In Module 2, we began our exploration of Western history and culture by providing an overview of key cultures, with a particular focus on characteristics that define us—gender, race, and class—as they were present in the ancient world. These roles tended to be well-defined and stable for those living in ancient Sumer, Babylon, Greece, and Rome. How the individual was perceived was largely proscribed in these cultures, with little opportunity to deviate.

First, what is the designation of BCE and CE? BCE stands for Before the Common Era, and CE stands for the Common Era. The use of Common Era was first used in 1715 but became standard in the 19th century. The Common Era starts with the birth of Jesus, so this designation comes from the Christian origin. It is shared, however, by Western scholars as a secular (non-religious) standard. It is important to note that Jews, Muslims, and Chinese, among others, have their own markers to designate time. We will use this designation because is most commonly used in topics from the perspective of Western culture.

In this module, we will parachute into selective historical moments and locations to review written evidence that illuminates how children, women, and men were expected to behave, how they were treated, and how they reflect the picture of what a “good person,” a “good citizen” was. We start with some discussion related to philosophy and drama in ancient Greece. We look next at the ancient Sumerian, Babylonian, and Hebraic law codes. We can infer views about human nature from those times (influenced by our current perspective) based on how different groups were treated by the laws. What was considered legal? Illegal? Who was punished and to what degree for behaviors? What was considered “normal,” and what was not?

The attributes of deities from a culture tell us a lot about how various members of the society are viewed. We shall look briefly at the Greek and Roman pantheon (pantheon is a Roman word for “society of gods”) as a reflection of those traditions and social order of those societies.

We will read about Odysseus and his wife Penelope, who represent ideal gender, race, and class roles of the day. The mythic journey of Odysseus is an expression of a hero in the classic sense, but also of an individual who acts wisely, courageously, and with great purpose, in part for the sake of his family. The portrayal of female Penelope mirrors the qualities displayed by male Odysseus. In their behavior, this ancient Greek couple reflect the expected roles of their culture, while demonstrating attributes of character admired within Greek culture.