CLA198H1

The Invention of Writing in Ancient Greece

Most ancient Mediterranean cultures thrived for millennia with limited or no writing: political deliberation, poetic composition, and religious life did not require texts and could be conducted entirely orally. So why did the Greeks adopt writing and eventually integrate the technology in all spheres of ancient life? This course surveys the earliest evidence of writing in ancient Greece and traces its increasing importance in ancient thought and society. How did the advent of writing transform social relations and alter ancient ways of perceiving and acting in the world? How, in fact, did the Greeks learn to read and write? What are the trade-offs in the transition from orality to textuality, from the regime of the ear to that of the eye? We will explore important Greco-Roman sources across several centuries (not only “literature” but also everyday writing on stone and papyri) and glance comparatively to consider the rise of writing in other historical contexts. Restricted to first-year students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.