CLASSICAL STUDIES / HISTORY 205

— ANCIENT GREECE

Required Texts:

• Buckley, Terry, Aspects of Greek History 750-323 BC
• Fornara, Charles, Archaic Times to the End of the Peloponnesian War
• Herodotus, History, trans. Grene
• The Landmark Thucydides, ed. Strassler
• Greek Lyrics, trans. Lattimore
• Aristotle and Xenophon, On Democracy and Oligarchy, trans. and comm. Moore
• Plutarch, The Rise and Fall of Athens: Nine Greek Lives, trans. Scott-Kilvert
• Sophocles I
• Euripides III
• (optional) Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Greece

Course Description:

This course traces the rise of the city-state (polis) in the Greek-speaking world beginning in the seventh-century BC down to its full blossoming in classical Athens and Sparta. We will discuss the formation and development of Greek identity, from the Panhellenic trends in archaic epic and religion through its crystallization during the heroic defense against two Persian invasions and its subsequent disintegration during the Peloponnesian war. The class will also explore the ways in which the evolution of political, philosophical, religious, and artistic institutions reflect the changing socio-political circumstances of Greece. The latter part of the course will focus on Athens in particular: its rise to imperial power under Pericles, its tragic decline from the Peloponnesian War and its important role as a center for the teaching of rhetoric and philosophy.

Since the study of history involves the analysis, evaluation, and synthesis of the sources available for the culture studied, this course will concentrate upon the primary sources available for Greek history, exploring the strengths and weakness of these sources and the ways in which their evidence can be used to create an understanding of ancient Greece.

In addition to the texts required for the course, readings will be available through the library's electronic reserves. The e-reserves are accessible by password (cstsb205) at http://trires.brynmawr.edu/coursepage.asp?cid=515. The readings can also be reached by link from the on-line version of the syllabus at: http://www.brynmawr.edu/classics/redmonds/csts205.html.

Course Requirements:

Class participation:

Participation, of course, includes attendance, since you cannot participate if you are not in class. If, for some reason, you cannot attend class, please inform me in advance. Each student should be prepared to discuss and answer questions on the material covered in the lesson for the week. Coming prepared with questions on the material is even better than coming with answers to the basics. If, for some reason, you cannot prepare for class, please attend anyway - you will be better prepared for the next class. A number of unannounced map quizzes will be included in the participation grade.

Written Assignments:

There will be four short written assignments designed for the students to demonstrate their understanding of specific materials covered in class. These projects may require some out of class research in addition to the readings assigned for the class.

Examinations:

There will be a Midterm and a Final Examination for this class on all the materials covered to that date in class. The Midterm will be on the Tuesday of the ninth week, October 30. The Final Exam will be self-scheduled during Exam Week. Both exams will consist of identification questions and short essays in which the students will be asked to analyze and synthesize material from the primary and secondary sources covered in class.

Grade Distribution:

• Class Participation 20%
• Written Assignments 40%
• Midterm Exam 15%
• Final Exam 25%

Week I: Introduction

Topics:

• Why Study Ancient Greece?
• The Greek World
• History and Historiography

Readings:

• Buckley, Ch. 1
• Herodotus I.1-5
• Thucydides I.1-22
• Plutarch -Theseus

 

Week II: Rise of the Polis

Topics:

• From Mycenaean Palaces through the Dark Ages
• Homer and the Epic Tradition
• Formation of the Polis: Shifting Social and Political Structures
• Defining Greekness: Panhellenism and Local Identity

Readings:

• Fornara 3
• Homer, Odyssey I-II, XIV-XV
• Hesiod, Works & Days, Theogony

Week III: Colonization and the Expanding Greek World

Topics:

• Colony Foundations
• Reasons for Colonization
• Polis Formation in the Colonies
• Lyric Poetry and Pre-Socratic Philosophy

Readings:

• Buckley ch. 2
• Herodotus IV, esp. 144-159
• Fornara 5, 6, 9, 17, 18
• Greek Lyrics: Archilochus (pp. 1-6) Alcman, Stesichorus, Ibycus, Sappho (pp. 33-42);
• Pindar Pythian IV, V, and IX

colonization assignment

 

Week IV: Rise of Tyranny

Topics:

• Causes of Tyranny: Military, Economic, Ethnic
• Tales of Tyrants

Readings:

• Buckley ch. 3
• Herodotus Book I, III, V.67-68, 92-96, VI. 121-140
• Fornara 8 (the word tyrant), 4 (Pheidon), 10 (Orthagoras), 32 (Polykrates)
• Greek Lyrics: Tyrtaeus and Theognis (pp. 13-16, 18-23)

Week V: The Spartan Alternative

Topics:

• The Great Rhetra and the Shape of the Spartan State
• The Spartan Legend
• Spartan Women
• The Expansion of Spartan Power

Readings:

• Buckley ch. 4
• Fornara 2, 12, 13, 27
• Herodotus VI.50-84
• Xenophon, the Politeia of the Spartans (Moore)
• Plutarch, Life of Lycurgus

Week VI: The Athenian Revolutions

Topics:

• The Cylonian Conspiracy and the Curse of the Alcmaeonids
• The Reforms of Solon and Athenian Government
• The Tyrannies of the Pisistratids

Readings:

• Buckley ch. 5 & 6
• Plutarch — Solon
• Herodotus V
• Fornara 15
• Greek Lyrics: Solon (pp. 18-23)
• Thucydides on Athens (II.15) and Pisistratids (I.126-7, VI.54-59)

assembly assignment

 

Week VII: FALL BREAK

Week VIII: Cleisthenes and Democracy

Topics:

• Cleisthenes’ reforms of Athenian democracy
• Sparta and Athenian politics
• Midterm Review

Readings:

• Buckley ch. 7 & 8
• Aristotle, The Constitution of Athens (Moore)
• [Xenophon], The Athenian Constitution (Moore)

Week IX: The Persian Wars - Midterm

Topics:

• Herodotus and history
• Prelude in Ionia
• Darius’ Invasion - Marathon and the Athenian Moment
• Xerxes’ Invasion — Thermopylae, Salamis, Plataea

Readings:

• Buckley ch. 9
• Herodotus Books VI-IX
• Plutarch — Themistocles and Aristides

 

Week X: The Delian League and the Rise of the Athenian Empire

Topics:

• Thucydides and History
• Delian league and Athenian imperialism
• Ephialtes’ reforms
• tragedy: Aeschylus and Sophocles
• sophistic revolution

Readings:

• Buckley ch. 10 — 15
• Thucydides Book I
• Sophocles Antigone
• Aristophanes Clouds 886-1104
• Gorgias — Defense of Helen; Critias
• Plutarch — Cimon

assembly assignment

 

Week XI: Periclean Athens and the Beginnings of the Peloponnesian War

Topics:

• The Causes of the Peloponnesian War
• Pericles’ Funeral Oration and the Ideal of Athens
• The Great Plague
• Mytilenean Debate and Democracy at War
• Melian Dialogue and Empire

Readings:

• Buckley ch 16 — 19
• Thucydides Books II-V
• Euripides Trojan Women
• Plutarch — Pericles

Week XII: The Peloponnesian War

Topics:

• The Sicilian Expedition
• The Scandals of Alcibiades

Readings:

• Buckley ch. 20 — 21
• Thucydides Books VI and VII
• Plutarch — Nicias and Alcibiades

THANKSGIVING

 

Week XIII: The End of the Peloponnesian War

Topics:

• Oligarchic Revolutions in Athens
• Spartan Victory and Athenian Defeat
• The Thirty Tyrants in Athens
• Spartan Hegemony in Greece
• Theban Hegemony in Greece

Readings:

• Buckley ch. 22 — 24
• Thucydides Book VIII
• Plutarch — Lysander
• The Boeotian Constitution (Moore)

Week XIV: Plato and the Dreams of Philosophy

Topics:

• Political History in the Aftermath of the War
• The Dream of the Philosopher King
• The Second Sicilian Disaster

Readings:

• Plato VIIth Letter, Republic (Book VIII, selections)
• Isocrates To Philip

philosophic history assignment

 

Week XV: The Coming of Alexander - Conclusions

Topics:

• The Rise of Macedon
• Phillip and Alexander
• Review of Greek History
• Conclusions

Readings:

• Buckley ch. 25 - 26
• Demosthenes, Philippic II, III