ARLT 101g Masters of Power: 10 Ancient Lives
Spring 2009Prof. Vincent Farenga
Course Description
- This course satisfies the G. E. requirement in Category V, Arts and Letters, because it introduces you to works of literature, philosophy, history and film that span the ancient and modern worlds.
- We focus on the lives of ten of the most remarkable individuals in Greco-Roman antiquity: a democratic statesman (Pericles), brilliant generals (Alcibiades and Julius Caesar), a world conqueror (Alexander), an empire builder (Augustus)—but also a philosopher of dissent (Socrates), a monstrous tyrant (Nero), a power-mad matriarch (Agrippina), and two tragic lovers (Mark Antony and Cleopatra). We’ll recover their stories from Greek and Roman historians and biographers (Thucydides, Plutarch, Tacitus and Suetonius) and philosophers (Plato, Xenophon, Diogenes Laertius).
- We also examine more modern attempts to capture the same lives: Shakespearean drama (Julius Caesar[1599], Antony and Cleopatra[1607]); historical fiction (Robert Graves’ I, Claudius [1934] and a novel about Alcibiades and the Peloponnesian War, The Tides of War[2000]); feature films and TV series (Oliver Stone’s Alexander [2004]; HBO’s Rome [2006], Joseph Mankiewicz’ Julius Caesar [1953] and Cleopatra [1963]); the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Antony & Cleopatra [1974]; and the BBC’s I, Claudius[1976].
- These ancient-modern comparisons will help us understand the different meanings an ancient life can have. While ancient writers interpret a “life” as a tale that is morally or politically useful to others, modern artists transform these lives into “characters” in a drama, novel, or film. You’ll learn to interpret the various meanings these characters may have for us in contexts that are aesthetic, philosophical, psychological, and commercial.
Goals of the Course: What Will You Learn?
- You’ll learn the most memorable stories in the Western tradition about antiquity’s most powerful individuals—and how they are powerfully relevant to our lives.
- You’ll appreciate the differences among genres such as history, biography, apology, philosophical dialogue, tragedy, novel, and film.
- You’ll understand different ways to evaluate a human life: as a moral paradigm, as an agent of power, as a “person” in the philosophical sense, as an artistic “character.”
- You’ll develop the ability to write authoritatively and persuasively different kinds of arguments about ways ancient lives are relevant to our contemporary world.
Course requirements
- Participation & Preparation: you’re expected to participate attentively and actively at our two lectures each week and your discussion section. This includes being prepared to discuss the readings assigned for each class 10 %
- Midterm exam (objective, short-answer questions)15%
- Three written assignments 15 – 15 – 20%
- Final exam (not cumulative; objective questions + mini-essay)25%
Note: Objective, short-answer questions ask you to combine recall of factual information with evaluative judgments. The writing assignments are evaluated on the basis of persuasive argument, detailed factual information you use as evidence for your argument, and creativity.
Study Aids: To help you with assigned readings, “focus questions” will be provided for certain texts. These highlight the key information and developments you should look for and the key concepts you should recognize. To help you prepare for exams, study sheets will be provided for each. These materials will be posted on our course site on Blackboard.
Policy on examinations: All students must be present for each exam. A make-up exam or quiz will be given for medical or personal/family emergency, but only if Prof. Farenga personallyapproves the reason for your absence. NOTE: You must take the Final Exam on May 12; there will be no exceptions. Please check your exam schedule now to insure you have no conflicts with other exams.
Policy on assignments: Assignments are dueat the lecture on the days indicated in the syllabus: hard copies must be handed by 11:10 on those days. If an assignment is handed in after 11:10 but before the end of class (12:15), it will be penalized one-half grade. Assignments handed in after the end of class will not be accepted unless Prof. Farenga approves this for reasons of illness or personal/family emergency. Electronic submissions are not accepted.
Policy on academic integrity: We will adhere rigorously to the university's policies on academic integrity as described in SCampus. Violations, during exams or through plagiarism in written work, will be reported to the Office for Student Conduct.
Policy on Grade of “Incomplete”: A grade of IN can only be assigned if you do not complete work after the end of the 12th week because of illness or personal emergency. Prof. Farenga must, however, approve assignment of this grade. The missed work must be completed within one academic year.
Statement on Students with Disabilities: Any student requesting accommodations based on a disability is required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP, STU 301; x00776) each semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Please have the letter delivered to Prof. Farenga ASAP.
Required Readings(available at USC Bookstore)
Graves, Robert. I, Claudius. Penguin.
Plutarch. Greek Lives. Tr. R. Waterfield. Oxford UP.
_____. Roman Lives. Tr. R. Waterfield. Oxford UP.
Pressfield, Steven. Tides of War: A Novel of Alcibiades and the Peloponnesian War.
Bantam.
C.D.C. Reeve. Tr. Trials of Socrates. Hackett.
Shakespeare, William. Julius Caesar. Washington Square Press.
______. Antony and Cleopatra. Washington Square Press.
*Note: an alternative text, Shakespeare: Three Roman Plays (Penguin) may be used in place of Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra by Washington Square P.
Suetonius. Lives of the Caesars. Tr. C. Edwards. Oxford UP.
Thucydides. On Justice, Power and Human Nature. Tr. P. Woodruff. Hackett.
*Note: Additional required readings will be available on Reserve or in photocopy
Instructor: Vincent Farenga, Assoc. Prof., Classics & Comparative Literature. Office: THH 256-R, x00106, .
Office hours: TBA
Discussion Section Leaders: TBA
COURSE SYLLABUS
Please note: We will try to stay on schedule for class topics and readings assignments, but we may need to adjust our schedule from time to time. E-mail notice and announcements on Blackboard will be provided of any changes in dates when assignments are due or exams are given. This syllabus is also posted on Blackboard.
Week 1
Jan 13Course intro
Jan 15Pericles: Plutarch,’s“Life of Pericles” Greek Lives 144-79. Use the Focus Questions on Pericles.
Week 2
Jan 20Pericles: 3 speeches in Thucydides, On Justice, Power & Human Nature31-58.
Also start reading Plutarch’s “Life of Alcibiades,” Greek Lives 222-59. Use the Focus Questions on Alcibiades.
Jan 22Alcibiades: finish reading Plutarch’s “Life of Alcibiades.”
Week 3
Jan 27Alcibiades: read (1) the Sicilian debate in Thucydides 102-109 and (2) Pressfield, Tides of War 3-130.
Jan 29Alcibiades: Tides of War 147-87.
Week 4
Feb 3Alcibiades: Tides of War 188-216; 236-270; 276-315. Also read the Athenian campaign against Syracuse in Thucydides 111-160
Feb 5Alcibiades: Tides of War 348-416.
Week 5
Feb 10Socrates: “Life of Socrates” in Diogenes Laertius Lives of the Philosophers (photocopy & on Reserve);
Plato, “Apology of Socrates” in Reeve, Trials of Socrates 26-61. Use the Focus Questions on Socrates.
Feb 12Socrates: Plato, “Crito” and “Phaedo” Trials of Socrates 62-83;
Xenophon, “Socrates’ Defense to the Jury,” Trials of Socrates 178-84.
Week 6
Feb 17First Writing Assignment Due Today. Note policy on assignments
Alexander: Plutarch’s “Life of Alexander” Greek Lives 312-55 (sec 46). Use the Focus Questions on Alexnder.
Feb 19Alexander: Plutarch’s “Life of Alexander” Greek Lives 355-81.
Week 7
Feb 24Alexander: discussion of Stone’s Alexander.
Feb 26Midterm Exam. Note exam policy.
Week 8
Mar3Julius Caesar: Plutarch’s “Life of J. Caesar,” Roman Lives 302-59. Use Focus Questions on Caesar.
Mar 5J. Caesar: Suetonius’ “The Deified J. Caesar” Lives of the Caesars 3-42.
Week 9
Mar 10In-class viewing final episode HBO’s Rome (2006), Caesar’s assassination
Mar 12J. Caesar: Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar Acts I & II.
Week 10
Mar 24In-class viewing of scenes from Mankiewicz’s Julius Caesar (1953)
Mar 26J. Caesar: Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar 112- 95 (Acts III, IV, V).
Viewing of scenes from Mankiewicz’s Julius Caesar (1953)
Week 11
Mar31 Second Writing Assignment Due Today. Note policy on assignments
Mark Antony: Plutarch’s “Life of Antony,” Roman Lives 365-430. See handout on themes in Plutarch’s “Life of Antony.”
Apr2Antony & Cleopatra: Shakespeare’s Antony & Cleopatra (scenes from Acts I, II & III: see pages and lines indicated in handout “Scenes from Antony & Cleopatra” [also on Blackboard]).
Week 12
Apr 7Antony & Cleopatra: Shakespeare’s Antony & Cleopatra (scenes from Acts III, IV and V: see pages and lines indicated in handout “Scenes from Antony & Cleopatra” [also on Blackboard]).
In-class viewing of scenes in Acts I and II from Royal Shakespeare Company’s Antony & Cleopatra (1974).
Apr 9Viewing of scenes in Acts III and V from Royal Shakespeare Company’s Antony & Cleopatra (1974).
Discussion of Mankiewicz’ Cleopatra.
Week 13
Apr 14Augustus: Suetonius’ “The Deified Augustus,” Lives of the Caesars 43-97
Augustus and Livia in Robert Graves’ I, Claudius, chapters 2 -3 & 6-13. See handout on “Introduction to the Julio-Claudians” and Focus Questions on Blackboard.
Apr 16Augustus, Livia and their brood of Julio-Claudian dynasts in I, Claudius, chapters 24-26 and 29-34
Week 14
Apr 21In-class viewing of BBC’s I, Claudius(1976) (episode 1: the death of Marcellus)
Nero: Suetonius’ “Nero” in Lives of the Caesars 195-227.
Apr 23Nero & Agrippina in Tacitus’ Annals of Imperial Rome 284-319 (Ares Reserve). Use the Focus Questions on Nero.
Week 15
Apr 28Third Writing Assignment Due Today. Note policy on assignments
Nero, Agrippina & Poppaea in Tacitus’ Annals 360-97 (on Blackboard)
Apr 30Summary of course themes
May 12Tuesday Final Exam: 11 am – 1 pm. Note exam policy.