An exploration of the cultural traits and developments of ancient Greek civilization and its forerunners, from the Bronze Age Mycenaeans and Minoans, through the rise of the classical Greek city-states, to the expansion of Greek cultural influence in the wake of the conquests of Alexander the Great. Drawing upon the evidence of the archaeological remains as well as ancient historical and literary documents, students gain a basic familiarity with the principal monuments and artifacts of classical Greek civilization, the various institutions and values that characterized the Greeks, and the significant historical events that transformed the culture over the course of antiquity.