HST 210 – GADDIS                                 FIRST PAPER

Due:  Monday Sept. 26 in class.  The TA for your discussion section will be grading your papers; any special arrangements should be made with him/her.  When you turn it in, make sure your paper is clearly marked with your name, and the name of your TA.

Lateness policy:  One full letter grade will be deducted for each day (not counting weekends) the paper is late, unless you have a valid excuse:  medical (get a note from the Health Center) or serious family emergency.

Very rarely, papers do get lost – so please make sure you keep a backup copy of anything you turn in to us!  Keep backup copies of all your papers until the semester has ended and you have received your final grade.

Please write a 4-5 page (typed, doublespaced) essay on one of the following topics.

1.  Read Herodotus’ account of Egypt in the xerox reader.  Consider the problems faced by a Greek visitor trying to make sense of Egyptian history and culture.  Is his presentation of Egypt consistent with what we read in the native-Egyptian texts in Bailkey?  What are his sources of knowledge, and how reliable are they?  In what ways might he be misled?  What cultural biases, if any, does he have regarding the Egyptians?

 

2.  Quite a few of the texts we have read are concerned with issues of right and wrong, morality and justice.  Pick texts from any two of the societies we have studied so far (ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, Assyria, Israel, Persia, Homeric Greece) and compare and contrast their ideas about justice.  What is right?  What sorts of evils are they most worried about?  What happens to those who break the rules?  What influence do their religious beliefs have on their sense of justice?  If you find significant differences between two societies on these issues, what might account for these differences?

 

3.  Most of the ancient societies we have studied up to this point were monarchies of one sort or another.  Pick primary-source texts from any two societies (Mesopotamia, Egypt, Assyria, Israel, Persia, Homeric Greece) and compare and contrast their ideas about kingship and government.  How should a king do his job?  What behavior might distinguish a good king from a bad one?  Is the king’s power really absolute, or does he need to consider the interests/opinions of other groups?  Be aware of the agendas of your sources:  some are royal propaganda, others may represent more hostile views.  If you do find significant differences in kingship between two societies, what might account for these differences?

 

            These are very broad questions, and there are any number of ways you could answer each.  That is to say, I am not looking for any particular “right” answer.  The important thing is that you decide which interpretation makes sense to you, make a clear argument, and support it by referring to evidence.  The main purpose of this assignment is to teach you to work with primary sources, which is what we call texts written during the period we’re studying.  Your experience of history will be much more interesting and rewarding when you listen to the ancients in their own words, instead of just reading about them in a textbook.

***Please note: each of the assignments given above REQUIRES you to make use of primary sources (ancient texts, from Bailkey or the xerox reader, or assigned online.) You may also refer to Nagle or to my lectures for background and context, but it is NOT ACCEPTABLE to turn in a paper based solely on textbook and lectures.

Instructions on formatting, footnotes, etc.

Please read carefully the handout defining and explaining plagiarism that I have distributed separately.

Additional Advice:

Below are some helpful web resources.  I particularly encourage you to consult these if you have not done a college-level history paper before, or are worried about your grade.  (All are courtesy of Paul Halsall, University of North Florida.)  Of course, please feel free to consult either with me or with your TA if you have any questions.

Getting Started:  This link gives advice on brainstorming, researching, outlining.  For this essay, there is no expectation that you use sources above and beyond the readings assigned to the class.  If you choose to use outside materials, please cite them properly!  If you use something from the Internet, please give me a full URL.

Style, Grammar, Footnoting etc.: some guidelines on basic mechanics of college history papers.

Confused about Grading?  Another good online resource, a discussion of what distinguishes an "A" paper from a "B" or "C."

Try also Resources for Writers, a very helpful website at the University of Kansas.