CLA 253: Race and Identity in the Ancient Mediterranean
Instructor: Prof. Sarah Brucia Breitenfeld (they/them), sabreitenfeld@davidson.edu
Class Meetings: Tuesdays & Thursdays 9:40am–10:55am in Chambers 1027
Office Hours Tuesdays & Thursdays 11:00am–12:00pm in Chambers 2135 and by appointment.
Course Description
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.
- Counts toward the major in Classical Languages and Literature, the major in Classical Studies, and the minor in Classical Studies.
- Counts toward the major and the minor in History.
- Satisfies Historical Thought requirement.
- Satisfies Justice, Equality, and Community requirement.
- Teacher: Sarah Breitenfeld