Who gets to rule, and why? What separates a king from a tyrant? Can monarchy or dictatorship coexist with popular institutions? Focused primarily on the ancient civilizations in and around the Mediterranean (especially Greece and Rome, with forays into Egypt, Persia, and their neighbors), this course examines rulers and the societies that produced them to ask how the “right to rule” was constructed, represented, and transmitted. We will meet kings, tyrants, pharaohs, satraps, emperors, and more. For each, we’ll consider by what right they claimed authority, how they communicated that claim, and how it was received and contested. We will also glance beyond antiquity to later claims on monarchic or autocratic power as points of comparison.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 16

Prerequisites: None. Open to First-Years only.

Degree Requirements: WFY - First Year Writing

Typical Periods Offered: Spring

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Spring

Notes: Mandatory Credit/Non Credit.