Course Overview

Ancient Greece has long exercised the imagination of scholars. Seemingly out of nothing and at a remarkable pace, the inhabitants of the Greek mainland, the Aegean isles, and the Ionian coasts of Asia Minor crafted a culture which withstood Persian conquest but then could not refrain from devouring itself. And in the meantime, they honed a legacy which afterwards ensnared the Romans and even societies two millennia down the road. The political sophistication and variety of the poleis, the rapid maturity of epic and lyric poetry, the creation of novel literature (including history and drama), the birth of philosophical analysis—all these elements and more have made Ancient Greece appear as that most magical of Magic Moments. So often has this intoxicating mixture been scrutinized, though, that an inverted effect has come about. Classical Greek civilization has acquired an aura both natural and inevitable, whether or not either was true. Moreover, as thinkers looked backward for explanations of the contemporary, the conviction grew that Greece (and Athens in particular) was the real foundation of much modern culture.

This course examines the validity of such assumptions. In part through the political affairs of the Greeks, but even more so through social and cultural history, we will attempt another look at this complex society, its achievements and legacies. Through core institutions such as religion, family, government, war, economic imperatives, and social interaction, our goal will be to see both the Greeks as they saw themselves and the world as they viewed it. German scholars of the early nineteenth century saw the Greeks through a Romantic lens; later English afficionados of the same century presented them as models of Victorian political prudence and virtue. Let us hope we shall not turn them into post-modern, politically correct, angst- ridden, post-modern westerners (unless, of course, that's what they were...). For starters, though, we’ll see what to make of a people who honored both a god of reason and one of disorder.

Course Goals

The goals (or should I say fruits?) of a history course are as numerous as the books which historians produce. Some have already been hinted at above. At the broadest level, though, historical study encourages and hones critical analysis of the questions which most concern us. And these issues are themselves countless, but in the most generic terms, they mostly center on the relations of people with one another, with themselves, and possibly with the supernatural. We will be asking “why?” rather a lot: Why did they think that? Why did they assume such a thing? Why does the past appear simultaneously alien and similar? Even as we ask these questions, others lie implicitly underneath: why do I think what I think? What are my prejudices and assumptions? How does my heritage sway my conclusions?

More specifically, in a Greek/Hellenic context, we have the following goals to aim for as well:

• As stated above, students will be able to describe differences and synchronicity between modern narratives of Ancient Greece and what primary documents reveal
• Students will demonstrate basic geographic (cartographic) knowledge of key places in Greek history
• Students will be able to outline major historiographic debates such as: the historicity of myths, Ancient Greek exceptionalism, the Hoplite Revolution, the role of women in society, etc.
• Students will display mastery of historical research and analytical skills, including those particular to ancient history, through review essays and source analyses.

The papers and exam essays will be your opportunity to demonstrate your ability to express your conclusions about historical events and historical scholarship. Don’t blow this off and do slipshod work.

Grading & Assignments

Participation: (10%) Our course will be a mixture of lectures and seminar-style participation. Come to class prepared with that day’s readings already digested (i.e., don’t just cast your eyes over the words on the page or screen; think about the implications and issues involved). Be ready to ask questions; be ready to be asked questions.

Papers: (40%) Two papers will be due. The larger of the two (worth 25%) will be an eight-page, tightly-focused analysis of one primary source. Read that again: tightly focused. This does not mean, for example, that you will analyze the entire Iliad, nor even a single chapter/book of it, but most likely a particular passage within a chapter. The same holds true for any other source you choose. Maybe you'll examine one vase painting, or a fragment of Sappho's poetry. You will have to confirm your choice with the professor, and once selected, you may not change your choice merely at your whim. Further guidelines are in the course's Canvas site.

The other paper will be a 3-page Article Review (worth 15%) of an article in the Review column below. These reviews will have an extra wrinkle in that students will make a five-minute presentation on the article (its evidence and argument), plus take questions on the same. The articles are scheduled below on their presentation dates; a rough draft will be due to the professor one week before the class presentation. Follow the link to the guidelines for this assignment.

Exams: (40%) We will have two exams, each of which will comprise 20% of the course grade. There will be an objective component to each exam, but the majority of each exam will be based on essays (essays which should demonstrate both a command of the historical content/record as well as related concepts/themes).

Quizzes: (10%) There will be five small quizzes. Two of them—the scheduled ones—will focus on the topics (or maps) named in the schedule below. The other three will monitor your command of the reading material; these may occur at any point in the semester, especially if the professor begins to doubt student application to the reading schedule.

And the rest... Read my “General Policies” page as well for further information on how your performance in the course will be assessed.

Lecture & Reading Schedule

It is expected that you will come to class with the readings below already completed on their due date. This preparation on your part helps lectures move along that much faster and thereby give us more opportunity for fruitful discussions. Recall, as well, that it is a standard, minimum expectation for university education that students will spend “2 hours outside of class working and studying for every 1 hour spent in class,” as the Longwood Student Handbook stipulates. Our readings here have been designed accordingly. For the web-based materials in the Roisman/Yardley sourcebook, the gateway to those documents is here.

Academic Honesty

It is unfortunate, but every year some students attempt to submit work which is not their own. This act is, in most cases, the crime of plagiarism. Do not test your luck in this arena. The eventual odds are against you, and the penalties are unpleasant. Any student who submits plagiarized work will automatically fail the entire course. Previous students have found that I do not negotiate this point. If you're not sure what constitutes academic dishonesty, consult the student handbook, ask your instructors, or see my links to the problem. For the technologically adventuresome, the use of AI programs to generate (not-yours) text falls 100% under these same categories and penalties. (Review the fuller discussion on AI in the Canvas “Start Here” module)

In addition, all provisions of the Longwood Honor Code do apply to all aspects of this course.

Required Reading

Textbook / Primary Sources:
♦  Waterfield, Creators, Conquerors, and Citizens : A History of Ancient Greece
♦  Homer, The Essential Iliad (Lombardo translation, Hackett edition)
♦  Aristophanes, Four Plays
♦  Plato, Symposium

Web Resources

No list of websites can ever be exhaustive, but here at least are some worth a visit:

♦  The British School at Athens: the virtual tours of their excavation sites, especially Knossos, are so wonderfully detailed.
♦  Metis: Quicktime video heaven for lovers of Greek ruins. See full panoramas of Greek sites on the mainland, across the islands, and in Asia Minor.
♦  Perseus Digital Library: Primary sources & classical authors by the score, plus countless images of Greek and Roman art and architecture. A bit cumbersome to navigate but worth figuring out.
♦  Athenian Agora Excavation, conducted by the American School of Classical Studies: detailed overview (with photos) of the site.
♦  The Hellenic Ministry of Culture: Some students might benefit from clicking on “The Cultural Map of Greece”, but feel free to muck about wherever you wish. Another link of note would be the Greek government’s policy statements on the return of the Elgin marbles from Great Britain.
♦  Internet Ancient History Sourcebook: Paul Halsall’s nearly indispensable compendium of copyright free sources. It does, however, need a bit of work updating the broken links.

Contacting Dr. Isaac

Office: Ruffner 226A
Telephone: 395-2225
e-mail: isaacsw@longwood.edu
Office Hours: Mondays 11am-Noon; TR 12:30-1:30pm
Feel free to drop in at anytime; if I can’t see you during the usual office hours, I will gladly set up an appointment at your convenience.

Official Verbiage

Catalog Description
HIST 366. 3 credits. The evolution of Greek culture and political history from c. 2000 to 300 BCE. Emphasis will be on how written documents and material artifacts testify to the dynamics that both spurred on this culture and eventually brought about its collapse.

Note for History Majors
Satisfactory completion (earning a C- or better) of this course and completing each of its requirements is required of all history majors in order to graduate.

Further University Resources
Students are reminded that Longwood offers numerous resources to assist you in having a successful college experience. Besides the Academic Success Center, the university has created offices and policies to maximize and safeguard your education. Links and further information about Accommodations and Disability Resources, Mental Health Resources, as well as the Reporting of Crimes and Sexual Misconduct are available via the Office of Academic Affairs.