Classics 362: Intermediate Greek Homer and the Greek Epics Spring 2007, Beth Severy-Hoven, Macalester College

Expectations and Evaluation

The real work of improving your ability to read Greek will happen on a day to day basis as you prepare for class and we read Greek together. You need to come to class having read through the assigned Greek text more than once. You should be prepared to translate the passage without looking at a written English version, although you may have a vocabulary list next to you (not superimposed over your Greek text). By being well prepared, by asking questions and being engaged in class, your ability to read Homer’s poetry in its glorious original form will improve quickly.

Grades will be based on preparation and performance in class translations and discussions, regular quizzes (both announced and unannounced), two midterms (Friday, February 16 and Wednesday, April 4), a performance of a memorized passage (Friday, March 23), a paper project, and a final exam (Thursday, May 3, 10:30-12:30). Ground rules: you must be present in class to take quizzes and exams; late and make-up work will not be accepted except under extreme circumstances. If you have difficulties with the date of any scheduled quiz or exam, consult with me in advance. Attendance will be kept. You will not receive credit for participation if you are absent; after four absences your grade will suffer directly, and more than six absences may cause you to fail the course. You should come to class to read even if you are unprepared – everyone is granted 3 days of being unprepared without penalty. 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. If you have any disabilities which necessitate special exam conditions or other considerations, please discuss these with me as soon as possible.

On Friday, March 23, each student will recite a 7-8 line passage of the Odyssey in the original Greek and with attention to the meter. Please begin looking for a suitable passage immediately. This task will help you understand how meter functions and underscores the performance aspect of ancient Greek epic.

Finally, the research project is your opportunity to utilize your ability to read Greek in a new way and to engage with the text of the Odyssey and scholarship about it in more depth than we have time for in class. More information about the assignment will be provided later in the term, but overall it involves finding and presenting to the class a stimulating piece of modern scholarship, locating and engaging with other, related secondary materials, and then composing your own analysis of the Odyssey in the context of this scholarly conversation. Students will submit their initial thoughts about a project on March 28, present articles on April 6 and 9, turn in a narrative bibliography and project proposal April 13, and a draft of the paper in class on April 20.

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