The Greek Achievement: CLAS 21404

Department of Modern and Classical Language Studies, Kent State University

Instructor: Dr. Jennifer Larson
304-B Satterfield Hall, 672-1801 Dept. phone —2150
jlarson@kent.edu
Class time/place: 1:10-2:00 MWF, 121 SFH
Office hours: 11:00 to 1:00 Mondays and Wednesdays, 11:00-12:00 Tuesdays and Thursdays, or by appointment. Please feel free to make an appointment if you cannot come to these times due to a class conflict.

Website: www.personal.kent.edu/~jlarson

Course Description: This course is an introduction to various aspects of ancient Greek culture, including literature, history, religion, philosophy, art, and social issues.

Texts:
Kebric, Greek People, 4th edition = GP
Homer, The Essential Homer tr. S. Lombardo =Hom.
Greek Tragedies, Vol. 1 tr. Grene and Lattimore =Trag.
Atchity ed.The Classical Greek Reader=CGR

Grading and Class Requirements:
Good attendance at lecture is the best predictor of a good grade. On examinations you will be expected to demonstrate knowledge of material in the lectures as well as material in the texts. Each exam will include short answers, essays and a section of slides for identification.

Midterm exams will be given Oct 3 and Nov 16. Midterms are worth 40% each; the final is cumulative and is worth 20%.

Makeups: Permission in all cases must be obtained from the instructor prior to the scheduled exam time. If I am not available you may leave a message with the department secretary or send an e-mail. If you miss an exam without notifying me first, the grade will be entered as an F. Absences are considered excused in the case of illness (with note from physician) or family emergency.

Students with Disabilities: In accordance with university policy, if you have a documented disability please contact me at the beginning of the semester so that testing accommodations can be arranged.

Schedule of Lectures and Assignments: Reading assignments are given in boldface according to the abbreviations above. With the exception of the first 3 weeks, I recommend that you read the full assignment for each day before you come to class. This schedule is subject to change.

Aug. 27: First day of class; introduction
Aug. 29: Greece in the Bronze Age; Hom Iliad Bks 1-10 (pp. 1-106); GP Appendix on Atlantis
Aug 31: Bronze Age II; Hom. Iliad Bks 11-18 (pp. 107-187)
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Sept. 3: Labor day holiday
Sept. 5: Homer and Oral Poetry; Hom. Iliad Bks 19-24 (pp. 188-240)
Sept. 7: The Iliad; Hom. Odyssey Bks 1-10 (pp. 241-331)
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Sept. 10: Odyssey; Hom. Od. Books 11-21 (pp. 332-436)
Sept. 12: Odyssey II, the epic cycle; Hom. Od. Bks 22-24 (pp. 437-82)
Sept. 14: Hesiod and Greek Myth; CGR 20-34 (Hesiod)
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Sept. 17: Hesiod II CGR 35-41 (Homeric Hymn)
Sept. 19: Intro to Archaic Period (politics); GP Chapters 1-2; CGR 51-8 (Solon); 76-8 (Theognis) 41-4 (Archilochus).
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Sept. 21: Archaic II (lyric poetry); GP chapter 4; CGR 46-51 (Terpandros; Alkman; Alcaeus); 58-69 (Sappho, Stesichor
Sept. 24: Panhellenic Sanctuaries; GP Chapter 3; CGR 91-4 (Pindar)
Sept. 26: Archaic III, Herodotus
Sept. 28: Persian Wars; GP chapter 5
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Oct. 1: Persian Wars CGR 69-72 (Simonides); CGR 134-42 (Herodotus)
Oct. 3: EXAM I
Oct. 5: Intro to Classical Athens
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Oct. 8: Origins of Tragedy; begin Aesch. Agamemnon in Trag.
Oct. 10: Aeschylus; finish Agamemnon
Oct. 12: Sophocles; Oedipus the King in Trag.
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Oct. 15: Euripides; Hippolytus in Trag.
Oct. 17: Euripides II
Oct. 19: the Athenian Empire; GP chapter 6; CGR 106-10 (Pericles)
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Oct. 22: Thucydides and the Peloponnesian War; CGR 157-63 (Thucydides); 201-4 (Aeneas the Tactician)
Oct. 24: Intro to Greek Philosophy: Presocratics CGR 45 (Thales), 72-5 (Anaximander, Anaximenes), 86-8 (Xenophanes) 111-124 (Heraclitus, Parmenides, Empedocles, Anaxagoras), 143-4 (Zeno)
Oct. 26: the Sophists CGR 125 Protagoras
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Oct. 29: Socrates to Plato CGR 163-70 (Socrates)
Oct 31: Plato to Aristotle CGR 187-94 (Plato); 209-17 (Aristotle)
Nov. 2: Old and new Comedy; CGR 171-8 (Aristophanes); 229-36 (Menander).
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Nov. 5: Athenian law and life GP chapter 7; CGR 178-87 (Lysias, Isocrates); 204-9 (Aeschines); 224-8 (Theophrastus).
Nov. 7: Greek medicine; CGR 152-6 (Hippocrates); 342-7 (Galen)
Nov. 9: Women in Ancient Greece
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Nov. 12: Veterans’ Day, no classes
Nov. 14: Greek Religion CGR 331-41 (Apollodorus, Pausanias)
Nov. 16: EXAM II
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Nov. 19: Philip of Macedon: Alexander the Great CGR 217-224 (Demosthenes); 306-13 (Plutarch)
Nov. 21: (No, we do not have class. The paper syllabus is incorrect.)
Nov. 21 at noon to 25: Thanksgiving break
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Nov. 26: Hellenistic I intro; science; GP Chapter 8; CGR 241-5 (Euclid), 261-6 (Archimedes); 325-30 (Ptolemy)
Nov. 28: Hellenistic II religion and philosophy; CGR 236-41 (Epicurus); 303-6 (Epictetus)
Nov. 30: Hellenistic III literature; CGR 245-60 (Leonidas, Theocritus, Apollonius); 321-5 (Lucian); 351-9 (Longus)
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Dec. 3: Hellenism and Christianity; take-home examination
Dec. 5: extra day or review
Dec. 7: Turn in take-home examination
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Final examination: because I will be traveling on university-approved business during exam week, you will have a written take-home exam instead of a traditional exam.