Women, Gender and Sexuality in Ancient Greece and Rome

The course readings and assignments have been designed with the goal that students:

develop their abilities to observe texts closely and critically, to pose meaningful questions, investigate multiple interpretations, and communicate their conclusions effectively to others in written forms, and

understand the types of evidence surviving from ancient Greek and Roman cultures and the inherent challenges of working with them, particularly in regard to studying women, gender and sexuality.

To these ends, the course will emphasize writing and discussion. We will use writing in part as a method to think and learn about the course material. For example, to help you read more carefully and prepare to participate in class discussion, 9 informal response papers are required over the course of the semester. Six are due to Professor Severy-Hoven, four before her leave and two after. These 1-2 page musings on the day’s reading – potentially including a summary, comments, critique, concerns, comparison to other readings, answers to the discussion questions or proposals for new questions – must be submitted before discussion for credit. Since we will be working with a great deal of creative literature, both ancient and modern, you may choose to submit a short story, poetry or other creative writing for two of these informal papers. For all reading assignments, questions are provided on the syllabus to help direct your reading and responses, as well as our discussion. Three response papers are due to Professor Lee on assigned days associated with excursions to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, the Pompeii Exhibit at the Science Museum, and the Macalester College production of Aristophanes’ Lysistrata. Two quizzes will be offered to help you learn critical places, people and dates in Greek and Roman history.

Two short, formal writing assignments are required by Professor Severy-Hoven. The first will ask you to analyze how one of the primary texts we have read together creates, reinforces or challenges a dominant social hierarchy such as sexuality or gender. For the other, you will evaluate the surviving evidence for the life of an historical woman and discuss what we can and cannot conclude about her based on it. Late paper policy: if a paper is not turned in by the designated time, one letter grade will be deducted from the one otherwise earned. For every additional day the paper is late (24 hrs.), another letter grade will be deducted.

Professor Lee will administer a mid term exam encouraging you to synthesize and present what you have learned about visual and material culture from her section of the course.

Class participation includes reading the assigned material, thinking about the questions posed on the syllabus and otherwise preparing, coming to class regularly and on time, as well as actively participating in the group discussion. Your nine response papers and quizzes will also count toward your participation grade. Attendance will be kept; not only will you not receive credit for participation if you are absent, after four absences your grade will suffer directly. More than six absences may cause you to fail the course.

And last but not least, a final exam will give you the final word on the issues we have explored over the semester. If you have difficulties with the date of any scheduled quiz or exam, consult with your professors in advance. Likewise, if your abilities necessitate special exam conditions or other considerations, I encourage you to discuss these with us as soon as possible.

Class Participation	30%
Formal Writing Assignments	35%
Exams	35%

Goals, Expectations and Evaluation