Michael F. Quinn
Each seminar examines a different subject or problem. A quarterly list of the seminars and their instructors is available in the Department of History undergraduate advising office.
This advanced seminar will examine the rise and fall of Classical Athens (roughly 510 - 404 BC), with a particular emphasis on the political, intellectual, and artistic achievements that characterize this period. Topics that will be studied include: The nature of Athenian Democracy, the relationship between military service and political participation, Athenian perceptions of justice and power and the subsequent development of Athenian imperialism, Pericles and Athenian politics, Athenian drama and comedy and their relationship to the Peloponnesian War, the ideological clash between Democracy and Oligarchy, and the changing nature of greek warfare in the fifth century BC.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
This course will follow a research seminar format. Each week we will read several primary and secondary sources to be discussed in class (usually between 200-300 pages each week). Each week, one or more students will be assigned the task of helping to organize and lead the discussion.
The advanced nature of this course demands that the student have a firm grasp of the general history and literature of Classical Greece. It is stongly recommended that students will have successfully completed HIST 111 as well as any of the following courses (or their equivalents in other departments) before enrolling in this course: HSTAM 205, HSTAM 302, HSTAM 401, HSTAM 402, HSTAM 403. It is also recommended that students will have completed a junior history seminar (HIST 388) on a topic within or related to classical antiquity.
Class assignments and grading
Students will be required to actively participate in the class discussion of the assigned readings. Each student will also prepare written response papers (1-3 pages) every week. Lastly, each student will write a substantial research paper (15-20 pages) on topics to be determined in consultation with the instructor in the first two weeks of the quarter.