This seminar is a survey of how Greeks and Romans related to their own ancient history. Sometimes they tried to remember the past: oral traditions, living memories, written accounts, legends and myths. Sometimes they manipulated the past: commemorative memorials, holy sites, ideology and propaganda. Sometimes they imitated and re-enacted the past: political ceremonies, popular rituals and festivals, religious liturgies, the use of classical texts as educational textbooks. Sometimes they critiqued the past: historical sources, archives, inspecting monuments and sites, disagreement with earlier historians.

At the same time this seminar is a survey of how we modern historians interpret Greek and Roman history. Empiricism, historicism, new historicism, reception, narratology, modeling, induction and deduction, gender studies, women’s studies, identity studies, comparative studies, etc.: all of us historians, archaeologists, and literary scholars are likewise engaged in remembering, manipulating, imitating, and critiquing the past. Writing history is an epistemological enterprise.

The readings in this seminar will include important modern books and articles about Greek and Roman history, comparative readings from other historical times and places, and short introductions to various historiographical approaches. The goal is to help you think about not just Greek and Roman history, but how to interpret Greek and Roman history.

Classes will consist of discussions of the readings and presentations by students. Requirements include participation in all discussions, short written reviews of the readings, and a substantial research project and paper that advances your own interests in the problems of interpreting the past.

History 630 is the introductory seminar required of new students in the Program in Greek and Roman History, and of students in other graduate programs who are earning the Certificate in Greek and Roman History. The seminar is also meant to help students in IPCAA and classical studies prepare for their history exams by including books from the reading list. Everyone is welcome.

For questions and more information, please contact Professor Van Dam (rvandam@umich.edu).