COURSE
OUTLINE
Fall 2010
CLAS-2010(3)-001 Sparta in the Ancient World
Instructor: Dr. Matt Gibbs
Office Hours: M/W 12:00-1:30 p.m.; by appt.
Office: 4G16; Mailbox in 4G09
Slot: M/W 2:30 – 3:45 p.m.
Voicemail: 786-9193
Room: 2M77
Email: [email protected]
WebCT address: http://webct.uwinnipeg.ca/
Teaching Assistant: Dylan Procter ([email protected])
Course description & objectives:
This module studies the history and reception of the polis of Sparta. It discusses the varied ways in which
Spartan images have been appropriated by ancient and modern writers, and their impact upon academic
study of Sparta. It also attempts to get behind the notion of the ‘Spartan mirage’ through detailed study of
the ancient evidence and a wide-ranging examination of its society and institutions. The course is largely
thematic and will consider, among a variety of other topics. Students will gain familiarity with the shape,
values, and influences of Spartan society on other ancient societies and later cultures, as well as an
awareness of the complexities involved in their study.
Required texts:
Spartans: A New History
Kennell, N. M. (2009). Wiley-Blackwell.
[ISBN: 978-1405130004]
Plutarch on Sparta
Plutarch, Talbert, R., Pelling, P. (2005). Revised Edition. Penguin Classics.
[ISBN: 978-0140449433]
Grading:
Assignment
(08/10/10 – see pg. 9-11)
10%
Mid-Term Class Test
(27/10/10 – see pg. 11)
20%
Essay
(03/12/10 – see pp. 11-13)
35%
Final Exam
(13/12/10 – see pg. 13)
35%
PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOU READ THIS ENTIRE COURSE SCHEDULE THOROUGHLY. ALL OF
THE INFORMATION REQUIRED WHEN UNDERTAKING THIS COURSE IS ON THE FOLLOWING
PAGES.
PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOU FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF, IN PARTICULAR, WITH THE
CLAUSES NOTED UNDER THE HEADING “IMPORTANT INFORMATION”.
1
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
1). All assignments and essays must be type-written or word processed in 12 point font, with 1 inch
margins, and must be at least 1.5 spaced (double-spaced is preferable). PLEASE ENSURE THAT
YOU INCLUDE PAGE NUMBERS ON ALL ASSIGNMENTS AND ESSAYS.
2). Titles for assignments and essays are provided. Unless you are prepared to discuss and formulate
titles and theses for assignments and essays with me, please choose from these titles.
If you
choose to substitute an essay title of your own for a given one, please ensure that you have
my permission to do so; ESSAYS WITHOUT APPROVED TITLES WILL NOT BE MARKED AND
WILL BE RETURNED TO YOU. Assignments and essay titles typically cover specific areas and are
designed so that students learn or strengthen particular skills, and may well cover topics relevant to
the exam that have not been covered in entirety during lectures.
3). Please make sure that assignments and essays are proof-read and spell-checked PRIOR to
submission.
Given the tools, notably a spell-checking tool, available on all word processing
programs, there is no excuse for numerous spelling mistakes in assignments and essays.
ENSURE THAT YOUR SPELLCHECK IS SET EITHER TO ENGLISH (CANADIAN) OR ENGLISH
(UK) SPELLING; ENGLISH (US) SPELLING IS UNACCEPTABLE, INCORRECT FOR USE IN
CANADA, AND WILL BE MARKED ACCORDINGLY. Assignments and essays that are illegible,
contain numerous spelling mistakes, incomplete sentences, and poor syntax typically score at
least c. 10% (i.e. an entire letter grade) lower than those that have been checked thoroughly.
Presentation and legibility of assignments or essays is an important skill, particularly in the areas of
the Humanities, and as such, YOUR WORK WILL BE MARKED ON STYLE (INCLUDING YOUR
USE OF GRAMMAR AND SPELLING) AND READABILITY (at least, to some degree).
4). ABBREVIATIONS (in particular, “etc.”) and CONTRACTIONS (e.g. “didn’t, couldn’t, it’s, hasn’t,
don’t, etc. etc.”) ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE; please ensure that you use the full forms (e.g. “did not,
could not”) or avoid their use altogether.
5). ENSURE that you understand the difference between the possessive pronoun “its” and the
contraction “it’s” (“it is”). Furthermore, please make sure that you use apostrophes correctly.
Note that plural nouns DO NOT REQUIRE APOSTROPHES: do not use “Roman’s” when referring
to the “Romans”; do not use “Greek’s” when referring to the “Greeks”.
6). PLEASE DO NOT use colloquialisms, or slang; they are considered to be characteristic of, and
only appropriate for, casual, ordinary, familiar, or informal conversation rather than formal writing or
speech.
As such, THEY HAVE NO PLACE IN A UNIVERSITY ESSAY OR ASSIGNMENT.
Examples include words such as ‘y’all”, “gonna”, “wanna”; phrases such as “ain’t nothing”, “dead as
a doornail”, “life is short”, “now we come to the main event”, “one sure thing”; and even aphorisms
and colloquial expressions, such as “there’s more than one way to skin a cat”, “you can find
anything that floats your boat”, “…two men beat the crap out of each other.”
2
7). PLEASE DO NOT start sentences with “as well”, “because”, “and”, or “but”. Your academic writing
style and presentation will be improved immeasurably if you follow this advice.
8). Avoid splitting infinitives in your prose: “to quickly read” is incorrect; “to read quickly” or “quickly
to read” are acceptable.
9). PLEASE ENSURE that you reference dates in your assignments, essays, and in the exam,
CONSISTENTLY and CORRECTLY. You must use either BC/AD, or BCE/CE; DO NOT USE both
or combinations of each system in your written work.
Further, ENSURE THAT THESE
ABBREVIATIONS ARE TREATED AS PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES, AND CONSQUENTLY, ARE
POSITIONED CORRECTLY. BC, BCE, and CE are suffixes (i.e. it comes after the date): e.g. 850
BC; 850 BCE; 14 CE. AD is a prefix (i.e. it comes before the date): AD 14.
10). When using numbers or numerals in essays and assignments, please be aware that it is correct only
to use digits for numbers and numerals from 10 and above. For numbers and numerals less than
10 (i.e. one through to nine), it is standard practice to use the correct noun (i.e. one, two, three,
four, five, six, seven, eight, nine), as opposed to a single digit.
11). Unless otherwise indicated, assignments and essays must include REFERENCES OR
CITATIONS AND AN ATTACHED AND COMPLETE BIBLIOGRAPHY (everything cited from other
work in your assignments must be acknowledged). All citations taken from scholarly articles and
books must be clearly referenced with AUTHOR, YEAR, AND PAGE NUMBER (in whatever
referencing system you choose). ASSIGNMENTS AND ESSAYS WITHOUT REFERENCES OR
CITATIONS AND WITHOUT A COMPLETE BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE UNACCEPTABLE, WILL BE
RETURNED TO YOU, AND WILL BE PENALISED.
12). As you will notice, each assignment requires a minimum three-book bibliography. References to
three books, however, will ONLY ENSURE A PASSING MARK for this particular aspect of your
work (i.e. 15% of the overall mark); to receive higher marks, you must include references to other
work that you have consulted.
13). Bibliographies should ONLY CONTAIN WORKS/AUTHORS THAT HAVE BEEN REFERENCED IN
ESSAYS OR ASSIGNMENTS. Bibliographies that contain citations not referenced in the text of the
essay or assignment will be penalised accordingly; the “padding” of bibliographies is ENTIRELY
UNACCEPTABLE AND WILL BE PENALISED ACCORDINGLY.
14). References to the class power-points are NOT ACCEPTABLE AS REFERENCES IN EITHER
ASSIGNMENT/ESSAY BIBLIOGRAPHIES OR EXAMS.
15). The bibliography available on WebCT contains suggested and selected readings that will help in
your preparation for assignments and essays. By no means is it exhaustive. The library has many
more books and electronic resources than have been provided here. Furthermore, the availability of
academic electronic databases (JSTOR, in particular), easily accessible electronic resources
from inside and outside the University of Winnipeg, as well as the proximity to other academic
3
institutions, supplemented by an excellent inter-library loan service means that the excuse “all of
the books were out/re-shelved/stolen/not returned/over-due etc. etc.” is redundant and wholly
unacceptable.
16). Internet sources, unless they are peer-reviewed, are UNACCEPTABLE.
Websites such as
Wikipedia, Theoi, Dictionary.com, etc. etc. are not scholarly, peer-reviewed websites, and are
NOT to be referenced or USED AS REFERENCES in assignments and essays.
17). Only certain encyclopaedias can be used as references: The Oxford Classical Dictionary, the Oxford
Dictionary of Byzantium, and the Encyclopaedia of Ancient Greece are all acceptable and useful
sources. THE USE OF BRITANNICA, MICROSOFT ENCARTA, AND OTHER NON-SPECIALIST
TEXTS IS, HOWEVER, ENTIRELY UNACCEPTABLE.
If you are unsure, please check with
either the instructor or the TA.
18). Please ENSURE that assignments, class tests, essays, and the final exam all contain your details,
e.g. your name, student number, and title of the assignment/test/essay/exam.
19). Late assignments WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED unless arrangements have been made with me prior
to, and in advance of the due date.
20). Assignments and essays may be marked initially by an able and experienced Teaching
Assistant, although I will attempt to go over all submissions personally wherever possible, and award
final grades. If you would rather your assignments and essays be marked by me alone, please
notify me via email. If you fail to do this, then there will be no record of your notification, and
marking completed by the Teaching Assistant will stand.
21). My Teaching Assistant and I are happy to proof-read essays and assignments, and offer advice
and corrections (wherever and whenever possible) on them, provided that I receive them no less
than a week in advance of the due date; after this, I may not be able to read your work in entirety
and may not be able to help you as much as I would have been able if work had been sent to me
earlier.
22). Assignments and essays MUST be provided in HARD-COPY; assignments and essays must be
printed out and NOT SENT TO ME VIA EMAIL.
Electronic submissions WILL NOT BE
ACCEPTED, and WILL NOT BE MARKED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.
23). Please ensure that your work is stapled together (or, at least, paper-clipped). I am not responsible
for loose-leafed pages being lost in transit to my mailbox or my office.
24). Assignments and essays will be returned in class within two weeks after the relevant deadline.
Every attempt is made to mark assignments and essays within 7-10 days (although this is not
always possible), and so students may be able to pick them up from my office, provided that
marking has been completed.
25). Assigned readings should not be seen as voluntary; they are not included on the schedule simply
to fill out space. Given the breadth and depth of this subject, it is almost impossible to cover every
4
area.
Assigned readings will consider areas of study that will only be covered briefly in class.
Furthermore, readings from the sourcebook generally will be used in class; you will find that those not
covered in class will be useful either in assignments, essays, or in the exam. YOU ARE REQUIRED
TO COMPLETE THE READING SET FOR EACH CLASS.
26). The in-class power-point presentations will be posted on WebCT only AFTER THEY HAVE BEEN
GIVEN IN CLASS.
27). Students with documented disabilities requiring academic accommodations for in-class tests, the final
exam, and/or during classes, lectures or labs, are strongly encouraged to contact the Coordinator
of Disability Services at (204)-786-9771 to discuss appropriate options. Please note, however,
that clause (29) below applies even if you make use of the services available here.
28). Please refer to the “Academic Regulations and Policies” section of the general calendar for
information concerning appeals and academic misconduct, including plagiarism (Sections VII), and
the Information Research Guide at http://cybrary.uwinnipeg.ca/learn/irg.
29). The final exam, lasting three hours, will take place on Monday 13th December 2009, 9:00am12:00pm, in room 2M77. Please be advised that you may be required to produce identification to
write the final examination. It will consist of three sections, all of which are equally weighted. The first
section will consist of ten multiple-choice questions. The second will consist of twelve terms, events,
or names of individuals that appeared in ancient Greek society; from these, you will be required to
select two, and write a short paragraph explaining to whom/when/where/what the term relates. The
third section of the exam will require you to write an essay from a choice of eight topics. Please
ensure that you know the correct time and date of the final exam; the information is provided on
this
schedule
(see
above,
pg.
1),
and
is
available
electronically
at
www.uwinnipeg.ca/index/current-exam-schedule. If you find that you have exam conflicts, please
ensure that you inform both lecturers concerning your difficulty AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE.
Generally, exams for different sittings from those noted in the exam schedule require a complete
rewrite of the exam in question, and are therefore not easy for lecturers to deal effectively with and
arrange as the semester progresses. NO ACCOMMODATION WILL BE PROVIDED TO THOSE
STUDENTS WHO BOOK ANY FORM OF TRAVEL BEFORE THE FINAL EXAM.
30). MATERIALS (IN THE FORM OF TEXT-BOOKS, CRIB-SHEETS, OR NOTES) ARE NOT
PERMITTED AND ARE NOT TO BE USED DURING ANY IN-CLASS TEST, MID-TERM TEST, OR
FINAL EXAM UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.
31). THE
USE
OF
ANY
SORT
OF
PAPER
OTHER
THAN
THAT
SUPPLIED
BY
THE
INSTRUCTOR/INVIGILATOR OF IN-CLASS TESTS, MID-TERM TESTS, OR FINAL EXAMS, AND
NOT BEARING THE TITLE: “UNIVERSITY OF WINNIPEG”, IS NOT PERMITTED UNDER ANY
CIRCUMSTANCE.
5
32). ACCORDING TO UNIVERSITY EXAMINATION REGULATIONS, STUDENTS WHO ARRIVE LATE
MAY NOT ENTER AN EXAMINATION CENTRE AFTER THE FIRST HALF HOUR. STUDENTS
WHO WISH TO LEAVE AN EXAMINATION CENTRE MAY NOT DO SO UNTIL AFTER THE FIRST
HALF HOUR (Please consult “EXAMINATION REGULATIONS” PDF on WebCT).
33). Please note that the use of cellular phones, whether receiving calls or their initiation, is not
acceptable at any time in these classes. Please turn cellular phones off, or put them into silent
mode during lectures.
34). In order to avoid disruption to the class, if you need to leave early, please inform me of your
departure.
Also, please refrain from continuing private conversations while others are talking or
asking questions.
35). When using email, especially if you use an external email address (e.g. GMail, Yahoo, MTS etc.
etc.), as opposed to a University of Winnipeg address, please include your full name, the title of
your course, and your student number; if I am unable to find out who you are, then you will likely
fail to receive any reply.
Please ensure that emails are polite and legible; aggressive,
belligerent, sarcastic, rude and/or illegible emails WILL BE IGNORED.
36). Furthermore, if you fail to provide the University with your email address, please be advised that any
class email sent will be addressed to your University of Winnipeg email address. I will NOT
accept responsibility for YOUR FAILURE to check your own university email address; you are able
to set up a forwarding address from your university email address, so that any emails sent to
your account can be forwarded to your private email address.
37). Please be advised that due to unforeseen circumstances, it is entirely possible that not everything
scheduled in the timetable will be covered during lectures.
38). Please refer to the Course Calendar (available online at http://www.uwinnipeg.ca/index/calendarcalendar), Regulations and Policies.
Please note that, according to paragraph (3), point (a),
“students are expected to be regular in their attendance at lectures and in the completion of
work required in each course. Absence may be excused by instructors on the grounds of
illness, physical disability, or adverse domestic circumstances. The instructor may require a
medical certificate or other evidence. Poor attendance may result in loss of term marks.”
39). The voluntary withdrawal date, without academic penalty, is 29th October 2010.
40). PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THIS COURSE SCHEDULE AND THE MATERIAL AVAILABLE ON
WEBCT HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED FOR YOUR BENEFIT; PLEASE USE IT!
6
COURSE TIMETABLE
Date
Lecture Title
08/09
Introduction
13-15/09
Contexts, Sources, and Methodologies
20-22/09
Reading (page numbers)
No Reading
Spartan History: The Coming of the Heraclids to
Roman Domination
27-29/09
Spartan People & Landscapes
04-06/10
Governing Sparta
13/10
Spartan Kingship: Cleomenes I to Agesilaus
18-20/10
KEN: 8-19;
PLT: xxi-xxxv, 135-7, 191-3
*STR: 257-72; PLT: 3-38
KEN: 76-92; *CRTa: 11-25;
*RHS: 58-66
KEN: 93-114; *RHS: 74-96
Spartan ‘Diplomacy’: Relations with the Outside
KEN: 54-75, 135-58;
PLT: 39-131
KEN: 115-134; *BRN: 255-80;
*GSC: 218-222
World
*PKRa: 161-73’ *PKRb: 142-
25-27/10
Religion in Sparta
01-03/11
Education in Sparta
172; *POM: 105-37
*CRTb: 79-105; *DUC: 43-66;
*JMcY: 15-28
KEN: 14, 16, 33-6, 50, 97, 163-4,
08-10/11
167-9; PLT: 17-20 183-88, 194-
Spartan Women
5; *CRTb: 106-126; *POM: 3-32
15-16/11
Roman Sparta
KEN: 181-94; *C&S: 93-213;
22-24/11
The Spartan ‘Mirage’
29/11
Summing up; EXAM REVISION
7
*CRTb: 169-84; *C&S: 176-95
No Reading
Abbreviations
KEN
=
Kennell, N. M. (2009) Spartans: A New History. Wiley-Blackwell.
PLT
=
Plutarch, Talbert, R., Pelling, C. (2005) Plutarch on Sparta. Revised Edition. Penguin
Classics.
*BRN =
Brunt, P. A. (1965) “Spartan Policy and Strategy in the Archidamian War,” Phoenix, 19: 255-80.
[Available on WebCT]
*C&S =
Cartledge, P. and A. Spawforth (2002) Hellenistic and Roman Sparta: A Tale of Two Cities.
Routledge. [Available on WebCT]
*CRTa =
Cartledge, P. (2002) Sparta and Lakonia. A Regional History 1300-362 BC. Routledge.
[Available on WebCT]
*CRTb =
Cartledge, P. (2001) Spartan Reflections. Duckworth. [Available on WebCT]
*DUC =
Ducat, J. (1999) “Perspectives on Spartan education in the classical period,” in S. Hodkinson
and A. Powell (eds.) Sparta: New Perspectives. Duckworth, 43-66. [Available on WebCT]
*GSC =
de Ste Croix, G. (2002) “Sparta’s ‘Foreign Policy’”, in M. Whitby (ed.) Sparta. Edinburgh
University Press, 218-22. [Available on WebCT]
*JMcY =
Joyal, M., I. McDougall, and J. C.Yardley (2009) Greek and Roman Education: A
Sourcebook. Routledge. [Available on WebCT]
*PKRa =
Parker, R. (2002) “Religion in Public Life,” in M. Whitby (ed.) Sparta. Edinburgh University
Press, 161-73. [Available on WebCT]
*PKRb =
Parker, R. (1989) “Spartan Religion,” in A. Powell (ed.) Classical Sparta: Techniques Behind
her Success. University of Oklahoma Press, 142-72. [Available on WebCT]
*POM =
Pomeroy, S. B. (2002) Spartan Women. Oxford University Press. [Available on WebCT]
*RHS =
Rhodes, P. J. (2007) The Greek City States: A Source Book. Second Edition. Cambridge
University Press. [Available on WebCT]
*STR =
Starr, C. G. (1965) The Credibility of Early Spartan History, Historia, 14: 257-72.
[Available on WebCT]
8
Friday 8th October 2010: 5:00pm
Assignment
This assignment will require you to choose one of the following pieces of ancient evidence, taken from the
required texts (in this case, Spartans: A New History and Plutarch on Sparta) and comment upon it,
and the issues that arise. You must interpret the piece, and consider its worth as evidence of Spartan
society to us. Who wrote it? When? What can it tell us? What does it relate to? What do you think it
is/was? What is its historical context? What are the larger implications of the piece? What are its
problems? How do these problems affect our understanding of Sparta? Bear in mind the difficulties that
can be encountered, and highlight the problems specific to the piece that you have selected.
Worth:
10%
Requirements: Length: 750-1250 words.
Must be type-written in 12-point font, with 1-inch margins, and at least 1.5 spaced
(double-spaced is preferable).
Must include a complete bibliography that contains at least four items (See
bibliography available on WebCT, UW library catalogue, and the articles available
on WebCT). Credit will be given for references outside the suggested reading and
bibliography.
Must be provided in hard-copy.
ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS WILL NOT BE
ACCEPTED OR MARKED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES
1).
Plutarch, Life of Lycurgus, 6. 1 (Plutarch on Sparta, pg. 9; Kennell, pg. 46):
“So eager was Lycurgus for the establishment of this form of government, that he obtained an oracle from
Delphi about it, which they call a ‘rhetra.’ And this is the way it runs: ‘When thou hast built a temple to
Zeus Syllanius and Athena Syllania, divided the people into ‘phylai’ and into ‘obai,’ and established a
senate of thirty members, including the ‘archagetai,’ then from time to time ‘appellazein’ between Babyca
and Cnacion and there introduce and rescind measures; but the people must have the deciding voice and
the power.’”
2).
Thucydides, 1. 10. 5 (Kennell, pg. 8):
“Suppose, for example, that the city of Sparta were to become deserted and that only the temples and
foundations of the buildings remained, I think that future generations would, as time passed, find it very
difficult to believe that the place had really been as powerful as it was represented to be. And yet they
[Spartans] occupy two-fifths of the Peloponnese and lead the whole, not to speak of their numerous allies
without. Still, as the city is neither built in a compact form nor adorned with magnificent temples and public
edifices, but composed of villages after the old fashion of Hellas, there would be an impression of
inadequacy. Whereas, if Athens were to suffer the same misfortune, I suppose that any inference from
the appearance presented to the eye would make her power to have been twice as great as it is.”
3).
Plutarch, Life of Lycurgus, 1. 1 (Plutarch on Sparta, pg. 3):
“[1] Concerning Lycurgus the lawgiver, in general, nothing can be said which is not disputed, since indeed
there are different accounts of his birth, his travels, his death, and above all, of his work as lawmaker and
9
statesman; and there is least agreement among historians as to the times in which the man lived. Some
say that he flourished at the same time with Iphitus, and in concert with him established the Olympic truce.
Among these is Aristotle the philosopher, and he alleges as proof the discus at Olympia on which an
inscription preserves the name of Lycurgus. [2] But those who compute the time by the successions of
kings at Sparta, like Eratosthenes and Apollodorus, prove that Lycurgus was many years earlier than the
first Olympiad.1 And Timaeus conjectures that there were two Lycurgus at Sparta, at different times, and
that to one of them the achievements of both were ascribed, owing to his greater fame; he thinks also that
the elder of the two lived not far from the times of Homer, and some assert that he actually met Homer
face to face.”
4).
Plutarch, Life of Agesilaus, 1. 1-2 (Plutarch on Sparta, pg. 39):
“[1] Archidamus, the son of Zeuxidamas, after an illustrious reign over the Lacedaemonians, left behind
him a son, Agis, by Lampido, a woman of honourable family; and a much younger son, Agesilaüs, by
Eupolia, the daughter of Melesippidas. The kingdom belonged to Agis by law, and it was thought that
Agesilaüs would pass his life in a private station. He was therefore given the so-called “agoge,” or course
of public training in Sparta, which, although austere in its mode of life and full of hardships, educated the
youth to obedience. [2] For this reason it was, we are told, that Simonides gave Sparta the epithet of
“man-subduing,” since more than in any other state her customs made her citizens obedient to the laws
and tractable, like horses that are broken in while yet they are colts. From this compulsory training the law
exempts the heirs-apparent to the throne.”
5).
Plutarch, Moralia 225-226 [Spartan Sayings, Lycurgus 1] (Plutarch on Sparta, pg. 172):
1. Lycurgus the lawgiver, in his wish to convert the citizens from their existing habits to a more disciplined
way of life and to make them brave and honourable (since they were living a soft life), reared two puppies
born of the same father and mother; and one he conditioned to a life of luxury, allowing it to stay at home,
while the other he took out and taught to hunt. Next he brought them into the assembly, put down some
bones and delicious tidbits, and then released a hare. Each of the two dogs went after what it was
supposed to; when the second of them had caught and killed the hare, Lycurgus said: ‘Citizens, do you
see how, although these dogs belong to the same family, their upbringing for life has made them turn out
very different indeed from each other? Do you see, too, how education is more effective than birth for
producing noble behaviour?’
However, some people say that he did not produce puppies born of the same parents; instead one
was from a domestic breed, the other from hunters. And then he trained the puppy of inferior stock to
hunt, while merely conditioning the better-bred one to a life of luxury. So, when each of the two went after
what it was used to, he highlighted the extent to which improvement or deterioration is the product of
upbringing, and said: ‘In our case, too, citizens, neither noble birth (which the masses so admire) nor
descent from Heracles is of any value unless we perform the kind of actions with which he proved himself
more worthy of fame and more nobly born than any other mortal, by training ourselves and learning what
is good throughout our lives.’”
6).
Xenophon, Const. Lac. 2. 12-14 (Plutarch on Sparta, pg. 197-198):
“[12] I think I ought to say something also about intimacy with boys, since this matter also has a bearing on
education. In other Greek states, for instance among the Boeotians, man and boy live together, like
10
married people; elsewhere, among the Eleians, for example, consent is won by means of favours. Some,
on the other hand, entirely forbid suitors to talk with boys. [13] The customs instituted by Lycurgus were
opposed to all of these. If someone, being himself an honest man, admired a boy'
s soul and tried to make
of him an ideal friend without reproach and to associate with him, he approved, and believed in the
excellence of this kind of training. But if it was clear that the attraction lay in the boy'
s outward beauty, he
banned the connexion as an abomination; and thus he caused lovers to abstain from boys no less than
parents abstain from sexual intercourse with their children and brothers and sisters with each other. [14] I
am not surprised, however, that people refuse to believe this. For in many states the laws are not opposed
to the indulgence of these appetites. I have now dealt with the Spartan system of education, and that of
the other Greek states. Which system turns out men more obedient, more respectful, and more strictly
temperate, anyone who chooses may once more judge for himself.”
Please be advised that the assignment MUST be submitted by the due date and time: Friday 8th October
2010: 5:00pm. Assignments submitted after this time and date WILL NOT BE MARKED unless
arrangements have been made with me PRIOR to the time and date of submission. Assignments must be
delivered – IN HARD-COPY (ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED OR MARKED
UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES) – to either myself in office 4G16 or during class, or placed in my
mailbox in 4G09. I cannot be held responsible for work pushed underneath my door.
Wednesday 27th October 2010: 2.30-3:45 p.m.
Mid-Term Class Test
This class test will last one hour, and will be in the form of several objective questions (multiple choice, fill
in the blanks, short answer) covering the material studied in class and in the required reading during the
first part of the semester, specifically the material discussed in the lectures “Spartan History: The
Coming of the Heraclids to Roman Domination” through to, and including, “Spartan ‘Diplomacy’:
Relations with the Outside World”.
Worth:
20%
Friday 3rd December 2010: 5:00pm
Essay
Worth:
35%
Requirements: Length: 2200-2800 words
Must be type-written in 12-point font, with 1-inch margins, and at least 1.5 spaced
(double-spaced is preferable).
Must include proper and appropriate citations, as well as a complete bibliography that
must include at least six items (See bibliography available on WebCT and UW
library catalogue), not including the required reading or required texts. Credit will
be given for references outside the suggested reading and bibliography.
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Must make use of, and refer to ANCIENT SOURCES, particularly those appearing and
discussed in class. Credit will be given where primary sources are considered.
Must be provided in HARD-COPY.
ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS WILL NOT BE
ACCEPTED OR MARKED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.
Choose one of the following essay titles:
1).
Discuss the different sources (particularly literary and epigraphic) for the various aspects of
Spartan society: what do they tell us? What are their limitations? How can they be used to
highlight these aspects? How informative are they?
2).
Consider the role that ‘status’ played in the economic, social, and political landscapes of Sparta
and Laconia.
3).
Examine and discuss the roles of women in Spartan society.
4).
What were the significant characteristics of both the Spartan constitution and the Spartan system
of government?
5).
Using specific examples, discuss Sparta’s relationships and diplomatic alliances not only other
Greek states, but also larger external empires; was there a clear difference? If so, why? What
were the central reasons behind these diplomatic machinations?
6).
Consider and discuss the ways in which Roman Sparta differed from Classical Sparta. What were
the reasons behind this?
7).
Discuss religion in Spartan society: What evidence do we have for it? Did it differ from the other
regions of Greece? What form, or forms, did it take?
8).
Consider the notions of wealth and power, and the issues impinging upon them, in Spartan
Imperialism.
9).
Examine and discuss the importance and impact of ‘education’ in Spartan society.
10).
Consider the effects of the Spartan ‘mirage’: What is it? How was it constructed and by whom?
How has it affected our understanding of Spartan society?
Please be advised that the essays MUST be submitted by the due date and time: Friday 3rd December
2010: 5:00pm.
Assignments submitted after this time and date WILL NOT BE MARKED unless
arrangements have been made with me PRIOR to the time and date of submission.
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Assignments must be delivered – IN HARD-COPY (ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS WILL NOT BE
ACCEPTED OR MARKED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES) – to either myself in office 4G16 or during
class, or placed in my mailbox in 4G09. I cannot be held responsible for work pushed underneath my
door.
Monday 13th December 2009: 9:00am-12:00pm
Final Exam
In this three-hour exam, you will be required to comment on two pieces of evidence from a selection taken
from the sourcebook for the class (Plutarch on Sparta) and from the class powerpoints, which will have
been discussed in class. Students will then write two essays, complete with references to both primary
evidence (epigraphy, papyri, ancient literature) and secondary literature.
Please be advised that you may be required to produce identification to write the final examination. The
exam will take place in classroom 2M77.
Worth:
35%
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