SCHEDULE OF READINGS AND LECTURES
Th Jan 12
Introduction: The sources of Ancient History
Tu Jan 17
History before Writing
Reading: Mathisen, chapter 1
Th Jan 19
Mesopotamia: Cradle of Civilization
Library Resources for Ancient History
Readings: Mathisen, chapter 2
Tu Jan 24
Mesopotamian Kingship
Readings: Sumerian King List (http://www.csun.edu/~hcfll004/sumking.html); Epic of
Gilgamesh (http://www.angelfire.com/tx/gatestobabylon/temple1.html); Code of
Hammurabi (intro and conclusion, plus as many laws as interest you)
(http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/hamcode.html)
Th Jan 26
Government of Egypt: Gods, Pharaohs, Commoners
Readings: Mathisen, chapter 3, and “Hymn to the Nile”
(http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/hymn-nile.html)
Tu Jan 31
Daily Life in Egypt: Popular Religion, Material Culture
Readings: “Princess Ahura: the Magic Book”
(http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/1100egyptmagic.html) and "Instruction of
Ptah-Hotep (excerpts at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/ptahhotep.html);
Horus and the Pig (http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/ancient/1900horuspig.asp)
Th Feb 2
Mediterranean Coast
Readings: Mathisen, chapter 4
Tu Feb 7
Early Eastern Mediterranean Religions
Readings: Genesis 37-50 (any modern English translation); Gilgamesh, Tablet IX
(http://www.angelfire.com/tx/gatestobabylon/temple2.html); “Reports of Minos and
Knossos” (http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/ancient/minos1.asp)
Th Feb 9
Early Empires
Readings: Mathisen, chapter 5
Tu Feb 14
The Black Athena Debate: Bernal’s argument
Readings: summary of Black Athena debate
(http://www.physics.wustl.edu/~alford/athena.html); on-line Black Athena Debate
(excerpts at http://academic.reed.edu/humanities/110Tech/BlackAthena.html)
BONUS (optional): "Black Athena: Yes and No" by Wim M.J. van Binsbergen
(http://www.shikanda.net/topicalities/Black_Athena_YES_AND_NO.pdf)
Th Feb 16
Early Greeks: Traditional Interpretations
Readings: Mathisen, chapter 6 and Classical Greek writers on their own history
(http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/thuc-hellenes.html)
Tu Feb 21
Greek City States: Mainland Greece and Colonies
Readings: Founding of Cyrene
(http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/630cyrene.html); Herodotus on Hellenes
and Phoenicians (http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/ancient/430phoenicia.asp)
Th Feb 23
Greek Urban Culture and Politics
Readings: Mathisen, chapter 7 and Herodotus (excerpt at
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/herodotus-creususandsolon.html) and
Aristophanes (http://eserver.org/drama/aristophanes/ecclesiazusae.txt)
Tu Feb 28
Classical Greek Society: Religion and Household
Readings: excerpts on Greek religion
(http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/greekrel2.html) and selections on women
(http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/ancient/700greekwomen.asp)
Th Mar 1
Mid-term Exam
Mar 5-11
Spring Break
Tu Mar 13
Alexander the Great Dachowski sick; postponed to next week
Readings: Mathisen, chapter 8 and Plutarch, anecdotes about Alexander
(http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/plutarch-alexander1.html)
Th Mar 15
Hellenistic Culture Dachowski sick; postponed to next week
Readings: Athanaeus, “Procession of Ptolemy II”
(http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/ancient/285ptolemyII.asp)
Tu Mar 20
New schedule due to illness: Alexander the Great, Mathiesen, chapter 8, Plutarch on Alexander and Athenaeus
on the "Procession of Ptolemy II"
Rise of Rome
Readings: Mathisen, chapter 9
Th Mar 22
New schedule due to illness: Hellenistic Culture and the Rise of Rome, Mathiesen, chapter 9
Readings: 12 Tables (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/12tables.html) and
Selections about the Etruscans
(http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/etrucans2.html)
Tu Mar 27
New schedule due to illness: Roman Republic, Mathiesen, chapter 10, 12 Tables
Decline of the Roman Republic
Readings: Mathisen, chapter 10
Th Mar 29
Roman Leaders
Readings: Cicero against Marcus Antonius
(http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/cicero2ndphil.html); Suetonius, biography
of Augustus (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/suet-augustus-rolfe.html)
Tu Apr 3
Pax Romana
Readings: Mathisen, chapter 11
Th Apr 5
Roman and Barbarian Culture
Readings: Tacitus, “Germania” (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/tacitus1.asp)
Tu Apr 10
Later Roman Empire
Readings: Mathisen, chapter 12
Th Apr 12
Christianity: From persecuted cult to state religion
Readings: Eusebius, conversion of Constantine
(http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/conv-const.asp)
Tu Apr 17
A Christian Empire
Readings: Mathisen, chapter 13
Th Apr 19
Hermits and Bishops
Readings: Athanasius, “Life of Anthony” (http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/basis/vitaantony.asp)
Tu Apr 24
End of the Ancient World
Readings: Mathisen, chapter 14
Th Apr 26
Fall of the Roman Empire
Readings: Ammianus Marcellinus
(http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/ammianus-history14.asp); Priscus on Attila
the Hun (http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/source/attila1.asp)
TBA
Final Exam (the exam will probably be May 3, 10:20, given past scheduling patterns,
but we cannot know until the Office of Records and Registration releases the
schedule.)