PHI 4930 (CLA 4436): Honors Ancient Greece

Course Description

This course is designed to fit into the interdisciplinary, writing-intensive curriculum of the Honors College. It may be linked to courses in other disciplines, enhanced by a one-hour writing module, and, with approval of an advisor, may contribute to Honors concentration in interdisciplinary philosophy, as well as to concentrations in literature, art or history. It fulfills 6,000 words of the Gordon Rule writing requirement.

The culture of Ancient Greece has been the object of continuing fascination and study throughout the subsequent history of Europe. This course is designed to introduce advanced undergraduates to principal artifacts and texts representative of Hellenic civilization from the Minoan to the Hellenistic period. Primary sources in literature, philosophy, historiography (in translation) and visual art will be the focus of study. An interdisciplinary critical method will be employed, introducing students to a range of traditional and contemporary perspectives in humanities. Texts will be considered thematically, stylistically, and chronologically, in their social and political context, in order to give students a sense of their interconnection with one another and their historical situations. Key aspects of the ancient Greek language will also be considered, with particular emphasis on the interactions between linguistic and cultural phenomena. Thus the principal concepts of the arts and sciences, insofar as they are derived from Greek origins, will be studied in philological dimension. The thematic and stylistic aspects of Greek cultural artifacts and texts, particularly from 600-399 BCE, will further be considered with a view to their influence on the European tradition. The Gordon Rule writing requirement will be fulfilled in the sequence of assignments provided. Ideally, upon completing the course you will have achieved a rich synthetic understanding of ancient Hellenic culture.

Gordon Rule Writing Requirement:

Because students in the Honors College may take upper-level courses as substitutes for lower-level ones in their core, it is appropriate to offer Gordon Rule classes at the junior and senior levels.

Writing will be the principal mode of evaluation here. An online guide to documentation styles will be employed (students may choose the style , e.g., MLA / Chicago, commensurate with their proposed concentration). A series of critical essays will be assigned, focusing on the interpretation of primary sources. Essays will be evaluated in terms of grammar, mechanics, organization, style, and content. Each student will write a minimum of 6,000 words.

Assignments:

1) Three essays, each at least1,000 words in length, each 20% of final grade: 60% total.

2) A series of ten in-class reading responses, each at least 250 words in length (totaling 2,500 words), altogether 30%.

3) Class Presentation, including 500 word prospectus and outline: 10%.

4) Total minimum word-count for the class: 6,000.

5) Regular attendance is required and work must be written and turned in on time; assignments missed due to unexcused absence may not be made up.

Presentation: Each of you will give talk on some topic relevant to the course during the final weeks of the semester. You are encouraged to form small groups and coordinate your studies to produce a group presentation. The list of recommended readings, below, is designed to assist you in your research.

Syllabus

Required Texts:

Aristophanes. Birds, Lysistrata, Assembly Women.. Stephen Haliwell, trans. (Oxford

2000, ISBN: 0192824082)

Aeschylus. Aeschylus I: Oresteia. Trans. (U of Chicago, 1990 0226307786).

---. Prometheus Bound. Trans. Paul Roche (Carducci 1990, 0865162387)

Euripides. Medea & Other Plays. Trans. J. Morwood. (Oxford 1998, ISBN:

0192824422)

Homer. The Iliad. Trans. Walter Schewring. (Oxford 1998, ISBN 0192833758)

Lattimore, R. The Greek Lyrics. 2^nd Edition. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1987. (ISBN:

0226469441)

Osborne, Robin. Archaic and Classical Greek Art. (Oxford 1998, ISBN 0192842021)

Plato. Phaedo. David Gallop, trans. (Oxford 1999, ISBN 0192839535)

Sophocles, H.D. Kitto, trans. Antigone, Oedipus the King, Electra (Oxford 2000 ,ISBN

0192835882)

Thucydides. On Justice, Power, and Human Nature. Trans. Paul Woodruff (Hackett 1993, ISBN 872201686)

Recommended Readings: (these have been ordered for our library, though some may not have arrived).

Aristotle: De Anima (On the Soul) Trans. R.D. Hicks. (Prometheus 1994, ISBN

0879756101)

Bernal, Martin. Black Athena: The Afro-Asiatic Roots of Classical Civilization. 2 Vols. Rutgers UP, 1989-1990.

---. Black Athena Writes Back: Martin Bernal Responds to his Critics. Duke UP, 2001.

Bloom, H., ed. Aeschylus. Modern Critical Views Ser. (Chesea House 1990,ISBN

0877549036)

---. Euripides. Modern Critical Views Ser. (Chelsea House, 1988, ISBN 1555463177)

---.Sophocles' Oedipus Rex. Modern Critical Interpretations Series. (Chelsea House,

1988, ISBN 0877549184)

---. Sophocles. Modern Critical Views Ser. Chelsea House, 1988, ISBN 1555463231)

Boardman et al. Oxford History of the Classical World: Greece and the Hellenistic

World (Oxford 1988, ISBN 0192821652)

Burkert, Walter. Homo Necans

---. Greek Religion

Conacher, D. J. Aeschylus' "Promethus Bound": A Literary Commentary. (Toronto,

1980, ISBN 0802023916)

Connor, W.R. Prometheus Bound: Greek Texts and Commentaries Series. (Ayer 1979,

ISBN 0405114516)

Dickenson, Oliver. The Aegean Bronze Age. Cambridge World Archaeology Ser.

(Cambridge 1994, ISBN 0521456649)

Euripides. Bacchae. Trans. J. Morwood. (Oxford 2000, ISBN: 019283875X)

Fine, G., ed. Plato 2: Ethics, Politics, Religion & the Soul. New York: Oxford, 2000.

Foucault, M. The Care of the Self. The History of Sexuality, Vols. 2. New York:

Vintage, 1988.

Fullerton, Mark D. Greek Art (Cambridge 2000, 0521779731)

Hanson, Victor D. The Other Greeks: The Family Farm and the Agrarian Roots of

Western Civilization. 2^nd Edition. (U of California P, 1999, ISBN 0520209354)

Havelock, E. Preface to Plato. (Harvard, 1987, ISBN: 0674699068)

Heckman, Susan. Feminist Interpretations of Michel Foucault, Re-Reading

the Canon Ser. Philadelphia: Penn State UP, 1996.

Herodotus. The Histories. Trans. R. Waterfield. New York: Oxford, 1999.

Homer. Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fagels. New York: Penguin, 1997. (ISBN:

0140268863)

Humphreys, S. C. Anthropology and the Greeks. International Library of Anthropology.

New York: Routledge, n.d. (ISBN 0710087853 / 0710200161)

Middleton, Sue. Disciplining Sexuality: Foucault, Life Histories, &

Education, Athens Ser. New York: Teachers' College Press, 1997. ISBN:

080776292X

Morris, Ian. Archaeology as Cultural History: Words & Things in Iron Age Greece.

Social Archaeology Ser. (Blackwell 1999 ISBN 0631196021)

Nietzsche. F. Trans.Douglas Smith.The Birth of Tragedy (Oxford 1998, 0-19-283-292-1)

Nussbaum, M. and Rorty, A.O. Essays on Aristotle's De Anima. New York: Oxford,

1995. (ISBN: 019823600X)

Pantel, Pauline Schmitt, ed. A History of Women I: From Ancient Goddesses to Christian

Saints. Cambridge: Harvard, 1992.

Plato. Symposium. Trans. Robin Waterfield. New York: Oxford, 1998.

Pomeroy, S. Goddesses, Whores, Wives and Slaves: Women in Classical Antiquity. New

York: Shocken, 1995. (ISBN: 080521030X)

Snell, Bruno. The Discovery of the Mind: The Greek Origins of European Thought. New

York: Dover, 1982.)

Sophocles: Oedipus the King. Norton Critical Edition. New York: Norton, 1980.

St. Croix, G. E. de. The Class Struggle in the Ancient World. Ithaca: Cornell, 1989.

ISBN: 0801495970

Thomson, George. Aeschylus and Athens: Studies in Drama Series #39. (M.S.G House,

1987, ISBN 083830723X)

Thucydides. The Pelopponesian War. Ed. Jenniver T. Roberts. Trans. Walter Blanco.

Norton Critical Edition. New York: Norton, 1998.

Online:

Ancient History Sourcebook: Greece: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/asbook07.html

Aristotle: Poetics: http://www.knuten.liu.se/~bjoch509/works/aristotle/poetics.txt

Athens: Site and Monuments: http://www.indiana.edu/~kglowack/athens/sites.html

Athens, Mycenae, Knossos (Crete), Art and Artifacts): http://harpy.uccs.edu/greek/greek.html

Classical Art and Archaeology: http://web.uflib.ufl.edu/cm/classics/artarchaeology.htm

Dictionary of Classical Myth: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/6946/mythology/

Diotima: Materials for the Study of Women and Gender: http://www.stoa.org/diotima/

Greek History, Art, Archaeology: http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~dee/

Episteme Links: http://www.epistemelinks.com/Main/Philosophers.asp?Period=Anci

Exploring Plato’s Dialogues: http://plato.evansville.edu/

Greek Drama (an excellent course): http://www.temple.edu/classics/dramadir.html

Herodotus: Ancient History Sourcebook:

Internet Ancient History Sourcebook: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/asbook.html

---. Thucydides http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/eb11-thucydides.html

The Internet Classics Archive: http://classics.mit.edu/index.html

Maecenas: Images of Ancient Greece and Rome: http://wings.buffalo.edu/AandL/Maecenas/general_contents.html#Greece

Maps of the Ancient Greek World (and many other links): http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~dee/

Map (overview) of Greece and eastern Mediterranean: http://www.princeton.edu/~markwoon/Myth/myth-maps.html

Map of the Peloponnesian War (Athenian and Spartan alliances): http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~atlas/europe/static/map07.html

Minoan Archaeological Sites, Museum: http://www.culture.gr/maps/crete/iraklio/iraklio.html

Minoan Civilization: http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~dee/

Minoan Images: http://www.dilos.com/region/crete/minoan_pictures.html

MLA Style Manual: http://www.mla.org/

Mycenae: Linear B Tablets: http://www.indiana.edu/~classics/aegean/R25.html

---. Collapse of Mycenaean Palatial Civilization: http://www.indiana.edu/~classics/aegean/R28.html#Theories_Cause(s)_Mycenaean_Palatial_Collapse

The Perseus Project: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/

Resources for Greek Art and Archaeology: http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~ekondrat/greece.html

Sources for Thucydides: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Thucydides/

Thucydides: Ancient History Thucydides History (complete text): http://classics.mit.edu/Thucydides/pelopwar.html

Thucydides Mythistoricus: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Thucydides/Cornford/CTOC.html

Film: Coen, Ethan and Joel. Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? (based on the Odyssey)

Week Activities

Jan. 7-9

1 Course introduction. Overview of ancient Greek civilization. Minoan

culture on Crete, mythological and historical pictures. The story of Theseus, Ariadne, and the Minotaur. The art and architecture of Knossos: palatial design, columnar style, frescoes, pottery designs, vase painting, sculpture. Minoan Writing: Linear A. Cycladic cultures. Readings: Homer, Iliad, Book 1; Osborne, Ch. 1. In-class response 1.

Jan. 14-16

2 The Bronze age on the Greek mainland. Mycenaean culture: a new style in architecture and art: palatial design, pottery designs, vase painting, relief sculpture, the Lion Gate of Mycenae, tomb construction, handiwork in gold, ivory, and faience. Comparisons with Minoan works. The burial mask of "Agamemnon." Greek myth and history in Mycenae: prelude to the Iliad. The story of the Trojan war and the excavation of Troy. Mycenaean writing, Linear B: early Greek. Greek religion. Readings: Homer, Books 3, 4, 6, 9, 14. In-class response 2.

Jan. 21-23 January 21 MLK Holiday

3 The Greek "Dark Age." The fall of Mycenae, the loss of literacy, migrations, late Mycenaean pottery styles, Protogeometric vase painting and sculpture, the rise of oral-heroic poetry in the Greek epic: the Iliad, selections. The Geometric period in Greek vase painting and sculpture. Readings: Homer, Books 16, 18, 22, 24. Osborne, Ch. 2. In-class response 3 .

Jan. 28-30

4 Greek Colonization of Asia Minor, Ionia, Orientalizing styles in pottery, the stories of the Iliad and the Odyssey. Homer, the Odyssey. History, myth and literature. The transition from orality to literacy. Philosophy and lyric poetry. Readings: Osborne, Chs. 3-5. Lattimore, Greek Lyrics, pp. 1-47. Filmic Interlude: Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? In-class response 4.

Feb. 4-6

5 The Archaic to the early Classical periods: the emergence of monumental sculpture in marble, Kouros and Kore figures, the black-figure style in vase painting, shift in figure-ground relations, the emergence of idealized naturalism, the combination of geometric with realistic styles. Greek Lyric poetry. The construction of European subjectivity as evidenced in lyric poetry: Readings from Lattimore, pp. 47-82; Osborne, Ch. 6; Aeschylus, Promethus Bound; from epic poetry to rational ontology: Parmenides Fragments On Nature: http://home.ican.net/~arandall/Parmenides/ and http://history.hanover.edu/texts/presoc/parmends.htm

Essay I due

Feb. 11-13

6 Early classical literature with Archaic thematic and historical dimensions. The classical polis as hero; myth, literature, history and early Greek philosophy. Myth, History, Tragedy, Artistry--and Agriculture. The Other Greeks? The Persian Wars, Pericles and the ascendancy of Athenian power. Readings: Osborne, Ch. 7, Aeschylus, Oresteia, Herodotus (online). In-class response 5.

Feb. 18-20

7 The Golden Age of Athens. Classical Greek Art. Architecture and Sculpture of the Acropolis. Classical style in architecture, sculpture, vase painting (the red-figure style) and tragic poetry. Readings: Sophocles' Antigone, Electra. Thucydides, Ch. 1, “Early History and Method.” Osborne, Ch. 9. In-class response 6.

Feb. 25-27

8 Classical Greek culture, at its height and on the brink The canons of composition in classical Greek poetry: translating Oidipous Tyrannos; Aristotle's analysis of tragedy: art as mimêsis, the nature of tragic katharsis, plot structure, character, thought, diction, melody, spectacle. Greek metrics and its influence on the European literary tradition. Readings: Sophocles: Oedipus the King; Thucydides, Chs. 2-3, “Origins of the War,” Pericles and the Plague.” In-class response 7.

March 4-6: Spring Break!

March 11-13

9 Greek Historiography and Tragedy: Thucydides, Chs. 4-5, “Justice and Power: Plataea and Mytilene,” “Human Nature Laid Bare in Civil War”; Euripides' Medea. Osborne, Ch. 10. Peter Green, “War and Morality in Fifth-Century Athens: The Case of Euripides’ Trojan Women.” Two critical perspectives on tragedy. Ancient History Bulletin Aristotle's Poetics (Also see Perseus Project translation ). Essay II Due.

March 18-2

10 Gender,Power, Justice: Readings: Euripides, Hippolytus, Electra. “Gay Abandon”: Osborne, Ch. 8. In-class response 8. Thucydides, Ch. 6, “Acanthus and Melos.”

March 25-27

11 Greek Comedy, Aristophanes, Birds. An Image from Birds . Women in Rebellion, Aristophanes' Lysistrata.

April 1-3

12 Comedy, Tragedy and Philosophy: Aristophanes, Assembly Women Plato’s Symposium: http://plato.evansville.edu/texts/jowett/symposium.htm . Late classical Greek art and the turn toward Hellenism: Osborne 11. Thucydides, Ch. 7, “The Sicilian Expedition.” In-class response 8.

April 8-10

13 Comedy and Philosophy: Plato’s Phaedo. Socrates as comic hero? Idealism or escapism? Osborne Chs. 12-13. Thucydides, Ch. 8, “The Aftermath.” In-class response 10.

April 15-17

14 Oral Presentations & Discussion

April 22-24

15 Presentations & Discussion

April 25 –May 1

16 Final Exam Week: Final Response Due Monday April 29, 12:30 PM