Course Description
Study of Hesiod's two surviving poems, the Theogony and the Works and Days, with special attention to the relationship of his language and religious thinking to that of Homer.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Graduate students are required to lead seminar sessions and do a more extensive research paper.
Athena Title
Hesiod
Prerequisite
GREK 2001 or GREK 2001W or GREK 2003 or permission of department
Semester Course Offered
Not offered on a regular basis.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
1. TO ACQUAINT THE STUDENT WITH THE VOCABULARY AND LITERARY STYLE OF HESIOD, AND WITH THE EXTENT TO WHICH THAT STYLE BORROWS FROM HOMERIC EPIC. 2. TO ACQUAINT THE STUDENT WITH THE RELIGIOUS AND PHILOSOPHIC BELIEFS OF HESIOD. 3. TO ACQUAINT THE STUDENT WITH THE POSSIBILITIES ATTENDANT UPON HESIOD'S ROLE AS AN ORAL EPIC AND/OR LITERATE POET. 4. TO ACQUAINT THE STUDENT WITH HESIOD'S PLACE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF EARLY GREEK THOUGHT AND HUMANISTIC VALUES. 5. TO ACQUAINT THE STUDENT WITH HESIOD'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF DIDACTIC LITERATURE. 6. TO ENABLE THE STUDENT TO ENGAGE IN CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF SEMANTIC, SYNTACTIC, GRAMMATICAL, STYLISTIC, METRICAL AND POETIC EVIDENCE IN HESIOD. 7. TO ENABLE THE STUDENT TO PRODUCE WRITING APPROPRIATE TO THE SUBJECT MATTER OF EPIC POETRY AND TO THE DISCIPLINE OF CLASSICS.
Topical Outline
THE COURSE WILL COVER SYSTEMATICALLY AND COMPLETELY HESIOD'S POEMS THEOGONY AND WORKS & DAYS IN THE SEQUENCE PROVIDED BY THE TEXTS THEMSELVES. DISCUSSIONS AND COMPARISONS (TO HOMER, FOR INSTANCE) WILL TAKE PLACE AS THEY ARE SUGGESTED BY PROBLEMS OR POINTS OF INTEREST ARISING IN THE TEXTS.