Course Blackboard Page: This course is being taught partially on-line, and significant components of the course are delivered through Blackboard. You should log in to the Blackboard site regularly to participate in on-line discussions, read posted lectures, and check for email and announcements. 

Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites for this course. If you have never taken a Classics course, however, or if you have never read any Greek literature before, you will need to put in extra effort in order to succeed in this class. In the early weeks, it will be essential for you to devote a significant amount of time to reading (and rereading!) the Iliad. This course is reading and writing intensive, but please note that some of the readings on the syllabus are OPTIONAL.

Required Reading:

        The Iliad of Homer, in any translation. I recommend the one of Richmond Lattimore (now in a new edition with an introduction by Richard Martin, 2011, ISBN: 978-0-226-47049-8), which available at the UH bookstore.

         The War that Killed Achilles, by Caroline Alexander (ISBN 978-0-14-311826-8), available at the UH bookstore.

        The Medea of Euripides, translated by Rex Warner (1993, ISBN: 978-0486275482)

        Jason and the Golden Fleece of Apollonius of Rhodes, translated by Richard Hunter (1998, ISBN:978-0192835833).

        The Aeneid of Virgil, translated by Robert Fagles (2008, ISBN: 978-0143105138).

        Flavius Philostratus: On Heroes. Translated by E. Aitken and J. Maclean. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2002. This book will be available at the UH bookstore.

        Free electronic translations of several of the required texts are available here. Miscellaneous additional readings are available on-line and linked below and on Blackboard.

Components of Course Grade: Participation in required weekly Web discussions  20%; Test 1 40%; Test 2 40%.

Schedule of Readings, Lectures, and Discussions

    * NOTE: All reading assignments must be completed in advance of the day to which they are assigned. Lectures 1 will introduce the Iliad. Beginning with the second week, you should complete the assigned reading BEFORE the first lecture of the week. You are also required to post to the weekly discussion board BEFORE our class meeting.

Week 1 (8/25)

Recommended Reading: Lecture 1 The Concept of the Hero in Greek Civilization; The War that Killed Achilles 1-15

Week 2 (9/1)

Reading: Homer, Iliad, book 1, 3; The War that Killed Achilles 1-63

Recommended Reading: Homer, Iliad, 2.1-493;  Lecture 2 The Anger of Achilles

Week 3 (9/8)

Reading: Homer, Iliad, books 6, 9, 10;  The War that Killed Achilles 64-105

Recommended Reading: Lecture 3 Oral Poetry and Performance, Lecture 4 The Shield of Achilles, Part I: The Story of Meleager

Additional Assignment: Post to this week’s on-line discussion board by Monday at noon.

Week 4 (9/15)

Reading: Homer, Iliad, books 16-18; The War that Killed Achilles 123-173

Recommended Reading: Lecture 5 The Death of Patroklos

Additional Assignment: Post to this week’s on-line discussion board by Monday at noon.

Week 5 (9/22)

Reading: Homer, Iliad, 19, 22-23; The War that Killed Achilles 174-191

Recommended Reading: Lecture 6 The Shield of Achilles, Part II; Lecture 7 The Tomb of the Hero

Additional Assignment: Post to this week’s on-line discussion board by Monday at noon.

Week 6 (9/29)

Reading: Homer, Iliad, book 24; The War that Killed Achilles 192-225

Recommended Reading: Proclus, summaries of the Epic Cycle; Lecture 8 The End of the Iliad; Lecture 9 After the Iliad: Oral Poetry and Performance II: Women's Song and Dance Traditions

Additional Assignment: Post to this week’s on-line discussion board by Monday at noon.

Week 7 (10/6)

Test 1

Week 8 (10/13)

Reading: Sophocles, Ajax; Euripides, Medea; Lecture 10 Introduction to Greek Tragedy and the Tragic Hero.

Additional Assignment: Post to this week’s on-line discussion board by Monday at noon.

Week 9 (10/20)

Reading: Jason and the Golden Fleece books 1 and 3

Additional Assignment: Post to this week’s on-line discussion board by Monday at noon.

Week 10 (10/27)

Reading: Virgil, Aeneid books 1 and 2

Additional Assignment: Post to this week’s on-line discussion board by Monday at noon.

Week 11 (11/3)

Reading: Virgil, Aeneid book 4 and selections from books 6-12.
Additional Assignment: Post to this week’s on-line discussion board by Monday at noon.

Week 12 (11/10)

Reading: Philostratus, On Heroes (first half)

Recommended Reading: Lecture 20 The Mysterious World of Heroes: Continuity and Change; Lecture 21 The Power of the Cult-Hero in Death

Additional Assignment: Post to this week’s on-line discussion board by Monday at noon.

Week 13 (11/17)

Reading: Philostratus, On Heroes (second half)

Recommended Reading: Lecture 22 The Immortalized Achilles

Additional Assignment: Post to this week’s on-line discussion board by Monday at noon.

Note: If you would prefer to take Test 2 BEFORE Thanksgiving, you may make an appointment with me to do so in my office on Friday, 11/20.

Week 14

THANKSGIVING - NO CLASS

Week 15 (12/1)

Test 2