Politics and International Relations in Antiquity

COURSE OBJECTIVE
By preparing and attending classes the student will get acquainted with the different types of evidence used by ancient historians, as well as with the possibilities and limitations of these types of evidence for research into political history and into international relations in Antiquity

COURSE CONTENT
After an introductory lecture, evidence relating to twelve subjects (one subject every class) will be studied and discussed: three subjects from the history of the Ancient Near East, five subjects from Greek history (including the history of the Hellenistic world), and four subjects from Roman history. About each subject students have to read c. 40 pages of sources in translation, answering questions about them in writing. These questions and other matters the reading may give rise to will be discussed in class.

TEACHING METHODS
Group Tutorial

TYPE OF ASSESSMENT
Attending classes, handing in at each class your assignment, i.e. written answers to the questions about the subject discussed during that class. If you have attended at least eleven of the thirteen classes and handed in all the assignments, and if your assignments have been judged overall ‘satisfactory’ or ‘good’, you have passed.

RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE
An introductory course in Ancient History