Objectives: This course is an introduction to the Classical Greek World with particular emphasis on the rise and fall of Athens, the birthplace of democracy, the cradle of tragedy and comedy, and the showcase for advances in art and architecture. Drawing upon primary sources, we will try to establish a basic understanding of the culture that gave rise to these developments. We focus upon 'The New World Order' that emerged after the Persian Wars; and 'The Invention of Athens' as a national identity.

Requirements: the course grade consists of 2 Quizzes (15pts. each), 2 Essays (20 pts. each) and a Final Exam (30 pts). The quizzes and the Final include short-answer, brief identification, and discussion questions.

The Essays should present a coherent argument (thesis, evidence and conclusion), based upon the readings and class discussions. The assigned readings should be completed for the scheduled date, so that you can make an informed contribution. Class participation will be essential and may be valued as much as a letter-grade.

Any academic dishonesty will be subject to sanctions proportional to the offense: no credit for Quiz; F for the course for plagiarism on Essays; XF on Final. See Student Academic Integrity. To make-up missed work or to make special arrangements to take or turn in required work at another time you should have a documented necessity.

Special considerations: We strongly support University policies to accommodate students with disabilities and to prevent or remedy discrimination of any kind. If you have a concern or special need, please advise the instructor. In regard to disabilities, you may also contact Disability Services (836-4192) http://www.missouristate.edu/disability; regarding discrimination, the Equal Opportunity Officer (836-4252) or go to http://www.missouristate.edu/human/eoaa.htm.

Texts:  Herodotus. On the War for Greek Freedom, Shirley  transl. (2003)Sophocles, Tragedies vol. 2 (Ajax etc.) Grene & Lattimore eds.
Aristophanes Lysistrata and other Plays,  Sommerstein transl.

Readings from Thucydides and Xenophon online (also at CopyThis)
Further materials will be provided in handout and online.

Additional resources can be found at http://www.perseus.tufts.edu

 

Schedule

Aug. 24 . . . 	Introduction: a scene from Odyssey  2 	

Unit I.  The Persian Wars and the Rise of Athens	 

Aug. 26 . . .  Background: birth of the polis.  

Scenes from the Bronze Age

Reading: Herodotus intro. pp. vii-xviii, and 1-17
Herodotus 1.1-71  -- 'Croesus and Cyrus'
	
Aug. 31- Sept. 2 ... Cyrus and Egypt

Persian conquest of Asia: pp. 17-50 ( 1.72-216) 

Fall of Cambyses, Rise of Darius:  pp.51-89 (excerpts, books 2-5)

Sept. 7 ... From Miletus to Marathon:   pp. 90-118
		(excerpts, books 5- 6)	

Sept. 9-14 ... Spartans at Thermopylae; Themistocles at Salamis.	
 pp. 119-181(books 7-8, excerpts) 	
			

Sept. 16 . . .     guide to Quiz 1.    [Practice Quiz]

Sept. 21 ... Quiz 1
	
Unit II.  The New World Order  
	
Sept.  23  . . .  History and Tragedy: Art Overview:
	 Temple of Aphaia: West Pediment;   East Pediment
	Delian League to Athenian Empire;  Outline, Chronology 479-31
	Aeschylus Persians  759-842 (handout and online) 		
	
Sept. 28- 30  . . .  Sophocles' Ajax 	   a fragment of choral lyric

Oct. 5  . . .  Sophocles' Trachiniae  ('Women of Trachis')
Oct. 12  . . .  Trachiniae and Ajax (Discussion)
	Sophists and speechwriters:  Anaxagoras (precursor of the Atomists) 
	and Antiphon  (Murder by Poisoning) 

Oct. 19  . . .   Essay 1: End of the Heroic Ethos 	

Intro, Art of the Empire: Tour of the Parthenon;  Architectural Terms

Unit III.   The Invention of Athens

Oct.14-26 ... Readings  from Thucydides, 1-10

Oct. 14 ...Study questions on Thuc. 1 & 2.
	[1] 'Thucydides on the early History of Hellas'
	[2] Athens Builds an Empire

Oct. 19 ...	Study questions  on  Thuc. 3-5
		[3] Congress at Lacedaemon
		[4] Pericles' Funeral Speech
		[5] The Debate over Mitylene

Oct. 21 ... Study questions on Thuc. 6-7
		[6] Civil War on Corcyra
		[7] Melian Dialogue	

Oct. 26 ...  Study questions on Thuc. 8-10
		[8] Debate on Sicily
			[9] Alcibiades in Sparta
		[10]  Disaster in Sicily

Oct. 28 ... 	Sophocles'  Electra
Nov. 2 . . .  Review and discussion for Quiz 2 (link below)
	Acropolis made plain.....Later Acropolis Buildings
Nov. 4. . . .   Quiz 2
			Gorgias' Helen (Sophists and Social Order)
Nov.9-16 ...	Aristophanes' Acharnians  &  Lysistrata
						
		Chronology 411-322 

Nov. 18 ...  Fall of Athens: Readings  11-12.Study Guide
Nov. 23 . . . Sophocles' Philoctetes
Nov. 30 ... Art at the End of Empire      The Restoration of Democracy

Dec. 2 .... Essay 2: Deciding Identity    

Unit. IV.  Individual and Polis

Dec. 2 . . . Aristophanes Clouds  
Dec. 7. . . Plato, Apology of Socrates  (online or any standard transl.)
Dec. 9   . . . Review and Discussion  Art after Empire (cont.)


Dec. 16 (Thur.) 11 am   . . .  Final Exam