Whose Greece? PDF

“To think historically is to accept that the unfamiliar might be significant, and to work to make the unfamiliar familiar.” ~ Timothy Snyder Historical Thinking TUTORIALS One-on-One Support Caleb:...

“To think historically is to accept that the unfamiliar might be significant, and to work to make the unfamiliar familiar.” ~ Timothy Snyder Historical Thinking TUTORIALS One-on-One Support Caleb: [email protected] MONDAY 11:30 - 12:30 Next tutorial Sept. 23 Stultz Hall 254 Alley: [email protected]  WHOSE GREECE DO WE REMEMBER? Historical Memory from Homer to Alexander the Great BIG IDEAS The meaning of ancient Greek identity changed over time. Historical memory was an important part of this changing Greek identity. BIGGER What “Greece” meant changed as Greek city-states (poleis) encountered other cultures (“Others”) in the wider world. The stories we tell about the past – whether oral or written, whether fictional or factual – have a shaping influence on our IDEAS identities as individuals, as communities, and as nations.  It’s (not) all Greek to me! Hellenes = Greeks Hellenic = Greek Pan-hellenic = All-Greek Hellenistic ~ Greek-inspired empire Hellen (not Helen of Troy!) Mythical founder of Greek cities | 2000 BCE |1600 |1200 |800 |500 |338 |30 MINOAN MYCENAEAN DARK AGES ARCHAIC CLASSICAL HELLENISTIC Middle Bronze Late Bronze Iron Age Age Age Creating a Mythic Past in Archaic Greece ca. 800-500 BCE Homer, The Illiad & The Odyssey  Making a Myth The real Trojan War took place during the Mycenean Age, likely around 1200 BCE. Homer wrote about the Trojan War during the Archaic Age, likely around 750 BCE. The epics are often anachronistic. The Trojan Horse on the Mykonos Vase, c.675 BCE  Epic & Identity At a time when Greek culture was changing dramatically, Homer’s epic gave Greeks a common, idealized founding story and a set of values to emulate in their time. The Trojan Horse on the Mykonos Vase, c.675 BCE The Acropolis, Athens The Polis: Self-Governing City State  Greek temple, Segesta, Sicily Colonies: A Panhellenic Mediterranean Magna Graecia – Greater Greece, ca. 750 BCE Colonization and encounters with other cultures encouraged a Pan-Hellenic culture History, War, and Identity in Classical Greece ca. 500-338 BCE The Persian Wars 499-449 BCE  The Persian Wars 499-449 BCE Defined Greek identity over against Persian “Others” Athens’ role in the victory over Persia led to Athenian dominance in Greek culture (its Golden Age).  Athenian DEMOCRACY Pericles’ Funeral Oration on Athenian Democracy, 431 BCE "Our constitution does not copy the laws of neighbouring states; we are rather a pattern to others than imitators ourselves. Its administration favours the many instead of the few; this is why it is called a democracy.”  The Peloponnesian War 431-404 BCE Competing visions and then open conflict between Sparta and Athens, and their colonies and allies. Sparta’s victory would mark the end of the Athenian Golden Age and democratic polity. HERODOTUS THUCYDIDES “These, then, are my findings about early history, though it is difficult to be sure of every detail in the evidence since people accept quite uncritically any reports of the past they get from others, even those relating to their own country. … So little trouble do people take to search out the truth, and so readily do they accept what first comes to hand.” - Thucydides, Peloponnesian War, 1.20-21 Hellenistic Empire ca. 338-30 BCE Alexander the Great, 356-323 BCE Alexander’s expansive Hellenistic empire spread Greek culture, but adapted those ideals and institutions for an empire rather than the original city-state concept of the polis. The heroic myth persisted, even as Greek society changed. Fragments of Homer from the Library of Alexandria BIGGER What “Greece” meant changed as Greek city-states (poleis) encountered other cultures (“Others”) in the wider world. The stories we tell about the past – whether oral or written, whether fictional or factual – have a shaping influence on our IDEAS identities as individuals, as communities, and as nations. Response Papers We will read and discuss several historical documents (primary sources) during the semester, letting us zoom in and hear a few individual voices alongside the broader historical narratives. To help us engage with the documents and to prepare everyone for discussion, students will write a response paper of 700-1000 words for each document, responding to the questions provided. The documents and questions can be found in the course reader. Please do not include the actual questions in your paper. Response Papers Each paper should provide a coherent, persuasive response to the set questions, and include specific examples and short quotations (with citations) from all of the document(s) for that week. Response papers must be submitted as a PDF file via Moodle, due by 9:30 am, as they are meant to prepare students for discussion. Students may not submit a late response paper unless an excused absence has been approved in advance. Response Papers The use of AI for response papers is strictly prohibited. The purpose of these response papers is to help you develop skills in empathetic reading and critical analysis, and using AI undermines those goals. All assignments will be submitted through Turnitin to help identify AI use and plagiarism. For more details, see the policy on Academic Integrity in the syllabus.. Response Papers Format: Response papers are to be a minimum of 700 words to a maximum of 1000 words (not including header info or citations), should be double-spaced, and formatted with 12-point Times New Roman font, 1-inch margins, and have a header with: student’s full name, course name and instructor, date, word count, and brief title of reading. Files must be saved as a PDF to submit via Moodle. Response Papers Citation for the response papers: please cite the page number from the course reader in round brackets at the end of the sentence in which the quotation or reference appears. For example: Thucydides notes that the Greeks enjoyed “a form of government that does not emulate the institutions of our neighbours” (8). Historical Thinking TUTORIALS One-on-One Support Caleb: [email protected] MONDAY 11:30 - 12:30 Next tutorial Sept. 23 Stultz Hall 254 Alley: [email protected]