COCO 19 Early Sparta and Corinth: A Comparative Approach to the Archaeohistory of Two Major Greek City-State
This course centers on Sparta and Corinth, two city-states that, despite close geographic proximity, followed notably different developmental trajectories during the Archaic period. Sparta conquered much of the southern Peloponnese and became a militarized society with an economy based almost entirely on agriculture. Corinth’s territory was, compared to that of Sparta, minuscule, but it became a powerful and wealthy community through the foundation of numerous colonies and commerce. Sparta was famed for its army, Corinth for its navy. Spartans were known for the simplicity of their lifestyle and the architectural simplicity of their city, whereas Corinthians overtly enjoyed luxuries and erected some of the Greeks’ earliest large-scale stone temples. By comparing and contrasting Sparta and Corinth, we can develop a good sense of the Greek world during the Archaic period.
Cross Listed Courses
CLST 11.03