This quarter constitutes an introduction to five major classical civilizations of the ancient world, all of whose legacies live on in the present. Equal attention will be given to the ancient Near East (including Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the ancient Hebrews), Classical Greece, Republican Rome, India, and China. The course covers the great early systems of religious and social thought, using an approach that combines history and social science perspectives. The quarter includes intensive instruction in writing expository prose and argumentation.