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DEREE COLLEGE SYLLABUS FOR:

CL 3022 CLASSICAL GREEK LITERATURE AND CULTURE US CR: 3/0/3 (Updated Spring 2012)

PREREQUISITES: None

CATALOG A study, in English translation, of some of the most important works DESCRIPTION: of Greek literature, placing them within their cultural context. Samples from various genres (epic and lyric poetry, drama, philosophy, rhetoric and history).

RATIONALE: It is imperative for students to have a familiarity with cultural trends, the concept of paideia , and the nature of ancient Greek literary tradition. This module offers students the opportunity to become acquainted with the masterpieces of classical Greek literature and with the culture that created it. Students will also discover how Greek literature and culture influenced the Western world through the centuries. This module provides a useful and enriching background for students of English literature, in addition to enriching many related fields of study such as history, philosophy, arts, and social sciences.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: As a result of taking this module, students should be able to: 1. Improve their reading and analytical skills, and gain an appreciation of literature. 2. Express their own views and offer their own interpretations on the material studied. 3. Define and distinguish the various literary genres of literature. 4. Describe the development of literary themes and the style and structure of the works studied 5. Place these works of literature within their cultural context; trace the influence of religious, philosophical, social and political ideals in the works studied; outline the major historical and intellectual events and ideals embodied in the works. 6. Demonstrate the universality of themes and analyze the underlying concepts in the works studied; define and appreciate the meaning that the fathers of Western literature assigned to human suffering, to human failure and greatness, and to the realization of mortality; become aware of and participate in the constant dialectic between the limitations of mortality and the aspirations for immortality, and between the

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ideal and the real; come to some conclusions, support some theses, and develop an understanding of Western humanity.

METHOD OF TEACHING In congruence with the teaching and learning strategy of the AND LEARNING: College, the following tools are used:

The class will combine lectures, discussions and student reports. The student will be asked to read several Greek masterpieces in English translation, to participate in class discussion, and to deliver reports on topics chosen in cooperation with the instructor. The student will take oral and written quizzes as well as two written examinations.

ASSESSMENT: Summative: Midterm Examination – essay type format (1 40% hour) Final Examination – essay type format (2 60% hours)

Formative: Participation in class discussions 0% Oral and written quizzes Oral and written reports

The formative assessments aim to prepare students for the midterm and final examinations. The midterm examination tests Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, and 4. The final examination tests Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

INDICATIVE READING REQUIRED MATERIAL: LIST: 1. Homer. The Iliad of Homer. Trans. and Introduction by . Press, most recent edition.

2. . Aeschylus I: : The Complete Greek Tragedies. David Grene and Richmond Lattimore, eds. University of Chicago Press, most recent edition.

3. . Sophocles I: (“Oedipus the King”, “Oedipus at Colonus”, “Antigone”), The Complete Greek Tragedies. David Grene and Richmond Lattimore, eds. University of Chicago Press, most recent edition. 4. . Euripides I: (“Alcestis”, “The Medea”, “The Heracleidae”, “Hippolytus”), David Grene and Richmond Lattimore, eds. University of Chicago Press, most recent edition.

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5. Aristophanes. Aristophanes: Three Comedies (“The Birds”, “The Clouds”, “The Wasps”). William Arrowsmith, ed. Ann Arbor Paperbacks, University of Michigan Press, most recent edition.

6. Plato. Plato: The Last Days of Socrates (“Euthyphro”, “The Apology”, “Crito”, “Phaedo”). Translated by Hugh Tredennick.and Harold Tarrant. Introduction and Notes by Harold Tarrant. Penguin Books, 2003 (most recent edition).

RECOMMENDED MATERIAL: Lattimore, Richmond, trans. Greek Lyrics. 2d ed. The University of Chicago Press, 1960. ISBN 226-46944-1 paperbound.

Thucydides. History of the Peloponnesian War. Many rev. eds. Trans. Rex Warner. Intro. and Notes by M. I. Finley. Penguin Books, 1972.

Kitto, H. D. F. The Greeks. Many rev. eds. Penguin Books, 1951.

Guthrie, W. K. C. The Greeks and Their Gods. Many rev. eds. Boston: Beacon Press, 1950. (ISBN 0-8070-5793-2)

Lesky, A. A History of Greek Literature, Trans. J. Willis and C. de Heer. Apollo Editions (Copyright Methuen and Co Ltd, 1966).

Nagy, G. The Best of the Achaeans The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1979.

Whitman, C. H. The Heroic Paradox, Cornell University Press, 1982.

Dodds, E. R. The Greeks and the Irrational, University of California Press, 1951.

COMMUNICATION Effective oral communication in class discussions REQUIREMENTS: Written reports Oral reports Oral and written quizzes Exams

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SOFTWARE WORD REQUIREMENTS: .

WWW RESOURCES: Journals: On-Line Journals: L’Année Philologique: http://www.annee-philologique.com/aph/ General Resources: Courses: Library of Congress: http://lcweb.loc.gov/global/classics/claslink.html Perseus Project: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/

Special Sites: Classical Atlas Project: http://www.unc.edu/depts/cl_atlas/ Women in Antiquity: http://www.stoa.org/diotima/ Organizations: American Classical League: http://www.aclclassics.org/ APA: http://www.apaclassics.org/

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INDICATIVE CONTENT: 1. Emphasis is placed on an analysis of texts within a cultural (religious, philosophical, social and historical) context. 2. The authors to be studied (Homer, the lyric poets, Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes, and Plato) reflect the fundamental ideals of Greek culture from the 8th to the 4th centuries B.C. 3. In addition, the most characteristic works of Greek literature are analyzed and interpreted in an effort to trace the cultural roots of the Western humanities. 4. This module will, therefore, be a study of the cultural roots of the Western humanities, as based on an analysis and interpretation of the most characteristic works of Greek literature.

More specific assignments and topics will be given to students in the “Module Outline”, which includes daily work of the module.

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