War is a tragically pervasive and strikingly perplexing part of the human experience. To understand better what war is, how it affects both combatants and non-combatants, what causes it, how to prevent or end it, we will look at war in the "distant mirror" of the ancient Greek writings on war. The ancient Greeks were both a very combative and a deeply thoughtful culture, and they have left us profound reflections on war in a number of genres: Homer's epic poetry (The Iliad), Thucydides' history of the Peloponnesian War, Aristophanes' comedy (Lysistrata), Euripides' tragedy (Trojan Women), and Plato's philosophy. Throughout the semester, we will use a number of films to connect the Greek experience of war to parallel modern experiences.