GreeceOnline An online course developed by ExL

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1 Note: To return to the Discussion Board, click your browser s BACK BUTTON. The Examined Life: Greek Studies in the Schools (ExL) Strengthening the teaching of Greece in the schools GreeceOnline An online course developed by ExL Program Syllabus, Spring 2013 Course Information Graduate Course Title: GreeceOnline Semester: Spring Semester 2013 Instructor/Facilitator: Barbara Scotto, MA, MS, M.Ed, (and Examined Life staff) Graduate Credit, PDPs and Other Documentation Credit Hours 3 graduate credits from Framingham State College (pending) Noncredit participation PDPs (Massachusetts Professional Development Points) CEUs (Continuing Education Units) Certificate of Attendance Lecturers (listed alphabetically) Mary Lefkowitz, Professor Emerita, Dept. of Greek and Latin, Wellesley College Ann Olga Koloski-Ostrow, PhD, Associate Professor and Chair, Dept. of Classical Studies, Brandeis University Leonard Muellner, Professor, Dept. of Classical Studies, Brandeis University Gregory Nagy, Professor, Dept of Classical Studies, Harvard University Gregory Maguire, Author of books for both children and adults, Director and Founder Emeritus of Children's Literature New England Eirene Visvardi, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Classical Studies, Wesleyan University Joanna Long, Reviewer and former editor of Kirkus Reviews Andreas Teuber, Associate Professor and Chair, Dept. of Philosophy, Brandeis University Theo Theoharis, Associate, Department of Comparative Literature, Harvard University Kenneth Rothwell, Associate Professor and Chair, Dept. of Classical Studies, UMass Boston Gareth Hinds, Author and illustrator Cheryl Walker, Associate Professor, Dept. of Classical Studies, Brandeis University

2 GREECEONLINE Syllabus 2 Optional Lecturers Olga Broumas, Director of Creative Writing, Brandeis University Helene Foley, Professor, Dept of Classics, Barnard College Judith Malone-Neville, Independent Scholar Course Description GreeceOnline provides an exciting journey to ancient (and modern) Greece through the eyes of world-class scholars. History, literature, philosophy, art, culture, government, and politics are explored in lectures and readings that include The Iliad and The Odyssey; the tragedies of Euripides, Sophocles and Aeschylus; the comedies of Aristophanes; the writings of Herodotus, Thucydides, and Plato. Lecturers take up several themes in the literature including democracy and the obligations of citizenship; war and peace; anger and reconciliation; the meaning of life, and the ideal of heroism. The program also features several webinars exploring the mythology, history and culture of Greece as it has been used by writers and artists in their creation of classic works of literature as well as books for children and young adults. GreeceOnline Includes the opportunity for participants to join others on a study tour of Greece, scheduled for April 12-21, For those taking the course for credit, It also provides the opportunity to write curricula for classroom use based on the most current research presented in course lectures and readings and the possibility of publishing the guide on The Examined Life s website Course Objectives Greek Study Fellows will increase their knowledge and understanding of ancient Greece (and modern Greece, as well). Greek Study Fellows will be able to identify recurring themes and ideas in lectures and readings that have relevancy in today s world and that would be worthwhile discussing with their students. Greek Study Fellows will become familiar with the many ways Greek literature, culture and history have been used in books for children and young adults Greek Study Fellows will be able to link overarching ideas to their own lives, classrooms, and schools. Greek Study Fellows who teach will demonstrate an ability to step away from teaching to ask such questions as Why do I teach? What do I hope to impart? Greek Study Fellows taking the course for credit will demonstrate the ability to write a study guide based on most recent scholarship for use with their students, and for possible publication on the teachgreece.org website Course Expectations All Participants Attend all webinar sessions and view lectures as they are released. Complete all required readings. Write and post an introduction of himself or herself online. Start a discussion topic and respond to someone else each week Non-Credit Participants who would like to receive PDPs (45) and/or CEUs (3) Must fulfill all of the requirements.

3 GREECEONLINE Syllabus 3 Graduate Credit Participants Must: o o o Start a discussion topic (approximately 250 words) and respond to someone else every week. Conclude the lecture presentations by writing a 750 word response to one of the topics or ideas posted on the Discussion Board during the semester. This assignment is an opportunity to develop one of the topics more fully. Create a Study Guide for use in their classroom. Course Texts and Materials Required Texts: Greek Gods, Human Lives: What We Can Learn from Myths by Mary Lefkowitz. Yale University Press, 2003 The Iliad by Homer. Trans. by Robert Fitzgerald, Richmond Lattimore or Robert Fagles. The Odyssey by Homer. Trans. By Robert Fitzgerald, Richmond Lattimore or Robert Fagles Oresteia: Agamemnon, Libation Bearers, Eumenides by Aeschylus. Trans. by Robert Fagles Electra by Sophocles Electra and Medea by Euripides in Medea and Other Plays, trans. by P.Vellacott Antigone by Sophocles in The Three Theban Plays, trans. by Robert Fagles Apology, Crito, and Republic, Bk.1 (optional) by Plato Acharnians, Lysistrata, and Clouds by Aristophanes The Odyssey by Homer. Illus. by Gareth Hinds. Candlewick, 2010 Herodotus: The Histories (selected readings) The History of the Peloponessian War by Thucydides (selected readings) Schedule of Classes The schedule includes videos (videotaped lectures), webinars (live online lectures), and a study tour of Greece. Webinars are scheduled for Saturdays, 11AM - 1PM. Videos are released in about two-week intervals to be viewed at your convenience. Dates Topics Lecturers Jan 12 Webinar: "Welcome" and "Seeds of Myth" Scotto, Lefkowitz Jan 12 Video: "Introduction and Overview" Koloski-Ostrow Jan 19 Video: The Iliad Muellner Feb 2 Video: The Odyssey Nagy Feb 9 Webinar: Chambers of the Sun Maguire Feb 9 Video: Tragedy Visvardi Feb 16 to 23 Vacation Mar 2 Webinar: Illustrators of Myth for the Young" Long March 16 Video: "Women in Antiquity" Lefkowitz March 30 Video: "Philosophy" Teuber Apr 6 Webinar: "Perceptions of Socrates" Theoharis Apr 12 to 21 Study Tour of Greece Hinds May 4 Video: "Comedy and Democracy" Rothwell May 11 Webinar: "Interview with Gareth Hinds" Scotto, Hinds May 18 Video: "Inventors of History" Walker

4 GREECEONLINE Syllabus 4 Lecture Details January 12, 2013 Seeds of Myth Webinar for the Seeds of Myth Webinar This is a webinar presented by Dr. Mary Lefkowitz, Professor Emerita, Dept. of Greek and Latin, Wellesley College. Read Greek Gods, Human Lives: What We Can Learn from Myth by Mary Lefkowitz Mary Lefkowitz will lead a discussion centered on the idea of Greek mythology as theology. By way of introduction, Dr. Lefkowitz is Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities Emerita, Wellesley College and one of the best-known and highly-respected classical scholars in the nation. Today she gives a live talk from her home in Wellesley, MA. Her books about the ancient world include Women in Greek Myth and Women s Life in Greece and Rome, coedited with Maureen Fant. Dr. Lefkowitz has also written about Pindar, the 4 th century Greek lyric poet. For over 25 years, Dr. Lefkowitz taught a popular course at Wellesley College on Greek mythology and is the author of Greek Gods, Human Lives. She is the recipient of several honorary degrees and in 2006, she was awarded the prestigious National Humanities Medal. Suggested Discussion Topics (N/A) January 12, 2013 Introduction and Overview Video for the Introduction and Overview Video There is no assigned reading for this lecture. for the upcoming The Iliad Video We recommend that you begin reading The Iliad, at least Bks. 1-12, before the next session where you will need to complete the entire text before you view the video. You may also find this reading helpful in viewing the Introduction and Overview lecture. Professor Ann Olga Koloski-Ostrow, Chair of the Brandeis University Classics Department, demonstrates interconnections between ancient Greek material culture (painting, architecture, sculpture) and the literary tradition (oral and written); she considers how the cultural ideals set forth in the Homeric tradition, The Iliad and The Odyssey, and in Athenian tragedy had far-reaching impact on many aspects of Greek (particularly Athenian) life and art. The discussion considers the power of art in ancient and modern society and asks what exactly a text is to us and to the ancient Greeks. Suggested Discussion Topics: Two Possibilities or One of Your Own Choosing Respond to the video: studying pots can reveal far more than I ever imagined... I am surprised by the vastness of the ancient Greek world. Respond to the Seeds of Myth webinar: how has Dr. Lefkowitz's exploration of the world of Greek mythology changed your understanding of the ancient Greeks and their relationship with the gods?

5 GREECEONLINE Syllabus 5 All posts should be made in the Introduction and Overview discussion forum. January 19, 2013 The Iliad Video Before viewing the lecture, read The Iliad. If you have time, you might be interested in reading The Thegony by Hesiod as well. Professor Leonard Muellner, Department of Classics, Brandeis University, lectures on The Iliad: how to read it, how not to read it, and what is in it, including friendship, anger, and the meaning of life. Professor Muellner also talks about what Achilles learns and what he teaches us. His discussion considers comparisons between contemporary world views and that of the pagan world. Suggested Discussion Topics, or one of your own choosing: How do friendship and anger play themselves out in the epic? What s your perception of Achilles? Odysseus? Agamemnon? Does your perception change as the epic unfolds? February 2, 2013 The Odyssey Video Before viewing the lecture, read The Odyssey, Bks Professor Nagy introduces some of the complexities of the epic poem, and selects a passage for close reading and discussion. Odysseus fantastic journey home ( nostos ) and the struggle he faces when he reaches home raises questions about the meaning of home, growing up and leaving home, our inherent need ultimately to return home, and what life is like when one is truly home-less Suggested Discussion Topics, or one of your own choosing: How does a close reading of a passage increase your understanding of the epic poem? Comment on such themes as nostos or homecoming, and kleos, meaning glory. What can you detect in the poem about relationships of characters, for example, Odysseus and Telemachus? Penelope and Odysseus? Comment on Prof. Nagy s reference to Odysseus journey as a metaphorical journey of the soul. Your post to the Discussion Board and your prompt response to a posting by another student are expectedbefore

6 GREECEONLINE Syllabus 6 February 9, 2013 Chambers of the Sun Webinar Gregory Maguire has asked that participants prepare by becoming familiar with the following: Myth Any version of any creation story and a version of the Noah and the flood story. Hero Tale A familiarity with The Odyssey as well as the story of Perseus and the Minotaur. Folk Tale Please read a copy of each of the following stories: o Rapunzel, any version. o Cinderella, any version o Snow White, any version, o "The Little Match Girl" by Hans Christian Andersen We are very fortunate to have as our webinar speaker Gregory Maguire, ExL Honorary Board Member, cofounder of Children's Literature New England and the author of numerous novels for children and adults including The Wicked Years, a series that includes Wicked, the basis for the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical. He will be speaking about Chambers of the Sun: A Novelist's Reflections on Myth. Suggested Discussion Topics, or one of your own choosing: (N/A). February 9, 2013 Tragedy Video Before viewing the lecture, read Aeschylus (Agamemnon, Libation Bearers, and Eumenides); Sophocles (Electra); and Euripides (Electra). Eirene Visvardi, Assistant Professor of Classics, Weslyan University and Florence Levy Kay Fellow in Ancient Greek Theater, Brandeis University, pursues the interplay between ancient Athenian drama and religion in plays by the Athenian tragedians Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. Dr. Visvardi s discussion considers such questions as What was the experience of going to the theater in Athens? How do the three Athenian playwrights vary the story of the House of Atreus? What are the literary techniques of all three? What do we today hope to get from our theatrical entertainment? Is our worship of movie stars different from Greek hero workshop? If so, How? Suggested Discussion Topics, or one of your own choosing: What do you see as the primary differences between the way the three Athenian playwrights approach the story of the House of Atreus, and how do these differences change or affect your understanding of the story? What do you think are the essential differences between the experience of going to the theater today and going to the theater in ancient Greece? Is our worship of movie stars different from Greek hero worship? If so, how?

7 GREECEONLINE Syllabus 7 March 2, 2013 Illustrators of Myth for the Young Webinar for the Illustrators of Myth for the Young Webinar Aulaire, Ingri and Edgar Parin d'. Book of Greek Myths, 1962 Church, Alfred J. The Odyssey of Homer, retold ; illus. by John Flaxman. Macmillan, 1906/1951 Colum, Padraic. The Adventures of Odysseus and the Tale of Troy; illus. by Willy Pogany, Macmillan, also, illus. by Barry Moser, Morrow, 1997 Garfield, Leon & Edward Blishen. The God Beneath the Sea, illus. by Charles Keeping also, The Golden Shadow, 1975 Hawthorne, Nathaniel. A Wonder Book; illus. by Arthur Rackham. Garden City, n.d. also, illus. by Elenore Plaisted Abbott and Helen Alden Knipe. Jacobs, n.d., c Hinds, Gareth. The Odyssey: A Graphic Novel. Candlewick, 2001 McCaughrean, Geraldine. Greek Myths; illus. by Emma Chichester Clark. McElderry, 1993 Mikolaycak, Charles. Orpheus, 1992 Napoli, Donna Jo. Treasury of Greek Mythology; illus. by Christina Balit. National Geographic, 2012 O'Connor, George. Poseidon: Earth Shaker (Olympians series), 2013 Sutcliff, Rosemary. Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of the Iliad; illus. by Alan Lee. Delacorte, also The Wanderings of Odysseus, 1995 Joanna Rudge Long, a principal reviewer for The Horn Book Magazine and former editor of Kirkus Reviews, leads a webinar on art in books for the young. She is a frequent lecturer on topics in children s literature. Her talk focuses on the illustrations. Since the stories themselves for the most part will be familiar ones, it isn't necessary to read the text of all the titles listed. Joanna uses many of the pictures during her presentation, so you might want to look at some of the books in advance. Please note that a number of these books are out of print, but they can often be found in library collections. Discussion Topics (N/A) (N/A) March 16, 2013 Women in Antiquity Video Before viewing the lecture, read Antigone (Sophocles) and Medea (Euripides) Prof. Emerita Mary Lefkowitz, Dept. of Greek and Latin, Wellesley College, tackles the contention that the Greeks were notoriously harsh in their treatment of women by way of two tragedies and a slide presentation on Greek painted pottery. Suggested Discussion Topics

8 GREECEONLINE Syllabus 8 What were the contributions of women in ancient Greek society? Can myths help inform ancient reality and even how we feel about women in society today? March 30, 2013 Philosophy Video Before viewing the lecture, read Plato s Apology, Crito, and (optional) Republic Bk. 1. Prof. Andreas Teuber, Dept. of Philosophy, Brandeis University, guides Fellows through these texts with a number of fascinating questions: Why did the Athenian democracy condemn its most famous citizen, Socrates, to death? What did Socrates say or do that prompted the charges against him in the first place? What was the relationship between Socrates and Plato and their philosophies? Discussion Topics According to one common interpretation of Crito, Socrates seems to say that a citizen must always obey the laws of the city, no matter what it commands, but in Apology he seems to leave room for justified disobedience. How can Apology and Crito be reconciled? Was Socrates inconsistent? What are Socrates arguments in Crito for a citizen s obligation to obey? Are those arguments still applicable today? viewing the next lecture