Classics 342
Homer in Translation
Fall 2014
Tu/Th 12:30-1:45pm
Modern Languages 502
Professor Alex Kennedy
Office: Learning Services Building 222
Office Hours: Tu/Th 2:00-3:00pm and by appt.
Email: arkennedy@email.arizona.edu
TA: Victor Republicano
Office: Learning Services Building 203
Office Hours: Tu/Th 3:30-4:30pm
Email: vrepublicano@email.arizona.edu
Course Description:
This course introduces the works of the ancient Greek poet Homer. We will read all of Homer’s
two epic poems, the Iliad and Odyssey, in English. The first half of the course will focus on the
Iliad, and the second half will focus on the Odyssey. In the last two weeks of the course, we will
read selections from three other ancient epics as a way of examining Homer’s place within the
epic tradition as a whole. Class meetings will focus on discussion of the themes of the works as
well as their literary and historical context.
Required Texts:
R. Lattimore, trans., The Iliad of Homer, 2011
R. Lattimore, trans., The Odyssey of Homer, 2007
Additional readings will be given as PDF files posted on D2L.
Grading:
Attendance and Participation
Quizzes
Class Presentation
Midterm Exam
Final Exam
Papers
10%
10%
5%
20%
25%
30% (15% each)
Attendance and Absence Policies:
Attendance and participation in class are required. We will discuss important themes and ideas
from the texts in class, so it is important that you attend. Be aware that if you miss class or come
to class late, it is your sole responsibility to find out what you missed. All holidays or special
events observed by organized religions will be honored for those students who show affiliation
with that particular religion. Absences pre-approved by the UA Dean of Students (or Dean’s
designee) will also be honored.
Quizzes:
There will be a short quiz every day that we have class, except for the first two class meetings
and the day of the midterm. Each quiz will include four short-answer questions based on that
day’s reading assignment. Although there will be a total of 26 of these quizzes, your final quiz
score will only be calculated out of 100 possible points, which means you basically get 4 free
points. There will be no makeup quizzes. If you miss a quiz, you will merely lose some of your
free points. Any additional missed quizzes will count as a zero. Quizzes will take place promptly
at the beginning of class, so it is important to arrive on time.
Class Presentation:
Each student will be expected to give a brief presentation (3-5 minutes) to the class on a short
passage (approximately 10 lines) of his/her choosing from the Iliad or Odyssey. The presentation
should briefly explain the context of the chosen passage, i.e. what is happening at that moment in
the text, and then discuss how that specific passage relates to a key theme (or themes) in the text.
Each presentation is due on the day we are scheduled to cover that portion of the text in class.
Students will sign up for their presentation dates at the beginning of the semester.
Exams:
There will be a midterm and final exam. Both exams will include identification or discussion of
terms, themes, and/or passages from the readings. The final exam will also include an essay.
Only the essay portion of the final exam will be cumulative. Makeup exams will only be allowed
in well-documented cases of illness or family emergency and must be requested in advance.
Papers:
Two 4-5 page papers will be required. One will draw on the readings from the Iliad, and the
other on the readings from the Odyssey or a combination of both works. More details about paper
topics and requirements will be distributed later.
Expectations:
Students are expected to come to class with the assigned readings completed. Our class meetings
will primarily consist of discussion of the readings, and you are expected to contribute to this
discussion.
In class, please be respectful of others (for the UA policies regarding threatening behavior by
students, see http://policy.web.arizona.edu/threatening-behavior-students). Come to class on
time, turn off and put away cell phones and other electronic devices, and refrain from behavior
that is distracting to the instructor or other students. The use of laptop computers will not be
allowed in class.
Academic Integrity:
You are responsible for completing your own work in accordance with the UA Code of
Academic Integrity (see http://deanofstudents.arizona.edu/codeofacademicintegrity). Cheating on
quizzes and exams or plagiarizing papers will result in an automatic failing grade for the course
and disciplinary action.
Accessibility and Accommodations:
It is the University’s goal that learning experiences be as accessible as possible. If you anticipate
or experience physical or academic barriers based on disability, please let me know immediately
so that we can discuss options. You are also welcome to contact Disability Resources (520-6213268) to establish reasonable accommodations. Please be aware that the accessible table and
chairs in this room should remain available for students who find that standard classroom seating
is not usable.
Tentative Reading and Exam Schedule:
Week 1
Tues, Aug 26 Introduction (Iliad, pp. 1-53)
Thurs, Aug 28 Iliad Book 1
Week 9
Tues, Oct 21 Odyssey Books 5-6
Thurs, Oct 23 Odyssey Books 7-8
Week 2
Tues, Sept 2 Iliad Book 2
Thurs, Sept 4 Iliad Books 3-4
Week 10
Tues, Oct 28 Odyssey Books 9-10
Thurs, Oct 30 Odyssey Books 11-12
Week 3
Tues, Sept 9 Iliad Books 5-6
Thurs, Sept 11 Iliad Books 7-9
Week 11
Tues, Nov 4 Odyssey Books 13-14
Thurs, Nov 6 Odyssey Books 15-16
Week 4
Tues, Sept 16 Iliad Books 10-11
Thurs, Sept 18 Iliad Books 12-14
Week 12
Tues, Nov 11 No Class (Veterans Day)
Thurs, Nov 13 Odyssey Books 17-18
Week 5
Tues, Sept 23 Iliad Books 15-16
Thurs, Sept 25 Iliad Books 17-18
Week 13
Tues, Nov 18 Odyssey Books 19-20
Thurs, Nov 20 Odyssey Books 21-22
Week 6
Tues, Sept 30 Iliad Books 19-20
Thurs, Oct 2 Iliad Books 21-22
Week 14
Tues, Nov 25 Odyssey Books 23-24
Thurs, Nov 27 No Class (Thanksgiving)
Week 7
Tues, Oct 7 Iliad Books 23-24
Thurs, Oct 9 Midterm
Week 15
Tues, Dec 2
Week 8
Tues, Oct 14 Odyssey Books 1-2
Thurs, Oct 16 Odyssey Books 3-4
Paper 1 Due
Apollonius (D2L)
Paper 2 Due
Thurs, Dec 4 Vergil (D2L)
Week 16
Tues, Dec 9
Lucan & Conclusion (D2L)
Final Exam: Thursday, December 18, 10:30am-12:30pm
Information contained in the course syllabus, other than the grade and absence policies, may be
subject to change with reasonable advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.