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10 Ancient Lives Spring 2010 Prof. Vincent Farenga Why Take This

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10 Ancient Lives Spring 2010 Prof. Vincent Farenga Why Take This ARLT 101g : Studies in Arts and Letters Masters of Power: 10 Ancient Lives Spring 2010 Prof. Vincent Farenga Why Take This Course? This course satisfies the G. E. requirement in Category V, Arts and Letters, because it introduces you to works of literature, philosophy, history and film that span the ancient and modern worlds. Its central question is: ―What meanings can a great ancient life have in our modern world?‖ What Will You Learn in This Course? 1. You’ll obtain in-depth knowledge about the lives of ten remarkable individuals in Greco-Roman antiquity: a democratic statesman (Pericles), two brilliant generals (Alcibiades and Julius Caesar), a ―world conqueror‖ (Alexander), an empire builder (Augustus)—but also a philosopher of dissent (Socrates), a monstrous tyrant (Nero), a power- mad matriarch (Agrippina), and two lovers who thirsted for power as well as love (Mark Antony and Cleopatra). You’ll learn their stories from Greek and Roman historians and biographers (Thucydides, Plutarch, Arrian, Tacitus and Suetonius) and philosophers (Plato, Xenophon, Seneca, Diogenes Laertius). 2. You’ll learn about early modern, modern, and contemporary attempts to capture the same lives: in Shakespearean tragedy (Julius Caesar [1599], Antony and Cleopatra [1607]); in historical fiction (Stephen Pressfield’s The Tides of War [2000]; Robert Graves’ I, Claudius [1934]; in feature films and TV series (Oliver Stone’s Alexander [2004]; HBO’s Rome [2006-7], Joseph Mankiewicz’ Julius Caesar [1953] and Cleopatra [1963]); the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Antony & Cleopatra [1974]; and the BBC’s I, Claudius [1976]; and documentary series (Michael Wood’s In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great [1997]. 3. You’ll learn how to analyze both the ancient and modern versions of these lives to discover how ancient lives can acquire new meanings relevant to your own personal and professional lives--and to our social and political lives. 4. You’ll understand how a leader’s life can be re-evaluated and re- interpreted when it’s framed and reframed through disciplines like history, literature [novel, tragedy, epic], philosophy, and film (feature film and documentary). You’ll see how a great individual undergoes changes when we look at him/her as an agent of power, a moral character and model, an autonomous person, and an artistic character. 5. You’ll improve your ability to write with authority, persuasion, and creativity as you develop different kinds of arguments about how ancient lives are relevant to you and to our contemporary world. (But see below for the chance to work in alternative media.) What Are the Course Requirements? 1. Participation & Preparation: participate attentively and actively at our two lectures each week and in your discussion section. This includes being prepared to discuss the readings assigned for each class [10 %] 2. Midterm exam (mini-essays) * [20%] 3. Three written assignments (4-5 pp. each)# [15 – 15 – 15%] 4. Final exam (not cumulative; mini-essays) * [25%] * Mini-essays are 400-600 words and ask you to combine recall of factual information with evaluative judgments and interpretations. The writing assignments are evaluated on the basis of persuasive arguments, the detailed factual information you use as evidence for your argument, and creativity. # For the first of these assignments, you may choose to create a short video or innovative power-point presentation. If you choose this option, we will provide instruction and guidance in making this kind of alternative media assignment. Study Aids: To help you with assigned readings, ―focus questions‖ will be provided for certain texts. These highlight the key information and developments you should look for and the key concepts you should recognize. To guide you about exactly what you should be learning, we’ll provide ―What You Should Now Know‖ sheets (= study sheets). These will also help you prepare for the exams. These materials will be posted on our course site on Blackboard. What Are the Course Policies? 1. Policy on examinations: All students must be present for each quiz and exam. A make-up exam or quiz will be given for medical or personal/family emergency, but only if Prof. Farenga personally approves the reason for your absence. NOTE: You must take the Final Exam on Tues., Dec. 15 from 11 am-1 pm; there will be no exceptions. Please check your exam schedule now to insure you have no conflicts with other exams or travel plans. (Please do not ask your discussion section leader for a make-up exam: she or he is not authorized to make this judgment.) 2. Policy on writing assignments: Assignments are due at the start of your discussion section for the weeks indicated in the syllabus. If an assignment is handed in after 5 pm, it will be penalized ½ grade (5 points). An assignment will continue to receive a ½ grade penalty for up to 3 days. After 3 days an assignment may not be handed in unless Prof. Farenga personally approves this for reasons of illness or personal/family emergency. Hard copy submission only: electronic submissions are not accepted. 3. Policy on academic integrity: We will adhere rigorously to the university's policies on academic integrity as described at www.usc.edu/student- affairs/SJACS/forms/tig.pdf. Violations, during exams or through plagiarism in written work, will be reported to the Student Judicial Affairs and Community Standards (SJACS). 4. Policy on Grade of “Incomplete”: A grade of IN can only be assigned if you do not complete work after the end of the 12th week because of illness or personal emergency. Prof. Farenga must, however, approve assignment of this grade. The missed work must be completed within one academic year. 5. Policy on Completing Requirements: You must complete (= hand in) all assignments (3 writing or alternative media assignments; midterm exam and final exam). If you do not complete one or more of these requirements, you can receive a final grade no higher than D (= 65/100). 6. Statement on Students with Disabilities: Any student requesting accommodations based on a disability is required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP, STU 301; x00776) each semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Please have the letter delivered to Prof. Farenga ASAP. What Are the Required Readings? [available at University Bookstore] Graves, Robert. I, Claudius. Penguin. [alternatives: available on Kindle or in abridged audio version from Amazon, about $14.00] Plutarch. Greek Lives. Tr. R. Waterfield. Oxford UP. _____. Roman Lives. Tr. R. Waterfield. Oxford UP. Pressfield, Steven. Tides of War: A Novel of Alcibiades and the Peloponnesian War. Bantam. [alternative: available on Kindle or in audio edition from Amazon, $13.63] Reeve, C.D.C. Tr. Trials of Socrates. Hackett. Romm, James. Ed. Alexander the Great: Selections from Arrian . Hackett. Shakespeare, William. Julius Caesar. Washington Square Press. ______. Antony and Cleopatra. Washington Square Press. Suetonius. Lives of the Caesars. Tr. C. Edwards. Oxford UP. Thucydides. On Justice, Power and Human Nature. Tr. P. Woodruff. Hackett. *Note: Additional required readings will be available on Ares Reserve and on Blackboard. Instructor: Vincent Farenga, Prof., Classics & Comparative Literature. Office: THH 256-R, x00106, [email protected]. Office hours: Tu 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. and Thurs 10-11 a.m. and by appointment Discussion Section Leaders: Shaoling Ma [[email protected]] and . Office hours TBA. COURSE SYLLABUS Please note: We will try to stay on schedule for class topics and readings assignments, but we may need to adjust our schedule from time to time. E-mail notice and announcements on Blackboard will be provided of any changes in dates when assignments are due or exams are given. This syllabus is also posted on Blackboard and on the Schedule of Classes. Week 1 Jan 12 Course intro Jan 14 Pericles: Plutarch’s ―Life of Pericles‖ Greek Lives 144-79. Use the Focus Questions on Pericles! Week 2 Jan 19 Pericles: 3 speeches in Thucydides, On Justice, Power & Human Nature 31-58. Also start reading Plutarch’s ―Life of Alcibiades,‖ Greek Lives 222-59. Use the Focus Questions on Alcibiades! Jan 21 Alcibiades: finish reading Plutarch’s ―Life of Alcibiades.‖ Week 3 Jan 26 Alcibiades: read (1) the Sicilian debate in Thucydides 102-109 and (2) Pressfield, Tides of War 3-130. Jan 28 Alcibiades: Tides of War 147-87. Week 4 Feb 2 Alcibiades: Tides of War 188-216; 276-315. Recommended: read the Athenian campaign against Syracuse in Thucydides 111-160 Feb 4 Alcibiades: Tides of War, pages to be announced Week 5 Feb 9 First Writing or Alternative Media Assignment Due in Discussion Sections This Week. Note policy on assignments! C.C.W. Taylor, ―Life‖ in Socrates 3-20 [on Ares Reserve] Socrates: ―Life of Socrates‖ in Diogenes Laertius Lives of the Philosophers (on Ares Reserve); Plato, ―Apology of Socrates‖ in Reeve, Trials of Socrates 26- 61. Use the Focus Questions on Socrates! Feb 11 Socrates: Plato, ―Crito‖ and ―Phaedo‖ Trials of Socrates 62-83; Xenophon, ―Socrates’ Defense to the Jury,‖ Trials of Socrates 178-84. Week 6 Viewing of Olive Stone’s Alexander This Week: Use iPod cast, Netflix, or Leavey Library DVD. [Discuss chance of group-view with discussion leader] Feb 16 Alexander: Plutarch’s ―Life of Alexander‖ Greek Lives 312-81. Use the Focus Questions on Alexander! Feb 18 Alexander: Diodorus & Arrian in Alexander the Great 7-13; 33- 42; 46-56. Week 7 Viewing in discussion section of an episode from Wood’s documentary series In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great (1997) Feb 23 Alexander: Arrian, Alexander the Great 70-93; 120-39; 154- 73. Feb 25 Midterm Exam. Note exam policy. See “What You Should Now Know: Weeks 1 – 7” on Blackboard Week 8 Mar 2 Julius Caesar: Plutarch’s ―Life of J.
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