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Learner Reviews & Feedback for The Ancient Greeks by Wesleyan University

4.7
stars
1,960 ratings

About the Course

This is a survey of ancient Greek history from the Bronze Age to the death of Socrates in 399 BCE. Along with studying the most important events and personalities, we will consider broader issues such as political and cultural values and methods of historical interpretation....

Top reviews

AS

Apr 22, 2018

This has been an enthralling course which introduces you to the world of the Ancient Greek. Thank you Prof. Andrew Szegedy-Maszak, and all the course creators and mentors, for this excellent course.

FC

Apr 5, 2020

This course really helped me to understand one of the empires which fascinated me the most and its influence on today's society. Thank you very much for this thought-out and well-presented course

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51 - 75 of 573 Reviews for The Ancient Greeks

By Janice C

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Nov 25, 2020

I really enjoyed this course. I learned so much and realize how so much I have to learn. I love to study and this course has stimulated me to study more. I used the notes and lectures several times, but could repeat again as there is so much to retain. My one concern is the notes. There were many errors in spelling and grammar. This became an issue for me especially with proper names since I was unfamiliar with the names and the different spelling in the same set of notes caused some confusion.

THANK YOU for making these courses available to someone who simply enjoys learning. This has also been a wonderful pass time during this covid epidemic.

By Pippa

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Feb 19, 2021

Outstanding! Although I studied Classical History at university (years ago!), I wanted to revise Ancient Greek History as a way into beginning Classical Greek studies. Dr. Szegedy-Maszak's style of lecture and approach to the subject made it much more accessible than my previous studies. I loved how he pieces together the history through those 'disparate forms" of evidence and I particularly appreciated an introduction to Greek literature with the inclusion of Aristophanes and Sophocles among the readings. This course has, above all, shown me that "the Greeks are good to think with." Thank you Dr. S-M and Coursera for making this possible.

By George P

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Feb 1, 2021

Un curso muy interesante que se centra en el estudio de la historia griega a través de las fuentes, literatura y el arte. Me ha resultado muy interesante y felicito al profesor por sus explicaciones y por su manera de enfocar el curso, muchísimas gracias por este curso tan apasionante sobre la historia antigua de Grecia. /// A very interesting course that focuses on the study of Greek history through sources, literature and art. It has been very interesting to me and I congratulate the teacher for his explanations and for his way of approaching the course, thank you very much for this exciting course on the ancient history of Greece.

By Nina P

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Nov 2, 2015

This is an absolutely 5-star course. Educational, interesting, right-paced... It is very clear that the professor has a passion for the subject and is deeply knowledgeable. There are two questions after every video lecture, which focus on the most important parts of the lecture and also helps the student see if they understood the content. Reading assignments are relevant and interesting. End-of-the week quizzes are challenging, but can be completed very successfully if the student paid close attention to the subject. I would recommend this course to everyone who likes history or ancient cultures. I hope for a sequel, too!

By Marcy H

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Sep 17, 2015

Excellent overview of Ancient Greek history. Very much enjoyed the lectures with clear explanations of different aspects of Greek political, military and social structure and the differences between the different polis. Reading material was enjoyable as well -- appreciated the opportunity to read, or reread in many cases, Herodotus, Thucydides and Plutarch. The mixtures of readings also gave the opportunity to view different persons and events from different perspectives which was refreshing. I highly recommend this course to anyone with an interest in Ancient Greece or the beginnings of facets of Western culture.

By Greg P

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Sep 11, 2020

While the reading requirements were far in excess of the 10 minutes specified for each, the effort was well rewarded. The syllabus was thoughtfully devised, the content succinct and well-argued and the examples though-provoking and engaging. I thoroughly enjoyed this on-line course and would recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about Ancient Greece. I have had the good fortune to spend many happy holiday trips in Greece going back over 30 years. I learned so much about the history and will appreciate the archaeological sites in a completely new way thanks to this course.

By Daniel M

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May 2, 2021

Excellent course, the tutor Andrew is passionate and explains everything in an easy to understand way so even total newcomers to the subject can follow along. He will let you come to your own conclusions by giving multiple interpretations of events and sources, but guide you through the Ancient Greek world in a concise and informative manner. My only issue is that some reading materials links are broken. Other than that, the extra reading is extensive but very valuable to make the most of the course. Would highly recommend this courser if you are interested in the Greeks!

By Gerald P

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Aug 15, 2020

Fantastic course, informative and entertaining. It had a clear, logical, format and structure and was thoroughly enjoyable.

It vastly increased my knowledge of the ancient Greeks and took me into areas that I had avoided in my very limited past dips into Greek history - and I am glad I did!

There is a lot of material in the course and the suggested reading made a heavy load- but greatly added to my knowledge and enjoyment.

I now think of the subject as a new passion and am already planning a trip around many of the sites that I have not yet visited!

Highly recommended!

By Ger K

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Jun 20, 2017

An absolutely wonderful course.

I thoroughly enjoyed every lecture. I had completed a course on the Cousera website about Greek and Roman mythology before starting this course and when I say this course I signed up and was thrilled with the quality of the lectures and information. The use of and resources, maps and images really gave me a greater understanding of the era. The variety of websites and sources which I was directed to was another component of the course that I really appreciated and enjoyed. All round a wonderful course that I would recommend to anybody.

By Norhayati S

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Dec 17, 2021

Greek history has been something I've always been interested in learning about and I finally had the chance to do this here. It is a wonderful intro of the course filled and Professor Andrew Szegedy-Maszak had done a wonderful job with his lectures and compilation of works for us to learn from. Some of the links had expired and are no longer available. This is not too big a deal as info may still be retrieved from other sites but it would be good to update the links for future students' convenience. Overall, I've learned tons! Love the course! Thank you, Professor!

By Roxana P

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Jan 30, 2021

Excelent course!!!! Professor Andrew Szegedy Maszak gives his lectures with eloquence and calm. It’s very important to do that , because I assisted courses in which the teachers speak loud, or fast that is difficult for students whom English is not their native language, and It wasn’t so very difficult to assist even without subtitles. Congratulations for that, for the amount of knowledge I’ve acquired and the possibility to continue studying, reading and investigating about Greek culture. I hope he gives more lectures. Thank you very much. Roxana Paez

By Anita C

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Sep 2, 2022

Exceptional teacher, Prof. Andrew Szegedy-Mazsak! Thank you so much! How I have enjoyed your lectures.

Well structured and extremely interesting (beginner at this) content. Following the growth of the Greek nation, democracy and developments still interesting for us today has been so rewarding. I wish my interest in ancient Greece had started much earlier in life. I would love to take a course in the archeological treasures of Greece for example and how one has actually pieced together the ancient Greece puzzle put forward in this course.

By Stephen R

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Oct 4, 2015

This is exactly the model that other humanities and "soft science" courses should follow on Coursera. Your grades and progress are solely based on your own performance and not on the whims of student reviewers. One is also spared the experience of grading the work of others which is often nearly as painful of a punishment as undergoing a root canal sans anesthesia. Other instructors and the leadership of Coursera need to pay attention to how this course is set up in order to make their own future endeavors better for their students.

By Valeria A

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May 10, 2020

Very well structured and interesting course. Even though it's about Ancient ones, it still feels practical as it gives a better understanding of political systems that surround us today and how they came to be. Great lecturer, makes it easy to consume information and remember it even though the subject is so vast it could be overwhelming. Great for general knowledge, for political science students, sociologists, history enthusiasts and for anyone who'd like to break down a couple of myths they believed about Ancient Greece before.

By Deleted A

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Mar 3, 2016

The course is very well structured for a diverse range of learners. You could get a very deep knowledge and understanding through the readings (Greek tragedies, Herodotus, Thucydides etc) and the lectures, or a broad survey of the Ancient Greeks by just watching the videos. The professor also combines the narrative, the methods used to study those narratives and the limits to our knowledge in an erudite yet engaging manner.

Definitely recommended as a top quality resource for anyone who wants to learn about Ancient Greece.

By Rocío M E L

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Jan 18, 2016

Fue un curso maravilloso, aunque difícil ya que contenía muchas lecturas. Gracias al profesor y a todo su staff, a la universidad.

Me gustaría que pudieran hacer el curso en varios módulos, con la misma estructura, pero centrarse con más tiempo en cada módulo, ya que existen muchas lecturas y es muy limitado el tiempo para terminarlas todas.

Ojalá que pudieran hacer esta división y abarcar un poco más en los temas por módulo.

Felicitaciones a todo el equipo y Feliz 2016. Espero vernos pronto en otra edición.

By Jacques R

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Feb 13, 2018

Dr. Szegedy-Maszak and team do a superb job with this course. The professor has an authoritative command of ancient Greek history and effectively conveys nuance and important points. He is able to put the subject matter in context of a larger historical perspective. He introduces the fascinating personalities and events that echo to our own age. The professor has a humble and matter of fact style yet conveys a deep and balanced understanding. The course is a pleasure to take and deeply rewarding.

By KG

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Mar 1, 2024

The Professor was engaging and the information was presented in a fascinating way. I learned a great deal. The only downside was that many if not most of the reading assignments had "dead" links. I searched for texts via google and read what I could, but the lack of live links for the reading material detracted from the course overall. Nonetheless, I highly recommend this course. It lays the groundwork for an education in classical Greek history, which influenced much of Western history overall.

By James S

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Feb 6, 2020

Excellent course, although dated since it was assembled. Lectures were excellent as were the supported provided by mentor. The only distraction for students in this particular course is many of the URL links to readings have become broken over the 4+ years since course was first offered and many students have commented, many providing alternate links to find readings in other sites. However, all the lectures are intact and a real joy to attend. Thanks, Coursera for another great course

By Shreyas

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Mar 28, 2022

Given the vast scope of the subject, this course does a fantastic job at giving an overview of Ancient Greece. The reading includes the primary sources themselves from Homer to Aristotle. Prof. Szegedy-Maszak strikes a good balance in explaining the ethos of the Ancient Greeks succinctly, but with lucidity. While it might be necessary to anchor the discussion around the political history of Athens, I would have wished an elaboration on culture - such as art, architecture and literature.

By Christina B

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Oct 1, 2021

I really enjoyed this! It covered so much and brought lots of interesting details along with all of the big historical events and personalities. Before I took the course, I knew a lot about ancient Greece, but the course really solidified that knowledge into a coherent whole.

My only negative is that a good number of the links to the readings were not working. In most cases I was able to find the reading either on the internet or library, but unfortunately I missed a few.

By Pedro d F L e S

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Aug 19, 2020

Professor Andy is the best history professor I've ever had, and, trust me: I've had too many already, since I'm a masters student. Yet, I'm feeling sad because I wish I could thank him personally, and shake his hands right now, maybe even give him a hug (I'm brazilian)! It was my pleasure and privilege to be revisiting the Greeks through his compelling lectures. He is able to bring the dead back to life. Andy is a great historian, not only a great professor. Muito obrigado!

By Nick T

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Apr 1, 2022

Loved this course. Although my degree is in Classical History, this course took me into a period that I enjoy learning about and really helped me to understand so much more. As a suggestion, why not develop a course that works with these periods in History to address some of the myths that have emerged over the millenia. Well done to all that put this together and well done to Andrew for his presentations, his pace and his presenting style which suited me very well.

By Paulina B

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Jun 26, 2017

An exceptional course, the professor speaks very clearly and the lectures are very interesting. Maybe the amount of reading material is a little heavy for someone who has not that much time (and the time scheduled for the reading materials is definitely misleading). At the same time, we read some of the most important and significative works of the subjects that were under discussion. Overall a very stimulating, satisfying and interesting course.

Thank you, Professor!