Classical Studies 1000- Final Exam Guide - Comprehensive Notes for the exam ( 42 pages long!)

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

Document Summary

What events meant to the ancients? (e. g. a sacked city, but by whom was it sacked and why?) Ca. means circa , a latin term for around", or about". 1500 b. c. to a. d. 476 (traditional date for fall of roman empire). Farther back in time, the vaguer the numbers. This sort of dating is a modern convention, from christian influence in the middle ages; calculating events with reference to the birth of jesus christ, supposedly year 1 a. d. (note, there. = before christ", a. d. = anno domini, in the year of our lord". Ancient systems more complex, reflect awareness of seasons, months, astronomy. Understanding of recurring astronomical patterns that structure months, years. Ancients did have calendars, but very many; almost one for every polis in greece. (polis = the political and cultural unit that constitutes an individual greek city-state). All the calendars wrong, to the point that mocked by comic playwrights, such as aristophanes.