HIS 101: Western Civilization:
Ancient-Medieval
Fall 2000
Professor: Dr. Mark Smith (Office:
SN205 Phone: 459-5852)
Adjunct Instructor: Chris Barnes (Office: SN204 Phone:
459-5837)
MWF 9:10 & 10:20 SN106
1) A sense of cultural perspective: that
ours is not the only, nor necessarily the best, way of life.
2) An understanding of the significance of our debt to the past.
3) A working, practical knowledge of historical reasoning: the ability to evaluate
evidence and to discern the logical connections between events--the sort of
thinking that is invaluable in any profession, whether or not you ever read
another history book after this course.
Texts:
Hollister et al., The West Transformed. [H]
Drake et al., Laws, Gods and Heroes (xeroxed source book). [LGH]
The Epic of Gilgamesh.
The Bible, New Revised Standard Version.
Sophocles, The Three Theban Plays.
Plato, The Trial and Death of Socrates.
Beowulf
Procedure:
1) Reading and Quizzes: Much of the reading for this course will consist of translations of ancient works--some of the best and most important books ever written. Enjoy them and be sure to keep up. Barring divine intervention, we will follow the reading schedule religiously. Consistency will pay rich dividends. Frequent quizzes will help you reap them. In addition to reading quizzes, you will be expected to demonstrate a knowledge of ancient geography on a map quiz: 9/20.
2) Class time: Most of our time together will be devoted to lectures and discussions based upon your reading. Discussion requires attendance, preparation and participation. All three will therefore weigh considerably in your final grade.
3) Colloquia: Students may earn extra credit toward their quiz grades by attending weekly discussions with Chris Barnes: Monday evenings at 8:00 in the Shannon Library.
4) Exams: To evaluate your facility
with historical analysis, we will have three exams in class:
i. Practice Midterm to be held on
10/4
ii. Midterm on 11/8
iii. Final. For 9:10: Wednesday 13 Dec.
at 1:30 PM; for 10:20: Tuesday, 12 Dec. at 1:30 P.M.
There
will be no make-up exams without prior permission from the instructor.
5) Paper: You will be expected to write a short (about five page) paper, based on your interpretation of some ancient sources. Further information will be forthcoming. Papers will be due 11/20 at the beginning of class. Late papers will be penalized one letter grade per day.
6) Office Hours: Mark will be available in his office MWF after 2:00, and by appointment. Chris is available: M: 8-9, 10:10-12; T: 1-4; F: 8-9, 10:10-11, and by appointment. Drop in and visit us sometime.
7) ADA Compliance: Students who have special conditions as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act and who need any test or course materials to be furnished in an alternative format should notify me immediately. Reasonable efforts will be made to accommodate the needs of these students.
Grading:
Class participation and quizzes:
10%
Paper:
10%
Practice Midterm:
10%
Midterm:
30%
Final:
40%
Reading Assignments
H=Hollister et al; LGH = Laws, Gods, and Heroes
Week:
1 H Prologue; LGH Prologue, ch. 1,2; Epic of Gilgamesh
2 H ch. 1; LGH ch. 3
3 Old Testament Selections
4 H ch. 2; LGH ch. 4; Sophocles, Antigone
5 H ch. 3; LGH ch. 5; Plato, Trial and Death of Socrates
6 LGH ch. 6
7 H ch. 4; LGH ch. 7,8
8 H ch. 5
9 New Testament Selections
10 H ch. 6; LGH ch. 9
11 H ch. 7; LGH ch. 10; Beowulf
12 LGH ch. 11, Epilogue, Postscript
Course Schedule
I. Prolegomena
9/11 Of Dusty
Books and Broken Pots
13 From Slime to Civilization:
The Neolithic Revolution
15 Western Civilization
in the Near East? Myth and History **Discussion: Gilgamesh
II. The Ancient Near East
18 The Land between
the Rivers **Discussion: Hammurabi
20 Egypt: Gift of the Nile
Map Quiz
22 Empires
25
Gods and More Gods **Discussion: Descent of Ishtar, Enuma Elish,
Egyptian Hymns.
27 "You shall have no
other gods before me." **Discussion: Hebrew Bible Selections
29 The Chosen **Discussion:
Job (LGH)
10/2 Crete, Mycenae
and the Age of Bronze
III. Greece
10/4 Practice Midterm
6 Art of the Ancient Near East
9 Hellas: The Polis and the Individual
**Discussion: The Iliad
11 Sparta vs. Athens: Eunomia and Isonomia
**Discussion:
Tertaeus
13 Athens: an Age of Gold? **Discussion: Pericles' Funeral Oration
16 Science and Sophistry **Discussion:
Antigone and Sophists (in Plato and Thucydides)
18 Philosophia **Discussion: Plato, The Trial and Death of Socrates;
Allegory of the Cave
20 Big Al **Discussion: Plutarch's Alexander, Demosthenes,
Isocrates
BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK
30 The Hellenistic World
IV. Rome
11/1 Viva Roma ** Discussion: Aeneid, Livy, Claudius,
Aelius
3 Res Publica **Discussion: Polybius
6 The Late, Great Republic **Discussion:
Cicero, Plutarch's Caesar, Juvenal
8 Midterm
10 Princeps Senatus Augustus **Discussion: Res Gestae
13 Imperium Romanum and
the Fall of an Empire
15 Christmas **Discussion: New Testament Selections
17 Christus Victor **Discussion: LGH, ch. 9
20 When Romans Come to Town
Papers Due
22 Church and State, East and West **Discussion: LGH, ch. 10
24 Give Thanks: No Class
27 Barbarians...
29 ...and More Barbarians **Discussion: LGH, ch. 11
12/1 "There is no God but Allah..."
4 Carolus Magnus **Discussion:
Life of Charlemagne
6 The Wild, Wild West **Discussion: Beowulf
8 A Bird's Eye View
Final: 9:10: Dec.13, 1:30 P.M; 10:20: Dec. 12, 1:30 P.M.
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