Greek 430/530: Readings in Greek Historians


*Note: This is an old document. Most of the links are broken.*

Instructor:

John Bauschatz

Time/Location: Tu/Th, 3:30-4:45; Modern Languages 302
Contact Info:

Office: Learning Services Building 215
Phone: (520) 621-7422 (office)
email: jbausch1@email.arizona.edu


OVERVIEW AND GOALS

In this course we will read, in the original language, selections from the Histories of Herodotus. We will also read the Histories in their entirety in translation, as well as from a broad range of modern scholarship.

Our goals:

  • to strengthen our Greek prose-reading skills (and develop the ability to read comfortably in a non-Attic dialect)
  • to reconstruct a narrative of the Persian Wars from the eyewitness and anecdotal testimony preserved in Herodotus
  • to investigate and articulate the historical method of Herodotus, the much-ballyhooed "first historian"
  • to think deeply about a variety of issues and topics of central concern to the Histories: geography, fate, ethnography, dreams, oracles, etc.
  • to illuminate some of the social, historical, cultural and religious aspects of the Greek world in the 5th century B.C.

PREREQUISITES

For undergraduates (Greek 430), the prerequisites are satisfaction of the mid-career writing assessment (MCWA) and successful completion of Greek 202; for graduate students (Greek 530), the prerequisites are three units of 400-level Greek.


READINGS

There are ***no required books*** for this course. I will expect you to get yourself a Greek text of Herodotus from someplace—the bookstore, the library, the internet, etc.—as well as a serviceable (i.e., dating to within the last 30 years and preserving chapter and paragraph divisions) translation of the Histories. I will post pdfs of the Greek selections we'll be reading (plus commentary on grammar, syntax, etc.) on the course D2L site.

Determined to buy something? I have ordered the following two books for the course. They should appear at the bookstore. Buy them from the bookstore if you like, or get them (likely) for less elsewhere (amazon - Barnes & Noble - abe Books):

  • C. Hude. 1927. Herodoti Historiae. Oxford (OCT). 2 vols.
  • R. Strassler, ed. 2007. The Landmark Herodotus. Pantheon.
If you're loaded and want more to buy, the following two commentaries on Herodotus are highly recommended:
  • W.W. How and J. Wells. 1928 (1912). A Commentary on Herodotus. Oxford. 2 vols.
  • H. Stein. 1962 (1892–1912). Herodotos. Berlin. 5 vols. [text + commentary]

How about a companion volume? Try one of these:

  • E.J. Bakker, H. van Wees and I.J.F. de Jong, eds. 2002. Brill's Companion to Herodotus. Leiden; Boston.
  • C. Dewald and J. Marincola, eds. 2006. The Cambridge Companion to Herodotus. Cambridge; New York. (*Available as an ebook through the U of A library catalog.*)

You will also need a dictionary for this course. I'd buy this, if you don't already have it (I think I may have ordered it at the bookstore, but I don't remember):

  • H. G. Liddell and Robert Scott, eds. 1945. An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon Founded upon the Seventh Edition of Lidell and Scott's Greek-English Lexicon. 7th ed. Oxford.

Naturally, you'll want to have a basic Greek textbook at hand as a grammar reference. If you've moved beyond textbooks, get the following, a must for thorough study of the Greek language:

  • H.W. Smyth. 1983. Greek Grammar. Cambridge. Revised edition.

I have copies of all of the above available in my office for student use in the department during normal business hours (M–F, ca 8 a.m.–4/5 p.m.). If you see that the library copies of any of these materials are checked out, please do NOT recall them before checking with me first (as I may be the person who checked them out!).

There will also be a number of additional readings for the course, all of which will be available electronically (via D2L): see the course schedule (below) for details.


GRADING

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

  • Attendance/Participation (25%): How often you come to class and how enthusiastically—and effectively—you participate in class discussions. I will not take attendance, but I will keep an eye out for regular absences and reserve the right to arbitrarily deduct points from those who choose to cut. It should be noted that perfect attendance does not guarantee a perfect attendance/participation grade. I expect you to actively engage in class discussions. If you do not, your grade will suffer.

  • Presentations (10% each, 20% total): Each student enrolled in Greek 430/530 will give two ca 10 to 15-minute presentations in class over the course of the semester. Each student enrolled in Greek 530 will do a presentation on a subject connected with our readings in Herodotus and will give a presentation on his/her final paper topic (see below); students enrolled in Greek 430 will lead two grammar and syntax review sessions. All presentations should be professional and rehearsed, and students should consult Appendix N on the Classics Department website for guidelines and suggestions. A schedule of presentations and presenters will be distributed in class by the beginning of the second week of the semester.
  • Hour Exams (15% each, 30% total): There will be three hour exams in this course. The first will occur on Tuesday, February 15; the second on Thursday, March 24; the last on Tuesday, April 26. Each of the exams will focus primarily on translating a specified portion of Herodotus (outlined in class) but also on providing grammatical, syntactic and general commentary. ***Only your best two hour exam scores will count towards your final grade.*** Students enrolled in Greek 530 will be required to write more difficult exams than those enrolled in 430. Do not miss the exams.
  • Final Paper (25%): In lieu of a substantial final exam, students will select a topic of their own choosing and write a final paper. Greek 430 students will write translations/commentaries; Greek 530 students will write traditional term papers. Information on the formatting of the final paper can be found in Appendix M on the Classics Department website. When the final paper is handed in, it should include a completed copy of the Department's Checklist for Submitting Final Papers (Appendix O on the website). The final paper is due by 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 12. No late papers will be accepted.

OTHER INFO

Surprise! Cheating is not allowed. If you cheat, and I find out, you will receive a grade of 0 for the assignment and other bad things will happen. (See the U of A's code of academic integrity.)

My official office hours for the spring semester are M–Th, 11:00 a.m.–12:00 noon, but you can generally find me in my office between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., M–F (save for when I'm in class). You are also welcome and encouraged to make an appointment to meet with me. Call, email or holler.


COURSE SCHEDULE

What follows is a sketch outline of the spring semester. Nightly reading assignments are due on the dates specified. ***Reading assignments in Greek are in boldface; those for students enrolled in Greek 530 are listed first; those for students enrolled in Greek 430 are listed second [in square brackets].*** Are students are responsible for the readings in translation, in full.

The reading assignments for Greek 530 presenters (*NOT* required for the rest of the class: do them if you like) are available as pdf (portable document format) files on the D2L site. To view them, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader (free download available here).

Check this page often. Readings and assignments are subject to change. I'll try to give a heads-up in class if a major shake-up is imminent. I'll also try to have readings posted at least a week before the due date.


Week Tuesday Thursday
1

1/11 no class

1/13 Introductions

READ: R. Thomas. 2007. "Introduction." In: The Landmark Herodotus. ix–xxxvi.

RECEIVE: course syllabus

2

1/18 Book 1: Herodotus' Introduction

READ: proem (first sentence); 1.1–5 [proem; 1.1–3]

PRESENTER (STIMSON): E.J. Bakker. 2006. "The Syntax of Historiê: How Herodotus Writes." In: The Cambridge Companion to Herodotus. 92–102.

1/20 Book 1: Croesus

READ: 1.6–94; 1.34–44 [1.34–37]

PRESENTER (SCHUELLER): R. Fowler. 2006. "Herodotus and his Prose Predecessors." In: The Cambridge Companion to Herodotus. 29–45.

3

1/25 Book 1: Cyrus

READ: 1.95–176; 1.111–116 [1.111–113]

PRESENTER (LITTLEFIELD): A. Griffiths. 2006. "Stories and Storytelling in the Histories." In: The Cambridge Companion to Herodotus. 130–144.

1/27 Book 1: Medes and Persians

READ: 1.177–216; 1.131–140 [1.131–134]

PRESENTER (WARD): Sequence of Moods; Purpose Clauses

4

2/1 Book 2: Egyptians

READ: 2.1–182; 2.35–40 [2.35–37]

PRESENTER (WEILAND): T. Rood. 2006. "Herodotus and Foreign Lands." In: The Cambridge Companion to Herodotus. 290–305.

2/3 Book 3: Cambyses

READ: 3.1–87; 3.17–24 [3.17–21]

PRESENTER (GOODHAND): Conditional Sentences

5

2/8 Book 3: Darius

READ: 3.88–160; 3.150–157; [3.150–154]

PRESENTER (DURAY): S. Scullion. 2006. "Herodotus and Greek Religion." In: The Cambridge Companion to Herodotus. 192–208.

2/10 Review for Hour Exam #1

REREAD: Books 1–3; proem; 1.1–3, 34–35, 111–112, 131–132, 140; 2.37, 39–40; 3.17–19, 150–155.3

PRESENTER (SPANNE): Independent Subjunctive and Optative

6

2/15 Hour Exam #1

 

2/17 Book 4: Scythians

READ: 4.1–144; 4.60–68 [4.60–63]

PRESENTER (DWYER): C. Dewald. 2006. "Humour and Danger in Herodotus."
In: The Cambridge Companion to Herodotus. 145–164.

7

2/22 Book 4: Cyrene

READ: 4.145–205; 4.150–156 [4.150–153]

PRESENTER (ROLLA) : R.V. Munson. 2006. "An Alternate World: Herodotus and Italy." In: The Cambridge Companion to Herodotus. 257–273.

2/24 Book 5: The Ionian Revolt

READ: 5.1–54; 5.28–34 [5.28–31]

PRESENTER (SHATILLO): M. Flower. 2006. "Herodotus and Persia." In: The Cambridge Companion to Herodotus. 274–289.

8

3/1 Book 5: Sparta

READ: 5.55–126; 5.39–48 [5.39–43]

PRESENTER (SPANNE):
Result Clauses

3/3 Book 5: Athens

READ: 6.1–84; 5.77–85 [5.77–81]

PRESENTER (FERGUSON): P. Stadter. 2006. "Herodotus and the Cities of Mainland Greece." In: The Cambridge Companion to Herodotus. 242–256.

9

3/8 Book 6: Marathon

READ: 6.85–140; 6.102–108 [6.102–106]

PRESENTER (WEHMEIER): Genitive Absolute

3/10 Book 7: Xerxes

READ: 7.1–137; 7.10–11 [7.10.α–ε]

PRESENTER (ESTES): S. Forsdyke. 2006. "Herodotus, Political History and Political Thought." In: The Cambridge Companion to Herodotus. 224–241.

10

3/15 Spring Break (no class)

3/17 Spring Break (no class)

11

3/22 Review for Hour Exam #2

REREAD: Books 4–7.137; 4.60–62.2, 150–152; 5.28–31.3, 42–45.2 (ouden), 77–80; 6.105–108.3 (kakoisi); 7.10–11 [4.60–62.2, 150–152; 5.28–31.3, 42–43, 77–80; 6.105–106; 7.10.α–ε]

PRESENTER (SHOSHITAISHVILI): N. Luraghi. 2006. "Meta-historiê: Method and Genre in the Histories." In: The Cambridge Companion to Herodotus. 76–91.

3/24 Hour Exam #2

 

12

3/29 Book 7: The Wooden Walls

READ: 7.138–174; 7.138–143 [7.138–140]

PRESENTER (WARD): Fear Clauses

3/31 Book 7: Thermopylae

READ: 7.175–239; 7.198–208 [7.198–203]

PRESENTER (ELLITHORPE): L. Tritle. 2006. "Warfare in Herodotus." In: The Cambridge Companion to Herodotus. 209–223.

13

4/5 Book 8: Salamis

READ: 8.1–112; 8.100–106 [8.100–102]

PRESENTER (WEHMEIER): Indirect Statement

4/7 Book 8: Mardonius

READ: 8.113–144; 8.140–144 [8.140–141]

PRESENTER (GIOANNETTI): J. Romm. 2006. "Herodotus and the Natural World." In: The Cambridge Companion to Herodotus. 178–191.

14

4/12 Book 9: Plataia

READ: 9.1–89; 9.76–82 [9.76–79]

PRESENTER (WRIGHT): J. Marincola. 2006. "Herodotus and the Poetry of the Past." In: The Cambridge Companion to Herodotus. 13–28.

4/14 Book 9: Mycale

READ: 1.90–122; 9.96–102 [9.96–99]

PRESENTER (GOODHAND): Indirect Question

15

4/19 Herodotus and Tragedy

READ: Aeschylus, Persians (pdf available on D2L); 9.112–122 [9.118–122]

PRESENTER (GANINA): J. Griffin. 2006. "Herodotus and Tragedy." In: The Cambridge Companion to Herodotus. 46–59.

4/21 Review for Hour Exam #3

REREAD: Books 7.138–9; Aeschylus, Persians; 7.138–141, 198–201; 8.141–143; 9.76–79, 96–98, 117–121 [7.138–140, 198–201; 8.141; 9.76–79, 96–98, 117–121]

PRESENTER (KENNEDY): S. Hornblower. 2006. "Herodotus' Influence in Antiquity." In: The Cambridge Companion to Herodotus. 306–318.

16

4/26 Hour Exam #3

4/28 Presentations

17

5/3 Presentations

5/5 Reading Day (no class)
18 5/10 Final Exams (no class)

5/12 Final Exams (no class)

*Final Paper due at 5:00 p.m.*



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