Schedule

Numbers refer to books and chapters (prose) or verses (poetry), unless otherwise specified, and they are inclusive. WA = The World of Athens; CP = Class Pak; Hdt = Herodotus, Ar= Aristophanes.

For each session:

STUDY QUESTIONS are in red, to help you navigate and prioritize your readings for days without reading quizzes.

QUIZ QUESTIONS are in blue, either multiple-choice or one-line answers

id terms are in green, which you will have to identify on your exams. 5-6 lines: one sentence to define the term in question, another to indicate its relevance to our course.

 WEEKS ONE and TWO

Wed, Aug 27
Introduction.

Syllabus; objectives of a "civilization" course. Overview of semester: 1)Homer and his Greek legacy; 2) Formation of Athenian spirit.

 

Fri, Aug 29

Historical and social background of the Iliad.

archaeology; WA , H.1.1-5; environment: WA, 1.1-6 and 10-15; social competition: WA, 3.1-17 and 25-26; 6.1-3; pessimism: Hesiod, a (CP, p. 1)

Who were the Minoans and Mycenaeans, and when did they prosper?

Why were Greek poleis so fragmented (i.e., why was it so difficult for them to communicate with one another?)

What are possible English translations of timê and aidôs?

What is the difference between hubris and "arrogance?

Why was the value of sôphrosunê so important to the survival of Greek civilization?

On CP, p. 1, what does Hesiod feel about modern society, "the fifth race"?

  Mycenaean civilization; agôn; timê; aidôs; hubris; sôphrosunê; Hesiod's "fifth race of men"

 

Mon, Sep 1

 Religious and mythological background to the Iliad

gods and Greeks: WA, 2.1-17 and 21-37; gods and gods: Hesiod, b (CP, pp. 2-5)

According to WA, what did the Greek gods primarily expect from humans?

Why did Zeus first punish men, according to the myth of Prometheus in WA, 2.9?

What is divine nemesis? (see WA, 2.21-27)

In CP, pp. 2-5, how secure is Zeus' position as king of the gods?

Zeus' seizure of power; nemesis

 

Wed, Sep 3

Iliad: human and divine timê

Iliad, 1

 [For a summary of the Iliad, see: http://luna.cas.usf.edu/~demilio/2211unit1/iliadplt.htm ]

How does Apollo first appear to us in the beginning of the poem?

How does Achilles rank in the Greek army with respect to Agamemnon?

How does obsession with timê prompt the quarrel between Achilles and Agamemnon?

How does the end of Book 1 underscore the difference between gods and humans?

Homer's Apollo; Achilles; Agamemnon

 

Fri, Sep 5

What it means to be truly Greek: West vs. East.

Iliad, 2. 1-583; 3

At the beginning of Book 2, why does Agamemnon tell the army that they should just give up?

In Book 2, how does Homer characterize Thersites? Is he sympathetic?

What is the point of the simile that begins Book 3?

In the beginning of Book 3, how is Helen portrayed in Troy?

aretê ; Thersites; Paris; Helen; Priam

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WEEKS THREE and FOUR  

Mon, Sep 8

 Heroism in warfare

Iliad, 4; [skim 5]; 6

Who wrecks the truce between Greeks and Trojans at the beginning of Book 4?

How does Agamemnon react to Menelaus' injury at 4.168-211?

How does 6.283-360 provide new insight into Hector's character?

Why does Hector refuse to stay with his wife at 6.521-555?

Hector; Andromache

 

Wed, Sep 10

Challenge to the heroic code

Iliad, 7; [skim 8]; 9

At 7.105-122, what Greek term best describes the Greeks' reaction to Hector's challenge?

In the Book 7 duel between Hector and Ajax, how does Homer let us know who is clearly stronger?

In Book 9, what different arguments do Odysseus, Phoenix, and Ajax use in turn to try to persuade Achilles to return?

How differently does Achilles respond to the three speeches? To what extent does he change his mind about going home?

 Ajax; Odysseus

 

Fri, Sep 12

  Greek aretê and Trojan victory

Iliad, 11.1-142 and 704-1015; 12; 13.1-11 [skim rest of 13]

To what does Homer compare Agamemnon's fighting prowess after he enters battle in Book 11?

How does Achilles show that deep down he really does care about the Greeks towards the end of Book 11?

How does Hector respond to Polydamas' advice at 12. 267-89?

What is Sarpedon's version of the heroic code at 12.338-81? 

 Polydamas; Sarpedon

 

 Mon, Sep 15

Suffering of gods and humans.

Iliad, 14; 16; [skim 17]

Why does Hera decide in Book 14 to sleep with her husband?

How does the beginning of Book 16 cast Patroclus in a sympathetic light?

At 16.499-664, how does Homer cast Sarpedon in a sympathetic light?

What is Apollo's role in Patroclus' death?

Hera's "seduction of Zeus"; Patroclus

 

Wed, Sep 17

Achilles' isolation.

Iliad, 18; 19; [skim 20]

Why does Thetis feel sorry for Achilles at 18.59-73?

What is represented on Achilles' shield at 18. 558-709?

How does Achilles react to Agamemnon's second offer of the gifts at 19. 84-184?

How does the lament of Achilles' horses at the end of Book 19 serve to cast Achilles as a tragic hero?

Achilles' Shield

 

Fri, Sep 19

Id quiz: be prepared to identify two of the following terms, writing 4-5 lines on their definition (who/what is this? translation in English? author/episode? date?) and relevance to our course (example? context in work of literature? context in which it came up in our course? insight provided into Greek Civilization as a whole?). You may write in abbreviated or note fashion if you prefer, but reread to make sure that what you are writing is clear!

Hesiod's "fifth race of men"; aretê; Patroclus; Achilles' Shield

 Achilles' revenge.

Iliad, 21; 22 [skim 23]

Are we expected to accept or reject Achilles' response to Lycaon at 21.75-155?

How inhuman does Achilles become in venting his rage in Book 21?

How does Homer make Hector appear sympathetic in Book 22?

How differently does Achilles react to Hector's prophecy at 22. 418-32 than Hector himself had done to Patroclus' similar prophecy at 16. 985-1009?

How does Troy react to Hector's death at the end of Book 22?

Lycaon

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WEEKS FIVE and SIX

Mon, Sep 22

Tragic conclusion.

Iliad, 24; afterlife: CP, Odyssey (p. 6); Homer's influence: WA, P.10-12

Why does Zeus decide to make Achilles give back Hector's corpse in the beginning of Book 24?

Why is Achilles persuaded by Priam's request for Hector's corpse at 24.570-647?

What is the last episode of the Iliad?

Why is Achilles' ghost in the Odyssey (CP, p. 6) unhappy, and how does Odysseus manage to comfort him?

 Book 24 of the Iliad

 

Wed, Sep 24

Archaic Greece after Homer: different forms of competition.

physical: WA, 2.47-48; philosophical: WA, 7.7-12; poetic: WA, 3.8; CP, lyric poets (pp. 7-10).

What does Xenophanes say about Homer's gods in WA, 7.11?

Where is sôphrosunê represented in Pindar's Olympian 1?

Why does Pindar in Olympian 1 feel the need to alter the traditional grisly myth of Pelops (the "son of Tantalus"), according to which Pelops had been devoured by the gods at a dinner party?

What does Sappho think of epic and martial values?

How does Sappho portray the power of love?

 Xenophanes; Sappho; Pindar's "myth of Pelops"

 

Fri, Sep 26

First review exam in class: BRING BLUE BOOK

 

Mon, Sep 29

Spartan extremes of competition

hoplite warfare: WA, 6.16-19; Spartan system: WA, H.1.6 and P.7-9; Hdt, 1.65-69; CP, Xenophon (pp. 29-32)

What was distinctive about the ways Spartan youths were brought up?

How did Sparta manage to become the most powerful Greek polis in the 7th century?

What was Sparta's form of government?

How does Herodotus characterize Spartan society in Book 1?

Who were the Spartans' "helots"?

kalos k'agathos; Xenophon; Spartan "Equals"; helots

 

Wed, Oct 1 

Athenian Democracy: by the people and especially for the people.

Reforms of Solon and Kleisthenes: WA, H.7-11; society: WA, 4.1-8; checks and balances: WA, 5.1-25.

What was Solon's solution to the quarrels between rich and poor in Athens?

After Kleisthenes' reforms, what was the relationship between Boulê, prutaneis, and Ekklêsia?

What happened in 406 to tarnish the reputation of the Ekklêsia (see WA, 5.10)?

How did the Athenian constitution ensure that every male citizen would be given a chance to be an active politician?

Solon; Kleisthenes; prutaneis; Boulê; Ekklêsia

 

 Fri, Oct 3

Herodotus on the Persian Empire.

Background on Persians...: WA, H.1.12; P.1-6; ...and on Herodotus: WA, 7.33; Hdt, 1.1-5; moral of Croesus' hubris and nemesis: Hdt, 1.[skim 6-27] 28-91; interest in foreign customs: Hdt, 1.131-140; 3.38

What are the two reasons Herodotus gives in his introduction (1-5) for writing on the Persian Wars?

How does Herodotus show that hubris was responsible for Croesus' defeat?

After the oracle at Delphi gives six reasons why Croesus was defeated, how does Croesus respond?

How would you best describe Herodotus' interest in Persian customs at 1.131-140 and 3.38? admiring (pro-Persia), scientific (indifferent), or condescending (anti-Persia)?

 Herodotus' historia; Croesus

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WEEKS SEVEN and EIGHT

Mon, Oct 6

Greek poverty vs. Persian luxury

Marathon and aftermath: WA, H.1.13-16; Hdt, 6.103-117; Xerxes vs. nature: Hdt, 7.1-105 [but only skim 57-100]

When and between whom did the Battle of Marathon take place?

What is the main reason Xerxes gives in Hdt., 7.8, for invading Greece?

What is the Homeric precedent of 7.12-18?

At 7.101-105, why does Demaratus think the Greeks will win?

Battle of Marathon; Xerxes; Demaratus; nomos

 

Wed, Oct 8

Victories of the Athenian navy and the Spartan army.

Overview; WA, H.1.17-20; Leonidas at Thermopylai: Hdt, 7.201-234; naval warfare: WA, 6. 31-36; Themistocles at Salamis: Hdt, 7.138-144; [skim 8.40-99]; Athenian pride: Hdt, 8.140-144; Herodotus' final warning: Hdt, 9. 114-122; Persian stereotype: Ar, Acharnians, 61-124.

How do Leonidas' troops represent Spartan military values at the Battle of Thermopylai?

What was the main difference between the Battle of Marathon and the Battle of Salamis?

What did Herodotus ultimately (i.e., on the last page!) conclude was responsible for the fall of the Persian Empire?

How does Aristophanes' Acharnians stereotype the Persians?

Battle of Thermopylai; Battle of Salamis; barbaros

 

Fri, Oct 10

Polarization of Greece and the Peloponnesian Wars

Sparta vs Athens: WA, H.1.22-33; [skim 6.4-12 for methods of warfare]; Pericles: WA, 5.31-33; Athenian imperialism: WA, 5.74-96

Why did Athens end up leading the anti-Persian campaigns of the 470's instead of Sparta?

How did Pericles alter the balance of power in Athenian politics between 462 and 429?

What was the original function of the Delian League?

Why did poor Athenians benefit so much from the Empire?

stratêgoi; Pericles; Delian League

 

Mon, Oct 13

Politics and law in Athens

WA, 5.44-63

How did Athenian jury duty overlap with Athenian democracy?

What is the joke concerning jury duty in Aristophanes' Wasps (WA, 5.47)?

When an Athenian was convicted of a crime, how did the jury decide on a penalty?

Why were character witnesses so important in an Athenian trial?

Who were sukophantai and why were Athenians prepared to listen to them?

speech Against Neaira; sukophantai

 

 Wed, Oct 15

Formation of an Athenian identity: harmony of energy and grace

Acropolis monuments: WA, 1.34; 7.75-79; Pericles' Funeral Speech: WA, pp. 56-61. 

What is the Parthenon and to whom is it dedicated?

What is Pericles' vision of the Athenian character in his Funeral Speech?

What is Pericles' new point about aretê in Athens (par. 37)?

What are the unprecedented values that Pericles celebrates, esp. in par. 40?

Parthenon

 

Fri, Oct 17

 The limits of democracy in Classical Athens.

foreigners: WA, 4.9, 55-61, and 67-71; women: CP, Xenophon, b (pp. 33-35); WA, 3.18-20; 4.17 and 21-38; [slaves: skim WA, 4.10-11, 49-52, and 62-66]

Who were metoikoi?

According to Xenophon, what is the role of the wife within the household?

Why were Athenian men so eager to keep their wives under lock and key?

When was an Athenian woman allowed a public role in Athens?

metoikoi; gunaikeion [see WA, 4.32] 

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WEEKS NINE and TEN

Mon, Oct 20

no class - October break

 

Wed, Oct 22

Thucydides on Athens vs. Sparta

[War: skim WA, H.1.34-37 and 6.40-45]; Thucydides: WA, 7.34; Spartan and Athenian stereotypes: CP, Thucydides, a and b (pp. 11-21).

What two reasons does Thucydides give in passage a for writing on the Peloponnesian Wars?

What do the Corinthian envoys in passage b criticize about the Spartans?

How do the Corinthian envoys characterize the Athenians?

How does Archidamus answer the Corinthians' criticisms of Sparta?

Thucydides' "History"; Thucydides' Spartans; Thucydides' Athenians

 

Fri, Oct 24

Thucydides on the degeneration of the Peloponnesian War.

Athenian expansion: WA, H.1. [skim 38-45] 46-53; CP, Thucydides, c and d (pp. 22-28).

Why did Alkibiades defect from Athens in 415?

In Thucydides c, how do the Athenians justify their invasion of neutral Melos?

Why are the Athenians not afraid that either gods or Spartans will stop them?

In passage d, does Thucydides side with democrats or oligarchs ?

 "Melian Dialogue"; Kerkyran civil war

 

Mon, Oct 27

 Aristophanes and the War: first signs of Athenian weariness.

religious and political context of Greek comedy: WA, 7. 54-62; Ar, Lysistrata, 1-386

How does Aristophanes parody 1) democracy in his Ekkesiasdousai (WA, 7.59) and 2) religious superstition in his Birds (WA, 7.60)?

Which Greek prejudice against women does the opening scene of Lysistrata reflect?

Where is Lampito from?

How do Lysistrata and her friends plan to force Athens and Sparta to abandon the war at 119-254?

 Lysistrata

 

 Wed, Oct 29

Aristophanes and women: fact and fiction

Ar, Lysistrata (completed)

What is the historical basis for Aristophanes' "Magistrate" character? [see p. 88]

What metaphor does Lysistrata use to resolve the city's problems at 573-587?

Why is Myrrhine's husband, "Rod", so unhappy at 831-958?

How does Aristophanes personify "Reconciliation" between Athens and Sparta at 1113-1123?

"Magistrate"; Aristophanes' "Reconciliation" character

 

Fri, October 31  

Second review exam in class: BRING BLUE BOOK

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 WEEKS ELEVEN and TWELVE

Mon, Nov 3

Euripides and the new direction of Greek tragedy.

religious context: WA, 7.35-42; Euripides' version: WA, 7.48; "demythology": Euripides, Heracles, pp. 182-199; Aristophanes' parody: Ar, Acharnians, 393-488.

What was the religious context of a Greek tragic performance?

How does Euripides undermine the dignity of Homer's Menelaos (WA, 7.48)?

What crime has Heracles committed in a fit of madness?

How does Heracles find the strength to go on in the end?

How does Aristophanes parody Euripides' protagonists reduced to beggars?

Greek tragedy; Euripides' figure of Heracles

 

Wed, Nov 5

Euripides' revision of Jason and Medea

Euripides, Medea, pp. 17-35.

In the first three pages of Euripides' Medea, how is Medea introduced to us?

What are Medea's arguments against Jason on pp. 24-25?

How does Creon treat Medea?

How does Jason justify his decision to leave Medea for Glauce on pp. 32-34?

Medea; Jason

 

Fri, Nov 7

Euripides and traditional misogyny

Euripides, Medea (completed)

How does Aegeus answer Medea's supplication?

What reason does Medea give for killing her children on pp. 41-42?

What is the theme of the Choral Ode on pp. 50-51?

How does Medea manage to escape at the end of the play?

  

Mon, Nov 10

Athenian cultural revolution

educational system WA, 4.39-48; "sophists" in Athens: 7.18-28

What were the three main areas of Athenian education?

Who was Gorgias and what did he teach?

What were the Dissoi Logoi (WA, 7.26)?

What was the ongoing debate on the relationship of phusis and nomos?

 Gorgias; Dissoi Logoi; phusis

 

Wed, Nov 12 

Socrates' nihilism

Socrates: WA, 7.29-31; Socrates' method of questioning: Plato, Euthyphro

In WA, 7.29-31, what was Socrates' goal in engaging interlocutors through "dialectic"?

In Section B, what is wrong with Euthyphro's definition of "piety" as "what is agreeable to the gods"?

Where does Socrates use irony to deflate Euthyphro's pride?

How does Socrates show in Section C that to prosecute someone for impiety would be to demean the gods?

How does the dialogue end? Has Euthyphro been persuaded?

Euthyphro's idea of piety; Socrates' idea of piety

 

Fri, Nov 14

Aristophanes' parody of Socrates.  

Ar, Clouds: intro (pp. 151-57); 1-509.

According to the intro (pp. 151-57), how popular was Aristophanes' Clouds in 423 BC?

How is Strepsiades characterized in the opening scene of the Clouds?

How is Socrates portrayed when he first appears?

What do Socrates' new gods symbolize at lines 365-423?

Aristophanes' Socrates; Strepsiades

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WEEKS THIRTEEN, FOURTEEN, and FIFTEEN  

Mon, Nov 17

Aristophanes' parody of Socrates' critics

Ar, Clouds (completed).

What is the message of the Clouds' parabasis at 510-626?

How persuasive is "Better Argument" in the debate at 889-1112?

Why does "Better Argument" give in to "Worse Argument"?

What is the effect of the "Thinkery" upon Pheidippides when he graduates?

How does the attitude of the chorus of clouds towards Socrates change by the end of the play?  

Aristophanes' "Better Argument;" Aristophanes' "Worse Argument"  

 

Wed, Nov 19

Socrates' challenge to the rebirth of Athenian democracy

Tensions, defeat, and reaction in Athens: WA, H.1.54-59; Socrates' prosecution: Plato, Apology, 17a-32a.

What was the primary difference between the Battles of Arginoussai and Aegospotamoi?

On what charges was Socrates prosecuted in Athens in 399?

How does Socrates try to prove in the first section of Plato's Apology that he is not a typical sophist?

To whom does Socrates compare himself at 28a-d?

Battle of Arginoussai; Battle of Aigospotamoi; Socrates' prosecution

   

 Fri, Nov 21

Paper due in class

Plato's defense of Socrates' patriotism and his own search for virtue.

Plato, Apology (completed); Plato's vision of "Ideas": CP, Plato, (pp. 36-39).

On what famous occasion does Socrates claim to have served the Athenian democracy at 32b?

What does Socrates say to make his own situation worse in 36a-e after the verdict is pronounced?

What is Socrates' final reaction to the death penalty?

In Plato's Phaedrus, what is the effect of love upon the soul?

Plato's representation of the soul

 

Mon Dec 1

Collapse of the "city-state" ideal

Temporary Athenian revival: WA, H.1.60-68; 5.97-99. new warfare: WA, 6.24-28; Macedon conquers Greece: WA, H.1.68-81

How did Sparta commit after the Peloponnesian War the same mistakes committed after the Persian War?

Between whom did the battles of Leuktra (371) take place?

What was the outcome of the Battle of Mantineia (362)?

Why was the Battle of Khaironeia such a crushing blow to the Greek poleis?

Battle of Leuktra; Battle of Mantineia; Battle of Khaironeia

 

Wed, Dec 3

Alexander the Great and the expansion of Greek horizons

WA, H.1.82-85; CP, Plutarch (pp. 49-52)

 How did Alexander the Great carry on where his father had left off?

Why was his empire so much more successful than that of either Athens or Sparta?

When was the Athenian democracy finally abolished?

Alexander the Great

 

Fri, Dec 5

Transition to Hellenistic culture

Hellenistic art: WA: 7.79-82; philosophy: CP, Epicurus (pp. 40-43).

How do sculpture and painting tastes change in the fourth century?

In his Principal Doctrines how does Epicurus overcome the four primary fears, 1) that gods may punish us, 2) that death may be painful, 3) that pleasure may be short-lived, 4) that pain may never end?

In his Letter to Menoeceus, how does Epicurus show that death is not to be feared?

What for Epicurus is the best form of pleasure?

Epicurus' ataraxia

 

Mon, Dec 8

Hellenistic "New Comedy"

WA, 7.63; CP, Menander (pp. 44-48).

How does Menander's "New Comedy" differ from the "Old Comedy" of Aristophanes?

What does Menander think of Knemon's antisocial behavior in his Grouch?

How is Knemon affected by his rescue from the well?

How does he justify himself in his final speech?

 Menander; Knemon

 

Wed, Dec 10

The Roman empire, and the decline of Greek civilization.

CP, Polybius (p. 53).

Why does Polybius consider the empire of Rome so much more successful than any that had ever preceded it?

 

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