Classics 160B1: Meet the Ancients: Gateway to Greece and Rome, Fall 2020


HerodotusWorldMap

Map of the world as described by the Greek historian Herodotus (ca 484–425 B.C.)


Instructor:

John Bauschatz

Time/Location: (a)synchronous online
Contact Info:

Office: Cesar Chavez 410
Phone: (520) 621-7422 (office)
email: jbausch1@email.arizona.edu


OVERVIEW

Classics 160B1 traces the political, social, literary and cultural history of Greece and Rome over a more than 3000-year period: from the time of the Minoans (ca 2700 B.C.) to the fall of the Roman Empire (A.D. 476). We will explore our subject primarily through the texts of Greek and Roman prose writers and poets, as well as modern historians; but we will also employ archaeological remains, artwork and other types of material culture to obtain a well-rounded view of the Greco-Roman world.


GOALS

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

  • Identify the major cultural sites of the ancient Mediterranean.
  • List the eastern Mediterranean civilizations from whom the Greeks and Romans borrowed much of their culture and describe these civilizations in detail.
  • List ten or more Greek and Roman authors and provide detailed information about their lives and works.
  • Describe the characteristics of Greek and Latin poetry and prose and the motivations and agendas of the men and women who wrote it.
  • Describe the religion of the Greeks and Romans, drawing not only on mythology, but also on the ample evidence for temples, cults, religious festivals and athletic contests.
  • Compare and contrast the evidence for Greco-Roman civilization in the literature with that provided by art, architecture and other material culture.
  • Trace major developments in science, technology, political thought, religion and philosophy over our more than 3000-year period.

READINGS

The required texts are as follows:

  • Thomas Martin. Ancient Greece: From Prehistoric to Hellenistic Times. Second edition. Yale UP, 2013. (ISBN-10: 0300160054; ISBN-13: 978-0300160055)
  • –––. Ancient Rome: From Romulus to Justinian. Yale UP, 2013. (ISBN-10: 0300198310; ISBN-13: 978-0300198317)

Both of the Martin books are free to read online via the University of Arizona Library (Ancient Greece; Ancient Rome). If you would like to buy hard copies, you may of course do so, but not at the UA Bookstore, since the books have NOT been ordered for this class.

There is one additional required text for this course:

  • John Bauschatz, ed. Readings in Greco-Roman Culture and Civilization. 1st ed. Cognella, 2016.

This is a sourcebook of primary readings for Classics 160B1 available exclusively from Cognella. Students can buy this book at the UA Bookstore or order it directly from the publisher at the following url: https://store.cognella.com/60176-1B-011.

There are a handful of additional reading assignments for this course. They are  hyperlinked to this page or available for download from the D2L site for CLAS 160B1 as pdf files. To view/download them, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader (free download available here).


GRADING

Grading for the course will be based on the following breakdown:

  • Quizzes (15%): Roughly once a week, students are required to take a 15-minute reading quiz on D2L. These are simple multiple-choice and true/false quizzes with randomly generated questions designed to test whether students have done the readings. Each quiz will be available to be taken on D2L until a specified day at 11:59 p.m., and generally covers three reading assignments. Your quiz grade for the semester will be the average of your scores on these quizzes, and your lowest 4 (of 14) grades will be dropped. ***Please note: The first quiz is over the syllabus.***

  • Short Papers (45%): Students in Classics 160B1 will be required to write three papers of between 750 and 1000 words in length based on course readings. These are exercises in analytical thinking and will not require additional readings or research (unless otherwise specified). The topics for the papers are available on D2L (see the "Paper Topics" folder). The papers are to be submitted online (on D2L) and are due on D2L at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, September 28; Wednesday, November 4; and Wednesday, December 9. Late papers will lose one letter grade for each day late (Saturdays and Sundays included). You have the option to hand in drafts of your papers in advance if you choose. Drafts are due (on D2L) no later than one week in advance of the due date for each paper. You will also have the option to revise one of your first two papers for a better grade if you choose. If you would like to do this, you have to have submitted a paper to revise: that is, you cannot simply write your paper late and have it be considered a "resubmission." Revised papers are due no later than two weeks after the original grades for the paper in question are posted. You should upload your revised paper to the appropriate folder on D2L. Your original grade will be replaced with that of the revised paper (assuming that the new grade is better).
  • Hour Exams (40%): Four hour-long D2L exams based on PowerPoint lectures will occur in CLAS 160B1. The first must be completed by Friday, September 18; the second by Monday, October 12; the third by Monday, November 9; and the fourth by Monday, December 14. If you have to make-up an hour exam (see policy on make-ups, below) your make-up will be an essay exam. *No make-up of the last hour exam is possible.*

TEACHING ASSISTANTS, GRADERS AND OFFICE HOURS

There is one teaching assistant (TA) for this course. The TA will help answer questions about course policies, readings and assignments and be responsible for grading much of your written work over the course of the semester. ***The TA is the first point of contact for all questions about the course. You should not come to me with questions or complaints until you have first spoken with the TA and have been unable to resolve your issue with him.***

TA for CLAS 160B1, Fall 2020:

I will also hold weekly Zoom office hours: Tu/Th, 1–2 p.m. These times are reserved for students doing honors contracts, those with issues that they have been unable to resolve with the TA or those with general questions about the course.

Finally, there will be one grader for CLAS 160B1. The grader will also handle exam and paper grading, which means that if you have a question about a grade you receive on an exam or a paper, you may need to contact her.

Grader for CLAS 160B1, Fall 2020:


OTHER (IMPORTANT!) COURSE POLICIES: READ CAREFULLY

  • Course Content: Course lectures and readings will regularly contain brutally violent, sexually graphic and/or otherwise potentially offensive material. I assume that all students enrolled in CLAS 160B1 are mature enough to handle such material and suggest that anyone easily offended by such material not take the course.
  • Honors Contracts: Students wishing to earn Honors in CLAS 160B1 must select their own topics for their short papers and have these topics pre-approved by the instructor. If you want to do an honors contract for CLAS 160B1, please be in touch with the Honors College about the required steps to sign up.
  • D2L: As mentioned above, students in CLAS 160B1 will be expected to be familiar with D2L ("Desire2Learn"), the University's online course content management system. Our use of D2L in CLAS 160B1 will be extensive: we will use D2L not only as a repository for lectures (PowerPoints) and course documents (additional readings, course handouts, etc.) but as a place to post grades, to take quizzes and exams and for email updates about the course. If you are unfamiliar with D2L, see the D2L help homepage.
  • Grades: Grades will be entered on D2L within two weeks of the assignment due date or test administration date. ***It is your responsibility to keep track of your grades over the course of the semester. You have one week from the date of a posted grade to appeal it. After that, the assumption is that you have seen the grade and are OK with it.***
  • Paper Grading: The following rubric will be used to compile your grades on papers in CLAS 160B1 (with thanks to Jennifer Kendall!):

    Category & Description Max Points

    1.) Paper Mechanics

    15 points: The essay adheres to all of the mechanical requirements (formatting, length, margins, proper citations and following any specific instructions for content in the paper assignment).

    10 points: The essay has one or two mechanical errors.

    5 points: The essay has numerous mechanical errors.

    0 points: The essay has numerous mechanical errors and/or is less than the required length.

    15

    B.) Grammar/Spelling/Composition

    15 points: No / almost no spelling, grammar, punctuation or other compositional errors are present. The essay clearly appears to have been proofread and edited.

    10 points: There are a few grammar, spelling, punctuation or other compositional errors but the essay appears to have been proofread and edited.

    5 points: There are many grammar, spelling, punctuation or other compositional errors present.

    0 points: Numerous errors make the essay difficult to read and/or excessively long quotations or paraphrases are used.

    15

    C.) Content

    70 points: The depth of analysis greatly exceeds expectations, details are many and organization is excellent.

    55 points: The depth of analysis is good, as are details and organization, and minimum expectations are exceeded.

    40 points: The essay is basic with an adequate analysis.

    25 points: The essay is poor all around, but there is at least an attempt to follow directions.

    10 points: The essay is poor all around, and there is little to no evidence that the author followed instructions. But at least he/she handed something in!

    70
    Total Possible Points:
    100
  • Final Grades: For the final grade, the following breakdown will be used:

    A+ = 98–100 A = 93–97 A- = 90–92
    B+ = 88–89 B = 83–87 B- = 80–82
    C+ = 78–79 C = 73–77 C- = 70–72
    D+ = 68–69 D = 63–67 D- = 60–62
    F+ = 58–59 F = 53–57 F- = 0–52

    Final grades ending in .5 or higher will be rounded up; those ending in .49 or lower will be rounded down. ***There are NO exceptions to this policy.***

  • If you would like help with your writing, the University's Writing Skills Improvement Program (http://wsip.arizona.edu) may be a valuable resource. The Program offers professional individual tutoring in writing for students, as well as biweekly writing workshops. These are free and open to UA students, but you do need to register with the program. This semester, the workshops will be held online on Mondays (12–12:50 p.m.) and Wednesdays (10–10:50 a.m.), starting on September 9.

VARIOUS UNIVERSITY POLICIES:

  • Accessibility and Accommodations: My goal in this classroom is that learning experiences be as accessible as possible. If you anticipate or experience physical or academic barriers based on disability, please let me know immediately so that we can discuss options. You are also welcome to contact the Disability Resource Center (520-621-3268) to establish reasonable accommodations. For additional information on the Disability Resource Center and reasonable accommodations, please visit http://drc.arizona.edu.

  • Code of Academic Integrity: Students are encouraged to share intellectual views and discuss freely the principles and applications of course materials. However, graded work/ exercises must be the product of independent effort unless otherwise instructed. Students are expected to adhere to the UA Code of Academic Integrity as described in the UA General Catalog: http://deanofstudents.arizona.edu/academic-integrity/students/academic-integrity.

  • Subject to Change Statement: Information contained in the course syllabus, other than the grade and absence policy, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.

COURSE SCHEDULE

What follows is a sketch outline of the fall semester, with suggestions for which readings and lectures ought to be completed each day, though you are free to work at your own pace. Please remember, however, that quizzes, papers and exams must be completed by the dates specified at 11:59 p.m.

Check this page often. As noted above, readings and assignments are subject to change. I'll try to give a heads-up via email if a major shake-up is imminent.


Week Monday Wednesday Friday
1

8/24 Geography

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (1) on Mediterranean geography

READING (1): Martin, Ancient Greece (chapter 1, pp1–22)

TAKE TODAY (OR ANYTIME UNTIL 11:59 p.m. on FRIDAY, 9/4): D2L Quiz #1 (on the syllabus)

8/26 Minoans and Mycenaeans

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (2) on the Minoans and Mycenaeans

READING (2): Martin, Ancient Greece (chapter 2, pp23–45)

8/28 The Greek Dark Ages

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (3) on the Greek Dark Ages

READING (3): Martin, Ancient Greece (chapters 3 and 4, pp46–90)

2

8/31 Troy; Greece in the Eighth Century

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (4) on Troy and Greece in the 8th Century

READING (4): Bauschatz (Homer, Iliad, book 1, pp1–19)

TAKE BY TODAY: D2L Quiz #2 (on Readings 1–3)

9/2 The World of Homer and Hesiod; Epic Poetry

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (5) on the World of Homer and Hesiod and Epic Poetry

READING (5): Bauschatz (Homer, Odyssey, book 9, pp21–44)

9/4 Greek Philosophy

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (6) on Greek Philosophy

READING (6): Bauschatz (Hesiod, Works and Days, pp45–74)

EXTRA READING: Before you watch the PowerPoint for Wednesday, 9/9, read the sample lyric poems at the following links: Archilochus (P.Colon. 7511): see pp6–7; Tyrtaeus (Fragment 12); Alcman (Partheneion); Alcaeus, Fr. 38a ("Weekend Plans with Alcaeus"); Sappho ("He's equal with the gods, that man"); Theognis (15: lines 667–682, right at the top of the linked page); and Solon (Fragment 36 West)

TAKE BY TODAY: D2L Quiz #1 (on the syllabus)

3

9/7 NO SCHOOL: Labor Day

9/9 Greece in the Seventh Century; Greek Lyric Poetry

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (7) on Greece in the 7th Century and Greek Lyric Poetry

READING (7): Martin, Ancient Greece (chapter 5, pp91–120)

TAKE BY TODAY: D2L Quiz #3 (on Readings 4–6)

9/11 Sparta (and Xenophon)

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (8) on Sparta and Xenophon

READING (8): Bauschatz (Xenophon, Politeia of the Spartans, pp75–113)

4

9/14 Athens (and Aristotle)

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (9) on Athens and Aristotle

READING (9): Bauschatz (Aristotle, Constitution of the Athenians, pp115–163)

9/16 The Persian Wars

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (10) on the Persian Wars

READING (10): Martin, Ancient Greece (chapter 6, pp121–157)

TAKE BY TODAY: D2L Quiz #4 (on Readings 7–9)

9/18 Hour Exam #1

TAKE BY TODAY: D2L Hour Exam #1 (on PowerPoints 1–10)

5

9/21 Classical Athens

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (11) on Classical Athens

READING (11): Bauschatz (Sophocles, Oedipus the King, pp165–195)

*Paper #1 draft due (OPTIONAL)*

9/23 Greek Tragedy

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (12) on Greek Tragedy

READING (12): Bauschatz (Sophocles, Oedipus the King, pp196–225)

9/25 Women in Ancient Greece

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (13) on Women in Ancient Greece

READING (13): Martin, Ancient Greece (chapter 7, pp158–185)

TAKE BY TODAY: D2L Quiz #5 (on Readings 10–12)

6

9/28 Crime and Punishment

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (14) on Crime and Punishment in Ancient Greece

READING (14): Bauschatz (Plato, Apology of Socrates, pp227–249)

*Paper #1 due*

9/30 Greek Comedy

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (15) on Greek Comedy

READING (15): Bauschatz (Aristophanes, Clouds, pp251–304)

10/2 Greek Sexuality

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (16) on Greek Sexuality

READING (16): Bauschatz (Aristophanes, Clouds, pp305–357)

TAKE BY TODAY: D2L Quiz #6 (on Readings 13–15)

7

10/5 The Peloponnesian Wars

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (17) on The Peloponnesian Wars

READING (17): Martin, Ancient Greece (chapter 8, pp186–220)

10/7 Greece in the Fourth Century and Alexander the Great

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (18) on Greece in the Fourth Century and Alexander the Great

READING (18): Martin, Ancient Greece (chapter 9, pp221–252)

10/9 The Hellenistic Period

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (19) on The Hellenistic Period

READING (19): Martin, Ancient Greece (chapter 10 and Epilogue, pp253–282)

TAKE BY TODAY: D2L Quiz #7 (on Readings 16–18)

8

10/12 Hour Exam #2

TAKE BY TODAY: D2L Hour Exam #2 (on PowerPoints 11–19)

10/14 Rome: Beginnings

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (20) on Early Rome

READING (20): Martin, Ancient Rome (Chapter 1, pp1–19)

10/16 Rome vs. Italy

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (21) on Rome vs. Italy

READING (21): Martin, Ancient Rome (Chapter 2, pp20–40)

9

10/19 Rome vs. Carthage

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (22) on Rome vs. Carthage

READING (22): Martin, Ancient Rome (Chapter 3, pp41–64)

TAKE BY TODAY: D2L Quiz #8 (on Readings 19–21)

10/21 Rome vs. the Hellenistic Kingdoms

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (23) on Rome vs. the Hellenistic Kingdoms

READING (23): Martin, Ancient Rome (Chapter 4, pp65–87)

10/23 The "Roman Revolution"

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (24) on The "Roman Revolution"

READING (24): Martin, Ancient Rome (Chapter 5, pp88–108)

10

10/26 The Late Republic

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (25) on The Late Republic

READING (25): Martin, Ancient Rome (Chapter 6, pp109–126)

TAKE BY TODAY: D2L Quiz #9 (on Readings 22–24)

*Paper #1 rewrites due (OPTIONAL)*

10/28 Augustus and the Principate

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (26) on Augustus and the Principate

READING (26): Bauschatz (Virgil, Aeneid, book 2, pp359–388)

*Paper #2 drafts due (OPTIONAL)*

10/30 The Julio-Claudians and Flavians

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (27) on The Julio-Claudians and Flavians

READING (27): Bauschatz (Suetonius, Life of Nero, pp389–404)

11 11/2 The Antonines

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (28) on The Antonines

READING (28): Bauschatz (Suetonius, Nero, pp405–420)

TAKE BY TODAY: D2L Quiz #10 (on Readings 25–27)

11/4 The Crisis of the Third Century A.D.

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (29) on The Crisis of the Third Century A.D.

READING (29): Martin, Ancient Rome (Chapter 7, pp127–146)

*Paper #2 due*

11/6 Roman Religion

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (30) on Roman Religion

READING (30): Martin, Ancient Rome (Chapter 8, pp147–167)

12

11/9 Hour Exam #3

TAKE BY TODAY: D2L Hour Exam #3 (on PowerPoints 21–30)

11/11 NO SCHOOL: Veterans Day

11/13 Roman Sexuality

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (31) on Roman Sexuality

READING (31): Bauschatz (Ovid, Art of Love, book 1, pp421–438)

TAKE BY TODAY: D2L Quiz #11 (on Readings 28–30)

13

11/16 Magic

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (32) on Magic in the Roman World

READING (32): Bauschatz (Lucian, Alexander the Oracle-Monger, pp479–498)

11/18 Mystery Cults

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (33) on Mystery Cults

READING (33): Bauschatz (Apuleius, Golden Ass, book 11, pp499–512)

 

11/20 Jews and Christians

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (34) on Early Christianity

READING (34): Martin, Ancient Rome (Chapter 9, pp168–189)

TAKE BY TODAY: D2L Quiz #12 (on Readings 31–33)

14

11/23 Entertainment

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (35) on Entertainment in the Roman World

READING (35): Bauschatz (Martial, On the Spectacles [Epigrams, book 1], pp439–443

11/25 Roman Class and Government

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (36) on Ronan Class and Government

READING (36): Bauschatz (Pliny, Letters, book 10, pp445–457)

11/27 NO SCHOOL: Thanksgiving Recess

15

11/30 Life in the Provinces

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (37) on Roman Provinces

READING (37): Bauschatz (Pliny, Letters, book 10, pp458–477)

TAKE BY TODAY: D2L Quiz #13 (on Readings 34–36)

12/2 Roman Architecture

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (38) on Roman Architecture

READING (38): Bauschatz (Vitruvius, Ten Books on Architecture, book 1, pp513–530)

*Paper #2 rewrites due (OPTIONAL)*

*Paper #3 drafts due (OPTIONAL)*

12/4 Roman Philosophy

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (39) on Roman Philosophy

READING (39): Bauschatz (Lucretius, On the Nature of Things, book 1, pp531–563)

16

12/7 Ancient Medicine

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (40) on Ancient Medicine

READING (40): Martin, Ancient Rome (Chapter 10, pp190–214)

12/9 Decline and Fall

VIEW (D2L): PowerPoint (41) on The Fall of the Roman Empire

TAKE BY TODAY: D2L Quiz #14 (on Readings 37–40)

*Paper #3 due*

12/11 Exam Week

17

12/14 Hour Exam #4

TAKE BY TODAY: D2L Hour Exam #4 (on PowerPoints 31–41)

12/16 Exam Week

 

12/18 Semester over!

U of A | Bauschatz