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GREEK
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I taught this language-in-translation course in Fall 2015 as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Classics at Florida State University. I tried to combine lecture and discussion every day; students were hit-and-miss as regards reading into the epics beyond the reactionary "I didn't like X" (e.g., they were exceedingly hostile towards Turnus, whom I found an understandably frustrated, if exceedingly arrogant, character!). They also read the Argonautika as "a total rip-off of Homer" while still favoring the Aeneid above all the other epics, for reasons that continue to elude me. If I teach this class again in the future, I will include secondary source readings in addition to more structured/formal responses to the epics for discussion, in an attempt to elicit more critical - rather than visceral - responses to the epics. In addition, I would choose to read the entirety of the Iliad, as the selections approach was not successful (I had hoped that it would be a less overwhelming way to ease into the semester).
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Epic poems were some of the most vibrant and culturally influential literary works composed in antiquity. They provided a foundation for many central texts, plays, operas, and movies of the western canon, from Milton’s Paradise Lost to Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings. This course will introduce students to the epic poetry of the ancient Greek and Roman world. We will trace the development of the genre from its roots in oral performance to the highly literary forms found in the Hellenistic and Roman periods and beyond, to the legacy of classical epic as seen in the narratives of the medieval world. Our discussions will focus on the poetic technique of each author, different types of epic narrative (war, homecoming, quest, etc.), and the characterization of the epic hero. Emphasis will be put on the agents and audiences within the historical and geographical contexts in which these texts were set, composed, and performed.
We will begin with the Greek world, first by reading selections from Homer’s Iliad and then the Odyssey in its entirety before turning to the Hellenistic world through Apollonius’ epic work, the Argonautica. We will move on to the Roman world of epic by reading Vergil’s Aeneid, before returning briefly to the Greek language and the world of Byzantium as depicted in the little-known Greek-language epic Digenis Akritas, literally the ‘Half-Blood Border Lord’ set on the Byzantine-Arab border of the 9th and 10th centuries CE.
We will begin with the Greek world, first by reading selections from Homer’s Iliad and then the Odyssey in its entirety before turning to the Hellenistic world through Apollonius’ epic work, the Argonautica. We will move on to the Roman world of epic by reading Vergil’s Aeneid, before returning briefly to the Greek language and the world of Byzantium as depicted in the little-known Greek-language epic Digenis Akritas, literally the ‘Half-Blood Border Lord’ set on the Byzantine-Arab border of the 9th and 10th centuries CE.
EVALUATION AND GRADING
PARTICIPATION
Please come to class on time and ready to discuss the day’s reading. In addition to regular attendance at all class meetings, be ready to actively contribute to discussion by sharing your thoughts, comments, and/or questions in response to the readings.
Please demonstrate your respect for your classmates, and for me, by silencing your cell phone (and any other devices) before class begins. Remember that texting, chatting, and surfing the internet, Facebook, etc., during class not only compromises your capacity to successfully contribute to class and receive a full participation grade, it can also be extremely distracting to your classmates.
Please demonstrate your respect for your classmates, and for me, by silencing your cell phone (and any other devices) before class begins. Remember that texting, chatting, and surfing the internet, Facebook, etc., during class not only compromises your capacity to successfully contribute to class and receive a full participation grade, it can also be extremely distracting to your classmates.
PAPERS
Two 1500-word papers will provide you with an opportunity to analyze the texts more closely and expand upon any questions, comments or reactions you might have to the texts and their inter-relationships. The topics for each of these papers must be approved at least one week before the day the paper is due. You are welcome to email me, to come to my office hours (MW 3.30-4.30pm), or to make an appointment to discuss the topic with me. Explicit understanding of your paper’s goals and my expectations of that paper will help you to better write the paper as well as help me to better respond to your writing and argumentation. Failure to get on-time approval of each topic will result in a 5%-reduction of your paper’s overall grade (i.e., if your paper receives a 90% grade but was never approved, you will receive an 85% overall).
MAP QUIZZES
A blank map encompassing the area covered in each text will be provided at the introduction of each text. Over the course of reading that text, we will add key locations during each class. On the final day of reading each text, you will be provided with 15 minutes to locate those places on a blank map and briefly (2-3 sentences) explain the significance of those places for the text under consideration.
MIDTERM EXAM
A one-hour midterm exam will be used to assess your comprehension and critical understanding of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. You will be asked 1) to select definitions for 10 terms or phrases in a multiple choice format; 2) to select 5 key terms, locations, concepts, and short passages from the readings out of 8 possible options, and write short identifications (2-3 sentences) for each; 3) to choose 3 passages and broad themes out of 5 possible options, and write short answers (2-3 paragraphs) on each selection, commenting on their significance within each epic.
Definitions (multiple choice): 10 20%
Short IDs (2-3 sentences): 5 (out of 8 options) 35%
Short Answer (2-3 paragraphs): 3 (out of 5 options) 45%
Definitions (multiple choice): 10 20%
Short IDs (2-3 sentences): 5 (out of 8 options) 35%
Short Answer (2-3 paragraphs): 3 (out of 5 options) 45%
FINAL EXAM
The two-hour final exam will follow the same but expanded format as the midterm exam, with the addition of a comprehensive map component modeled on the individual map quizzes, as well as a single long essay (4-5 paragraphs), on a topic chosen from three possible options.
Definitions (multiple choice): 15 15%
Short IDs (2-3 sentences): 10 (out of 12 options) 30%
Short Answer (2-3 paragraphs): 5 (out of 8 options) 30%
Long Essay (4-5 paragraphs): 1 (out of 3 options) 15%
Map Component: 10 locations (out of 15 options) 10%
In the short IDs, I will not ask you to identify specific key terms from Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey since they were covered by the midterm exam, but you will be expected to comment, in the short answer and essay sections, on concepts and broad themes that span or differ markedly across all five texts.
Definitions (multiple choice): 15 15%
Short IDs (2-3 sentences): 10 (out of 12 options) 30%
Short Answer (2-3 paragraphs): 5 (out of 8 options) 30%
Long Essay (4-5 paragraphs): 1 (out of 3 options) 15%
Map Component: 10 locations (out of 15 options) 10%
In the short IDs, I will not ask you to identify specific key terms from Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey since they were covered by the midterm exam, but you will be expected to comment, in the short answer and essay sections, on concepts and broad themes that span or differ markedly across all five texts.
GRADE BREAKDOWN
Participation 10%
Papers 30% (15% x 2)
Map Quizzes 20% (4% x 5)
Midterm Exam 15%
Final Exam 25%
Total 100%
Papers 30% (15% x 2)
Map Quizzes 20% (4% x 5)
Midterm Exam 15%
Final Exam 25%
Total 100%
SCHEDULE OF READINGS AND ASSIGNMENTS
WEEK ONE
Monday 8/24: Introduction to the course
Wednesday 8/26: Introduction to Homer’s Iliad; Iliad Books 1-2
Wednesday 8/26: Introduction to Homer’s Iliad; Iliad Books 1-2
WEEK TWO
Monday 8/31: Iliad Books 3, 6
Wednesday 9/2: Iliad Books 9, 12
Wednesday 9/2: Iliad Books 9, 12
WEEK THREE
Monday 9/7: No class (Labor Day)
Wednesday 9/9: Iliad Books 16, 18
Wednesday 9/9: Iliad Books 16, 18
WEEK FOUR
Monday 9/14: Iliad Books 19, 22
Wednesday 9/16: Iliad Books 23-24
**Paper #1 topic approval due by 5pm Friday (9/18)**
Wednesday 9/16: Iliad Books 23-24
**Paper #1 topic approval due by 5pm Friday (9/18)**
WEEK FIVE
Monday 9/21: Introduction to Homer’s Odyssey; Odyssey Books 1-4
**Map Quiz #1**
Wednesday 9/23: Odyssey Books 5-8
**Paper #1 due via Turnitin on Blackboard by 5pm Friday (9/25)**
**Map Quiz #1**
Wednesday 9/23: Odyssey Books 5-8
**Paper #1 due via Turnitin on Blackboard by 5pm Friday (9/25)**
WEEK SIX
Monday 9/28: Odyssey Books 9-12
Wednesday 9/30: Odyssey Books 13-16
Wednesday 9/30: Odyssey Books 13-16
WEEK SEVEN
Monday 10/5: Odyssey Books 17-20
Wednesday 10/7: Odyssey Books 21-24
Wednesday 10/7: Odyssey Books 21-24
WEEK EIGHT
Monday 10/12: Midterm Exam + Map Quiz #2
Wednesday 10/14: Introduction to Apollonius’ Argonautica Book 1
Wednesday 10/14: Introduction to Apollonius’ Argonautica Book 1
WEEK NINE
Monday 10/19: Argonautica Book 2
Wednesday 10/21: Argonautica Book 3
Wednesday 10/21: Argonautica Book 3
WEEK TEN
Monday 10/26: Argonautica Book 4
Wednesday 10/28: Introduction to Vergil’s Aeneid; Aeneid Books 1-2
**Map Quiz #3**
Wednesday 10/28: Introduction to Vergil’s Aeneid; Aeneid Books 1-2
**Map Quiz #3**
WEEK ELEVEN
Monday 11/2: Aeneid Books 3-4
Wednesday 11/4: Aeneid Books 5-6
**Paper #2 topic approval due by 5pm Friday (11/6)**
Wednesday 11/4: Aeneid Books 5-6
**Paper #2 topic approval due by 5pm Friday (11/6)**
WEEK TWELVE
Monday 11/9: Aeneid Books 7-8
Wednesday 11/11: No class (Presidents’ Day)
**Paper #2 due via Turnitin on Blackboard by 5pm Friday (11/13)**
Wednesday 11/11: No class (Presidents’ Day)
**Paper #2 due via Turnitin on Blackboard by 5pm Friday (11/13)**
WEEK THIRTEEN
Monday 11/16: Aeneid Books 9-10
Wednesday 11/18: Aeneid Books 11-12
Wednesday 11/18: Aeneid Books 11-12
WEEK FOURTEEN
Monday 11/23: Introduction to Digenis Akritas; Books 1-4
**Map Quiz #4**
Wednesday 11/25: No class (Thanksgiving break)
**Map Quiz #4**
Wednesday 11/25: No class (Thanksgiving break)
WEEK FIFTEEN
Monday 11/30: Digenis Akritas Books 5-8
Wednesday 12/2: Conclusions and Review
**Map Quiz #5**
Wednesday 12/2: Conclusions and Review
**Map Quiz #5**