What is the Good Life? Is it a life of endless pleasure or something different? It may be warrior heroism, as depicted in the Mahabharata and the Odyssey, or it may involve spiritual insight. "The unexamined life," says Socrates, "is not worth living," and some heroes go on an underworld quest to gain that insight. Others find the Good Life in human relationships or lose it by pursuing some other vision of the Good.COHU 1121: THE GOOD LIFE IN ANCIENT LITERATURE
There will be nine quizzes on the readings (90 points), two 3-5 page papers (100 points each), and an in-class midterm (100 points) and final (210 points) [total 600 points). Paper topics will be distributed about two weeks before each paper is due. Use of secondary sources must be documented, and in accordance sith the Honor Code, any detected plagiarism will be penalized, ranging from failure of the course to suspension from school. The final MUST according to DU regulations be taken when scheduled. Attendance is mandatory, and more than three unexcused absences will reduce the grade one letter grade.
A schedule of assignments follows; all readings must be completed before coming to class. Quizzes will be on the material covered the previous week.
SCHEDULE OF ASSIGNMENTS
Monday, September 9 INTRODUCTION
Wednesday, September 11 selections from Mahahabharata, Hesiod, "Theogony," and selections from Greek Lyrics (reader)
Monday, September 16 Gilgamesh
and "The Descent of Inanna" (reader)
QUIZ #1
Wednesday, September 18 The Odyssey, Books 1-8
Monday, September 23 The
Odyssey, Books 9-16
QUIZ #2
Wednesday, September 25 The Odyssey, Books 17-24
Monday, September 30 The
Aeneid, Books 1-4; Ovid, "Letter of Dido," Livy, "Wanderings
of Aeneas," and Appian, (reader)
QUIZ #3
PAPER #1 DUE
Wednesday, October 2 The Aeneid, Books 5-8
Monday, October 7 The Aeneid,
Books 9-12
QUIZ #4
Wednesday, October 9 First hour: Horace, selections from Odes and Epodes, Martial, selected Epigrams, and Catullus, selected Lyrics (reader)
Monday, October 14 Ovid's Metamorphoses,
Books 1-5
QUIZ #5
Wednesday, October 16 Ovid's Metamorphoses, Books 6-10
Monday, October 21 Ovid's Metamorphoses,
Books 11-15
QUIZ #6
Wednesday, October 23 Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Monday, October 30 Aeschylus,
The
Libation Bearers
QUIZ #8
Wednesday, October 31 Aeschylus, The Eumenides
Monday, November 4 Euripides, Medea
Wednesday, November 6 Seneca, Medea (reader)
Monday, November 11 Aristophanes, Lysistrata
QUIZ #9
PAPER #2 DUE
Wednesday, November 13 Plautus, The Haunted House (reader)
Last revised 5/17/02
