History 221, Classical Greece
Spring 2013
Dept. Of History
U. Of Richmond
Walt Stevenson
NC 214 Office Hours: MW 2:30-3:30 (or by appt.)
Course Description: The classical period in Greece will always be remembered for its awe-inspiring innovations in political systems, art, literature and philosophy. Democratic Athens cannot help but be at the center of the course, but we will also try to understand the context of Greek-speakers' classical achievements within their global context: how the independent city-state (polis) evolved, what role Persia and the Near East played in this development, and the conditions that led to the imperialistic decline of the independent city-state. Particular attention will be paid to the first written histories, Herodotus' and Thucydides', that not only chronicle the period lucidly, but also create a new type of political discourse. Archaeological evidence will also be explored in conjunction with the historical narratives.
Requirements: The following will be required of all students taking the course:
- attend classes with a look of intense intellectual curiosity
- complete all the assigned reading carefully taking notes and thinking about the inherent issues
- read Pomeroy et al. and take a test on the basic background
- write out a developed problem with the reading for the day (for discussion days)
- contribute thoughtfully to class discussion
- prove competence on a midterm and final exam
- complete one of the following projects (original work is required here):
- 10 page research paper.
- 10 page narrative from an ancient perspective.
- 5 page critical review of a scholarly book (requires instructor's approval).
- 5 page critical review of a historical novel (requires instructor's approval).
Grading:
- Test: 10% [January 25]
- Class Participation: 20%
- Midterm: 20% [March 8]
- Project: 30% [due March 27, 5PM, electronically submitted]
- Final: 20% [April 30, 2PM]
Schedule:
Introduction and General Background
1. (January 14) Introduction to the Course.
2. (January 16) Review of Civilization Before Greece [read Saggs on reserve]
3. (January 18) Origins and Definition of "Greece" [read Scarre/Fagan on reserve]
4. (January 21) Ancient Chronology [read Pomeroy/Burstein chapters 3-5]
5. (January 23) Overview of Classical Period [read Pomeroy/Burstein chapters 6, 8 and 9]
6. (January 25) Test on Background Information
The Rise of the Polis -- under Persian Eyes
7. (January 28) Lecture: What is a Greek Polis?
(photos)
8. (January 30) Life in Archaic Greece: Hesiod's Works and Days [read Hesiod on reserve]
9. (February 1) Homer and the Polis [read Raaflaub on reserve]
10. (February 4) Early Hellenic Unity from tribes to pan-Hellenic games [read Morgan on reserve]*
11. (February 6) Greek Battle: the Hoplite Formation [read Hanson on reserve]
12. (February 8) Greek Tyrants and Aristocrats [read Herodotus: Pisistratus 1.55-65/pp. 23-8; Polycrates and
Periander 3.39-56/pp. 187-195, 3.120-8/pp. 222-6; Cleisthenes of Sicyon 5.66-8/pp. 335-6, 6.125-31/pp. 404-8]
13. (February 11) The End of Tyranny in Athens [read Herodotus 5.55-76/pp. 331-9 and pp. 157-166 of Aristotle's Athenian Constitution on reserve]
14. (February 13) Persians and Ionians [read Herodotus 1.141-70/pp. 64-75, 4.88-119/pp. 270-80, 5.98-126/pp. 351-9]
15. (February 15) Persian War: Marathon and Thermopylae [read Herodotus 6.97-117/pp. 394-403, 7.172-228/pp. 476-95]
16. (February 18) Persian War: Battle of Salamis and Plataea [read Herodotus 7.138-43/pp. 460-4, 8.74-112/pp. 525-40, 9.25-81/pp. 563-87]
17. (February 20) Persia and Greek view of Persia after wars [read Cook pp. 278-291 and Aeschylus' Persians on reserve]*
Athenian Hegemony
18. (February 22) Lecture: Naval Warfare
19. (February 25) Athenian Democracy [read Aristotle's Athenian Constitution on reserve]*
20. (February 27) Sparta: Ancient Perspective [read Plutarch's Lycurgus on reserve]
21. (March 1) Spartan Society [read either Spartan Women or Spartan Warfare articles by Paul Cartledge on electronic reserve]
22. (March 4) Spartan Tradition [read either Spartan Tradition I or Spartan Tradition II articles by Paul Cartledge on electronic reserve]
23. (March 6) Review for Midterm
24. (March 8) Midterm Exam
25. (March 18) The Peloponnesian War: Pericles' Funeral Oration [read Thucydides pp. 136-64/2.18-65]
26. (March 20) Project topic should be submitted by this day (no assignment)
27. (March 22) The Revolt of Mytilene [read Thucydides pp. 194-223/3.1-50]
28. (March 25) Athenian Demagogues: Cleon [read Aristophanes
Knights on reserve]
29. (March 27) {PROJECT DUE} Lecture: Greek Architecture and Engineering (photos)
30. (March 29) Athenian Expansion: The Melian Dialogue [read Thucydides pp. 400-8/5.84-116; 35-49/1.1-23 (Thuc.'s introduction)]
31. (April 1) Athenian Expansion II: The Sicilian Expedition [read Thucydides pp. 409-29/6.1-32]
32. (April 3) Athenian Legal System [read Aristophanes' Wasps on reserve]
33. (April 5) Democracy Overthrown: the 400 in Athens [read Thucydides pp. 562-599/8.45-98]
34. (April 8) Democracy and Imperialism reviewed: Athens' own view [read Euripides "Trojan Women" on reserve]
35. (April 10) Democracy and Imperialism reviewed II: Epigraphical Evidence [read Fornara on reserve]
36. (April 12) Democracy and Imperialism reviewed III: the contemporary Greek view [read Pseudo-Xenophon on reserve]
Sunset/Evening of the Sovereign Polis
37. (April 15) The Life of a Greek Mercenary [read Xenophon's Anabasis on reserve]
38. (April 17) Lecture: The Fall of Spartan Hegemony
39. (April 19) Lecture: Fall of Thebes and the Rise of Macedon
40. (April 22) Philip II of Macedon in Athens' Eyes [read
Demosthenes' Olynthiacs]
41. (April 24) Lecture: the Fate of the Polis under Hellenistic Kings
42. (April 26) Review for Final Exam
43. (April 30, 2 PM) FINAL EXAM
[readings students have traditionally found challenging are marked with a *]
Texts:
- Herodotus: The Histories, translated by Aubrey de Selincourt.
- Thucydides: The Peloponnesian War, tr. by Rex Warner.
- Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Greece, R. Morkot.
- A Brief History of Ancient Greece: Politics, Society, and Culture, Pomeroy, Burstein et al.
- Selected readings on library electronic reserve.
Attendance: Since class participation is a significant graded percentage
of this course, each class a student misses will detract from this grade. Several
absences will not do permanent damage, but more than 8 (out of 42 meetings -- i.e.
almost 20%) will be serious.
Honor Policy: Like any academic work at UR all work done for this course
falls under the honor code. If you have any doubt what constitutes "unauthorized assistance,"
please come and talk to the instructor before trying it.
N.B. The instructor does not allow make up tests under any circumstances, nor does he accept late work.
last modified 3-6-2013