Ancient Greece: City and Society

Dr Gillian Shepherd
  • 4.3 (15)
  • COURSES
Ancient Greece: City and Society

This subject deals with the cultural history of the ancient Greek world through both textual sources and the material evidence of art and archaeology. The period covered runs from the Iron Age world of Archaic Greece through to the late Classical period (roughly from the 8th century to the 4th century BCE). We will concentrate mainly on Athens and mainland Greece, but we will also focus on the Greek expansion into other parts of the Mediterranean world (Sicily and South Italy) in the process of colonisation. Historical texts will be combined with literary sources and archaeology to explore the physical nature of ancient Greek cities and social issues such as the position of women, ethnicity, sexuality and slavery in the ancient Greek world.

  1. 05/26/2014

    The Classical Legacy

    Has Greek history had any impact on the modern world? Are the literature, art and architecture of the ancient Greeks still relevant centuries later? In this lecture Sarah Midford examines the enduring appeal of classical Greece and the ways in which its culture has both moulded Western society and also been manipulated by it. Copyright 2014 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

    50 min

  2. 05/26/2014

    The Classical Legacy (handout)

    Has Greek history had any impact on the modern world? Are the literature, art and architecture of the ancient Greeks still relevant centuries later? In this lecture Sarah Midford examines the enduring appeal of classical Greece and the ways in which its culture has both moulded Western society and also been manipulated by it. Copyright 2014 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

  3. 05/25/2014

    Aristophanes’ Frogs

    Dr. Heather Sebo begins by discussing the proposal in the parabasis of Aristophanes Frogs that clemency be extended to citizens exiled for their involvement in the oligarchic coup of 411 BCE. An instance of Aristophanes’ immersion in the issues and debates of his times is the way he alludes to the debasing of the coinage (discussed in a previous lecture), using it as a metaphor for the idea that good citizens are in exile while slaves become citizens. Also revealing of contemporary attitudes is the shift in Dionysos’ initial intention to bring Euripides back from Hades because he finds his poetry thrilling and stimulating to his ultimate decision for Aeschylus as the poet most likely to encourage patriotism and unquestioning self-sacrifice in the current military emergency. Copyright 2014 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

    29 min

  4. 05/25/2014

    Aristophanes’ Frogs (handout)

    Dr. Heather Sebo begins by discussing the proposal in the parabasis of Aristophanes Frogs that clemency be extended to citizens exiled for their involvement in the oligarchic coup of 411 BCE. An instance of Aristophanes’ immersion in the issues and debates of his times is the way he alludes to the debasing of the coinage (discussed in a previous lecture), using it as a metaphor for the idea that good citizens are in exile while slaves become citizens. Also revealing of contemporary attitudes is the shift in Dionysos’ initial intention to bring Euripides back from Hades because he finds his poetry thrilling and stimulating to his ultimate decision for Aeschylus as the poet most likely to encourage patriotism and unquestioning self-sacrifice in the current military emergency. Copyright 2014 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

  5. 05/20/2014

    Slaves and Captives in Greek Drama

    For the ancients, the consequences of defeat in war were that every man, women and child became the property of the victors, to be disposed of in whatever way they saw fit. In this lecture Dr Heather Sebo shows that the anxieties and implications of this terrible possibility were expressed on the Athenian stage, particularly in the Trojan War plays of Euripides. Copyright 2014 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

    51 min

  6. 05/20/2014

    Slaves and Captives in Greek Drama (handout)

    For the ancients, the consequences of defeat in war were that every man, women and child became the property of the victors, to be disposed of in whatever way they saw fit. In this lecture Dr Heather Sebo shows that the anxieties and implications of this terrible possibility were expressed on the Athenian stage, particularly in the Trojan War plays of Euripides. Copyright 2014 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

  7. 05/06/2014

    Slavery, Part II

    Having looked at some practical issues regarding ancient Greek slavery, in this second lecture Dr Gillian Shepherd examines some of the attitudes of the ancient Greeks towards their slaves – including terminology, approaches to treating slaves, “rights” of slaves, debates about the justification and morality of slavery, and the notion of the “natural slave”. Copyright 2014 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

    55 min

  8. 05/06/2014

    Slavery, Part II (handout)

    Having looked at some practical issues regarding ancient Greek slavery, in this second lecture Dr Gillian Shepherd examines some of the attitudes of the ancient Greeks towards their slaves – including terminology, approaches to treating slaves, “rights” of slaves, debates about the justification and morality of slavery, and the notion of the “natural slave”. Copyright 2014 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

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4.3
out of 5
15 Ratings

About

This subject deals with the cultural history of the ancient Greek world through both textual sources and the material evidence of art and archaeology. The period covered runs from the Iron Age world of Archaic Greece through to the late Classical period (roughly from the 8th century to the 4th century BCE). We will concentrate mainly on Athens and mainland Greece, but we will also focus on the Greek expansion into other parts of the Mediterranean world (Sicily and South Italy) in the process of colonisation. Historical texts will be combined with literary sources and archaeology to explore the physical nature of ancient Greek cities and social issues such as the position of women, ethnicity, sexuality and slavery in the ancient Greek world.

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