HST 210: MIDTERM EXAM PREPARATION

The exam will consist of 4 identifications, worth 5 points each, and 1 essay question worth 80 points.

IDs will not be distributed in advance, but you will be given 10 possibilities to choose from. Each will be the name of a person, place or thing of some importance in the material we’ve covered. In a short paragraph (3-5 sentences) give me the basic facts but also explain its significance – why did Prof. Gaddis think this was important enough to put it on the test? Don’t spend too much time on these – about 3-5 minutes for each.

Essay:

You are being given the questions in advance, so that you can take some time to plan how you will answer them. A good essay will have a clear argument and a coherent structure, and will back up its thesis by citing evidence. The comments and suggestions you received on your last paper will be helpful to you here as well. I do not expect you to use footnotes or direct quotations in an exam essay, but you should be making reference to specific events, people, or texts we have read. As you prepare, spend time outlining possible answers and making lists of supporting evidence you might use. During the exam, plan to spend approximately 30 minutes writing the question. As a general rule, an essay should fill at least 3-4 pages in the bluebook.

For the essay question, you may bring to class (and use during the exam) one 3"x 5" note card. Write on this in advance anything you want to (an outline, notes, names and dates, etc.) You may not use any other books or notes during the exam. If you choose to bring in a note card, you must hand it in with your exam.

Please choose one of the following questions:

1. Discuss Greek attitudes toward non-Greeks. How did these attitudes change over time in response to historical events such as archaic colonization, the Persian Wars, the conquests of Alexander?

2. Discuss the relationship between sexuality and power in classical Greece. In what ways, if any, did ideas about sex roles relate to political ideologies?

3. Evaluate the career of Alexander the Great in light of Greek ideas about monarchy. Could he best be described as a Homeric king, or Plato’s "philosopher-king", or Plato’s tyrant?

4. We traditionally credit the Greeks with "inventing" democracy and the "idea of freedom." To what extent did the Greeks live up to these ideals in practice? In what ways did they fall short?

5.  Compare and contrast Herodotus and Thucydides as historians.  For each author, discuss:  what kinds of sources and evidence does he rely on?  What factors and causes are most important in explaining historical events?  What motives and qualities shape people's behavior?  Are there moral lessons to be learned from history?