The Persian Wars (Pomeroy & Herodotus)
- Persian Empire
- Who are the Persians? Where from?
- What did Cyrus II do?
- What did Darius I do?
- What are satrapies
- Why did the Persian system cause problems in Ionia?
- Ionian Revolt
- What was the Ionian revolt?
- Reasons for?
- What Greek mainland states helped the Ionians?
- Why was the revolt important for the Greek mainland?
- Marathon
- What happened at Marathon?
- Why at Marathon?
- Why was this battle important for the Athenians?
- Between Marathon and the Campaign of Xerxes
- Ostracism:
- What is it?
- How was it used between 490 and 480?
- Silver mines
- What is the importance of the find of new silver at the mines?
- How was the silver used?
- Why is this important?
- Who persuaded the Athenians?
- The Campaign of Xerxes
- What preparations did Xerxes make for his invasion?
- What was the position of Delphi on the war? (Oracle for Sparta & oracle for Athens)
- What was the Greek strategy?
- What happened at Thermopylae and at Artemisium
- What happened at Salamis?
- What part did Themistocles play in all this?
- What happened at Plataea?
- After Plataea?
The Fifth Century: Overview (Pomeroy & Class notes)
- The Delian League
- Why called Delian?
- Who was in it?
- What did it do?
- Why did the treasury move to Athens in 454?
- Ways the League changed into an empire
- What is a cleruchy?
- Athens and the Delian League
- What did Pericles propose after the Peace?
- Sparta's repsonse and Pericles' reaction?
- New Developments in Athens & Sparta
- What happened in 462 to strain the relations between Athens and Sparta?
- Who is Cimon?
- As a result of Cimon's ostracism, the key changes made by Ephialtes to the Athenian gov. system were?
- Key change made by Pericles later (one which he would request an exception from)?
- The Athenian Assembly: who could speak? Quorum number was? Pay?
- Liturgies were a key part of the "tax" system: what were they and why did most like them?
- What effect did the Peace in 450 with Persia have?
- Oikos
- What are the characteristics of the Athenian economy?
- Family Membership:
- Who decided fate of newborn?
- What happened next, if not favorable?
- If favorable and male, terms to know from before: phratry, deme
- Childhood:
- What did children do?
- Who got education?
- Marriage:
- Who decided? Typical age at first marriage? Aim of marriage? Fidelity?
- What was the dowry?
- Women in Athens:
- What did Athenian women do?
- Where did they stay?
- When did they go out?
- The Greek Economy
- Labor:
- View on by upper class?
- Who performed?
- Pay for the who mentioned just above?
- Metics:
- Who where they?
- What did they do?
- The Peloponessian War
- What is Athenian decree regarding Megaran traders & its significance in starting the War?
- What was Pericles policy in regard to the war?
- Key problem with his policy?
- How did the war end for Athens?
- Fifth Century Art & Architecture
- Key themes for free standing sculpture?
- What are the two key themes portrayed on Greek pottery?
- Themes/content of the art on
- temple to Hephaestus (at Athens)
- the Temple of Zeus (at Olympia)
- What is the agora? What was there, in general?
- What is the acropolis?
- What are some of the key features of
- the Parthenon
- the Erechtheion
- Themes/content of the art on the Parthenon?
The Fifth Century: Literature
- Herodotus' History
- What are the main points of the stories we have studied?
- Where do the gods fit in these stories?
- Role of human decisions?
- How is Herodotus the 'father of history'?
- What focus does his intro to his history reveal?
- Who are Io, Europe, Helen, Gyges, Caundales, C's wife, Croesus, Cyrus, Xerxes, Leonidas, Demaratus, Ephialtes
- Tragedy
- What are the origins of tragedy?
- How is tragedy religious?
- How is tragedy Mythical?
- How is tragedy "Form"-al?
- What are the production circumstances?
- Details about the festival? Prior to festival? Archon Proper, Choregus, Tragedian, Actors, Judging, Schedule, Where, Wrap-up, Penalties
- Significance of prizes?
- What is the purpose of the masks?
- Who and how many acted in the plays?
- Sophocles' Antigone
- Who are the chorus supposed to be in the Antigone?
- What are the key images and themes in Antigone?
- Who is the hero? Why? Characteristics of the hero?
- Who are Creon, Haemon, Teiresias, Ismene, Antigone, the two brothers, Oedipus
- Old Comedy: What are the typical features of a Greek Old Comedy?
- Aristophanes' Lysistrata
- What is the fantastic idea of the play?
- What view of women and men does the play present?
- What kind of person is Lysistrata?
- How is she like a Sophoclean hero? An Homeric hero?
- What is her motivation?
- Examples of how the play is an inversion of the norms?
- Who are Lysistrata, Myrrhine, Cinesias, the magistrate, the two choruses
- Thucydides' History
- Introduction:
- Why does he consider this war to be the greatest ever?
- View on previous wars?
- On Agamemnon?
- Role of gods?
- Role of human nature?
- Interest in facts and motives?
- Rationale for speeches?
- Funeral Oration:
- What are the values of Athens as Thucydides describes them in the funeral oration supposedly delivered in 431/30 B.C.?
- Why was Athens the "School of Hellas" (2.38-41)?
- Contrast with Sparta?
- Position of women?
- Plague:
- Where started?
- Approach to description?
- Effects on human nature?
- Role of gods?
- Interpretation of the oracle?
Possible Essay Questions:
- Topic 1:
- Source Material: Sophocles' Antigone, Aristophanes' Lysistrata, selections from Herodotus' History and Thucydides' History in Moodle
- Prompt:You have come into possession of a time portal that will allow you to visit the past (but without affecting the time continuum, i.e. you can't change the past or communicate with individuals), but it has some restrictions. You must submit your request in writing to the portal and demonstrate that you have good cause to visit (or it may refuse your request). Based solely on the readings above, determine and demonstrate which 3 of the following you would want to go back as and ranked in your order of preference —
- Antigone or Creon,
- Lysistrata,
- the "typical" Athenian as described by Pericles in his funeral oration (Thucydides 2.34-46),
- Croesus or Leonidas from Herodotus
— with a focus on their "character-traits" or "nature" (i.e. make sure you include individuals from 3 of the authors). In the main body of your essay, indicate why you rank them in the order you do. Remember, the portal is very particular about whom it lets go through and requires a request that contains good argumentation and good supporting facts.
- Topic 2:
- Source Material to chose from: Selections from Pomeroy for this unit only, Sophocles' Antigone, Aristophanes' Lysistrata, selections from Herodotus' History and Thucydides' History in Moodle, class notes for the City Dionysia
- Prompt: You work for Westminster College 100 years in the future when time travel is a reality (but it can't change the past). Two professors want to take a group of students to fifth century B.C.E. Athens for a three week "summer" course (i.e. summer in the future, not necessarily in the past). You work for the publications department and are entrusted with providing a brief write-up of what the trip would entail. Your write up need to both focus on the positive but also be honest about the challenges of visiting that time period. The professors want you to include something on three of the following topics:
- Athens' relations with others, e.g. Sparta/Persia/Delian League,
- the political system at Athens,
- daily life (male or female, but not both),
- art/architecture,
- the plague,
- field trip to Marathon
