University of Botswana History Department

HIS 437 Index Page

Civilizations of the Ancient Near East & Mediterranean

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Lecturer: Dr B. S. Bennett, email bennett@mopipi... [Click here for full email address]

About the course

HIS 437 Civilizations of the Ancient Near East & Mediterranean (Optional Course: 3 Credits)

Aims and learning objectives: This course aims to give students a basic knowledge and understanding of the history of the societies of the Ancient Near East and Mediterranean, including their science and technology. The course will also note achievements in construction and the arts, law, philosophy and political institutions.
Rationale for teaching this course: Ancient Near East and Mediterranean cultures are recognized as important sources for later Islamic and modern Western civilizations. Ancient Egypt is of particular relevance for students of African history. Ancient Roman law is still one of the bases of modern Botswana law. Roman slavery served both as a major precedent and a model for the much later Atlantic slave trade conducted by western Europeans, while ancient Roman imperialism provided models for European colonial empires. "The Ancient World" is taught at Junior Certificate and BGCSE levels and it is desirable to provide an introduction to the subject for future teachers.
Course synopsis: The course will follow a mainly regional pattern, focussing on the themes of science and technology, and ancient slavery, but also identifying the major achievements of each major ancient civilisation. The civilisations in question range from ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, through Greece, the Hellenic world, and the Phoenicians, to the end of the Roman and Byzantine empires.
Prescribed text:: L. de Blois & R.J. van der Spek, An Introduction to the Ancient World. Routledge. ISBN: 0415127742

Course outline.

Prehistory
Mesopotamia: Economy and society; writing; religion and culture; politics; mathematics; science and technology
Egypt: The Egyptian kingdom; economy and society; religion and culture; the role of women; mathematics; science and technology
The Phoenicians
Ancient Israel
Greece and the Hellenic world: Greek states and society; religion, culture and philosophy; mathematics; science and technology
Rome and the Roman Empire: Roman state and society; expansion and empire; ancient slavery; the decline of the empire; religion and the rise of Christianity
Other ancient cultures in contact: Meroe, Persia
The end of the ancient world and its legacy