This course takes a sociological and anthropological approach to ancient Athenian society, focusing on the individual and examining the human journey through the rites and rituals surrounding birth, transitional phases, marriage, family and kinship, illness and death. We will examine the role of religion in all aspects of the ancient city; explore the political relationships that bound Athenians together; watch them at the gymnasium and in sports and athletic contexts within different age classes; see how they join the workforce in the household, factories or shops, and how the economy of city was organised; and delve into their private lives at home. A holistic approach to all aspects of society will bring to the fore the many groups who have traditionally been marginalised in scholarship: children, women, servants, enslaved peoples, foreigners and refugees in the city. To gather evidence for this analysis of ancient life, we will visit a number of archaeological sites and museums around Athens.

Classes are taught both in the classroom and out on archaeological sites and in museums around Athens.