph over the Persian invasions in 490 and 480-479 BC, continues through the emergence of radical democracy and imperialism at Athens, and culminates in the Peloponnesian War and Athens’ defeat in 404 BC by her former ally, Sparta. Through intensive study of selected works of historiography (Herodotus, Thucydides), tragedy (Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides), comedy (Aristophanes), and philosophy (Plato), we will explore the central concerns of 5th-century Athenians: freedom and power, knowledge and virtue, law and nature, and the place of the divine in the human world. 3 hr. lect., 1 hr. disc.
The Golden Age of Athens: History and Literature In this course we will trace the unprecedented intellectual innovation that begins with Greece’s triumph over the Persian invasions in 490 and 480-479 BC, continues through the emergence of radical democracy and imperialism at Athens, and culminates in the Peloponnesian War and Athens’ defeat in 404 BC by her former ally, Sparta. Through intensive study of selected works of historiography (Herodotus, Thucydides), tragedy (Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides), comedy (Aristophanes), and philosophy (Plato), we will explore the central concerns of 5th …Read more
One of the best courses I've taken at Middlebury. Pavlos is a fantastic lecturer; every day, he would just come into class and talk off the top of his head for 75 minutes. It is truly incredible how passionate and knowledgeable he is about the material. Grading-wise the course was very easy. We had a midterm and a final (both passage recognition), as well as, if memory serves, one paper the entire semester. If I were to criticize anything, it would be the fairly lackluster discussion sessions, but despite being boring, these still deepened my understanding of the material. Overall, this is a very low pressure course on some very valuable material, taught by a brilliant professor.
One of the best courses I've taken at Middlebury. Pavlos is a fantastic lecturer; every day, he would just come into class and talk off the top of his head for 75 minutes. It is truly incredible how passionate and knowledgeable he is about the material. Grading-wise the course was very easy. We had a midterm and a final (both passage …Read more