CLA 253 - Race and Identity in the Ancient Mediterranean

This course offers an introduction to ancient Greek and Roman conceptions of race, ethnicity, and identity. How did the Greeks and Romans conceptualize categories of race and ethnicity? How did they view the figure of the “barbarian”? To what degree is it appropriate to apply modern theoretical approaches, such as critical race theory, to the study of the ancient world? In order to answer these questions, we will examine studies on race and ethnicity among the ancient Greeks, Egyptians, Romans, Persians, Jews, and others, and the legacy of these identities into the present. We will also explore the many of the ways in which ancient conceptions of race and ethnicity intersected with gender, sexuality, status, and social class. We aim to examine similarities and differences between ancient and modern attitudes, and we will consider how ancient texts, art, ideas, and history have informed modern assumptions and debates.

Satisfies Classical Studies major and minor requirement.
Satisfies Classical Languages and Literature major requirement.
Satisfies History major and minor requirement.
Satisfies Historical Thought requirement.
Satisfies Justice, Equality and Community requirement.