Contents

HIST 121 The Ancient World: Prehistory to the Middle Ages

This course examines the development of urban centers and major ancient empires with an emphasis on the civilizations in Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and Italy. The course begins with the emergence of urban society and ends with the birth of the European medieval period. Students will look at the role of the environment in shaping these civilizations and the important markers and events within each civilization. The course will highlight the interactions between different societies in the ancient world and the way in which different civilizations influenced one another. Students will appreciate that the ancient world’s customs, religious beliefs, laws, and forms of government have shaped our modern society.

Credits

3

Prerequisite

Eligible to enroll in ENGL 121

Hours Weekly

3 hours weekly

Course Objectives

  1. 1. Engage in an exploration of ancient Western worldviews and their relationship with non-Western worldviews.
  2. 2. Describe ancient Western cultures and values, views on human nature, aesthetics, and ethics in a reflective manner.
  3. 3. Identify and explain the numerous different ancient Western perspectives and how they impacted both Western and non-Western development.
  4. 4. Analyze events in ancient Western history within a global context from economic, political, environmental, aesthetic, social and ethical perspectives.
  5. 5. Formulate specific, unified, and concise theses through writing that demonstrate an understanding of historical thinking.

Course Objectives

  1. 1. Engage in an exploration of ancient Western worldviews and their relationship with non-Western worldviews.
  2. 2. Describe ancient Western cultures and values, views on human nature, aesthetics, and ethics in a reflective manner.
  3. 3. Identify and explain the numerous different ancient Western perspectives and how they impacted both Western and non-Western development.
  4. 4. Analyze events in ancient Western history within a global context from economic, political, environmental, aesthetic, social and ethical perspectives.
  5. 5. Formulate specific, unified, and concise theses through writing that demonstrate an understanding of historical thinking.