This course is a survey of ancient Greek and Roman philosophy, with a focus on Plato and Aristotle. Despite that focus, we will also spend time on other writings. To that end, we begin with one of the first great defenses of Athenian democracy, Pericles’ Funeral Oration, given around 431 BCE, from Peloponnesian War by Thucydides (c. 460-c. 400 BCE), as well as two important Sophists, Protagoras (c. 490-c. 420 BCE) and Gorgias (c. 483-c. 475 BCE), the rise of whom is intricately linked to that democracy. We then turn to Plato (c. 428 through 423-c. 348/347 BCE) and his Euthyphro, which concerns questions of piety; Meno, which concerns knowledge; and Charmides, on temperance. After that, we will spend time with Aristotle (384-322 BCE), specifically selections from his Physics, Metaphysics, Ethics, and Politics. Finally, we close with two other important ancient philosophies, Epicureanism and Stoicism. For the former, we will read the “Letter to Menoeceus” by Epicurus (341-270 BCE) and, for the latter, the Meditations by Marcus Aurelius (121-180 CE). Historically, then, this course begins in the peak or near-peak of Athenian political and economic power through the highpoint of the Roman Empire.