Attendance & Participation (15%)
Class participation includes preparation of readings and assignments, and participation in discussions in the classroom. Obviously, if you do not attend class you can not participate in the in-class discussions. You may miss up to 3 classes without penalty; after that, every absence for any reason will lower your final grade by 1% (up to 10%). Come to class and contribute!
Due Friday, 1/26
Each of you will be assigned to research and give a short (c. 2-3 minute) in-class report on one major author or other source for the study of Greek religion. Your report should include the following information about your source (where applicable):
- When did he live?
- Where did he live/work?
- What were his major works, or what kinds of works (e.g. epic poetry, tragedy, history) did he write?
- What kinds of things can we learn from this source about Greek religion?
- Using your textbooks and/or on-line syllabus, choose a brief excerpt that typifies your source's contribution to the study of Greek religion, to share with the class.
Due Friday, 2/16, by 5 pm.
Write a short (3-4 pp.) paper comparing and contrasting any 2 of the following passages:
- Odyssey 3.439-63 + 14.418-36 (= R&S pp. 107-8)
- Hesiod, Works & Days 724-59
- Xenophon, Anabasis 6.7-22
- LSAM 32, Civic sacrifices at Magnesia (= Price, App. #3)
Panels (15%)
In the second week of class, I will randomly divide you into teams of 3. Each team will be responsible for leading a c. 15-20 minute in-class panel discussion on a topic of general interest that pertains to, but goes beyond, your primary and secondary readings. The purpose of these projects is not to do ground-breaking independent research, but to dig a little more deeply into a topic that interests you and to find something interesting and useful to bring back to the class.
For the panel, choose 1-3 primary sources (textual or visual) to use as the focus of your discussion; these could be from the assigned readings, or something you've found in the course of your research. At least some of these sources will appear on the final exam. Distribute these sources to your classmates in class or by e-mail at least 2 days before your presentation, so they can prepare.
Teams should meet with me no less than 2 weeks before their presentation date to discuss ideas and bibliography. The topics will be:
- Wed. 2/21
- Mystery cults
- Mon. 3/5
- Dream interpretation
- Wed. 3/7
- The Olympic Games as a religious festival
- Wed. 3/21
- Marriage rituals
- Mon. 4/2
- Love magic
Exams (35%)
There will be 2 exams: a midterm (15%), given Friday, March 9 in class, and a final exam (20%), on May 10, 6-9 pm. They will combine short IDs, passages & images for discussion, and essays. The midterm review sheet and final exam review sheet are available now, in PDF format.
Your final project is a mid-length (c. 7-8 pp.) research paper on a topic of your choosing. This paper must have a thesis and defend it on the basis of both close analysis of primary sources and secondary research.
Alternately, you may choose to compose an original "primary source" that reflects your knowledge of the sources and subject of Greek religion. This source should be in the style of one of the primary sources we've used this semester, either literary (e.g. a hymn, an excerpt from an epic poem, drama, or historical work, or a Pausanian site description), documentary (e.g. an inscription) or material (e.g. a sanctuary plan, a vase painting, or a votive offering). You should also write up an explanation of your source, including the point you're trying to convey, the models you used to develop your source, and a traditional bibliography.
This project comes in several stages, all of which will count toward your final project grade:
- Topic Statement (Friday 3/23) (5%):
Write a short (c. 1-2 pages) essay describing the topic you've chosen and which issues you intend to address. Feel free to write the paper in the first person if you so choose. Compose it as you would any paper, with an introduction, a body of a few paragraphs and a conclusion. If you're planning to take the creative option, you should tell me now. Due by 5 pm on Friday, March 23.
- Sample (Wednesday 4/18) (10%):
Submit a sample (c. 3-4 pp.) of your final paper. This could consist of the introduction or any other part of the final version. It should include your own prose, crafted to form a portion of the final thesis you will present, and some of the primary sources either as quotations or as citations, to substantiate your arguments with evidence. This last issue is critical: the second essay is not only an opportunity to demonstrate your thinking and your cogent writing, but also that you know how to use, cite and analyze evidence to persuade your audience. For proper citation of ancient sources (the primary evidence) and modern scholarship, follow the guidelines in the Resources for Paper-Writing below. Due by 5 pm on Wednesday, 4/18.
- Final Project (Wednesday 5/2) (85%)
The final, polished version of your paper. Due on Wednesday 5/2 by 5 pm. No late papers will be accepted; this is absolute.