Wonders of the Ancient World

Course Description:

Course Outline:

In the first half of the semester, class sessions will consist of lecture-discussion on the canonical Seven Wonders; the overview of their historical and social context will be provided mainly by your assigned readings, although we will discuss key points in class. The basic order of discussion will be as follows: Pharaonic Egypt (The Great Pyramids), Mesopotamia (the Hanging Gardens of Babylon), Archaic and Classical Greece (the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia) and the wider Hellenistic Greek world (the Colossus of Rhodes and the Lighthouse of Alexandria). A midterm exam, based on lecture-discussions and reading assignments, will mark the end of this phase.

Textbooks (Required)

• Romer, John and Elizabeth. The Seven Wonders of the World: A History of the Modern Imagination. Seven Dials, London, 2000. ISBN: 184188037X
  
  
• Nagle, D. Brendan. The Ancient World : A Social and Cultural History. 5th Edition. Prentice Hall PTR, July 2001. ISBN: 013091259X
  
  
• Occasional handouts, as necessary (to be given at least one week prior to discussion)

Lecture and Reading Schedule

Term Paper Instructions

Format: The paper must be submitted in a neat, technically correct format, and it must use a standard type of presentation. 'Neat' and 'technically correct' means that you must proofread it for spelling and grammatical errors (failure to do so will affect your grade accordingly). Typical and acceptable guidebooks for presentation of term papers are the Chicago Style Manual, the MLA Style Manual, or Turabian's Guidefor the composition of term papers and theses. Any similar guide, however, is acceptable, as long as the format of presentation of your paper is consistent. The essay must be of sufficient length (8-10 doubled-space pages) in order to cite the relevant data, and to describe and to analyze the evidence.

Content: Simplistic recitations of known facts, or bald and unsupported assertions of your own opinions are not regarded as acceptable practice in historical or archaeological writing. Simply to say, for example, that "X should be counted a 'wonder' because it was huge" is a near-meaningless banality. You must dig beneath the surface of such obvious characteristics and try to document some of the details, the problems of construction or reconstruction, and try to catch some of the nuances in arguments about interpretation or context.

You must show your reader upon what sort of evidence you are basing your conclusions and cite the evidence that substantiates the conclusions you are reaching. Actual quotation from original sources or excavation reports, however, should not be unduly lengthy (quotations should not form a substantial part of your paper). Only if some striking passage(s) elucidate the point you are trying to make, should you cite these word for word. In other cases, where the evidence keeps repeating itself, simply give a synopsis of your understanding of the basic meaning and trend of such evidence. In either case, always give specific references to where you have found your supporting evidence, whether you quote it, paraphrase it or summarize it.

Length: An absolute length in pages is not as important as the quality of the work. Eight to ten single-sided, double-spaced pages with normal margins (one inch) and typefaces (no larger than 12 point, no smaller than 11 point) should be sufficient (i.e. about 2,400 to 3,000 words, not including end-notes, bibliography and illustrations).

Due Date (tough love speech #1): Your term paper is due one week after your presentation, at the beginning of the class session (4:30 p.m., sharp). Papers turned in late (including during the class session in which they are due) will be penalized, unless prior arrangements have been approved by me. Time extensions will be made only for truly extenuating circumstances, e.g., funerals, or illness with Doctor's note (broken-down computers or printers, or homework-eating dogs do not count!). This rule is mutually beneficial: it keeps you from dragging out this assignment to the detriment of your participation in this and other classes, and it keeps me from having a huge pile of papers to read all at once.

Attendance and participation is critical. Since each class session represents an entire week of schooling, unexcused absences from more than one full session will lower your overall grade by one half letter grade (e.g., from B+ to B). This applies to everyone except those who are absent due to: 1) medical condition or emergency supported by a Doctor's note; 2) on- or off-campus Athletic or Academic competitions with a note from the appropriate director or coach on department letterhead; or funeral (a copy of the funeral program will suffice). Class members must be on time; it is disrespectful to instructors and fellow students to disturb the class by coming in late. Repeated tardiness will affect this portion of your grade. Therefore, if you do not think you can be in class regularly and on time, it is recommended that you do not take this class.