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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "CL/HS 399B H-1"
COURSE NAME: "Special Topics in Classical Studies and History - HONORS (This course carries 4 semester hours of credits. A minimum CUM GPA of 3.5 is required)"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring 2025
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Emily Hurt
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: TTH 3:00 PM 4:15 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Co-requisites: EN 110; Recommended: Junior Standing, One previous classical studies or history course
OFFICE HOURS:

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
An in-depth treatment of a current area of special concern within the fields of Classical Studies and History, with an emphasis on research and writing. Topics may vary. May be taken more than once for credit with different topics. Topics taught in the past include Roman Africa, Ethnicity and Identity in the Ancient Mediterranean World, Ancient Imperialism: Persia, Athens, Rome, Classical Athens in the Age of Socrates, and Ancient Empires: Persia, Athens, and Macedonia.

May satisfy "Ancient" requirement, depending on topic
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

 

As a discussion-based class, attendance is essential. You may miss up to two classes anything further requires a Dean’s excuse.

 

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:

 

As a discussion-based class, attendance is essential. You may miss up to two classes anything further requires a Dean’s excuse.

 

TEXTBOOK:
NONE
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
Group Presentation 15
Participation 15
short response paper 20
final research paper 50
Honors Assessment-TBD with the professor Honors credit

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:

ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:

 

As a discussion-based class, attendance is essential. You may miss up to two classes anything further requires a Dean’s excuse.

 

ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.

SCHEDULE

 

Schedule

 

Week 1: Introduction and theory

 

Class One:

Introduction to the course

Review of the syllabus

 

Class Two:

The Eastern Mediterranean: Peoples on the move from the Bronze Age to Alexander

Readings:

Malkin, I.” Postcolonial Concepts and Ancient Greek Colonization” Modern Language Quarterly 65:3 (September 2004): 341–64.

 

Week 2: What is Ancient Colonization?

 

Class 1: Archaic Greek Colonization

Readings:

Antonaccio, C. “Colonization: Greece on the Move: 900-480 BCE” In Cambridge Companion to Archaic Greece: 201-224

 

Class 2: East and West

Readings:

Burstein, S.M. “The Greek Cities of the Black Sea” In A Companion to the Classical Greek World, 2006:137-152

Lomas, K. “Beyond Magna Graecia: Greeks and Non-Greeks in France, Spain and Italy” In A Companion to the Classical Greek World, 2006:174-196d

 

Week 3: Delphi

 

Class 1:

Readings:

Malkin, I. “Delphoi and the founding of social order in archaic Greece” In Mètis, vol. 4, n°1, 1989: 129-153

 

Class 2:

Readings:

- Doughty, C. The Poetics of Colonization: From text to city in Archaic Greece, Chapter 1-2

            (Available as an ebook from Forhring)

 

Week 4: Founders and Nostoi

 

Class 1:

Readings:

-Doughty, C. The Poetics of Colonization: From text to city in Archaic Greece, Chapter 3-4

Foundation Decree of Cyrene

 

Class Two:   

Readings:

-Hall, J. “Foundation Stories” In An Account of Greek Colonies and Other Settlements Overseas, Volume Two. Brill 2008: 383-246.

(Available as an ebook from Forhring)

 

 

Week 5: Sicily

Short Response Paper Due

 

Class One: Magna Graecia and Sicily

Readings:

Funke, P. “Western Greece (Magna Graecia)” In A Companion to the Classical Greek World, 2006: 154-173.

 

Class Two: Sicily

Readings:

Malkin, I. Returns of Odysseus: Colonization and Ethnicity. Introduction and Chapter 1.

(Available as e-book from Frohring)

Homer, Odyssey, Book 9

 

Week 6: The Near East

 

Class One: Reframing the Narrative

 

Readings: Assyria

Rollinger, R. “The Eastern Mediterranean and Beyond: The Relations between the Worlds of the “Greek” and “Non-Greek Civilizations” In A Companion to the Classical Greek World, 2006: 197-226.

Ragner, K. “Mass Deportations” here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/sargon/essentials/governors/massdeportation/

Taylor, J. “The Standard Inscription” here:

https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/nimrud/livesofobjects/standardinscription/index.html

Ashirnasirpal’s “Standard Inscription”  here: https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/riao/Q004455

Psalm 137 here: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20137&version=NIV

 

Class Two:  The Persians

Readings:

-Sekunda, N. V. “Achaemenid colonization in Lydia” Revue des Études Anciennes. 87. 1-2. (1986): 7-30.

-Herodotus (selections)

-Video:  Colburn, H. “Achaemenid Egypt: The Archaeology of a Colonial Encounter” here

 

Week 7: The Athenian Empire

 

Class One:

The class will be divided into groups. Each group will read the assigned article and summarize it for the class in a 10 minute presentation. Each group must provide the historical background for each article (specific terminology, specific places/events) as necessary for comprehension by the class. As a group, you must generate discussion questions based on your case for a final conversation as a class.

 

Readings:

            Everyone:

Thucydides (selections)

 

1)    Moreno, A. ‘The Attic neighbour’: the cleruchy in the Athenian empire” John Ma, Nikolaos Papazarkadas, Robert Parker, Interpreting the Athenian Empire. London: Duckworth, 2009: 212-225

2)    Brock, R. “Did the Athenian empire promote democracy?” John Ma, Nikolaos Papazarkadas, Robert Parker, Interpreting the Athenian Empire. London: Duckworth, 2009: 149-166

3)    Raaflaub, K.A. “Learning from the enemy: Athens and Persian ‘instruments of Empire’ John Ma, Nikolaos Papazarkadas, Robert Parker, Interpreting the Athenian Empire. London: Duckworth, 2009:

 

Class Two: Approaches to historical inquiry in Classics

            In-class research and writing project

            Readings:

-Thucydides, 5.17 (The Melian Dialogue)

-Aeschylus, Seven Against Thebes

-Bakewell, G. “Seven Against Thebes, City laments and Athenian history” 106-126

 

Week 8: The Hellenistic World

 

Class One: Introduction to Alexander

Readings:

Gruen, E. “Greeks and Non-Greeks” in the Cambridge Companion to the Hellenistic World, 2007: 295-314.

**Instead-life od Alexander, selections**??

 

Class Two:

Readings:

Reger, G. “City foundations and urbanism in the Hellenistic world” In A Companion to Cities in the Greco-Roman World, 2024.         

 

Week 9: Colonization and Contact in Hellenistic Urbanism

 

Class One: The Seleucids

Readings:

Austin, A. “The Seleucids and Asia” in A Companion to the Hellenistic World. 2005

            (In Forhring Library)

 

Class Two: Bactria

Readings:

Mairs, R. “Greek Identity and the Settler Community in Hellenistic Bactria and Arachosia”

Bernard, P. “Ai-Khanoum: An Ancient Greek City in Central Asia.” In Scientific America, 1982, 148-159.

 

Week 10:  Roman Colonies, Greek Precedents

Annotated Bibliography Due

 

Class 1: Greek Models and Roman Colonization Myth        

            Readings:

            -Vergil, Aeneid, Books 3-6

-Horsfall, N. “Aeneas the Colonist”

 

Class 2:

            -Vergil, Aeneid, Books 7-8

            -Fletch, KFB. “Setting the Colonization Narrative in Motion” in Finding Italy: Travel,     Nation and Colonization in Vergil's 'Aeneid'. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press,            2014: 81-140

            (Available as e-book in Frohring Library)

 

Week 11

 

Research presentations and discussion

 

 

Week 12

 

Research presentations and discussion

 

Week 13

 

Research presentations and discussion

 

Week 14:

 

Open office hours for workshopping and discussion