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College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Liberal Arts and Sciences College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Andrew Wolpert

Department of Classics

CLA 6930: Vice in Ancient Greece

Spring 2009

Time and Location Euthymidesamphora

Monday, Period 9-11 (ClassicsLibrary)

Texts

Required

  • Christ, Matthew R. 2006. The Bad Citizen in Classical Athens. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Cohen, David. 1995. Law, Violence, and Community in Classical Athens. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Davidson, J. 1997. Courtesans and Fishcakes: The Consuming Passions of Classical Athens. London.
  • Harris, William V. 2002. Restraining Rage: The Ideology of Anger Control in Classical Antiquity. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
  • Konstan, David. 2007. The Emotions of the Ancient Greeks: Studies in Aristotle and Classical Literature. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
  • Williams, Bernard. 2008. Shame and Necessity. Berkeley: University of California Press.

On Reserve

  • Balot, Ryan K. 2001. Greed and Injustice in Classical Athens. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
  • McHardy, Fiona. 2008. Revenge in Athenian Culture. London: Duckworth
  • Worman, Nancy. 2008. Abusive Mouths in Classical Athens. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Course Description

An examination of the ways in which the ancient Greeks regulated individual behavior considered detrimental to society, taking into account differences in genre, over time, and across regions when possible.  Particular attention will be given to new approaches on ancient conceptualizations of the emotions; to what degree anti-social behavior was tolerated or supressed; and how societal norms and values are affirmed, challenged, and contested in our sources.

Course Requirements

  • Class Participation (15%) based on participation in weekly discussions.  No unexecused absences.
  • Presentations (10%).  Each student will present to the class his/her findings from work on the term paper.
  • One Term Paper (75%) , approximately 5,000, not including footnotes and bibliography
    • Abstract and Bibliography, due March 30 (5% reduction of grade on term paper if not handed in at the start of class; 2.5% reduction if assignment is incomplete)
    • First Draft, due on April 6 (10% reduction of grade on term paper if first draft is not handed in at the start of class; 5% reduction if first draft is incomplete)
    • Final Draft, due on April 20

Schedule

PART I: REGULATING THE EMOTIONS

January 12: Guilt, Shame, and Forgiveness

  • Bernard Williams, Shame and Necessity

January 19

  • Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.  No Class

January 26: The Philosophical Turn

  • David Konstan, The Emotions of the Ancient Greeks: Studies in Aristotle and Classical Literature

February 2: Anger Management

  • William Harris, Restraining Rage: The Ideology of Anger Control in Classical Antiquity

PART II: VICE IN ATHENS

February 9: Enmity

  • David Cohen, Law, Violence, and Community in Classical Athens

February 16: Cowardice and Tax Evasion

  • Matthew Christ, The Bad Citizen in Classical Athens
  • Individual meetings to discuss focus of your term paper

February 23: Greed

  • Ryan Balot, Greed and Injustice in Classical Athens

March 2: Rich and Poor

  • Fisher, N.R.E. 1976. “Hybris and Dishonour: I.” G&R 23: 177–93.
  • Fisher, N.R.E. 1979. “Hybris and Dishonour: II.” G&R 26: 32–47.
  • Cairns, D. 1996. “Hybris, Dishonour, and Thinking Big.” JHS 116: 1–32.
  • Osborne, Robin. 1990. “Vexatious Litigation in Classical Athens: Sykophancy and the Sykophant,” 83–102. In Nomos: Essays in Athenian Law, Politics and Society, edited by P. Cartledge, P. Millett, and S. Todd. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Harvey, D. 1990. “The Sykophant and Sykophancy: Vexatious Redefinition?,” 103–21. In Nomos: Essays in Athenian Law, Politics and Society, edited by P. Cartledge, P. Millett, and S. Todd. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Worman, Nancy. 2004. “Insult and Oral Excess in the Disputes between Aeschines and Demosthenes.” AJP 125: 1–25.

March 9: Spring Break

March 16: Lust

  • James Davidson, Courtesans and Fishcakes: The Consuming Passions of Classical Athens

PART III: TERM PAPER

March 23: Individual Meetings

  • No Class

March 30

  • Abstract and bibliography due
  • No class, Individual Meetings

April 6

  • First Draft due
  • Presentations

April 13

  • Presentations

April 20

  • Final Draft due
  • Presentations

Grading Scale

A = 90-100%
B+= 87-89.9%
B = 80-86.9%
C+ = 77-79.9%
C = 70-76.9%
D+ = 67-69.9%
D = 60-66.9%
E < 60%

Policies

  • Students are expected to complete all requirements on the specified dates and will not be granted an alternate date unless they have an acceptable reason for their absence as specified in the graduate catalog, fulfill the conditions described therein, and provide timely notification.  See Graduate Catalog.
  • Students are required to be honest in their coursework. Any act of academic dishonesty will be reported to Student Judicial Affairs, and may result in failure of the assignement in question and/or the course.  See Honor Code.
  • Students seeking special accomommodations, need to submit such requests to the Disability Resource Center prior to the deadline of the scheduled requirement, and preferably as early in the Semester as possible.  For further information, see the Disability Resource Center.
  • Students facing difficulties completing the course or who are in need of counseling or urgent help may call the on-campus counseling center: 352-392-1575, or the student mental health center: 352-392-1171.