Greek110B: Greek Epic
Fall 2015MašaĆulumovićOffice Hours:
Classroom: Rabb 333Office: Mandel 214MW 10-11am and by appt.
MWTh 1:00-1:50 pme-mail:
BUGS Tutor: Deanna Miserendino
Email: (office hours by appt.)
I. Course Description and Objectives
This course will introduce students to Homeric poetry by focusing on the selections from the Iliad in the original language.Special attention will be paid to dialect, meter, and oral poetics (formulae, type scenes, etc.). We will also consider some interpretative questions regarding narrative structure, characterization, and the historical context of the poem. Students are expected to have read the entirety of the Iliadin translation by the end of the semester.
The pace of the course is meant to be challenging though not overwhelming, so there may be some adjustments in the length of the reading assignments over the course of the semester. Ideally, we will start by covering about 20 lines per class, gradually speeding up the pace to about 70-80 lines by the end of the term, at which point the students are expected to have a firm feel for the flow of the epic language.
II. Prerequisites: Greek 10A and Greek 20B
III. Textbooks
Required:
Selections from Homer's Iliad, by A.R. Benner, reprinted by the University of Oklahoma Press.
Lord, A. Singer of Tales, 2nd edition. Harvard University Press.
Recommended:
Homeric Vocabularies, by Owen and Goodspeed.University of Oklahoma Press.
(ISBN 0-8061-0828-2)
Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect, by R. J. Cunliffe.University of Oklahoma Press.
(ISBN 0-8061-4308-8)
Recommended Translations:
The Iliad, trans. by R. Fagles.Penguin Classics. (poetic translation in contemporary English)
The Iliad, trans. by R. Lattimore.University of Chicago Press. (less immediately accessible, but
masterfully close to the original Greek)
IV. Class Format and Course Requirements
This is a Four-Credit Course, which means that in addition to the three hours of class time per week students are expected to spend a minimum of 9 hours of study time per week in preparation for it (this includes readings, papers, preparation for tests, etc.)
Class meetings will be largely devoted to going over the translation of the assigned readings, metrical analysis and discussion of the primary text, with occasional student presentations on the chapters from Albert Lord’s Singer of Tales. Completion of each day's reading assignment before the class meeting is essential for the extraction of maximum profit from the time spent in class.
There will be twomidterm examinations (in class, Thur., Oct. 8 and Mon., Nov. 9) and a final examination (tentative date: Mon., Dec. 14, 9:15am-12:15pm).Be sure to note carefully the date of the final examination and make your travel arrangements accordingly. There will also be weekly quizzes to ensure consistent and continuous familiarity with the material. All the tests will consist of seen passages to be translated and metrically analyzed; there will also be questions about vocabulary, grammar, and syntax related to the passages.
Course grade breakdown:
Attendance and Participation: 20%(includes daily translation assignments, meter
exercises, in-class discussions and presentations)
Weekly Quizzes: 20%
2 Midterm Exams:30% (15% each)
Final Exam: 30%
IV. Other Policies:
- Attendance and Participation: Attendance and participation in this course are required and essential for acquiring proficiency in Homeric Greek. Unexcused absences will adversely affect your grade so you should let me know in advance if you are unable to attend a class. Each class meeting builds upon the previous one, so you should plan to work steadily throughout the semester to ensure maximum results.
- Missed Exams:Make-up quizzes and exams are granted only for extraordinary reasons such as family emergencies and serious illness. To request a make-up test for these or other reasons, notify me before the deadline if possible (you may be asked to supply supporting documentation). Late assignments will be docked in proportion to their lateness.
- Academic Honesty:You are expected to be honest in all of your academic work. For all policies and procedures related to academic integrity, please consult Section 4 of Rights and Responsibilities handbook (http://www.brandeis.edu/studentlife/srcs/rr/index.html). Instances of alleged academic dishonesty will be forwarded to the Director of Academic Integrity. Potential sanctions include failure in the course and/or suspension from the University. If you have any questions about my expectations, please ask. Citation and research assistance can also be found at LTS Research Guides (http://guides.library.brandeis.edu/c.php?g=301723).
- Electronics:Please turn off and stow away your cell phones for the duration of the class.Use of laptops during class for note-taking or referring to the assigned readings can be helpful to learning. But if you’re the kind of person who cannot resist the temptation to take a peek at email or other websites, you should just keep your laptop off and stowed away. Using laptops during class for non-class related work is disrespectful to me and distracting to other students.
- Religious Observance:Please review the syllabus to determine if there are any conflicts between class time and your religious observance. It is your responsibility to inform me of any conflicts within the first two weeks of the semester. If you miss class due to religious observance, you will be expected to complete any work missed and you may be required to submit additional assignments to make up for the missed class time.Missing a class due to travel plans associated with a particular holidaydoes not constitute an excused absence.
- Disability: If you are a student with a documented disability on record at Brandeis University and wish to have a reasonable accommodation made for you in this class, please see me immediately.
- Student Athletes: If you anticipate missing class due to your athletic schedule, you should provide me with a letter - at the beginning of the semester – from the Athletic Director verifying your participation in a varsity sport, and containing the schedule for the team. No accommodation should be expected for practices.
SCHEDULE OF CLASSES
1. Thur., Aug. 27General Introduction
# oflines
2. Mon., Aug. 311.1-21[21]
3. Wed., Sept. 21.22-42[21]
4. Thur., Sept. 31.43-67[25]
5. Mon., Sept. 7NO CLASS (Labor Day)
6. Wed., Sept. 9Quiz 1, 1.68-91[24]
7. Thur., Sept. 101.92-120[29]
8. Mon., Sept. 14NO CLASS (Rosh Hashanah)
9. Wed., Sept. 16 3.383-417[35]
10. Thur., Sept. 173.418—447[30]
11. Mon., Sept. 21Quiz 2, 6.313-343[31]
12. Wed., Sept. 23NO CLASS (Yom Kippur)
13. Thur., Sept. 246.344-389[46]
14. Mon., Sept. 28NO CLASS (Sukkot)
15. Tue., Sept. 29Quiz 3, 6.390-439[50]
16. Wed., Sept. 306.440-485[46]
17. Thur., Oct. 16.486-529[44]
18. Mon., Oct. 5NO CLASS
19. Wed., Oct. 7Review
20. Thur., Oct. 8Midterm I
21. Mon., Oct. 129.185-235[51]
22. Wed., Oct. 149.236-285[50]
23. Thur., Oct. 159.286-333[48]
24. Mon., Oct. 19 Quiz 4, 9.334-387[54]
25. Wed., Oct. 219.388-443[56]
26. Thur., Oct. 229.444-489[56]
27. Mon., Oct. 26Quiz 5, 9.490-549[60]
28. Wed., Oct. 289.550-610[61]
29. Thur., Oct. 299.611-675[65]
30. Mon., Nov. 2Quiz 6, 9.676-713, 16.784-804[38+21=59]
31. Wed., Nov. 416.805-867[63]
32. Thur., Nov. 5Review
33. Mon., Nov. 9Midterm II
34. Wed., Nov. 1118.1-72[72]
35. Thur., Nov. 1218.73-147[75]
36. Mon., Nov. 16Quiz 7, 18.478-543[66]
37. Wed., Nov. 1818.544-617[74]
38. Thur., Nov. 1922.99-167[69]
39. Mon., Nov. 23 Quiz 8, 22.168-237[70]
40. Wed., Nov. 25NO CLASS (Thanksgiving)
41. Thur., Nov. 26NO CLASS (Thanksgiving)
42. Mon., Nov. 3022.238-311[74]
43. Wed., Dec. 222.312-394[83]
44. Thur., Dec. 324.472-542[71]
45. Mon., Dec. 7Quiz 9, 24. 543-609[67]
46. Wed., Dec. 924.610-691[82]