Faculty Syllabus

HUMA-1301 Humanities: Prehistory to Renaissance

Cristiana Conti


Credit Fall 2026

Section(s)

HUMA-1301-008 (39879)
LEC DIL ONL DIL

Essential Course Information

Essential Course Information

  Instructor: Dr. Cristiana Conti-Easton

📚 Course Title:

Humanities 1301 - Prehistory to Renaissance

🕒 Credit Hours:

3

✔️ Prerequisites:

None

🏫 Course Format:

Online – ONL
Instruction and testing are fully online without required class times.

📍 Location:

N/A

Course Description

Course Description: A study of representative samples of literature, art, and music of various periods and cultures from prehistory through the Renaissance. The study of the interrelationships of the arts and their philosophies emphasizes an understanding of human nature and the values of human life.

In this course, we will study history and culture through foundational primary sources from antiquity to the Renaissance, and work our way directly through original texts in translation, documents, and relevant artworks. You will encounter figures both historical and literary, such as Gilgamesh, king of Uruk; Achilles, the hero who is "humanized" through suffering; Aeneas, founder of Rome in mythic tradition; Dido, the fated queen of Carthage; and the witch Medea in Euripides’ enduring drama. We will examine how these works offer insight into the human experience, shed light on political power dynamics, reflect on shifting and negotiated identities, and discuss cultural values and norms and we will do this through lots of class discussions and in-class peer presentations. The course is designed to challenge you to question assumptions, think critically, and develop transferable close-reading skills through careful analysis of primary sources.

 

What students say about this class:

❝ Professor Conti's class was so cool. I loved the discussions we had. It really opened my eyes; this class changed me !!! ❞

❝ She is very invested in the material and cares that we understand the concepts. She provides needed context to the stories in class and does her best to facilitate discussion. ❞

Course Subjects

Thematic Plan 

Themes

Focus

Quest for Immortality

The Epic of Gilgamesh and Mesopotamian Literary Legacy

Divine Justice and Human Suffering

Theodicy in the Book of Job

From Troy to Olympus

The Epic Legacy of Greek Homeric Literature (Homer’s Iliad)

The Fiery Depths of Greek Tragedy

Euripides’ Medea and the Human Psyche

The Eternal Odyssey

Virgil’s Aeneid and the Epic Genesis of the Roman Empire

Odyssey of Words

The Epic Enchantment of Ovid’s Metamorphoses

Sacred Pathways

Indian Medieval Religious Literature and Spiritual Wisdom (The Bhagavad-Gītā)

The Divine Descent

Dante’s Inferno and the Quest for God’s Redemption

Pilgrimage of Stories

Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and the Essence of English Literature

The Shimmering Tapestry

The Literary Splendor of 14th-Century Mediterranean Arabic Literature (The Thousand and One Nights)

Renaissance Humanist Revolution

From Petrarch’s Scattered Rhymes to Machiavelli’s The Prince

Course Requirements

  1. Class Participation (30%)
  2. Weekly Online Quizzes: Chapter Assessments (#9) (10%)
  3. Study Question Essay (#3) (30%)
  4. Making Connection Presentation (#3) (30%)

Readings

TEXTBOOKS AND INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

Textbook:

Fiero, Gloria K. Landmarks in Humanities, 2020 eBook through Connect / McGraw-Hill, accessible via course Blackboard site.

Reading List (Excerpts provided in PDF format):

  1. The Epic of Gilgamesh
  2. The Book of Job
  3. Homer’s Iliad
  4. Euripides’ Medea
  5. Virgil’s Aeneid
  6. Ovid’s Metamorphoses
  7. The Bhagavad-Gītā
  8. Dante’s Inferno
  9. Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales
  10. The Thousand and One Nights
  11. Petrarch’s Scattered Rhymes
  12. Machiavelli’s The Prince

Student Learning Outcomes/Learning Objectives

Students will:

  • Familiarize with a diverse range of primary sources from the ancient world through the Renaissance period.
  • Enhance their critical thinking skills by fostering their ability to evaluate diverse perspectives presented in primary texts.
  • Recognize and analyze the interconnections between primary sources and the broader historical, cultural, and intellectual contexts of their creation.
  • Appreciate the diversity of human experiences and cultural expressions through primary sources.
  • Cultivate the ability to articulate and defend interpretations of primary sources through active participation in class discussions.

 

Office Hours

Office Hours

Published: 05/06/2026 13:07:18