In the Honors Section of History 210, we will take a more intensive approach to the study of ancient history. Honors students will do extra reading in both primary sources (texts from the ancient world) and secondary literature (analytical works by modern historians.) A main goal of the course is to train you to evaluate historical sources, make arguments and back them up with evidence. We will meet for discussion section twice a week. Since you’ve already spent two hours a week listening to me lecture, during section I expect you to do most of the talking. So when you do the reading, think of questions or issues you’d like to bring to the discussion. Each of you, in teams of two, will take a turn at presenting the readings and leading discussion for the day – details will be explained in class.  You are required to do all the reading assigned to the rest of the class, plus additional material I will hand out to you on a week-by-week basis. Except for the first paper due on Sept. 26, you will not be doing the papers and exams assigned to the rest of the class; instead, you will have different requirements as explained below.

As Honors students, you will have written assignments that are substantially more demanding than what is expected of the rest of the class. You will have the opportunity to follow your individual interests by picking (with my approval) an ancient-history topic of your choice. It is expected that your research will feature careful use of both primary and secondary sources, and take you beyond the readings assigned on the syllabus. You should begin thinking about a topic no later than October. The book-review assignment due on Oct. 26 should help you in this process: pick a title that will let you begin exploring your (tentative) topic. In November, you should begin serious research: meet with me individually to define the topic and come up with a reading list. On Nov. 21, plan to turn in a prospectus (2-page summary/outline) and bibliography. At the end of the semester (Dec. 15) you will turn in the final product, a 12-15 page research paper, before heading off to a well-deserved vacation.

Grading:

General class participation:                     20%

Presentation/leading discussion:              10%

First paper, Sept. 26:                              15%

Book review, Oct. 26:                            15%

Prospectus and bibliography, Nov. 21:     10%

Final paper, Dec. 15:                              30%

Monday, Aug 29: Introduction.

Honors: introduction, discuss assignments, distribute handouts.

 

Wed, Aug 31: Environment and geography.

Class: read Nagle 1-8.

Honors: Discuss handout readings: Braudel, "Seeing the Sea," Diamond, "Farmer Power."

 

**Monday no class – Labor Day**

Wed Sept 7: Early Mesopotamia.

Class: Nagle 8-19, 31-33. Bailkey 3-32.

Honors: discuss origins of civilization and handout readings: Scarre, "The Study of Civilization" and "Theories of States"; Saggs, "Writing" and "Living in Cities."  Finalize schedule for student presentations.

 

Monday Sept 12: Egypt.

Class: Nagle 19-30, 38-48. Bailkey 33-58. Xerox 1-13.

Honors: discuss class readings.

 

Wed Sept 14: Ancient Israel.

Class: Nagle 33-35, 53-56, 68-78. Bailkey 66-99.

Honors: discuss class readings, also handouts:  Marcus, "The View from Nebo" and "Exodus" on archaeology and history.  Begin student presentations.

 

Monday Sept 19: Near East in First Millennium BC: Assyria.

Class: Nagle 35-38, 49-53, 56-62. Bailkey 59-66. Xerox 14-31.

Honors: discuss class readings, also handout Saggs, "Brotherhood of Nations."

 

Wed Sept 21: Near East in First Millennium BC:  Persia.

Class:  Nagle 62-68.  Bailkey 99-104.  Xerox 32-58.  Online:  Zoroastrian Catechism.

 

Monday Sept 26: Bronze Age and Homeric Greece.

Class: Nagle 79-93. Bailkey 105-119.

Honors: Discuss class readings.

**First Paper Due** Honors: do same assignment as rest of class.

 

Wed Sept 28: Archaic Greece.

Class: Nagle 93-99 and 108-120. Bailkey 120-133. Xerox 59-73.

Honors: Discuss class readings.

 

Monday Oct 3: Persian War.

Class: Nagle 121-130. Bailkey 133-142, 151-165.

Honors: discuss class readings.

 

Wed Oct 5: Government and Politics in Classical Greece.

Class: Nagle 99-108, 161-167, 172-179. Bailkey 143-151, 165-175, 235-246. Xerox 74-97.

Honors: discuss class readings.

 

Monday Oct 10: Peloponnesian War.

Class: Nagle 131-160. Bailkey 175-200. Xerox 98-100.

Honors: discuss class readings and Finley handout, "Myth, Memory and History."

 

Wed Oct 12: Socrates on Trial.

Class: Nagle 157 and 160-161. Plato: Apology, Euthyphro. Optional: Crito. Bailkey 200-209, 218-225; optional 225-235.

Honors: discuss class readings, and handout:  Finley, "Socrates and Athens."  Class exercise:  argue Socrates’ case.

 

Monday Oct 17: Gender and Sexuality.

Class: Nagle 167-172, 179-183. Bailkey 215-218. Xerox 101-112. Online: Aeschines against Timarchus. Optional online: Lysistrata, assorted excerpts on women.

Honors: discuss class readings.

 

Wed Oct 19: Alexander the Great.

Class: Nagle 184-193. Bailkey 247-260, optional 260-269. Xerox 113-154.

Honors: discuss class readings. Please notify me, no later than today, what book you will use for the book review due next week.

 

Mon Oct 24: Hellenistic Empires.

Class: Nagle 193-230. Bailkey 269-289 and 292-295. Xerox 155-158.

Honors: discuss class readings.

 

Wed Oct 26: Honors students do not need to show up for the midterm. However, please do attend discussion section. Instead of the exam, please turn in a 4-5 pp book review of a work of modern scholarship that may be relevant to your (tentative) research topic. I will collect these in section.

 

Mon Oct 31: Origins of Rome.

Class: Nagle 231-261. Bailkey 303-313. Online: Twelve Tables.

Honors: discuss class readings.

 

Wed Nov 2: Carthage and Punic Wars.

Class: Nagle 261-265. Xerox 159-182.

Honors: discuss class readings. Begin seriously thinking about the topic for your research project, and start looking for books or other sources that may be relevant. Over the next couple of weeks, plan to meet with me at least once.

 

Mon Nov 7: Hellenistic Decline, Roman Expansion.

Class: Nagle 265-286 and 291-293. Bailkey 296-299, 314-330. Xerox 183-200.

Honors: discuss class readings.

 

Wed Nov 9: End of the Roman Republic.

Class: Nagle 287-291 and 293-319. Bailkey 330-375 and 382-385; optional 375-382, 386-393. Xerox 201-204, optional.

Honors: discuss class readings. Meet with me individually, if you haven’t already done so, to discuss your research project.

 

Mon Nov 14: Augustus.

Class: Nagle 320-335. Bailkey 289-292, 395-414. Xerox 205-211.

Honors: discuss class readings.

 

Wed Nov 16: Imperial Culture.

Class: Nagle 342-345, 350-360. Bailkey 436-467. Xerox 212-234.

Honors: discuss class readings. By now, each of you should have met with me at least once to discuss your research project.

 

Mon Nov 21: Romanization.

Class: Nagle 336-342, 361-373. Bailkey 414-435, 542-546. Xerox 235-255.

Honors: discuss class readings. Honors students do not do the paper assigned to the class. Instead, turn in a prospectus [summary/outline] and tentative bibliography for your research paper. I will collect these in section.

**Wed no class – Thanksgiving**

 

Mon Nov 28: Pagans and Christians.

Class: Nagle 345-350, 390-396. Bailkey 485-500, 506-509, 521-541, 546-549. Optional: 473-480, 500-506.

Honors: discuss class readings.

 

Wed Nov 30: Constantine and the Christian Empire.

Class: Nagle 374-380, 387-389, 396-403. Bailkey 509-520, 549-563. Xerox 256-266.

Honors: discuss class readings.

 

Week Fifteen:

Mon Dec 5: Barbarian Invasions and Fall of Western Empire.