Other topics that will be studied include daily life, religion and ancient art. Area III.A in the old distribution requirements and the writing requirements. This course is intended for majors and others who wish to deepen their knowledge of Middle Eastern history and cultural production with emphasis on the relationship between that region and Western Europe in the medieval, colonial, and post-colonial periods. Attention will be paid to the acquisition and development of skills in close reading, textual analysis, expository and analytical writing, and researching Middle Eastern topics. Regular attendance and active class participation are required.
Rituals create relationships between human beings as well as with the divine.
Because of this they offer a unique opportuniity for exploring ancient Mediterranean civilizations, cultuures that borrowed from and reacted to each other in the realm of mytgh and religion as well as trade, exploration and war. In this course we will focus on those ritual behaviors that were fundamental to all ancient religious p5ractice, as well as offer special emphasis on two particularly intriguing kinds of ritual behavior, magic and mysteries. Magic was a significant element of the social fabric frfom the earliest civilizations through the Roman period. We will consider its practitioners, techniques, and reception, as well as such specific activities as necromany, spells, curses and possession. At the completion of the course, the students should have an understanding of the place of magic in shaping the development of civilization, its relationship to religion and science, and its continuing role in today's world.