CLASS 4746

Greek and Roman Art and Archaeology

Course Description

Course information provided by the 2025-2026 Catalog.

Topics Rotate: Fall 2025 topic: Humans and Animals. As Greek and Roman societies relied fundamentally on hunting and agriculture, animals constituted a crucial point of reference in their conception of the world. Animals occupied different functions and roles for humans, such as foe or protector and companion, food and resource, sacrificial victim, subject and object of prodigies, but also status symbol, pet, object of entertainment, object of scientific study etc. We will look at how the different forms of interaction between humans and animals resulted from man's views of other species, but also how such interactions themselves helped shape these views. How did they eventually intersect with discourses on gender, age, class, and race? We will investigate written sources covering the whole range of literary genres; images; and archaeological material. Readings will also refer to the modern debate on the relationship between humans and animals.

Distribution Requirements (CA-AG, LA-AG), (ALC-AS)

Last 4 Terms Offered 2025FA, 2024FA, 2023SP, 2018FA

View Enrollment Information