Democrats, Tyrants, and Emperors: The Art of Government in the Ancient Mediterranean

This course examines the different types of government which existed in the Mediterranean world (encompassing Europe, North Africa, and the Near East) between the Bronze Age and the Early Medieval Period. Monarchy was a dominant form of government: there were great empires ruled by kings and queens, from Assyria and Pharaonic Egypt to the territories conquered by Alexander the Great and the Romans, as well as smaller states and territories ruled by Greek tyrants, Bosphoran kings, or Persian satraps. But this period also witnessed the rise of different forms of government that challenged the monarchical paradigm in different ways, such as Greek oligarchy, Athenian democracy, and the Roman republic. This course will explore how these different systems of government emerged, interacted with each other, disappeared, and transformed into other constitutional forms, as well as the ways in which they have shaped modern political systems. It will be of interest to students studying History, European Studies, Politics, Philosophy, and Classical Studies, and many other areas.