Some attention will be given to the writing of an exegesis paper. This course traces the history and development of Gnosticism in its pre-Christian forms in Egypt and in Jewish wisdom traditions to its Valentinain Christian manifestations. Topics will focus on particular areas and issues in the fields of ancient culture, religion, and history. Fulfills the college writing requirement. Interdisciplinary seminar compares classical civilization of Greece or Rome with contemporary civilization of Near East, Central Asia, and East Asia.
Stress is on political and military contact, cultural exchange, and comparison of institutions.
Same as HISA H400. Interdisciplinary seminar on the transformation of classical civilization into the institutions and values of early Medieval and Byzantine societies. Same as HISA H401. Homer, Apollonius of Rhodes, Virgil, and Lucan, with selected prose belonging to the heroic tradition. A comparison with primitive epics of other cultures and with later literary epics.