Syllabus

This course traces the continuum of socio-political and cultural developments in the Near East that led, over the course of three millennia, from stateless societies to the emergence of Assyria as the first true empire in history. The class focuses on the long-term history of power centralization, and the role of ideology and propaganda in overcoming resistance to this concentration of authority. The course material covers a broad evidentiary and chronological range. We will employ textual, visual, and archaeological sources to explore the evolution of the political and cultural landscape in the Near East and the Mediterranean, from the emergence of the first city-states in the late fourth millennium BCE to the early development of Roman imperial ideology around the start of the Common Era.

Meeting Time: Tue-Thu 2-3pm, weekly section TBA
Location: Memorial Hall 302
Instructor: Gabriel Pizzorno
Office Hours: Wednesdays, 3-5pm, and by appointment (Robinson Hall L21)
Course Canvas Site