Meeting place: Seabury 17-19 (Seabury Chapel)

Meeting time: MWF 12-1 pm

Email:  gary.reger@mail.trincoll.edu

Office: 405 Seabury

Webpage: http://shakti.trincoll.edu/~greger/index.html

Office hours: M 1-3.30, F 11-12 in Seabury 405

Phone: 297-2393

TA: Kimberly Niadna

This course investigates the origins and development of the Greek polis from the Archaic period to the end of antiquity. The polis flourished from about 800 BC to the end of the Classical period, about 300 BC, but there is considerable controversy about whether the polis continued as a real political and social institution into the following Hellenistic and Roman periods.We make no assumptions to begin about the endpoint of the polis, but will consider that question in the course of the semester. We will be especially interested in exploring the political and social roles of the polis.

Students who have not taken History 111, AFoundations of Greek and Roman History,@ or some other course in the Greco-Roman world (in History or Classics) should see me at once to discuss how to Aget up to speed@ for this course, which presupposes some knowledge of the classical world.

Archaic Greek Poetry, tr. M.L. West (Oxford 1993).

Aristophanes, Four Plays by Aristophanes (New York 1994)

Aristotle, Politics, tr. T.A. Sinclair, rev. Trevor J. Saunders (London 1981)

Carol Thomas and Craig Conant, Citadel to City-State. The Transformation of Greece 1200-700 BCE (Bloomington 1999)

Francois de Polignac, Cults, Territory, and the Origins of the Greek City-State

Plato, The Republic, tr. Desmond Lee (London 1974)

Susan Alcock, Graecia Capta. The Landscapes of Roman Greece

Handouts

    There will be handouts of readings for Weeks 6, 12, and 13. This material will be available from Kim (the TA) one week before it is due.

J.F. Cherry, J.L. Davis, and E. Mantzourani, Archaeology as Long-term History. Northwestern Keos in the Cyclades (Los Angeles 1991).

The Development of the Polis in Archaic Greece, eds. Lynette G. Mitchell and P.J. Rhodes (London and New York 1997).

Hugh Kennedy, AFrom Polis to Medina: Urban Change in Late Antique and Early Islamic Syria,@ Past & Present 106 (1985) 3-27

Lysias, Works, tr. W.R.M. Lamb (Cambridge, Mass. 1957).

G.R. Stanton, "The Tribal Reform of Kleisthenes the Alkmeonid," Chiron 14 (1984) 1-41.

Colin Renfrew and Malcolm Wagstaff, An Island Polity. The Archaeology of Exploitation in Melos (Cambridge 1982).

P.M. Fraser, Ptolemaic Alexandria (Oxford 1972) (R)

Mark Whittow, ARuling the Late Roman and Early Byzantine City: A Continuous History,@ Past & Present 129 (1990) 3-29.

Hans Lohmann, AAgriculture and Country Life in Classical Athens,@ in Agriculture in Ancient Greece, ed. Berit Wells (Stockholm 1992) 29-57 (R)

Mogens Herman Hansen, AThe Copenhagen Inventory of Poleis and the Lex Hafniensis de Civitate,@ in The Development of the Polis in Archaic Greece, eds. Lynette G. Mitchell and P.J. Rhodes (London and New York 1997) 9-23 (R)

John Davis, "The 'Origins of the Greek Polis': Where Should We Be Looking?"  in The Development of the Polis in Archaic Greece, eds. Lynette G. Mitchell and P.J. Rhodes (London and New York 1997) 24-38 (R)

Aristotle and Xenophon on Democracy and Oligarchy, tr. J.M. Moore (Berkeley 1983).

D. Schilardi, in The Greek Renaissance of the Eighth Century B.C. Tradition and Innovation, ed. Robin Hagg (Stockholm 1983).

Pierre Lévêque and P. Vidal-Naquet, Cleisthenes the Athenian tr. David Ames Curtis (Atlantic Highlands, NJ 1996)

Jean-Yves Empereur, Alexandria Rediscovered (New York, n.d.).

1. Participation in discussion. Every Friday the course will focus on discussion of the readings for that week. Regular, active, and informed participation is crucial for success in the course.

2. Keep a journal. Each student will keep a journal, writing about 2-3 pages/week, reflecting on readings, lectures, and discussions. The TA will collect the journals every Friday; bring them with you to class.

3. Short papers. Each student will write one (1) short (4-5 pp.) papers on readings of his/her choice. A first draft will be turned in to the TA for comment; the revised final version plus the draft will be due in my hands no later than (2) weeks after the day the readings are discussed. Note well: it is your responsibility to keep track of your progress. I will NOT monitor timeliness of papers nor whether you have completed both; I WILL record Fs for all unexcused late papers or papers not turned in. The last day that a short paper may be turned in is May 3.

4. Exam. There will be one in-class essay exam on Friday,   March 3.

5. Final research paper. Each student will write a research paper on a topic developed in conjunction with me. The procedure will be:

1. Meet with me and the TA during the weeks of March 6-17 to decide on a topic.

2. Turn in a proposal with primary source and secondary literature bibliography no later than March 31 (c. 2-3 pp. plus bibliography).

3. Turn in first draft for comment by TA on April 17; drafts will be returned by April 24.

4. Turn in a final version of the paper of roughly 12-15 pp. on May 4 at noon.

 

Participation in Senior Thesis Project

    Kristin Delaney, a senior psychology major (phone: 6212; email), is engaged in a project as part of her senior thesis to determine "the conditions under which students become engaged in their coursework. Specifically, I am interested in how course standards and accountability influence student engagement in coursework." As part of this project, Kristin "would. . .  like to take a random sample of students from the course, allowing me to examine engagement in the course material periodically throughout the semester. Their participation, of course, will be voluntary." Kristin will be asking students at random whether they would be willing to participate; you are completely free to refuse.. I will not know whether or not any student is participating, nor will I have access to any data Kristin may collect from any student, nor will your participation (or non-participation) in this study affect your assignments, responsibilities, or grades in this course in any way.

Schedule of Classes

Part I. The Origins of the Polis

Week 1, January 17-21: Introduction

    Readings: Thomas and Conant, Citadel to Polis, pp. xv-xxxii, 1-59, 85-161.

Week 2, January 24-28. Archaeology and Identity

    Readings: Archaic Poetry Greek Lyric Poetry, tr. M.L. West; Schilardi (R)

Week 3: January 31-February 4. The Polis and the Gods

    Readings: De Polignac, Cults, Territory

Week 4: February 7-11. Do We Know a Polis When We See One?

    Readings: Mogens Herman Hansen, "The Copenhagen Inventory of Poleis and the Lex Hafniensis de Civitate," in The Development of the Polis in Archaic Greece, eds. Lynette G. Mitchell and P.J. Rhodes (London and New York 1997) 9-23 (R); John Davis, "The 'Origins of the Greek Polis': Where Should We Be Looking?"  in The Development of the Polis in Archaic Greece, eds. Lynette G. Mitchell and P.J. Rhodes (London and New York 1997) 24-38 (R)

Week 5: February 14-18. MIDSESSION. Classes suspended. I will be on campus and available for consultation every day except Tuesday, February 15.

Week 6: February 21-25. From Solon to Kleisthenes

    Reading: Thomas and Conant, Citadel to City-State, pp. 60-84, G.R. Stanton, "The Tribal Reform of Kleisthenes the Alkmeonid," Chiron 14 (1984) 1-41; Aristotle, Constitution of the Athenians pp. 147-183 (in Aristotle and Xenophon) (R); Pierre, Lévêque and P. Vidal-Naquet, Cleisthenes the Athenian pp. 73-80 (R).

Week 7: February 28-March 3. The Polis Inside and Outside

    Readings: Hans Lohmann, AAgriculture and Country Life in Classical Athens,@ in Agriculture in Ancient Greece, ed. Berit Wells (Stockholm 1992) 29-57 (R); Lysias, On the Murder of Eratosthenes (R). NOTE: Discussion falls on WEDNESDAY, March 1.

EXAM: Friday, March 3.

Week 8: March 6-10. A Polis of the Imagination

    Reading: Aristophanes, The Birds, pp. 173-313; Plato, Republic pp. 56-69, 118-264; Aristotle, Politics, Book II, chap. i-v (critique of Plato's Republic)

Week 9: March 13-17. The Real Polis?

    Reading: Aristotle, Politics, Books IV-VI; Plato, Republic pp. 295-358.

Week 10: March 20-24. SPRING BREAK. No classes

Week 11: March 27-31. Alexander's Foundations

    Reading: Empereur, Alexandria Rediscovered, pp. 36-109, 176-211 (R); P.M. Fraser, Ptolemaic Alexandria pp. 3-37 (R)

Week 12: April 3-7. Kings and Cities

    Readings: Epigraphical material (handout to be distributed)

Week 13: April 10-14. The Romans and the Polis

    Readings: Epigraphical material (e.g., from Sherk, Documents)

Week 14: April 17-21. The Archaeology of the Polis after Alexander

    Reading: Cherry, Davis, and Mantzourani, Archaeology as Long-term History, pp. 327-347 (R); Renfrew and Wagstaff, An Island Polity, pp. 136-155, 246-263 (R); Alcock, Graecia Capta pp. 33-92

Please note: This week's are the last readings for which a paper in fulfilment of Assignment 3 (see above, "Short papers") can be written. Such papers will be due on Monday, May 3.

Week 15: April 24-28. A Look Ahead: The Polis and the End of Antiquity

    Reading: Hugh Kennedy, AFrom Polis to Medina: Urban Change in Late Antique and Early Islamic Syria,@ Past & Present 106 (1985) 3-27 (R); Mark Whittow, ARuling the Late Roman and Early Byzantine City: A Continuous History,@ Past & Present 129 (1990) 3-29 (R)

FINAL PAPER DUE: Tuesday, May 4 at noon.