History (HIST) - Race, Racism, and Ethnic Identity in Ancient Greece and Rome

HIST 3066  Race, Racism, and Ethnic Identity in Ancient Greece and Rome

Prerequisites:

Twelve credits of History with at least 3 credits at the 2000-level; or any 54 credits completed.

Antirequisites:

CLAS 3066

Hours:

Three hours of lecture per week for one term.

Credits:

3

Description:

Until very recently it used to be assumed that racism was a modern phenomenon and that it did not exist in the ancient world. This position has begun to change and historians have discovered numerous examples of racist thought and behavior in antiquity. This course is an examination of the origins and evolution of racist thought and behavior in ancient Greece and Rome. Special attention is paid to competing theories about racism and ethnic identity formation in antiquity as well as to the role played by ancient ideas about race in shaping modern racist ideas and practices.