Introduction to Greek Civilization

Intro to Greek Civilization

Fall 2009

Syllabus

Slot 4: 11:30 am to 12:30 pm, Monday, Wednesday, Friday

Dr. Vernon Provencal Office: BAC 444 Phone: (902) 585-1374 Fax: (902) 585-1070 E-Mail: [email protected]

Office Hours:

Monday/Wednesday/Friday: 11:30 am -12:30 pm Tuesday/Thursday 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm BAC 444 (take left off elevator, few doors down on left)

Description The main facets of ancient Greek civilization (its history, literature, thought, and art) with particular attention paid to that which unifies and defines it as Greek and determines the nature and extent of its contribution to western civilization.

Overview The first part of the term will focus on Early and Archaic Greece (2000-500 BCE). We begin with a brief look at the earlier Mycenaean (1600-1100BCE) and Dark Age/Renaissance periods (1100-800 BCE), before and after the Trojan war (? 1200 BCE) that provides a kind of historical prologue to Hellenic Greek civilization.

The key to Hellenic Greek civilization (800-350 BCE) is that it was inspired from the beginning in its Archaic period (800-500 BCE) by the religious and moral vision of its epic poets, Homer and Hesiod, who had a profound influence on how the Greeks viewed themselves, the world they lived in and the gods who ordered it. Greek civilization was especially influenced by religious belief in the justice of Zeus. In Hesiod, justice appears as the ever-watchful daughter of Zeus and the cosmic principle that governs the universe. Hesiod teaches the necessity for both communities and individuals to live in accordance with the justice of Zeus.

The Greeks were inspired to emulate Homer's vision of the heroic way of life, in which competition in sport and song were the highest expression of a civilized life, in the life of the polis. Panhellenic games were first instituted as a religious festival in honor of Zeus at Olympia in 776 BCE, and a great temple built there in the god's honor. Other festivals and temples soon followed. Central to polis-life was the social institution of the gymnasium for citizens to pursue physical excellence, and of the symposium for to recite lyric poetry and to discuss debate ideas in the leisurely context of a 'drinking party'. We shall complete our study of archaic Greece by considering how the games, lyric poetry and archaic Greek architecture and sculpture reflect the Greek idea that citizens of a polis should devote themselves to the pursuit of excellence. The second part of the term will focus on the history and culture of the Classical period (500-330 BCE) of Hellenic Greece, and the transformation which occurred afterward in the Hellenistic period (330-30 BCE)- note the change indicated in the change of Hellenic (=Greek) into Hellenistic (Greek-like).

The Greek historian, Herodotus, was inspired to become the 'Father of History' by his desire to preserve a written account of how a few Greek cities defeated the great Persian empire of the east in the Persian wars (500-460 BCE). Herodotus credits the Greek victory above all to the leadership shown by the Athens, who invented democracy. We shall look at the Athenian constitution to see how democracy worked in Athens.

Classical Greece reached its cultural height during the age of Pericles(460-430 BCE), under whose leadership Athens became an imperial power of her own in Greece. By this time, Athens had invented the art form that most embodies the life of the Greek polis - drama. Our study of Greek dramas will be with special attention paid to the paradoxically low status and limited role of women in Greek society at Greece's cultural height.

Athenian imperialism led to the outbreak of the Peloponnesian Wars (431-404 BCE) in Greece between Athens and Sparta and their respective allies. It was a revolutionary period in Greece's poltical and cultural history. Artists and intellectuals flocked to democratic Athens, led by the sophist, Protagoras, who declared the existence of the gods uncertain and the human to now be "the measure of all things." The outbreak of religious skepticism, moral relativism, and political factionalism are common themes in Thucydides' famous study of the war. Where Herodotus saw a common respect for nomos (law, tradition, custom) as ruling archaic Greece, Thucydides sees the Greeks as ruled by anangke (natural necessity), in their fight for political survival.

We shall finish the term by examining the achievement of Alexander the Great that ushered in the "Hellenistic age" which lasted from the founding of Alexandria down to the Roman conquest of Hellenistic Egypt ruled by Cleopatra (330-30 BCE). We shall focus on the transformation of the Greek and Western world after the conquests of Alexander the Great by a study of the Hellenistic culture centered in the new cosmopolis, Alexandria, paying special attention to the astonishing transformation of the status and role of Greek women in the Hellenistic period.

Requirements Bring your laptop and log-in at beginning of each class to take the reading quiz and to leave a class note.

2008 Texts (same as last year)

Readings in Greek History (ed. Nagle & Burnstein) Sophocles Theban Tragedies (Fagles & Knox) - Oedipus the King and Antigone Aristophanes Lysistrata (Parker)

Organization Lectures will be keyed to a course folder of study web pages to be downloaded from the 'Public' server.

Miscellaneous Regular attendance is expected. Non-class-related use of the laptop in the classroom is not permitted. Homepage: http://ace.acadiau.ca/history/Provencal/vernonhome.htm Phone numbers: Office: 585-1374. If unavailable, please leave voice mail message with your name, course name, and phone number. Home: NOT available to students. Please contact JANICE WORTHYLAKE, History & Classics, 585-1504, who will contact me at home if necessary. Email and voice mail will normally be answered within 24 hours.

Assignment Information

Description Class Note (5%). A basic response to the day's class. Post within last 10 minutes of class on ACORN Forum Please mention any difficulties experienced with the lecture, especially anything you would like clarified. Reading Quizzes (10%) Based on assigned readings for that day. 10 multiple choice on ACORN Quiz Midterm (20%) Prep Review on October 7 (Wed) - available on ACORN Midterm on October 14 (Wed) Returned October 23 1000 Word Paper (15%) Topics Assigned: September 25 - available on ACORN Due: 19 October NOT ACCEPTED after 26 October Returned: 28 October Late penalty: loss of grade step. 1250 Word Term Paper (20%) Topics Assigned: November 6 - available on ACORN Due: December 4 (last day of classes) NOT ACCEPTED after December 11 Returned: December 14 Late penalty: loss of grade step. Final Exam (30%) Exam prep: 1 December (last day of classes) - available on ACORN Exam: Exam period (tba)