Classical Studies 1000 Lecture 1: CS1000+-+Week+1+Sept+14-18

• School: Western University
• Department: Classical Studies
• Course: Classical Studies 1000
• Professor: Brown Jason

Document Summary

Museums a core element for observing the ancient world. This course focuses on the period from 1500 bce to ca. Ca. is latin for circa, which means around or near. These dates are a modern invention from christian influence in the middle ages and reflect the modern calendar, not the ancient calendar. Note that there is no year 0 (1 ce is directly after 1 bce). A strong awareness of the changing seasons and months (astronomy). Night sky much more visible in classical, i. e. , pre-industrial, cities. Almost every polis (greek city-state) had its own calendar. E. g. , a festival for a goddess after whom a month was named did not fall in that month. Intercalation needed (intercalation is the addition of periods of time to a calendar to keep the months aligned with the correct seasons). Ancients were aware of this, e. g. it was mocked by aristophanes, an athenian comic playwright. Series of festivals formed the backbone of calendars.