The Invention of History, Philosophy, and Tragedy: Athens 460-380 BCE
This four-part seminar series explores how the Athenians, in the remarkable century between 460 BCE and 380 BCE, invented three forms of thought that continue to shape the foundations of the European mind: history, philosophy, and tragedy. Emerging within the unique political experiment of Athenian direct democracy, these discourses were not separate subjects but shared attempts to answer the same profound questions: Why do things happen? What is the role of the gods and divine justice? What is justice itself? How should we live? How can a state be best governed?
Participants will be introduced to four central figures: Herodotus, the “father of history,” whose narrative ranges from myth to Marathon and beyond; Thucydides, the soldier-historian of the Peloponnesian War, writing with unflinching realism; Sophocles, dramatist and general, whose tragedies still compel audiences after 2,500 years; and Plato, through whom the voice of Socrates lives on, continually probing the nature of the moral world.
The seminars will be dialogic in method, following the tradition of Plato’s dialogues. Before each session, selected passages from the authors will be circulated, allowing participants to engage closely with the texts and bring their own ideas into discussion.
Seminar 1: Herodotus and the Invention of History
In the very first line of his work, Herodotus becomes the first to use the word history, originally meaning enquiry, to describe a continuous narrative of the past. At this moment, history as we know it is born. Yet Herodotus offers more than a record of wars between Greeks and Persians. His account travels widely in time and place: from myth to the battles of Marathon, Thermopylae, and Salamis; from Greece to Egypt, Scythia, and even the “Tin Islands.” In doing so, he also lays claim to being the pioneer of anthropology, ethnography, sociology, and travel writing. This opening seminar will ask: what makes Herodotus’ work history and how does he confront the most compelling question of all, not simply what happened, but why?
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
Demonstrate an understanding of how history, philosophy, and tragedy emerged in 5th- and 4th-century Athens.
Analyse the ways in which Herodotus, Thucydides, Sophocles, and Plato addressed questions of justice, the divine, and political order.
Critically assess the interrelationship between history, philosophy, and tragedy as complementary forms of enquiry.
Evaluate the continuing relevance of these Greek inventions to modern intellectual and cultural life.
Engage directly with key passages of the texts through close reading and collaborative discussion.
Day & Time
Sundays | 7:00 – 9:00pm (UK time) | Inaugural Class: Sunday 28th September 2025
Format & Frequency
On-campus & Online | Live sessions | Every Six Weeks
Registration
Paid Seminar Series | Registration required