Greece
and the Ancient Near East
Fall
2009
The Chigi Vase - Proto-Corinthian
Style, mid-7th Century
HIST 4003
MWF 12:30-1:20
Old Main 203
Office: 407 Old Main
Office Hours: W 10:30-11:30, Th 1:00-2:00
Phone: (479) 575-5891
Email: cmuntz@uark.edu
Overview:
This class will examine the first great western
civilization, that of ancient Greece. We begin with
pre-historical period, for which only material remains and
legends preserved by later writers survive, and continue
through the development of the city-state and the first
democracy. Greece’s complex relationship with the Near East
will be explored, culminating in the Greco-Persian War of
480-479. The century that follows witnesses the rise and
fall of Athens, the first democratic superpower, and in the
aftermath of Athens’ fall we will see how the Greek
city-state fails as a political power, even while Greek
culture begins to spread over the entire Mediterranean
World and the Near East.
Workload
Quizzes: There will be
a short map quiz on September 9. The list of places to know
is here,
and a blank map for practice is here.
Exams:
There will be an in-class
midterm on October 2, and a final exam on Friday, December
11, 7:30 am - 9:30 am Both will consist of identification,
short answer, and essay questions.
Papers: There will be
one short (5 pages) and one long (10 pages) paper for this
class. The short paper will be evaluating two ancient accounts
of the same event, due on September 21. The second paper
will be on a topic of the student’s choice, due November
23. Before writing your paper, you must prepare a
bibliography with at least five modern sources
(excluding the textbook) and meet with me to discuss
your topic. There will be an in-class sign up for this
meeting on October 12.
First Paper Assignment
Bibliographic
resources for ancient history
Formatting guidelines
Grading
policies
Class
Discussion: Certain
class periods are set aside for class discussions.
Questions based on the
primary sources to get things started can be found
here, but feel
free to raise other issues or questions on your own.
Grading policies for discussions can be found
here.
Attendance:
Regular attendance is important. I will allow each student
to miss up to four classes without penalty to cover things
like illness and religious observances. Please email me in
advance if you are going to miss class. For each absence
after the first four, unless there is a serious problem, I
will lower the final participation grade by 10 points. If
you do have to miss a class, make sure you meet with
another student to find out what you missed!
Grading:
Quiz 1: 2.5%
Paper 1: 15%
Paper 2 Bibliography: 2.5%
Paper 2: 25%
Participation: 15%
Midterm: 15%
Final: 25%
Reading
Materials
Required Texts (Available in the
bookstore, or online):
Pomeroy, Sarah B. et al. Ancient Greece: A Political, Social,
and Cultural History. 2nd edition. ISBN 019530800X - abbreviated Pomeroy
Strassler, Robert B., ed. The Landmark Thucydides: A
Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War.
ISBN 0684827905 - abbreviated Thucydides
Sélincourt, Aubrey de, trans. Herodotus: The Histories.
ISBN 9780140449082 - abbreviated Herodotus
Sommerstein, Alan H., trans. Aristophanes: Lysistrata and Other
Plays. ISBN
9780140448146 - abbreviated Aristophanes
Other readings will be made available via handouts or the
course website.
Policies
Equal
Access: University of
Arkansas Academic Policy Series 1520.10 requires that
students with disabilities are provided reasonable
accommodations to ensure their equal access to course
content. If you have a documented disability and require
accommodations, please contact me privately at the
beginning of the semester to make arrangements for
necessary classroom adjustments. Please note, you must
first verify your eligibility for these through the Center
for Educational Access (contact 479-575-3104 or
visit http://cea.uark.edu for more information on registration
procedures).
Inclement Weather: If
the University stops running the Razorback Bus System
because of snow or bad weather, there will be no class.
Otherwise, class is on!
Miscellaneous:
Please turn off all cell phones and finish any food you
might be eating before coming into class. Drinks are
acceptable.
Daily
Topics and Reading Assignments
Week 1
August 24 -
Introduction
August 26 - The Dark Age of Greece
Pomeroy 51-96
Homer: Iliad Book 1 & Book 2
August 28 - The
Rise of the Polis
Pomeroy 97-106
Homer: Iliad Book 6
Herodotus 5.92
Week 2
August 31 -
Growth of Trade and Colonization
Pomeroy 106-120
Herodotus 4.147-159
September 2 - Orientalizing
Hesiod: Theogony
September 4 - Hoplites
Pomeroy 120-126
Selections from Tyrtaeus
Week 3
September 7 - Labor Day, no class!
September 9 - Sparta / Map Quiz / List of Places / Blank Map
Pomeroy 150-179
Plutarch: Life of Lycurgus
September 11 - The Early Greek Philosophers
Selections from the Pre-Socratics
(handout)
Week 4
September 14
- Herodotus Discussion 1
Herodotus 1
September 16 -
Athens 1: Solon and Pisistratus
Pomeroy 180-199
Aristotle, The Athenian Constitution
1-17
Solon: Excerpts
September 18 -
Athens 2: The Fall of the Tyranny and the Reforms of
Cleisthenes
Pomeroy 199-204
Aristotle, The Athenian Constitution
18-22
Herodotus, 5.55-96
Week 5
September 21 -
The Rise of Persia / First Paper Due
Pomeroy 204-222
Herodotus 3.1-38, 3.61-97
September 23 -
The Marathon Campaign
Herodotus 5.25-39,
5.49-54, 5.97-6.32, 6.94-140
September 25 - Xerxes’ Invasion of Greece
Herodotus 7.1-58,
7.138-144
Week 6
September 28 -
The Greco-Persian Wars
Herodotus
7.175-8.20, 8.40-96
September 30
- Herodotus Discussion 2
Herodotus
9.1-89, 9.108-113, 9.122
October 2 - Midterm
Week 7
October 5 - The
Rise of the Athenian Empire
Pomeroy 225-237
Thucydides 1.89-118
October 7 - Theater and the Polis
Aeschylus: Agamemnon
October 9 - The Radical Democracy
Pomeroy 237-242
Aeschylus: Libation Bearers
Aristotle,
The Athenian Constitution
23-27
Handout of acts of the Assembly
Week 8
October 12
- Aeschylus Discussion / Sign-up for paper meetings
Aeschylus:
Eumenides
October 14 - The
Myth of Athens
Plutarch:
Life of Theseus
Lysias: Funeral Oration
(selections)
October 16 - The Periclean Building Program
Plutarch:
Life of Pericles
11-22
Week 9
October 19 - The
Sophists
Gorgias:
Encomium of Helen
Aristophanes: Clouds
Protagoras on
Morality
October 21 - The
Origins of the Peloponnesian War
Pomeroy 272-282
Thucydides 1.1-88, review 89-118
October 23
- Thucydides Discussion 1
Thucydides
1.119-2.10
Week 10
October 26 - The
Archidamian War
Pomeroy 316-328
Thucydides 2.10-2.78
October 28 - Aristophanes Discussion
Pomeroy 328-332
Aristophanes: Acharnians (review
Clouds as well)
October 30 - The Archidamian War continued
Thucydides 3.1-68,
3.70-85
Week 11
November 2
- Thucydides Discussion 2
Thucydides
4.1-48, 4.58-65, 4.78-4.88, 4.102-119, 5.1-25
November 4 - The
Rise of Alcibiades
Pomeroy 332-335
Thucydides 5.84-116
Plutarch: Alcibiades
1-20
November 6 - The
Sicilian Expedition
Pomeroy 335-341
Thucydides 6
Week 12
November 9
- Thucydides Discussion 3
Thucydides 7
November 11 -
Democracy on the Edge
Pomeroy 341-349
Aristophanes: Lysistrata
November 13 - The Fall of the Athenian Empire
Pomeroy 349-360
Xenophon: Hellenica 1.5-7 Hellenica 2.1-2
Week 13
November 16 - The
30 Tyrants
Pomeroy 349-357
Plato: Apology
November 18 - Plato and the Death of Socrates
Plato:
Republic Book 1
November 20 - The
Spartan Hegemony
Pomeroy 361-369
Xenophon: Agesilaus
Week 14
November 23 - The
Rise of Thebes / Second Paper Due
Pomeroy 369-374
Week 15
November 30 -
Justice at Athens (Discussion)
Pomeroy 374-382
Select speeches, TBA
December 2 -
Athens and the 2nd Confederacy
TBA
December 4 - The Coming of Macedonia
Pomeroy 404-428
Plutarch, Life of Demosthenes
1-21
Week 16
December 7 -
Epilogue