GRST 283 - Greek and Roman Religion

Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)

This course examines the ways in which polytheism was practiced by the ancient Greeks and Romans from the 8thcentury BCE until the 2ndCE. Throughout the course, we combine material deriving from art and archaeology with the reading of original texts as source to emphasize the ritual aspects of Greco-Roman polytheism via its religious symbols, institutions, beliefs, and rites in their wider socio-political contexts. After surveying the earliest evidence for Greek religion, we turn to the role that cult played in creating a shared civic identity in Classical Athens, to the export of Greek religion following the conquests of Alexander the Great, and to the relationship between cult practice and Empire in Rome. The course concludes with an examination of the various Mystery cults in circulation at the end of the 2ndcentury CE. Barbara Olsen.

Two 75-minute periods.

Course Format: CLS