HIST 324 Empires of Greece and Rome: 500 B.C.-A.D. 500 Tentative Syllabus Spring 2012

Prof. Pavlac

I. Description

War, slaughter, order, peace.  This course will examine empire building, empire-maintaining and empire-collapsing in the cultures of Classical Greece and Rome.  The rise of empire will cover the Delian League, the Macedonia success of Alexander the Great, Rome's expansion through the Punic Wars, and so many more.  The maintenance of empire will review issues of commerce, justice, citizenship, taxation, and cultural conflict.  The fall of empires will include the the Peloponnesian Wars, and the crises and collapse of the Western half of the Roman Empire.  Readings will be drawn from the historians and humanists of antiquity.

II. Purpose

This is a History Major, European Sequence course.

Objectives for the student:

1. To identify the major events, persons and ideas of the history of classical antiquity.
2. To develop concepts and methods which give an understanding of what influenced the attitudes and behavior of major participants in political situations.
3. To read primary and secondary sources and explain their significance to relevant historical problems.
4. To practice critical and analytical skills on historical controversies.
5. To identify and analyze significant problems and situations as they relate to the current issues and the investigation of history.

Goals for the student:

1. To develop a wider perspective which recognizes the political, economic and cultural interdependence of differing societies and people, and which encourages a more inclusive view of the human experience.
2. To heighten awareness of the specific contributions and perspectives of diverse members of society.
3. To appreciate the social, economic, cultural and political developments of the Ancient West to our present culture and Modern World History.
4. To understand the influence of the past on contemporary events and problems, or, in other words, to develop "Historical Mindedness."

General Learning Outcomes for the student:

In addition to the more content related objectives described above, this course has some general liberal learning goals. Successful completion of this course is expected to help improve your ability

1. To manage information, which involves sorting data, ranking data for significance, synthesizing facts, concepts and principles.
2. To understand and use organizing principles or key concepts against which miscellaneous data can be evaluated.
3. To differentiate between facts, opinions and inferences.
4. To frame questions in order to more clearly clarify a problem, topic or issue.
5. To compare and contrast the relative merits of opposing arguments and interpretations, moving between the main points of each position.
6. To organize your thoughts and communicate them clearly and concisely in a written form and oral presentations.
7. To obtain practice in selecting and presenting information and arguments within a restricted environment, especially the limitations of time in exams.

III. General Requirements

11. Readings:

• The Landmark Thucydides: A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War. Edited by Robert B. Strassler. Translated by Richard Crawley. NY: Free Press, 1998; ISBN-13: 978-0684827902.
• Bailkey, Nels M. and Richard Lim. Readings in Ancient History. 7th Edition. Wadsworth Publishing: 2011. ISBN-13: 978-0495913030.
• Caesar, Julius. The Conquest of Gaul. Edited by Jane P. Gardner. Translated by S. A. Handford. London: Penguin Classics, 1983; ISBN-13: 978-0140444339.
• various handouts

The required readings are intended both to provide you with important factual and background information before class and to be used as review and reference works afterwards. Before class, you will read the chapters or pages assigned according to ypur paper syllabus's class schedule.   Not all topics in the books will be covered in class, but you are responsible for them on the exam and in class discussion. Each class the instructor may select at random one student to present the day's reading and show how it integrates with the other material (Each strong>presentation worth 10 points).

Especially in your readings book, Bailkey and Lim, you must make notes in the margins or a notebook, underline key statements, highlight important passages, and/or annotate essential details in order to be better prepared for classroom discussion. Several times the instructor will also check your books for that class�s text readings and evaluate the quality of your note taking or highlighting (10 points each time).

If necessary, the instructor may give quizzes to test your reading and comprehension of the texts, or evaluate your copy of the Bailkey and Lim text for a quiz grade on your preparation.

2. Class Participation & Attendance:

Participation and attendance are necessary because lecture and discussion provide the essentials for achieving class goals and objectives. Thus a portion of your grade (about 20%) will depend on your in-class performance. You are required to attend each class, arrive on time, remain attentive, respond to questions, ask questions and participate in any in-class projects.

Especially in your readings book, you must make notes in the margins or a notebook, underline key statements, highlight important passages, and/or annotate essential details in order to be better prepared for classroom discussion.

Lectures may be recorded with the instructor's permission, although the tapes must be erased after the exams.

The instructor will regularly take attendance. Absences due to college activities, emergency or extended illness may be excused by the appropriate director or dean. Other absences are unexcused and will lower the class participation portion of your grade. After any absence, you are responsible for making up missed work, requesting hand-outs and already returned assignments, or borrowing notes from other students. Whether absences are excused or not, you cannot get a higher grade than the percentage of classes attended.

All students who have a learning disability, physical handicap and/or any other possible impediment to class participation and requirements should schedule an appointment with the instructor during the first week of class to discuss available accommodations.

If you miss an exam, contact the instructor as soon as possible. You may take a missed exam only at the discretion of the instructor. The makeup exam may be in the form of an oral exam.

If at some point during the semester you must discontinue the course, due to poor performance, illness or some other cause, be sure to follow proper procedures for withdrawal.

3. Other Requirements

You will take one mid-term exam on the assigned date in the class schedule, section VII, and a final exam as assigned during finals week. Exams are described in more detail below, section V.

You will have several in-class discussion/projects, intermittently through the semester. You also may be evaluated by short quizzes or written reports done in-class or after class, either individually or in groups, worth between 10 and 20 points each.

Always you are required read before class the appropriate material (as listed on the class schedule, section VII, or otherwise assigned by the instructor) and be prepared to discuss and/or write about it with the instructor or in small groups. Each class the instructor may select at random one student to present the day's reading and show how it integrates with the other material (Each presentation worth 10 points).

Several times the instructor will also check your books for that class�s text readings and evaluate the quality of your note taking or highlighting (10 points each time).

Short quizzes or written reports may also be required to evaluate the comprehension of video presentations. Students with unexcused absences will receive no credit for the videos/project/discussion. Students with excused absences may prepare a short report, after consultation with the instructor.

You will have two reflection papers of four-to-six pages each. These assignments are described below, section VII.

IV. Grades:

You earn your grade through work done for this course.

For more information see grading policy.

For your protection, in case of errors in recording, you should keep copies of all exams and assignments until you have received notice of your grade.

V. Exams:

A. General Description:

You will take one mid-term exam on the assigned date in the class schedule, and a final exam as assigned during finals week. Here are sample questions for the final exam.

Both exams will consist of short identifications quizzing knowledge of detail and significance, and essays testing your understanding of the course material through logical presentation of facts and explanation of historical trends.

To study for the exams you should regularly, at least once a week, review your class notes, especially for identifications drawn from the overhead outline. You should also compare and contrast these notes with your textbook and other readings.

Only paper from the instructor is to be used. Please write legibly, in ink. Also note the academic honesty policy.

You will have several in-class discussion/projects, intermittently through the semester. As always, you are required to have read before class the appropriate material (as listed on the class schedule, or otherwise assigned by the instructors) and be prepared to discuss and/or write about it with the instructors or in small groups. Students with unexcused absences will receive no credit for the videos/project/discussion.
Students with excused absences may prepare a short report, after consultation with the instructors.

You may be evaluated by short quizzes or written reports done in-class or after class, either individually or in groups, worth between 10 and 20 points each.

See instructions in your paper syllabus.

C. Plagiarism:

Plagiarism on written assignments is a serious breach of expected academic honesty. For more information see, click here.

E. Presentation:

Both for practice in following guidelines and to facilitate consistency in grading, papers should be uniform in appearance. Every assignment you turn in should have a cover page with your name, but your name should not appear on subsequent pages. For more information, especially about quotations and citations see click here.

F. Assessment:

The instructor will grade your written assignments based on his evaluation of how well you follow the instructions as to content and presentation.

For more information on the grading of your papers see Assessment.

All topics and assignments on the schedule are tentative; the instructor may change them at his discretion.

For the Website of the Day, explain who is responsible for the site, what are its key features, and what (at least two or three items) is most interesting and relevant for the class.