Professor Foster
efoster@wooster.edu
Kauke 207
330-263-2488
Office hours: Tuesday and Thursday 12:00-1:00

Classics 250: Herodotus

Syllabus




Course Goals:  

In this course we aim to read and enjoy the writing of Herodotus of Halicarnassus.  
We will begin with some personable stories about Croesus, the king and tyrant of 
Lydia and finish with the story of the Great King Xerxes' attempt to conquer 
Greece. The course will endeavor to introduce students to the range of Herodotus' 
interests (not an easy task, since he seems to have been interested in nearly 
everything). In addition, we will discuss Herodotus' ethical views and their 
political consequences, since these are at the center of his work.

Finally, an important aim of the course will be to read as much ancient Greek 
prose as possible: Herodotus is a founder of ancient Greek prose writing: knowledge 
of his style was considered essential knowledge for all Greek writers for many 
centuries.  Reading Herodotus therefore has the extra benefit of founding one's 
knowledge of Greek prose in general.


Readings and Assignments

Week One:

January 17: Introduction. Discussion of syllabus and assignments. Discussion of 
how to use Barbour and the Bryn Mawr Commentary. Examination of "page 2" of BMC. 
Assignment: Read hand-out (Introduction to Herodotus). Read prologue (1 sentence) 
and paragraph ("chapter") 5.

January 19: Read and translate assigned material. All readings will be read aloud 
in Greek (we'll do the best we can with the vowels!).
Assignment: 1.6 and 7: The Story of Gyges

January 21: Read and translate last day's assignment.
Assignment: 1. 8-9: The Story of Gyges


Week Two:

January 24: Quiz 1; Read and translate last day's assignment.
Assignment: 1.10 and 11: The Story of Gyges.

January 26: Read and translate last day's assignment.
Assignment: 1. 12-13: The Story of Gyges.

January 28: Read and translate last day's assignment.
Assignment: 1.17, 1.18.1, 1.19: War and appearances: Croesus' father.


Week Three:

January 31: Quiz 2; Read and translate last day's assignment.
Assignment: 1.21 and 1.22: War and appearances: Croesus' father.

February 2: Read and translate last day's assignment.
Assignment: 1. 26 and 27: Croesus comes to power.

February 4: Read and translate last day's assignment.
Assignment: 1.28 to 1.30.2: Croesus and Solon


Week Four:

February 7: Quiz 3: Read and translate last day's assignment.
Assignment: 1.30.3 to 1.31.5: Tellus the Athenian

February 9: Read and translate last day's assignment.
Assignment: 1.32.1.5: Cleobis and Biton

February 11: Read and translate last day's assignment.
Assignment: 1.32.6-1.34.1: Solon on life and death.


Week Five:

February 14: Quiz 4: Read and translate last day's assignment.
Assignment: 1.46-47: Croesus tests the oracle

February 16: Read and translate last day's assignment.
Assignment: 1.48, and 1.53 and 54: Croesus consults the oracle.

February 18: Read and translate last day's assignment.
Assignment: 1.55 to 1.56.1 and 1.75. 3-6. Another oracle; Croesus sets off.

Week Six:

February 21: Quiz 5; Read and translate last day's assignment.
Assignment: 1.76-77: Croesus and Cyrus meet for the first time.

February 23: Read and translate last day's assignment.
Assignment: 1.78-79: A sign from the gods, and Cyrus' quick decision.

February 25: Read and translate last day's assignment.
Assignment: 1.80: Camels and Horses.


Week Seven:

February 28: Quiz 6; Read and translate last day's assignment.
Assignment: 1.84: The siege of Sardis.

March 2: Read and translate last day's assignment.
Assignment: 1.85- 1.86.2: A son speaks, and Cyrus makes sacrifice.

March 4: Read and translate last day's assignment.
Assignment: 1.86.3-1.86.6: Croesus on the pyre.


Week Eight:

March 7: Quiz 7 Read and translate last day's assignment.
Assignment: 1.87-88: Croesus, rescued, finds a friend.

March 9: Read and translate last day's assignment.
Assignment: 1.89 - 1.90.1: Croesus the wise advisor.

March 11: Read and translate last day's assignment.
Assignment: none


Week Nine:

March 14-18: Break


Week Ten:

March 21-25: Break

Week Eleven:

March 28: Quiz 8; Read and translate last day's assignment.
Assignment: Barbour 160-161: How to become King of Persia.

March 30: Read and translate last day's assignment.
Assignment: Barbour 161 to163.13: Character: The Eager Young General.

April 1: Read and translate last day's assignment.
Assignment: Barbour 163. 13 to 164: The Eager Young General, conc.


Week Twelve:

April 4: Quiz 9; Read and translate last day's assignment.
Assignment: Barbour: 164.26 to end 165: Character: The Wise Advisor.

April 6: Read and translate last day's assignment.
Assignment: Barbour: 166 to 167.17: Xerxes' mind and soul divided.

April 8: Read and translate last day's assignment.
Assignment: Barbour 167.17 to 169.13: The gods take over.
.

Week Thirteen:

April 11: Quiz 10; Read and translate last day's assignment.
Assignment: Barbour 169.14 to 170 end: The Empire set in Motion.

April 13: Read and translate last day's assignment.
Assignment: Barbour 171-172.5: Nature and the Tyrant.

April 15: Read and translate last day's assignment.
Assignment: Barbour 172-174: Xerxes' army: a Force to Overwhelm.


Week Fourteen:

April 18:  Quiz 11; Read and translate last day's assignment.
Assignment: Barbour 174-175.26: Athens and the Gods.

April 20: Read and translate last day's assignment.
Assignment: Barbour 175.27- 177.8: Athens and the Gods, part 2.

April 22: Read and translate last day's assignment.
Assignment: Barbour 177.9- 178: Themistocles: Human Foresight.

Week Fifteen:

April 25: Quiz 12; Read and translate last day's assignment.
Assignment: Barbour 181.13-182 end:  Xerxes and the Greeks finally meet. 

April 27: Read and translate last day's assignment.
Assignment: Barbour 183 - 184.16: Xerxes and the Greeks, cont.

April 29: Read and translate last day's assignment.
Assignment: Barbour 184. 29-186.19: Treachery and Signs of Death.

Week 16:

May 2: Quiz 13; Read and translate last day's assignment.
Assignment: Barbour pp.186-188: The final Struggle at Thermopylae.

May 4: Read and translate last day's assignment.
Assignment: Barbour pp. 188-189: Fame of the Men who fell at Thermopylae.

May 6: Last Day of Classes
No assignment


Quizzes and Exam

Short (10-15 minute) quiz every Monday. This makes for a total of 13 quizzes, 
with 12 recorded.  (Your lowest quiz mark will be dropped from the record.)  
Quizzes will cover material read in class in the previous week.  Quizzes will 
include questions on morphological elements or grammatical principles discussed 
during class. 

If you will be absent from a quiz for a legitimate reason, please come to discuss 
a make-up time with me beforehand. 
 
Class participation, especially in respect to coming to class prepared to translate 
the assigned material without making your colleagues wait unnecessarily, will be 
very important in this class.

A Final Exam will be held on Monday,  May 9 at 2:00 AM.

 

Course Marking Scheme

Quizzes: I will discount your lowest quiz mark. Twelve quizzes will therefore 
count towards your final grade: 12 x 5% = 60% 
Class participation: 20%
Final Exam: 20%

Departmental Grading Scheme
A+: 98-100
A  : 97-93
A- : 92-90
B+: 89-87
B  : 86-83
B- : 82-80
C+: 79-77
C : 76-73
C-: 72-70
D+: 69-67
D : 66-63
D-: 62-60
F: any mark below 60.

Academic Honesty
Cheating and plagiarism of any kind are, of course, completely unacceptable. Any 
assignment found to include any amount of borrowed material and will automatically 
earn a failing grade. Serious incidents of plagiarism may result in expulsion from 
the course, even at first offence.  
Any incident of plagiarism will be reported to the dean. A second incident will 
result in a failing grade in the course and may result in further penalties from 
the college. 

Attendance
You should attend every class, and will find it difficult to keep up if you do not.
 Attendance will be taken at every class. Necessary absences should be discussed 
 with me beforehand. Three unexcused absences will result in a note to the office 
 of student affairs and a mandatory meeting with me. Further unexcused absences will 
 be penalized by a 2% deduction from your final grade per unexcused absence. This 
 policy is intended to prevent students from falling behind, and also to forestall 
 the repetition of questions asked and answered during class.