2022-23 Academic Catalog

While ostensibly a dialogue about how to manage one’s household (oikos), Xenophon’s Oeconomicus provides valuable insights into the ideology of land-ownership in classical Greece. In this class, we will read significant portions of Xenophon’s Oeconomicus in Greek as well as other texts, in English and Greek, that explore household economics. Throughout, we will consider what Xenophon’s text reveals about perceptions of gender roles within the home, notions of citizenship, the role of education, and the institution of slavery in the ancient world. Students will also work together to produce a student commentary of the text. Prerequisite: Greek 204 or equivalent