Greek Civilization
Spring 2011
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Students will be able to research, synthesize, and draw reasoned arguments from
the evidence of literature, history, philosophy, art and archaeology.
2. Students will acquire a basic knowledge of the rich and complex political, social and
cultural history of Greece through mastery of factual data and analysis of developments
or events within the history. Analysis will include, but not be limited to, an
acknowledgment of the eastern influences on Greek culture, how it is Greco-Asiatic, the
conditions under which democracy developed, the place of the "other" (women, slaves,
foreigners) in Greek culture.
3. Through development and writing of a paper, students will develop of an ability to
analyze and evaluate a piece of Greek literature for its contribution to the political,
social, or cultural knowledge of Greek history. In so doing, students will evaluate
different approaches or other theories concerning that piece of literature. To prepare
for this paper, students will read and comment on some assignments in a journal.
4. Through a group project in which students research, evaluate and present a certain
aspect of the political, social, or cultural history of Greece, students will develop an
ability to critique different theories. The project's presentation will be included on the
final.
COURSE TEXTS (REQUIRED)
1. "Ancient Greece--a Political, Social, and Cultural History," by Sarah Pomeroy, Stanley
Burstein, Walter Donlan, and Jennifer Roberts. Abbreviated as: Anct Gr.
2. "Classics in Translation," by MacKendrick and Howe. Abbreviated as" Mack.
3. "Ten Greek Plays," by Lind. Abbreviated as "Ten Plays."
REQUIREMENTS:
 Two semester exams, first one 15%, second one 20%
 TEN-FIFTEEN PAGE PAPER ON ANCIENT PASSAGE NOT OTHERWISE ASSIGNED 15%
 JOURNAL ON ANCIENT PASSAGES NOTED BY * 10%
 GROUP PROJECT 10%
 PREPARATION/CLASS PARTICIPATION 10%
 FINAL EXAMINATION, 20%
EXAMINATIONS. There are three examinations in this course. They have all been listed since the
first day of the course. Make up exams are the RARE exception, not the rule, and are allowed
only at the discretion of the instructors; such matters must be arranged in writing no fewer
than forty-eight hours in advance of the regularly scheduled exam time. Only extreme, valid,
documented emergencies are the exception to this rule. We have an honor code at
Southwestern; it has always seemed unfair to your instructor that your inability to plan should
give you an advantage over other students.
Exam Number One is February 2
Exam Number Two is March 23
THE FINAL EXAMINATION IS TUESDAY, May 3, from 8:30--11:30 (except for graduating seniors);
the final exam is on material from the latter part of the class and is not inclusive (it's an exam,
not the Olympics!).
TEN-FIFTEEN PAGE PAPER. This paper (paper topic due Feb. 14--it's a Valentine for me!!!, rough
draft due Mar. 4), due Mar. 28, is on an ancient work of literature illustrating aspects of Greek
civilization. The topic, selected by the student, must be approved by the instructor in advance.
It may not be, so do not ask, on any piece of literature assigned for course readings at any time
during the course. Deadlines are firm, penalties assessed for each day late as well as for
improper or incomplete footnote or bibliography forms. One day ends and another begins at 5
p.m., so 5 points late for each day rough draft, 10 points each day late for final draft. Ten points
deducted for improper or incomplete bibliography; ten points deducted for improper or
incomplete footnotes. Intellectual honesty is a path worth following.
JOURNAL. Assigned readings, marked by an asterisk (*) on the syllabus provide the material for
the journal. Each journal entry contains:
o name, dates, origins of author
o very brief summary of ancient passage
o short discussion of nature, value of source in giving us information about Greek
civilization.
o the idea behind the journal is to recreate an intellectual dialogue between the
instructor and the student--we have a conversation.
o due dates are on the assignment page, first pick up will be for information only.
The journal will be done within the segue system.
 This journal is graded on completion as well as a certain basic understanding--it is an
easy way to get a 100 grade of 10% of your final grade--just complete it on time and
following the instructions.
GROUP PROJECT. Students form groups of 2 or 3 to prepare a group project due the last three
class meetings. The project will explore any aspect of Greek civilization not covered in class or a
more in-depth look at an aspect of a subject in class. Each group will make a presentation of the
project to class. Each group must provide an annotated bibliography with their presentation.
They may present a power-point, or they may write and perform an original piece inspired by
the class. Attendance is MANDATORY for all students at these classes--support your friends!
You get to be Socrates, Archimedes, Sappho, or anyone else and get to teach us something!!
Group project topic due date is March 9; Group Projects are April 6, April 8 and April 13; the
project topics will be on the final exam so that your friends in class will appreciate any materials
from which they may study!
ATTENDANCE. Students are expected to attend class. Lectures and discussions are not re-runs
of assignments. Grade for preparation/class participation will be based upon attendance and
upon participation in class discussion; class discussion means"quality" rather than "quantity."
Class participation should reveal preparation.
Students should feel free to express their OWN opinions. Greek civilization, like all ancient
civilizations, is only partly understood--much is missing and we make reasoned assumptions as
to the rest. The important thing to keep in mind is an attitude of respect for each other, our
classmates, and the ancient Greeks. For further information, consult the SU Academic Rights for
students.
The dates on this moodle page are carved in stone: the daily assignments and sometimes the
journal entries will change, but the dates here are firm.
Summary of dates carved in beautiful Greek script on stone:
 Exam One (take in class) February 2
 Paper Topic Due (submit on moodle) February 14
 Rough Draft of Paper (no electronic submissions) March 4
 Group Project Topic Due (submit on moodle) March 9--only one member needs to
submit; include all names of the group
 Exam Two (take in class) March 23
 Paper Due (no electronic submissions) March 28
 Group Projects April 4, April 6, April 8-attendance is mandatory
 Final Exam May 3, 8:30--11:30
GRADING
The plus and minus grading system in effected at Southwestern will be used for final grades.
The ancients were absolute giants in terms of math, science, and natural philosophy unlike your
merely mortal instructor. If you feel that the grades have been average incorrectly, please do
not hesitate to contact the instructor. Semester percentage averages will translate to the
following letter grades (anything below 60 if a failure):
Grade
Inclusive % Range
GPA POINTS
A+
96.7-100
4.00
A
93.4-96.6
4.00
A-
90.0-93.3
3.67
B+
86.7-89.9
3.33
B
83.4-86.6
3.00
B-
80.0-83.3
2.67
C+
76.7-79.9
2.33
C
73.4-76.6
2.00
C-
70.0-73.3
1.67
D+
66.7-69.9
1.33
D
63.4-66.6
1.00
D-
60.0-63.3
0.67
How to contact the current instructor for Greek civilization? The instructor works part time and
is on campus Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Office hours (Mood Bridwell 223) are one hour
before class or by appointment, call 863-1554. ABOUT EMAIL: EMAIL ONLY GETS CHECKED
MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY during normal working hours (8 am-5 pm). Do not expect that
an email sent at 1 or 2 am will generate a response. Email seems to be a vehicle for many
people as an opportunity to spew forth garbage, anger, or frustration. Please refrain from these
emails--you may want to hold any emails for twenty four hours before sending them. The
instructor PREFERS TO TALK TO STUDENTS INDIVIDUALLY or to READ HANDWRITTEN NOTES
from them. Please take the time to make an appointment so we can get to know one another.
It is really good that we respect one another and have professional discussions! It's a benefit of
attending a small, liberal arts college that we get to know one another!
WEEKLY SCHEDULE
Week 1
Introduction
Monday, , going over
January 10 requirement
s
AnctGr 1-50 (18-40)
Wednesda
y Jan. 12
Type Sites and Dates:
 Frankthi, 12000 BC
Topography,
 Lerna, Early Bronze Age, 3000-2100 BC
Bronze Age
 Minoan Palace Period, 1700-1450, eruption of Thera, 1500,
palace of Knossos
See section on Lerna under "plans"
Bronze Age, AnctGr 1-50 (18-40)
Friday Jan. Bronze Age
14
Art
Virtual Pylos Tour
https://lms.southwestern.edu/file.php/825/Hall64RJRtiny.movDownl
oad Virtual Pylos Tour [right click to download]
Week 2
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King holiday,
Monday Jan 17
Holiday, no class Holiday
Wednesday Jan 19
Bronze Age
Review
Friday Jan 20
Iron Age, history,
AnctGr 51-84 (41-81)
art
Week 3
Mon Iliad
Jan 24 Iron Age
Bronze Age review;
look over section on Bronze Age
under docs
Mack13-48; **Bk. V, pp. 24-28
If you want to read it online (perseus) here are the assignments; BOOK
I, 490-611; II 110-277; **V 432-448; VI 237-529, IX 600-713; XVI 1-95;
684-867; XVIII 462-617; XXII 395-515; XXIV 471-691
Mack, 49-80.
Review AntGr 84-95
Wed.
Jan 26
If you want to read it online (perseus) here are the assignments: Book
I, 1095, 325-382; IV 121-188; V 149-170, 313-493; VI whle book; VII
81-135; VIII 62-95; IX 181-336; X 210-245, 271-364, 373-399; XI 152224; XII 154-200; XIV 1-147; XIX 465-507; XX 1-123.
Odyssey
Iron Age
Our "Teach-In" Day on Climate Change. All universities are asking
faculty to teach on climate change; well, in Ancient Athens starting
around 700 BC, there was a drought, evidenced by wells being filled in.
This drought caused a high mortality rate and effected public policy;
so I've added information about this under the tab "docs".
Fri Jan
28
Archaic
Greece,
Introduction
and Overview
Mon Jan 31
Hesiod
Archaic
Greece
WEDNESDAY
FEBRUARY 2,
AnctGr 97-123 (82-109); look over section on "hoplite virtue" under
"docs" tab
Mack **88-91
FIRST JOURNAL DUE by 5 p.m.--submitted only on
moodle, note how the readings are due cleverly two
whole days before the exam!
Remember that you can get a 100% completion grade
by simply DOING the assignment completely and on
time; answer any questions I may ask you--you may see
them again really soon!
EXAM NUMBER ONE, EXAM NUMBER ONE
closed book, taken in
EXAM NUMBER class
ONE
καλὴ τυχὴ!
Fri Feb 4
Archaic Art,
Archaeology,
Literature
AnctGr 123-147 (109-130)
Mack *Better part p.94, *Passion p.96 (just these short
poems; one by Archilochus and by Sappho;
see the Archilochus section under the "docs" tab
Week 5
Monday Feb Persian Wars
7
AnctGr 97-149;180-200
Mack*pp.121-122; pp.123-128 (note these pages are not
marked with an asterisk--read this second set, but do not
include them in journal),*Mack, pp.129-130.
AnctGr 201-224
Wednesday
Feb 9
Persian Wars
Or, The Real 300
Under the "plans" tab are descriptions of the battles and
also plans of the battles
Friday Feb 11
AnctGr 242-253
Early Classical Art,
Architecture,
Literature
Mack*Pythian 1, 5th Nemean, pp. 98-100; see also Pindar
section.
This poem will be discussed in class; be prepared to
DISCUSS IT.
Week 6
Monday
Feb 14
Early classical art and
archaeology II
Paper Topic Due--it's a
Discussion of Paper Topic, Paper Topic Due Feb 14 5 pm,
submit on moodle; Click on "Paper Topic Approval" Tab for
Paper Suggestions and Requirements
Valentine!!
Wed Feb
16
Ancient Greek Life
Fri Feb 18
Tragedy, part one
Aeschylus, "Agamemnon", in Ten Plays, read entire play,
Justice & Vendetta in a comment only on *lines 1372-1399, pp. 69-70
Performance Culture
Week 7
Mon
Feb 21
Aeschylus, "Prometheus Bound," in Ten Plays, read entire play,
comment only on *lines 1040-1053.
Tragedy, part two
***PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE CLASS; think especially about justice
and the references to tyranny and "might is right". Think especially
about the quotes on the webpage about the divine nature of justice.
Intro. to
Wed Peloponnesian
Feb 23 War
AnctGr 246-272
Mack*307-311 (note this section is for your journals!)
Anct Gr 272-301
Fri Feb
25
Tragedy, part
three
Anct Gr 272-301
Sophocles, "Antigone," in Ten Plays; see also the section on
Sophocles and the broader picture
Week 8
Monday Tragedy, part four; the web hand out is for both the
Feb 28 "Suppliants" and the "Andromache"
Tragedy, part five.
Please read the play and think about what values are
described; please bring your books.
Euripides, "Suppliants", in
Ten Plays
Euripides, "Andromache,"
in Ten Plays
Be prepared to discuss this
play especially as regards
the values, ethics,
standards of the Periklean
age
Peloponnesian War
Friday
Mar 4
AnctGr 316-348
ROUGH DRAFT OF PAPER DUE--no electronic submissions Mack "Old Oligarch"***
allowed; bring to class or deliver to Mood-Bridwell 223 223-230
by 5 pm--remember the more you work on this paper,
the better your final grade will be. If you have never
done footnotes or "sources cited" page (also known as
bibliography), please do at least one of each and hand
them in when you hand in your rough draft. You want
your grade to be good, so work hard on the rough
draft!!! You may hand in more than one draft.
Week 9
Monday Mar 7
Classical Art and Archaeology
Anct Gr review pp. 247-253; read
301-311
Wednesday
Mar 9, Ash
Wednesday
Thucydides
Group Project Topic due at 5 pm;
submit on moodle-only one
person needs to submit per
group but name the others in
your group.
Mack 231-259; comment *on numbers 3446, pp. 239-243 and on numbers 85-97, pp.
248-249. Note how there are NO links on
this page; we will discuss Thucydides in
class, so prepare.
Aristophanes, "Lysistrata", in Ten Plays, p.
365 ff.
Fri Mar 11
Spring Break Begins at 10 pm;
yes, there is class.
COMEDY
****Comment in your journal on the
parabasis (lines 640 and following, the
editorial section)
Week 10
Aftermath of War,
immediate consequences
Monday Mar. 21 JOURNAL TWO DUE AT 5
pm today SUBMIT ON
SEQUE
AnctGr 348-356
Mack *319-328
As we discussed on class before Spring Break,
the aftermath of war will not be on the exam;
we will treat this material after the exam.
Wednesday
EXAM NUMBER TWO, IN
EXAM NUMBER TWO
March 23 2011, CLASS, CLOSED BOOK EXAM
Exam Number
Two
Friday Mar 25
AFTERMATH OF WAR,
longer consequences
Anct Gr 356-364
Mack*337-340, *369-388
****Remember, paper due
next week!!!
Week 11
PHILIP II
Monday Mar
28
PAPER DUE TODAY AT 5 PM; bring it to class or bring it to
Mood-Bridwell 223 by 5 pm; no electronic submissions
AnctGr 361-427
allowed.
Mack Demosthenes
*286-296
PAPER DUE TODAY
Wednesday,
Mar 30
Topography of Athens--city
Learn pictures
Friday, April 1
Topography of Olympia--sanctuary
Learn pictures
Week 12
GROUP PROJECT Presenters:
Monday April 4
Yellow Group:
ATTENDANCE MANDATORY
Red Group:
WEDNESDAY APRIL 6
GROUP PROJECT Presenters:
Green Group:
ATTENDANCE MANDATORY
Blue Group:
FRIDAY APRIL 8
ATTENDANCE MANDATORY
Week 13
Delphi,
Sanctuary
Monday Apr 11
Wed April 13
Alexander,
Alexander art
Monday April 15
http://www.southwestern.edu/departments/classics/textrestr/grkciv042307.html
Successors
Anct Gr.
429-461
Anct Gr.
462-487
Week 14
Cosmopolis
AnctGr 471-475
Passover begins tonight at sundown
AnctGr 487-495
Mack *Theokritos, First
Idyll, pp. 101-102
*Meleager pp. 103-104
Mon April 18
Hellenistic Science
Passover
Wednesday
Apr. 20
Remember the optional fourth hour, the tutorial,
every Thursday at 6 pm MoodBridwell 223 for make
up work
AnctGr 495-503
Mack *312-314
(Archimedes)
Good Friday, no class
no class
Week 15
Monday April 25
Wednesday April 27
Friday April 29
Last Day of Classes
FINAL EXAM; FINAL EXAM IS IN CLASS, CLOSED BOOK,
TUESDAY, MAY 3, 8:30--11:30; emphasis on material from
second exam (specifically the end of the Peloponnesian War)
and after; REREAD PERIKLES" Funeral Oration and see section
on it under "docs," learn this!
AntGr 491Hellenistic Art and
495
Architecture
JOURNAL DUE AT
JOURNAL
5 PM, submit on
DUE AT 5
moodle
PM
Hellenistic
Successors, part
two
Anct Gr
462-487
and
505-507
Rome Victorious
Course
Evaluations
Anct Gr
505-510