CLAS230 Classical Mythology: Aftermath of the Trojan War
CLAS 230-01: Classical Mythology: Aftermath of the Trojan War (.5 Credit)
MEETING DAYS,
TIMES, AND PLACE: MWF, 10:00-10:50, Wallace 114, for the second half of the
semester
INSTRUCTOR
INFORMATION:
Dr. Robert
Holschuh Simmons
Office: 21
Wallace Hall
Office Phone:
309-457-2378
E-mail:
rsimmons@monmouthcollege.edu
Office Hours:
Monday-Friday 11-11:50 AM, and by appointment.
PREREQUISITES:
None
FOR WHOM
PLANNED:
This course is
designed for anyone interested in analyzing literary portrayals of characters
whose lives were significantly affected by the Trojan War, including individuals
who may be suffering from what we now understand as post-traumatic stress.
It will be particularly well-suited for students who like to be
intellectually active and interactive—much of the value in this course will come
through students’ engagement with texts and other course material through
discussion and class activities.
COURSE
DESCRIPTION:
The stories of
people’s lives in the aftermath of the Trojan War are much like those of
contemporary soldiers and their families when they return from war. For
Odysseus, there was a long, complicated journey before he reached his home in
Ithaca, where he found that domestic life could be just as complex and dangerous
as warfare. For Menelaus and Helen, there was the challenge of putting their
marriage back together after a betrayal and a long separation.
For Agamemnon, there were people back home in Mycenae who remembered the
offenses that he had committed before he sailed away for the war, and there was
a reckoning to be paid for them.
For Aeneas, there was the strain of leading a band of refugees on an uncertain
journey to a new home after their home in Troy was destroyed.
Classical
Mythology: Aftermath of the Trojan War will explore the stress and anxiety of a
return from war through ancient Greeks’ and Romans’ stories of the dramas that
followed the Trojan War’s end.
Among the works we will read, in whole or in part, are Vergil’s
Aeneid, Euripides’
Trojan Women, Aeschylus’
Agamemnon, and Homer’s
Odyssey.
This class fulfills half of the Beauty and Meaning in Works of Art requirement,
and can be used toward majors in Classics,
Latin, or Greek.
One caution:
this course will be dealing with a number of topics that were prominent parts of
Greek and Roman life through the centuries, some of which may make certain
people uncomfortable. Among things
that may make some students uncomfortable about our readings, video clips, and
other ideas presented and/or discussed in class are the following: violent
behavior in the readings and in some video clips; the idea of Post-Traumatic
Stress Disorder as a possible explanation for some characters’ behavior in these
ancient works; portrayals of ancient slavery in our readings; and ancient
stereotypes of sexes and cultures that come up in our readings.
While I will do my best to make our discussions inclusive, kind, and
academic, some of the content of this course may not be ideal for students who
are particularly sensitive to the sorts of matters mentioned above.
If you take issue with any of the material or discussions in this course,
please contact me.
STUDENT
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Upon
successful completion
of this
course,
students
should
be
able to do the following, and
more:
1)
Know a wide range of aspects of the Trojan War’s aftermath, both as a rich
source of mythological stories and as an event that may have been used to
capture ancient Greeks’ and Romans’ sense of the impact of war on many people’s
lives well after the battles have been fought.
2)
Know aspects of the lives of a number of the mortals and gods who were included
in stories of the Trojan Wars’ aftermath.
3)
Know the primary sources (literary, artistic, and archaeological) from which we
understand the stories of characters’ lives following the Trojan War as we do.
4)
Analyze those primary sources in speech and writing to understand them as
literature and as documents of their times and cultural contexts.
5)
Examine
social, cultural, and historical factors influencing the use and interpretation
of different aspects of the stories of the Trojan War’s aftermath over several
centuries.
6)
Explain
connections and overlaps in understanding of the Trojan War’s aftermath in the
ancient and modern worlds.
RELEVANT CLASSICS
STUDENT
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
1)
Think critically about the Classical World, including knowing what questions to
ask and how to answer them.
3) Know the broad overview of Greek and
Roman history (the difference between
the Republic and Imperial periods, for example), the values prevailing within
each culture and period, and the factors that led to changes in the political,
social, and economic structures.
4) Be familiar with Classical
literature, including the major authors, genres, groupings, and relationship of
literature to history and culture.
5) Understand the role of Classics
in the modern world.
EVALUATION AND
GRADING:
PREPARATION
AND PARTICIPATION:
This will be a
highly active and interactive class.
We will be spending a lot of time talking and writing about the things we
have read and otherwise learned for, and in, class.
Thus it is critical that you be willing to take active part in class,
both intellectually and physically.
To do the best job in carrying out class activities, it will be important for
you to be well prepared for each class.
Therefore, a significant part of your grade will come from your
participation in class and your preparation for it.
Your grade in this category will be based on a combination of my
observations and notes and your own assessment of your performance in this area.
To help both you and me keep up with your preparation and participation
throughout the semester, you will have your own Preparation and Participation
(P&P) folder that contains a self-assessment instrument. At the end of
each class period, you will assess your own participation based on, for example,
your level of preparation for class, the quantity and quality of your
contributions to class discussion, etc. I will review your
self-assessments and, if needed, alter them to reflect my assessment of your
participation based on observation and evidence. At one or more points in
the class, you may need to provide an overall assessment of your preparation and
participation based on your daily logs.
At the end of the term, I will average the daily scores and incorporate
your written assessments to determine the final Preparation and Participation
grade.
Attendance:
Because attendance is crucial to your success, and because our class meetings
are where a great deal of the course’s value comes, I will hold you to a high
standard of attendance.
You may
occasionally, however, need to miss a class for illness or other reasons.
Thus you will not be penalized for your first two absences, whatever the
reason for them. If you miss more
than two classes, however, your grade or status in the class will be affected
according to the following parameters:
Normally, the
two-absence cushion should account for matters outside of your control that
would keep you from attending class, so the third one, even if it could be
excusable on its own, serves as the consequence for classes missed previously
that were within your control, and it underscores the importance of your being
present: any absence, for whatever the reason, detracts from your learning in
the class. However, I recognize
that a person can, at times, run into circumstances that can keep her or him out
of class on several occasions without any fault on the student’s part.
If your first two absences were all due to debilitating or contagious
illness, family emergency, mandatory religious obligation, or participation in
an authorized College activity (for any of which I may require documentation), I
will not penalize you for a third absence either, if that also was precipitated
by one of those circumstances. For
absences beyond the first two that you believe should be excused, you should
contact me beforehand if you are in position to know about the absences in
advance (such as if you have a mandatory religious or College obligation); if
the absence is the result of an emergency, you should notify me within three
days of the missed class. Please
speak with me if you have a different reason for your absence that you think may
be excusable. I will be the sole
arbiter as to whether an absence will be considered excused.
Further details:
quizzes and In-Class Writing:
Because it is
critical that people are well-prepared for class in order for the discussions
and other activities we will do in class to work out, I will regularly have you
either take a short quiz or write for a few minutes in response to the reading
you were assigned and the questions accompanying it.
MISSED QUIZZES AND WRITING ASSIGNMENTS MAY NOT BE MADE UP, unless you
have missed such an assessment for reasons that were fully justifiable and over
which you had no control. (I will be the
one who determines whether your circumstance justifies any mercy.)
However, I will drop students’ two
lowest scores, including missed assignments, in tabulating their final grade.
Exam:
There will be
one exam, covering assigned readings and the content of class activities,
discussions, and lectures, including visual images.
Missed exams may be made up only
if missed for one of the following reasons, and only with appropriate
documentation: debilitating illness, family emergency, mandatory religious
obligation, or participation in authorized College activities.
Please speak with me if you have a different reason for your absence that
you think may be excusable. You
must make every effort to contact me before the exam if a make-up is
necessary, and you must take the make-up exam within five class days of the
scheduled date.
PROJECT:
You will
undertake one project (most likely alone, although some projects may be
justifiable with partners) in which you will demonstrate your mastery of
significant aspects of the course through writing and perhaps other means as
well. The project will likely be
along the lines of a story in which you highlight the impact of a war experience
on a character whose processing of that experience is not detailed in our texts
for the class. Specific details of
this assignment will be forthcoming.
You will hand in and present your work (in brief form) during our final
exam meeting, on Sat., May 6, from 3-6 PM.
Grade Breakdown:
Preparation and participation
20%
Quizzes and in-class writing
20%
Exam
30%
Project
30%
Percentage/Grade Equivalents:
98+
= A+ 87-89 = B+
77-79 = C+
67-69 = D+ 59 and below
= F
93-97 = A
83-86 = B
73-76 = C
63-66 = D
90-92 = A-
80-82 = B-
70-72 = C-
60-62 = D-
Required Texts
AND OTHER MATERIALS:
Homer,
Odyssey, translated by Stanley
Lombardo (Hackett, 2000).
Several more
texts that are, or will be, posted on Moodle.
course engagement expectations:
This course is scheduled to meet 3 days per week for 50 minutes each for seven
weeks. You should expect to spend on course reading, homework, preparation
of discussion questions, etc. approximately two hours outside of class for every
hour in class. Assigned activities may take each student a different amount of
time to finish; however, the weekly average for all students in the course for
those matters and class meetings should be 7.5 hours. Intensive studying
for exams and preparation for your project will be in addition to the standard
weekly preparation, but will likely average out to an extra four hours per week.
The time estimates for the course thus break down as follows:
In class activities
2.5 hours
Homework, review of course material, and class preparation
5.0 hours
Intensive studying and preparing for the project (averaged out)
4.0 hours
Average per week:
11.5 hours
class behavior Expectations:
To maintain a
classroom environment in which everyone can learn, please show the respect and
courtesy to others that you would expect in turn.
Here are a few of the ways in which you can show respect and courtesy:
·
Be in your
seat on time for class, and remain for the duration of each class.
·
Have a
notebook, pen, and relevant materials out and ready to use throughout class.
·
Be ready to
answer questions about the day’s homework and other relevant subjects, to work
on in-class assignments individually and with peers, and to share your work in
small groups with the whole class.
·
Remain quiet
while I or others in class are speaking.
·
Show support
for those who speak in class by your demeanor and body language.
·
Focus on the
content of the class, not on personal electronic devices; all such items should
be turned off and packed away during class, unless they are being used for class
matters, in a way that is not distracting to your classmates or me.
·
You may eat
and drink in class, but only if it is not distracting to other students or me.
E-mail Courtesies:
When sending
me e-mail, please observe the following courtesies:
·
Begin the
message with a salutation of some sort (Dr. Simmons, Prof. Simmons, Mr. Simmons,
etc.).
·
Include a
reasonably accurate subject line.
·
Capitalize and
punctuate where appropriate, and proofread to make sure that you are
communicating clearly.
·
At the end of
the message, please identify yourself by the name by which I know you (first
name or nickname).
I will get
back to you as soon as I can.
Sometimes a response will be immediate; on other occasions it may take me
several hours, and quite possibly a full day if you write late in the day, at
night, or on a weekend, if I need to give some thought to a response before
providing one, or if I simply have other things I need to get done before I can
get to e-mails.
Special Needs:
Anyone who has
a special need that may require some modification of seating, testing, or other
class requirements should see me as soon as possible.
I will be pleased to make the appropriate arrangements in consultation
with you. Depending on the
modification, you may need to be registered with Disability Support Services.
Disability Support Services:
If you have a
disability or had academic accommodations in high school or another college, you
may be eligible for academic accommodations at Monmouth College under the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Monmouth College is committed to equal
educational access. Students with
disabilities can apply for accommodations at the Teaching and Learning Center
(TLC). The TLC is located on the 2nd floor of Poling Hall. For more
information, call 309-457-2257 or connect online at
http://ou.monmouthcollege.edu/life/disability-services/default.aspx.
Academic honesty:
From the Monmouth College Academic Honesty Policy: “We view academic
dishonesty as a threat to the integrity and intellectual mission of our
institution. Any breach of the academic honesty policy – either intentionally or
unintentionally – will be taken seriously and may result not only in failure in
the course, but in suspension or expulsion from the college. It is each
student’s responsibility to read, understand and comply with the general
academic honesty policy at Monmouth College, as defined here in the Scots Guide,
and to the specific guidelines for each course, as elaborated on the professor’s
syllabus.
“The following areas are examples of violations of the academic honesty policy:
“Please note that this list is not intended to be exhaustive.”
The complete Monmouth College Academic Honesty Policy can be found on the
College web page by clicking on “Student Life” then on “Student Handbook” in the
navigation bar on the top of the page, then “Academic Regulations” in the
navigation bar at the left. Or you can visit the web page directly by
typing in this URL: http://www.monmouthcollege.edu/life/residence-life/scots-guide/academic.aspx.
In this course, any violation of the academic honesty policy will have varying
consequences depending on the severity of the infraction as judged by the
instructor. Minimally, a violation will result in an “F” or 0 points on
the assignment in question. Additionally, the student’s course grade may be
lowered by one letter grade. In severe cases, the student will be assigned
a course grade of “F” and dismissed from the class. All cases of academic
dishonesty will be reported to the Associate Dean, who may decide to recommend
further action to the Admissions and Academic Status Committee, including
suspension or dismissal. It is assumed that students will educate
themselves regarding what is considered to be academic dishonesty, so excuses or
claims of ignorance will not mitigate the consequences of any violations.
Help outside of class:
You should
not hesitate to talk with me about any difficulties you are having—this course
is challenging, and I want to help you do the best you can at it.
Speak with me as soon as you are having trouble; letting a problem fester
is likely to make it worse. Also,
there is help available at the locations below.
Teaching & Learning Center:
The
Teaching and Learning Center offers FREE resources to assist Monmouth College
students with their academic success. Programs include Supplemental Instruction
for difficult classes, drop-in and appointment tutoring, and individual academic
coaching. The TLC is here to help students excel academically. TLC services are
not just for struggling students, but can assist all students to get
better grades, practice stronger study skills, and manage time.
Visit Kam
Williams (Director
of Academic Support Programs and Student Disability Services)
and Rita Schwass (TLC secretary) at the TLC on 2nd floor Poling Hall
from 8am-4:30pm or online at
http://ou.monmouthcollege.edu/academics/teaching-learning-center/.
Kam can be reached at
klwilliams@monmouthcollege.edu
or 309-457-2214, and Rita can be reached at
rschwass@monmouthcollege.edu
or 309-457-2213.
Like the TLC on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Monmouth-College-Teaching-and-Learning-Center/203117166403210?ref=aymt_homepage_panel.
Writing Center:
The Monmouth College Writing Center offers unlimited, free peer tutoring
sessions for students at Monmouth College. Peer writing tutors work with
writers from any major, of any writing ability, on any type of writing
assignment, and at any stage of their writing processes, from planning to
drafting to revising to editing. It is located on the 3rd floor of the
Mellinger Teaching and Learning Center, and we are open Sunday-Thursday 7-10pm
and Monday-Thursday 3-5pm on a first-come, first-served basis. No appointment
necessary! Learn more about the Writing Center at its website:
http://blogs.monm.edu/writingatmc/writing-center/.
Daniel Hintzke (dhintzke@monmouthcollege.edu)
is also available to do individual writing tutoring in Classics.
Please contact him to set up a time for individual assistance.
Speech Tutors:
Speech Tutors are available on a limited basis in the Writing Center to work
with students who are preparing for a presentation in any course. Speech Tutors
can help fine-tune thesis statements, review outlines, suggest organizational
strategies, provide feedback about visual aids, help students develop ways to
manage speech anxiety, and watch speech practice sessions. For information
about tutor availability, visit the Writing Center’s website at http://blogs.monm.edu/writingatmc/writing-center/.
Schedule of Assignments:
Note: The
assignments below are due on the days on which they are listed.
If there is no other instruction given, you are to do the following:
Day 1 (Monday,
March 13)
Assignment due
today:
·
Introduction to the class and the material of Wednesday’s assignment
Tuesday, March
14
·
Not required,
but worth extra credit if you attend and write up a 250-word summary/response:
Day 2
(Wednesday, March 15)
Refugees from a lost war searching for a new homeland
Assignment due today:
·
Vergil, Aeneid pp. 1-21 (Book 1,
lines 1-741) (on Moodle)
Day 3 (Friday,
March 17)
The suffering
of women in the wake of war
Assignment due today:
·
Euripides,
Trojan Women pp. 117-147 (lines
1-712) (on Moodle)
·
Not required, but I would be happy to see you there:
Day 4 (Monday,
March 20)
The suffering
of women, children, and those required to act against them in the wake of war
Assignment due today:
·
Euripides,
Trojan Women pp. 147-175 (lines
713-1397) (on Moodle)
Tuesday, March
21
·
Not required,
but worth extra credit if you attend and write up a 250-word summary/response:
Day 5
(Wednesday, March 22)
The returns of
warriors from war
Assignment due
today:
·
Homer,
Odyssey pp. 28-34 (Book 3, lines
1-221) and pp. 44-61 (Book 4, lines 1-617)
·
Optional, but
worth extra credit if you attend and write a 250-word summary/response:
·
7:30 P.M.,
Pattee Auditorium, CSB
Thursday,
March 23
·
Optional, but
worth extra credit if you attend and write a 250-word summary/response:
·
“The Mouliana
Project: Late Minoan Warrior Grave Artifacts from the Bronze Age Collapse,”
Andrew J. Koh, Assistant Professor Department of Classical Studies, Brandeis
University (akoh@brandeis.edu)
·
7:30 P.M.,
Ferris Lounge, Seymour Hall, Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois
Day 6 (Friday,
March 24)
The impact
back home of war abroad
Assignment due
today:
·
Aeschylus,
Agamemnon pp. 3-21 (lines 1-502) (on
Moodle)
Friday, March
24-Sunday, March 26
·
Annual national meeting of Eta Sigma Phi,
the undergraduate Classics honorary society,
Ann Arbor, MI
Day 7 (Monday,
March 27)
The impact of
war-time offenses on the homeland in peacetime
Assignment due
today:
·
Aeschylus,
Agamemnon pp. 21-40 (lines 503-1047)
(on Moodle)
Day 8
(Wednesday, March 29)
Violence at
home in response to the violence of war
Assignment due
today:
·
Aeschylus,
Agamemnon pp. 40-66 (lines 1048-1672)
(on Moodle)
Day 9 (Friday,
March 31)
Ancient Greek
war stories as reflections of post-traumatic stress?
Assignment due
today:
·
Jonathan Shay,
“The Birth of Tragedy--Out of the Needs
of Democracy” (on Moodle)
·
Jason Crowley,
“Beyond the Universal Soldier: Combat Trauma in Classical Antiquity” (on Moodle)
Day 10
(Monday, April 3)
(Formally)
introducing Odysseus
Assignment due
today:
·
Homer,
Odyssey pp. 1-4 (Book 1, lines 1-102)
and pp. 70-86 (Book 5, lines 1-501, and Book 6, lines 1-48)
·
Optional, but
worth extra credit if you attend and write a one-page summary/response:
·
“Sacrifices to
Spectacles: Intangible Expressions of Naval Victory and their Importance,”
Kristian Lorenzo, Visiting Assistant Professor, Hollins University
(kristianlorenzo@gmail.com)
·
7:30 P.M.,
Pattee Auditorium, CSB
Tuesday, April
4:
·
Optional, but
worth extra credit if you attend and write a one-page summary/response:
Day 11
(Wednesday, April 5)
The first
social test of a returning warrior
Assignment due
today:
·
Homer,
Odyssey:
·
pp. 88-90
(Book 6, lines 109-202),
·
pp. 92-93
(Book 6, lines 258-281),
·
pp. 93-94
(Book 6, lines 299-339),
·
pp. 95-96
(Book 7, lines 15-59),
·
pp. 97-105
(Book 7, lines 82-366), and
·
pp. 106-113
(Book 8, lines 1-275).
Thursday,
April 6-Saturday, April 8
Annual Meeting
of the Classical Association of the Middle West and South, Kitchener, ON, Canada
Friday, April
7
·
NO CLASS—CAMWS
Professional Conference
Day 12
(Monday, April 10)
The transition
from wartime behavior to peacetime behavior
Assignment due
today:
·
Homer,
Odyssey:
·
pp. 121-124
(Book 8, lines 519-632),
·
pp. 125-140
(Book 9, lines 1-561), and
·
pp. 141-145
(Book 10, lines 1-148).
Day 13
(Wednesday, April 12)
Gathering
intelligence for the return
Assignment due
today:
·
Homer,
Odyssey:
·
pp. 145-157
(Book 10, lines 149-597),
·
pp. 158-164
(Book 11, lines 1-227),
·
p. 167 (Book
11, lines 337-341),
·
pp. 168-171
(Book 11, lines 372-479), and
·
p. 177 (Book 11, lines 671-675).
Friday, April
14-Monday, April 17
·
NO
CLASS—EASTER BREAK
Day 14
(Wednesday, April 19)
The
monstrosity of wartime experience
Assignment due
today:
·
Homer,
Odyssey:
·
pp. 178-191
(Book 12, lines 1-471),
·
pp. 192-195
(Book 13, lines 1-128),
·
pp. 198-201
(Book 13, lines 194-302), and
·
pp. 203-205
(Book 13, lines 386-457).
Day 15
(Friday, April 21)
Testing people
back home
Assignment due
today:
·
Homer,
Odyssey:
·
pp. 245-246 (Book 16, lines 164-203),
·
pp. 256-257
(Book 17, lines 1-30),
·
pp. 261-263
(Book 17, lines 194-260),
·
pp. 266-270
(Book 17, lines 364-506),
·
pp. 272-274
(Book 17, lines 549-624),
·
pp. 291-302
(Book 19, lines 54-435), and
·
pp. 307-308
(Book 19, lines 625-645).
Day 16
(Monday, April 24)
Retribution
Assignment due
today:
·
Homer,
Odyssey:
·
pp. 322-335 (Book 21, lines 1-463) and
·
pp. 336-346
(Book 22, lines 1-352).
Tuesday, April
25
SCHOLARS’ DAY
Day 17
(Wednesday, April 26)
Assignment due
today:
·
COURSE EXAM
Thursday,
April 27
·
Optional, but
worth extra credit if you attend and write a one-page summary/response:
·
“Monmouth
College Archaeology Research Laboratory: Annual Report”
·
Kyle Jazwa,
Lecturer in Archaeology, Monmouth College (kjazwa@monmouthcollege.edu)
·
7:30 P.M.,
Pattee Auditorium, Center for Science and Business 100.
Day 18
(Friday, April 28)
Assignment due
today:
·
Plan of course
project due
Day 19
(Monday, May 1)
Assignment due
today:
·
Draft of
course project due
Day 20
(Wednesday, May 3)
Assignment due
today:
·
Revised draft
of course project due
Sat., May 6
3:00 PM-6:00
PM—FINAL ASSESSMENT PERIOD