East Versus West: The Persian Wars and Their Lasting Impact (In Person)
Taught by Andrew Coletti
Andrew Coletti is an educator, food writer and history nerd who has been known to throw historical dinner parties just for fun. He makes videos about food history on TikTok and Instagram @passtheflamingo, and writes about food for Tasting Table and other publications.
In the 5th century BCE, the world’s largest empire sent troops to a remote province to put down a rebellion. The empire was Persia, and the province was Ancient Greece. This was the beginning of the Persian Wars, two conflicts that would change the landscape of the ancient and modern worlds alike.
For the first time, the fractious cities of Greece would put aside their differences to unite against a common enemy. Their newfound unity would lead the Greeks to become a dominant power with a far-reaching legacy, yet it would also drive them to define themselves in opposition to the rest of the world, creating an “us vs. them” mentality that laid the groundwork for centuries of international conflict. The Persian Wars didn’t just change the course of history: the study of history was invented in order to understand the Persian Wars.
In this class, we will examine the Persian Wars from beginning to end, with a focus on how this ancient international clash influenced and continues to influence society and culture.
This class is a general historical overview--no prior knowledge is required!
