Greek 463 Hellenistic Literature
Spring 2020
MW 2:30-4:00
Zoom
Instructor: James J. Clauss, Department of Classics
Office: Denny Hall M262F (difficult to find); tel. 543-2266 (department office phone)
E-mail: jjc@uw.edu
Office Hours: MW 1:30-2:20 (please email if you want to e-chat at this time and always feel free to email any time)
Monday May 25 is a holiday
Required Texts:
R.L. Hunter, Apollonius of Rhodes Argonautica Book III Cambridge 1989 [available on Amazon for $33.92]
- Race, Apollonius Rhodius Argonautica Loeb Classical Library (online)
Bibliography: https://sites.google.com/site/hellenisticbibliography/hellenistic/apollonius-of-rhodes
Goals of the Class:
The only complete ancient epic between Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey and Vergil’s Aeneid is Apollonius’ Argonautica. The poem represents the poetic sensitivities of its time and includes references not only to archaic and classical literature but also engages with contemporary works (e.g., Aratus, Callimachus, Theocritus). Moreover, Vergil owed a great debt to Apollonius in the Aeneid, especially in Book 4 where Jason and Medea offer a model for Aeneas and Dido. So a major goal is to gain an understanding of the poem not only in its content but also in its style and intertextuality to appreciate how it was received in antiquity.
Grades:
Grading will be based on the following:
Midterm, Monday May 4 through Canvas, 40%
Final, Tuesday June 9 through Canvas, completed by 4:20 PM, 40%
Final paper, due on Friday June 5 by 5:00 PM, 20%
Because we are dealing with a remote class, I will forgo oral presentations and concentrate on a close reading of the entire Argonautica in both Greek and English. Final papers will be on a topic of interest for each student. Since access to the library is minimal, I’ll ask that papers focus on issues of interest that can be studied from the text itself. Such issues may include examinations of Jason (as hero or non-hero), Medea, Heracles, the Gods, Peleus and Thetis, or a study of a specific episode (e.g., Medea’s falling in love). And the papers do not have to focus on Book 3.
For readings, those in Book 3 are in Greek, except for the final reading of the book in preparation for the last day of class. Readings from the other books are in English.
Readings:
Monday Wednesday
Week 1 Introduction AR 3.1-31 (Greek)
- AR. 1-233 (English)
Week 2 AR. 3.32-82 AR 3.83-110
AR 1.234-447 AR. 1.448-608
Week 3 AR. 3.111-66 AR 3.167-209
- AR. 1.609-921 AR922-1152
Week 4 AR 3.210-59 AR 3.260-298
- AR. 1.1153-1363 AR1-177
Week 5 AR 3.299-366 AR 3.367-421
- AR. 2.178-536 AR537-910
Week 6 AR 3.422-74 AR 3.475-514
- AR. 2.911-1285 AR1-240
Week 7 AR 3.515-67 AR 3.568-615
- AR. 4.241-521 AR522-752
Week 8 AR 3.616-73 AR 3.674-717
- AR. 4.753-981 AR982-1220
Week 9 Holiday AR 3.718-70
AR 4.1221-1536
Week 10 AR 3.771-827 AR 3.828-1407 (English)
AR 4.1537-1781
Important UW policy-related things to know:
- The UW's Religious Accommodations Policy:“Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy (Links to an external site.). Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form (Links to an external site.).”
- The UW's Student Conduct Code: "The University of Washington Student Conduct Code (WAC 478-121) defines prohibited academic and behavioral conduct and describes how the University holds students accountable as they pursue their academic goals. Allegations of misconduct by students may be referred to the appropriate campus office for investigation and resolution. More information can be found online at https://www.washington.edu/studentconduct/."(Links to an external site.)
- Access and Accommodation: Your experience in this class is important to me. If you have already established accommodations with Disability Resources for Students (DRS), please communicate your approved accommodations to me at your earliest convenience so we can discuss your needs in this course.
If you have not yet established services through DRS, but have a temporary health condition or permanent disability that requires accommodations (conditions include but not limited to; mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts), you are welcome to contact DRS at 206-543-8924 or uwdrs@uw.edu or disability.uw.edu. (Links to an external site.)DRS offers resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities and/or temporary health conditions. Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process between you, your instructor(s) and DRS. It is the policy and practice of the University of Washington to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law.
Academic Integrity: University of Washington students are expected to practice high standards of academic and professional honesty and integrity as outlined here: http://depts.washington.edu/grading/pdf/AcademicResponsibility.pdf (Links to an external site.)