Humanities 101: "World of Ideas"
"Family and the State in the Ancient World"
Syllabus, Fall, 2006
(blue links are active, alerts in red)
(Study Guides should be opened in Word)
Course Description: The theme for World of Ideas 101 is “Family and the State." Students will approach this theme by studying a selection of works by the greatest thinkers from the ancient cultures of Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, and India. Using ancient texts in English translation and secondary sources, students will investigate ancient concepts of family, group identity, and world order. The course is taught as an LD (lecture-discussion) with optional field trip to a museum Students will also use selected webpages and electronic reserves (e-reserves).
Required Texts Available at the IWU bookstore. Since translations vary widely, please buy only the editions below:
<>1. The Epic of Gilgamesh, trans. B. Foster. W.W. Norton, 2001.Recommended Text:
The American Heritage College Dictionary. This edition contains the Indo-European Roots of English words.
<>Relevant articles and chapters have been placed on electronic reserve. You will use the material in these reserves for in-class discussion and exams. See reserve bibliography below. I will give you the password in class.Evaluation:
4 exams 20% each
ancient art presentation (powerpoint) 10%
class participation 10%
(includes discussion and quizzes)
Grading Policy:
Grading in this course is subjective, but does follow a traditional numerical system for general tabulation. I always try to give students the grade they deserve regardless of what numerical category they find themselves. My scale is as follows:
A 93-100 C+ 77-79
A- 90-92 C 73-76
B+ 87-89 C- 70-72
B 83-86 D 60-69 (no +/-)
B- 80-82 F 59 & below
Ground Rules: I expect students to attend class faithfully, complete all assignments on time, and be prepared for class discussion. If you fall behind in the reading, come to class anyway. You will always benefit from being in class, even if you do not speak every time. I allow you to miss 3 classes without penalty. After that, I dock your class participation grade. To maintain an atmosphere of mutual respect, civility, and professionalism in my classroom, I do not allow hats, food, pajamas, or cell phones. You may bring a drink.
Explanation of Assignments:
Exams: Short answer, ID, and essay. Bring a Blue Book.
Ancient Art Observation: You will choose an ancient artifact from one of the cultures covered in our class (ancient Near East, India, Greece, or Rome), and describe its form, function, and cultural significance to the course theme in a 5 min. powerpoint presentation.
Reading Quizzes: I will occasionally serve you with a 5-minute quiz in class to make sure you are keeping up with the reading. These will include short questions about the author or text, and perhaps excerpts from the reading for you to identify.
FILMS: Two films will be shown. Both are extra credit. Both are extremely helpful. Both are on reserve for those of you who want to view at your own leisure.
I, Claudius: This Emmy Award winning 1976 PBS mini-series is a cult classic. Based on the book by Robert Graves, it follows the history of the Roman Empire, from approximately the death of Marcellus (24/23 BC) to Claudius' own death in 54 AD. As Claudius narrates his life, we witness Augustus' attempts to find an heir, often foiled by his wife Livia who wants her son Tiberius to become emperor. We also see the conspiracy of Sejanus, the infamous reign of Caligula, and Claudius' own troubled period of rule. There are a few goofs, but otherwise it's a pretty credible interpretation of the primary sources. Stars Derek Jacobi and John Hurt.
The Mahabharata: Director Peter Brook's screen presentation of this myth uses an international cast to emphasize the nature of the epic as a universal story of all humanity. The film stars Vittorio Mezzogiorno as Arjuna, the leader of the virtuous Pandava clan, which wages war throughout the epic with the power-hungry Kauravas, who are led by Arjuna's half-brothers, Karna (Jeff Kissoon) and Duryodhana (Georges Corraface). Although the benign Lord Krishna (Bruce Myers) cannot intervene, he provides advice for both clans on protecting dharma, the order of the universe, in the section known as the Rg Veda. This film is based on Jean-Claude Carrière's impressive, nine-hour stage adaptation of the epic. Won an Emmy. 1989
Group discussion will follow the films. Extra credit for those who attend and stay for discussion.
Cherry, D. "Women, Marriage, and the Family," in The Roman World: A Sourcebook, Blackwell, 2001.
Elsner, J., "Art and Social Life," in Imperial Rome and Christian Triumph (Ch. 4). Oxford History of Art, 1998.
Gardner, J. & T. Wiedemann, "Composition & Definition" and "The Economics of the Roman Household," in The Roman Household: A Sourcebook. Routledge, 1991.
Glassner, Jean-Jacques. "From Sumer to Babylon: Families as Landowners and Families as Rulers," in A History of the Family, Vol. I, ed. A. Burguiére, et al. Harvard U Press, 1996.
Hurwit, J. "Origins and Promises: Poet and Painter in the Dark Age," in The Art & Culture of Early Greece, 1100-480 B.C (Ch. 2). Cornell, 1989.
Juvenal, "Satire III," in Juvenal Sixteen Satires, trans. P. Green. Penguin, 1998.
Pelling, C. "Anything truth can do, we can do better: the Cleopatra legend," in Cleopatra of Egypt: From History to Myth, eds. Susan Walker, Peter Higgs. Princeton U. Press, 2001
Mitter, Partha. "Hindu Art & Architecture," in Indian Art (Ch. 3). Oxford, 2001
Sissa, G. "The Family in Ancient Athens (5th-4th- Century BC)," in A History of the Family, Vol. I, ed. A. Burguiére, et al.
Winter, Irene J. “Sex, Rhetoric, and the Public Monument,” in Sexuality in Ancient Art, ed. Natalie Kampen. Cambridge U Press, 1996.
Weekly Schedule
Week 1 PART I: ANCIENT NEAR EAST
Mon. Aug. 28 Introduction to Course
Read for Wed: Jean-Jacques Glassner, “From Sumer to Babylon: Families as Landowners and Families as Rulers.” (e-reserve)
Wed. Aug. 30 Concept of Family/State in Mesopotamia: Archaeology and Literature
Read for Fri: Introduction to The Epic of Gilgamesh and Tablets I-II. Take notes on your STUDY GUIDE.
Fri. Sept. 1 Intro. to Near Eastern Epic
Read for Weds : Introduction to The Epic of Gilgamesh and Tablets I-V.
Week 2
Mon. Sept. 4 LABOR DAY
Wed. Sept. 6 Concept of the hero-king in Gilgamesh
For Fri: Irene Winter, “Sex, Rhetoric, and the Public Monument” (E-RESERVE). Look at some artifacts from the Ancient Near East by visiting the museums linked on our webpage. Search the “Lost Objects from Iraq” page (webpage). When looking at ancient artifacts, ask yourself: How do the ancient Mesopotamians express their world view in art? What do we learn about them from their painting, sculpture, or other artifacts?" “How do they use different art forms to communicate?”
Fri. Sept. 8 Mesopotamian Art
For Mon: Gilgamesh, Tablets VI-VIII and the short essay by Rivkah Harris, “Images of Women in the Gilgamesh Epic,” located in the back of your text, pp. 207-218
Week 3
Mon. Sept. 11 Women & Expressions of grief in Gilgamesh
Read for Wed: Gilgamesh, Tablets IX-XI, plus "Gilgamesh, Enkidu, & the Netherworld," and "The Death of Gilgamesh,” pp. 129-155.
Wed. Sept. 13 Death and the Afterlife
Read for Fri: Introduction to Hesiod, Theogony, trans. S. Lombardo
Fri. Sept. 15 Theogonies
Week 4 PART II: GREECE
Mon. Sept. 18 EXAM I (Mesopotamia)
Read for Weds: Hesiod, Theogony, with the accompanying notes in the back of the text. Study my drawing of the "Theogony Family Tree," linked on our website. Pay attention more to the structure and organization of the poem than to all the names of individuals. Take notes on the STUDY GUIDE.
Wed. Sept. 20 Male vs. Female in Hesiod's cosmos
Read for Fri: Homer , Iliad, Bks 1 & 2, and “Olympian Gods”
chart, linked on our webpage. Check the back of Fagles's translation
for notes and bios of the characters. We will be skipping some books,
so follow the syllabus carefully. Use the STUDY
GUIDE.
Fri. Sept. 22 Epic poetry and Archaic Greek society
Read for Mon: Homer, Iliad Bks. 3-6
Week 5
Mon. Sept. 25: Princess, Whore, and Slave in the Iliad
Read for Wed: J. Hurwit, “Origins & Promises: Poet & Painter in the Dark Age” (e-reserve). Look at some ancient Greek artifacts in the museums linked on our webpage.
Wed. Sept. 27 Early Greek Art
Read for Fri: Homer, Iliad, Bks 9 & 11
Fri. Sept. 29: Male honor in Homer
Read for Mon: Homer, Iliad, Bks. 14, 16, 17
Week 6
Mon. Oct. 2 Zeus vs. Hera; Death as a sacrifice
Read for Wed: Homer, Iliad Bks. 18 & 19
Wed. Oct. 4 The shield of Achilles; Expressions of grief
Read for Fri: Iliad Bks 20 & 22
Fri. Oct. 6 Homer & Rome (Aeneas); Death of Hector
Read for Mon: Iliad Bks 23 & 24
Week 7
Mon. Oct. 9 Funeral Games & Communal Grieving
Read for Wed: G. Sissa, "The Family in Ancient Athens" (e-reserve)
Wed. Oct. 11 Family and the Polis in 5th c. Athens
Fri. Oct. 13 FALL BREAK DAY
Week 8 PART III: ROME
Mon. Oct. 16 EXAM 2 (Greece)
Read for Wed: Gardner & Wiedemann , "Roman Household: Composition and Definition" (e-reserve)
Wed. Oct. 18 Family Structure in the Roman Empire
Read for Fri: Gardner & Wiedemann, "Economics of the Roman Household" (e-reserve)
Fri. Oct. 20: Economics and Slavery in Roman Society
Read for Mon: Homer, Iliad, Book 20, lines 160-360 (Aeneas vs. Achilles); Virgil, Aeneid: study the map in front of the book; Books I & II. Compare Aeneid, Book I with Book I of Homer’s Iliad.Use the STUDY GUIDE.
Week 9
Mon. Oct. 23 Augustus and the Poets: Greece in Rome
Read for Weds: Aeneid, Books III & IV
Wed. Oct. 25 Divine & Mortal Women in Virgil
Read for Fri: Aeneid, Books V & VI
Fri. Oct. 27: Death and the Afterlife in Roman thought
Read for Mon: Aeneid, Books VII & VIII (compare the shield of Aeneas to Achilles' shield in Iliad Book 18)
Week 10
Mon. Oct. 30: The Shield of Aeneas and the Roman Cosmos
Read for Wed: Aeneid, Books IX & X
Wed. Nov. 1: Male Friendship in Virgil: Aeneas & Pallas; Nisus & Euryalus
Read for Fri: Aeneid, Books XI & XII
Fri. Nov. 3: War, Pietas, and Kingship in Augustan Rome
Read for Mon: Look at Roman art in the museums linked on our website and read, J. Elsner, “Art and Social Life” (e-reserve)
Week 11
Mon. Nov. 6: Roman Art
Read for Wed: Cherry, D. “Women, Marriage, and the
Family" and Pelling, "Anything truth can do we can do better"
(e-reserves)
Wed. Nov. 8: Women in Roman Society
Read for Fri: Juvenal, Satire III, pp. 14-23 and notes, pp. 133-139 (e-reserve)
Fri. Nov. 10: Roman attitude toward the Greeks
Week 12: PART IV: INDIA
Mon. Nov. 13 EXAM 3 (ROME)
Read for Wed: A.T. Embree, Sources of Indian Tradition, Part III: “The Hindu Way of Life,” pp. 203-233. Use the STUDY GUIDE.
Wed. Nov. 15 Hindu Social System: Dharma
Read for Fri: A.T. Embree, “The Hindu Way of Life,” pp. 234-249 (and notes, 252-253); pp. 254-264
Fri. Nov. 17 Concepts of Artha and Kama
Read for Mon: A.T. Embree, “The Hindu Way of Life,”274-296
Week 13
Mon. Nov. 20 Concept of Moksha
Read over Break: The Mahabharata, Introduction, & pp. 1-71. Use your STUDY GUIDE; Also read P. Mitter, “Hindu Art and Architecture” (e-reserve). Look at some Indian art in the museums linked on my.iwu, especially the British Museum.
Wed. Nov.22 THANKSGIVING BREAK
Week 14
Mon. Nov. 27 Family and War in the Vedic Tradition
Read for Wed: The Mahabharata, pp. 72-120
Wed. Nov. 29 Draupadi & Women's Roles (compare with women in Homer & Gilgamesh)
Read for Fri: The Mahabharata, pp. 121-141
Fri. Dec. 1 Warrior codes and Social virtue
Read for Mon: The Mahabharata, pp. 142-166
Week 15
Mon. Dec. 4 Death & Grief
Read for Wed: The Mahabharata, pp. 167-216
Wed. Dec. 6 Self-sacrifice, Moksha
Fri.Dec. 8 Reflections
EXAM 4 (India) : Dec. 12, 3:30-5:30