CLAS 323 - Ancient Empires

During this class, we will be exploring the diverse nations of the Mediterranean that pursued the acquisition of empire in the ancient world: Pharaonic Egypt, Achaemenid Persia, 5th century Athens, 4th century Macedon, and Imperial Rome. More than only the respective "rise and fall" of each empire, we will examine how the rulers of each civilization depicted and justified their policies of conquest, how the pursuit of empire changed the cultures of these civilizations, and how each empire paved the way for the next. In the end, we will be learning how empires in general (mis)function, and how empires are justified to their participants, subjects, and enemies.