In this course, we will cover almost 4,000 years of literary, artistic, musical and cultural heritage in the West, from the almost alien Epic of Gilgamesh to the advent of a modernity that will seem considerably more familiar in Shakespeare's The Tempest. These are some great works of art, of course, but they also continue to inform our world today, often in surprising ways—this semester, for instance, we'll find out what Star Trek owes to Gilgamesh, how The Tempest helped to define every encounter we imagine with a new world, how Sappho's love poetry continues in contemporary song lyrics, and how St. Augustine's Confessions helped to give you a sense of you.

This course satisfies the Comparative Western gen ed, the Literature and the Arts gen ed, and the Advanced Comp gen ed.

PLATO

141 Wohlers Hall

M W 1-2

F section times vary (9-10; 10-11; 11-12; 12-1; 1-2; 2-3)

SAPPHO

DANTE

HILDEGARD

BILL

OVID