CLAS 180 - FS: First-Year Seminar

Credits: 3
Planned Offering: Offered occasionally. Each first-year seminar topic is approved by the Dean of The College and the Committee on Courses and Degrees. Applicability to FDRs and other requirements varies.

First-Year seminar. Prerequisite: First-Year standing. Topic varies by term.

Fall 2013 topic:

CLAS 180: FS: Empires Without End: Ancient Empires and Modern Perspectives (3). First-Year seminar. Prerequisite: First-Year standing. May be used toward a major in classics or history. “Empire” is a complex and easily misunderstood concept. The study of ancient empires can shed light on debates over modern imperialism. The first half of this seminar explores the impact of Classical Athens and the Roman Principate from the perspective of ancient contemporaries, with special focus on the cultural, social and economic distinctions of these empires. In the second half, we look at some modern empires in light of the ancient examples–among them, the British Empire, Nazi Germany, and the United States during the Cold War. We also consider the uses of comparative history, and the ways modern states use ancient history. (HU) Elliott. Fall 2013