A study of ancient texts and their relation to their own time, and to ours. Since an understanding of these writings is important for reading English literature, the focus of the course is on Western texts central to that tradition. However, students may also read selected works from non-Western cultures in order to give them a taste of the diversity of the ancient world. Works studied may include selections from the Bible (Hebrew Scriptures and New Testament), Homer's writings, poetry and theatre of Classical Greece, Chinese poetry from the Book of Songs, a selection from the Mahabharata, and Roman poetry, particularly Virgil and Ovid. Prerequisite: ENG 102 with a minimum grade of "C-."