Mighty Aphrodite! Adventures in the Ancient World

a Discovery Core Experience

This course may be taken either as BCORE 115 (Arts & Humanities) or as BCORE 117 (Social Sciences)

About This Course

In this class, we will learn about the history, the wisdom, and the folly of the ancient world (from about 3,500 BCE – 500 CE.) The course is an integrated learning experience, encompassing historical, cultural, and artistic exploration.

Why Should I Take This Course?

Are you tired of working IX-V? The citizens of ancient Rome certainly were, and they let their bosses know. Curious about what it would be like to drink a priceless pearl? Just ask Cleopatra. Keen to preserve your family history (or – quite literally – your family)? The priests of Ramses II can help. Wondering how to defeat your enemies (and not necessarily make friends)? Check in with Emperor Shih Huangdi. Seeking an answer to that ever-vexing question: what is the best of all possible footwear for a thirty-mile hike? A Roman legionary can take you shopping.

What Will We Do in the Course?

As well as examining these burning questions, we will also engage in more serious inquiry: What unique stories and perspectives are expressed in ancient poetry, drama, and epics, and in what way are they still relevant? What did different ancient thinkers identify as people’s primary purpose in life? What do ancient magical practices tell us about human nature? How did ancient women assert power within fiercely patriarchal societies? How did people express love and friendship? How did peoples of the ancient world deal with sorrow and loss? How did they imagine ‘the beloved community’? In short, what can we learn from our brothers and sisters from the deep past?

What Will We Learn?

Students can expect to get a strong historical background with a focus on several different civilizations as a staging point for dipping into focused exploration of ideas, art, and culture. The overarching goal will be to learn about how different traditions and historical experiences shape us, separate us, and – at their best — bind us together into one human family.

Professor Louise Spiegler (She/Her/Hers)

School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences

About Professor Spiegler

  • B.A. International Studies, Johns Hopkins University
  • M.A. Creative Writing and English Literature, Temple University

Contact

I see stories —those we read and listen to, as well as those we tell ourselves — as a powerful way of becoming. I believe that storytelling provides a unique possibility of creating community and deepening our understanding of ourselves and others.

Professor Spiegler