a) 600-900 words long
b) bring a paper copy to class
c) submit one electronic copy to "Submit Papers to this Folder"
d) due Tuesday, September 18 at the beginning of class

Write on one of the topics below:

1. Many scholars of ancient Greek history like to use the Iliad and the Odyssey as source material for determining what late dark age society was like. With this in mind, examine the interactions of the upper class men with one another, focusing on their interactions within the assembly in the Iliad (see Bks I and XVIII) and within the home of Odysseus in the Odyssey (see Bk I, especially that of Telemachus and the suitors). Some questions to consider: what motivates their interactions and how are their interactions different from those of today. Make sure you give specific examples from the poems to support your theses (in your citations, give the page number and line number, e.g. "sing, goddess, the anger of Peleus' son Achilleus" would be Iliad, p. 47, l. 1).

2. Many scholars of ancient Greek history like to use the Iliad and the Odyssey as source material for determining what late dark age society was like. With this in mind, examine the position and roles of women within their society in both the Iliad and the Odyssey. In your discussion make sure you focus on more than one "class" of women, i.e. the servant class women: Chryseis, Briseis, and Eurycleia; the upper class women: Hekabe (a.k.a. Hecuba), Andromache, and Penelope. Make sure you give specific examples from the poems to support your theses (in your citations, give the page number and line number, e.g. "sing, goddess, the anger of Peleus' son Achilleus" would be Iliad, p. 47, l. 1).
 
 

a) 600-900 words long
b) bring a paper copy to class
c) submit one electronic copy to "Submit Papers to this Folder"
d) due Thursday, September 27 at the beginning of class

Write on one of the topics below:

1. What do the poems of Archilochus (in Kebric and on the web site 1; web site 2) and the poem of Tyrtaeus (see web site) tell us about how the "Heroic/Homeric" Code has been transformed, adapted, abandoned in the Archaic Age and why? As usual, make sure you give quotes or references to specific lines of the poems to back up your conclusions (as well as citations of information in Kebric).

2. What do the poetry of the lyric poets (i.e. Archilochus, Alcaeus, Mimnermus, Ibycus, Anacreon, and Sappho) tell us about women in the Archaic Age? As usual, make sure you give quotes or references to specific lines of the poems to back up your conclusions (as well as citations of information in Kebric). [Note: you should definitely quote/cite from some of the lyric poets--you do not need to quote/cite from all]
 
 

a) 600-900 words long
b) bring a paper copy to class
c) submit one electronic copy to "Submit Papers to this Folder"
d) due Thursday, October 25 at the beginning of class

Write on one of the topics below:

1. Herodotus, as an historian, was very interested in what caused things to happen. With this in mind, examine to what extent human affairs are controlled by the gods or by luck as illustrated in the selections from Herodotus' histories in Von Straten and those on the web which we read for class. In your conclusion examine whether Herodotus' views matched those of Homer.

2. Herodotus, as an historian, was very interested in what caused things to happen. In particular he noted that, as we say today, "pride cometh before the fall." How do both stories in Von Staten and/or those on the web which we read for class illustrate this? In your conclusion examine whether Herodotus' views matched those of Homer.
 
 

a) 600-900 words long
b) bring a paper copy to class
c) submit one electronic copy to "Submit Papers to this Folder"
d) due Thursday, November 8 at the beginning of class

Write on one of the topics below:

1. We have seen how important the works of Homer and the values he espoused have been to the Greeks.  With this in mind, compare/contrast the character of Agamemnon in the Iliad, Oedipus in Sophocles' Oedipus the King, and Lysistrata in Aristophanes' Lysistrata. As always make sure you give specific examples to back up your conclusions.

2. We saw how interested Herodotus in his Histories was in the causes of things and how he noted that the reversals of fortune of Croesus and Xerxes were based on hubris. With this in mind, examine the reversals of fortune of one character in both Sophocles' Oedipus the King and Aristophanes' Lysistrata. As always make sure you give specific examples to back up your conclusions.
 
 

a) 600-900 words long
b) bring a paper copy to class
c) submit one electronic copy to "Submit Papers to this Folder"
d) due Tuesday, November 20 at the beginning of class

Write on the following: Pericles, in his funeral oration (Von Staden, pp. 210-215) gave a word picture of what a typical Athenian citizen was like. Did the Athenians, as known from the law cases, compare favorably with his description? Discuss based on two of the following examples given in Kebric, Chapter 7:

1. Eratosthenes--An Adulterer's Luck Runs Out (c. 400 B.C.), pp. 202-208
2. A Casual Act of Violence--Conon the Thug and His Sons (c. 340 B.C.), pp. 208-212
3. In-Law Problems--A Poisonous Stepmother? (c. 420), pp. 212-214
4. Diogeiton--A Grandfather Turns Embezzler (c. 400), pp. 214-217
5. Phormio--The Con-Artist (c. 360), pp. 217-221

a) 600-900 words long
b) bring a paper copy to class
c) submit one electronic copy to "Submit Papers to this Folder"
d) due Thursday, November 29 at the beginning of class

Write on one of the following:

1. Based on the actual charges as noted by Socrates, show how Socrates' own speeches in his defense, as given in Plato's Apology, provided evidence against himself.

2. Socrates obviously suffered a reversal of fortune, but did he commit hubris? Discuss based on his two speeches in Plato's Apology.

a) each 600-900 words long
b) turn in a paper copy for each you do
c) for this last paper(s), e-mail me directly (leuciv@jaynet.wcmo.edu)
d) turn in:
        for the 9:25 am class, turn in by 3 pm on Wed., Dec. 12
        for the 2 pm class, turn in by 8:30 am on Fri., Dec. 14

Write on one or two of the topics below (one topic if doing one microtheme; two topics if doing two microthemes):

1. Religion: Religion was also undergoing changes during the Hellenistic Age. Discuss using some/all of the following evidence: Theocritus, Idyll 15 (handout), Document 12.4 In Praise of Isis (Pomeroy, p. 468), the Rosetta stone (Kebric. pp. 256-257 and Pomeroy, Figure 12.12, p. 464). You may also include evidence from the Apology as a forerunner for your discussion of the Hellenistic Age.

2. Heroic Code: We saw earlier how the Heroic code of Homer was modified to fit the changing circumstances in the Archaic Age. Discuss with respect to Socrates in the Apology and/or some of the Hellenistic philosophies (i.e. Stoicism, Epicureanism, Cycnicism, and Skepticism). In your discussion it may help to consider whether the individual redefines the code or simply abandons it.

3. Warfare: We saw earlier how the changes in warfare in the archaic age (new arms and tactics) went hand in hand with changes in the political systems. Discuss for the fourth century and/or Philip and Alexander and/or the Hellenistic Age.

4. Women: Did the status, position, rights, etc. of Greek women improve in the Hellenistic Age? Discuss, making sure you cover Theocritus, Idyll 15 (handout) and Document 12.3 Marriage Contract of Heracleides and Demetria (Pomeroy, p. 456).