Course Description:
An intermediate-level Greek course, introducing students of Homeric Greek to the Attic dialect, classical Greek prose, and Socrates’ life and philosophy via the Apology, Crito, Phaedo, and other selected dialogues by Plato (ca. 428/427 - 348/347 BCE).

Course Objectives and Anticipated Outcomes: at the conclusion of this course, students will be able to demonstrate:

1. facility in reading classical Attic Greek aloud
2. ability to comprehend unadapted Greek prose and translate it with appropriate assistance into contemporary English, evidencing understanding of the similarities and differences between the two languages
3. competence in the foundational vocabulary, syntax, and style of Plato’s dialogues
4. understanding of the distinctive cultural environment and intellectual temper of democratic Athens toward the end of the Fifth Century BCE
5. assessment of the contribution of Socrates, via the distinctive elenchos, and Plato, via the dialogue form, to the formation of Western ethical philosophy and educational pedagogy
6. resourcefulness in locating print and on-line resources relating to the language and culture of ancient Greece

Materials of Instruction:
Plato: Apology, ed J. J. Helm (course text)
A Greek grammar: if you do not already own one, I recommend either Greek Grammar, eds. W. W. Goodwin, C. B. Gulick (Caratzas Bros), or Kaegi’s Greek Grammar, tr. J.A. Kleist (Bolchazy-Carducci); you may also use a good introductory text to Attic Greek for grammar reference
Plato: The Last Days of Socrates (the death dialogues in English)
Xenophon’s Memorabilia (in English, with selections from the Greek )
Aristophanes’ Frogs and Clouds (English)
Xeroxed texts and guides (to be supplied)
Angel: Course Management System

Electronic texts and resources:
Perseus : Greek texts, Smyth's Greek Grammar, the searchable Liddell & Scott Dictionary, and image links
Exploring Plato's Dialogues: a virtual learning environment
Diotima: materials on the study of women and gender in the ancient world
The Ancient World Wide Web for a variety of classical resources
Greek Grammar on the Web
Ancient Greek Tutorial
Greek, Too!
Ancient Greek Sites on the Web
Metis: Greek sites
Philosophy Resources
The Gnostic Society Library
Plato: a list of academic sites
Demos: Classical Athenian Democracy
Litigation in Ancient Athens
Philosophy Research Base
Free Encyclopedia
Herm of Plato
Read Plato
Plato and his Dialogues
Athenian Agora in Socrates' & Plato's time (5th - 4th centuries BCE)
Topics in Plato's Works: Elpenor's bilingual (Greek/English) anthology of primary sources

Methods of Instruction: Class time will be used primarily for --

• reading aloud and translation of Greek;
  analysis of Attic Greek forms and syntax, as well as the style and form of the Socratic-Platonic dialogues;
• discussion of Socrates’ life and teachings and Plato’s life, corpus, and prose style;
• discussion of 5^th century Athenian democracy, politics, history, culture, and physical layout;
• presentation of student projects
  There will also be special assignments of out-of-class projects, field trips, computer research, videos
  

Course Requirements and Assessment Methods: Students are expected to--

• attend a 75 min recitation twice weekly, prepared and participating fully in the session (Objectives 1-5)
• complete all assignments independently, using hard-copy materials, on-line resources, e-mail communication, and individual appointments for resolving difficulties (Objectives 2-6)
• research and present two major projects:
  • –mid-semester (due on October 29): Socrates’ Death Dialogues (Euthyphro, Crito, Phaedo)
  • –final (due December 17 ): Socrates Alive! ( participants in the Symposium)

• Make an oral presentation of the Final Project and submit it in writing (all Objectives)

Grading: Students will be graded on the quality of their completion of the requirements listed above as follows:
60% class attendance, preparation, and participation*
15% midterm project
25% final project
*Students who exceed the maximum number of un-excused absences (4 in a 75 minute class) will find their grade negatively affected in this category.

Course Policies: attendance is required, as is appropriate class behavior; students are expected to meet deadlines: un-excused late assignments will not be accepted; make-ups will be arranged for students who have medical or other serious excuses; students are expected to report an illness through proper channels; those found cheating or plagiarizing will earn an F for the course. At the beginning of the course, students with documented special needs are expected to inform the instructor of accommodations or services needed for successful academic participation.

Topical Outline of Course Content and Schedule: Class meets Wednesday 11-12:15 & Thursday 2-3:15 unless otherwise announced

Socrates’ Apology: September 3-November 26
Introduction to Socrates’ life and ideas as well as the Athenian institutions of democracy, education, and justice. The focus will be on reading and translating as much Greek as possible, prepared and sight, and reviewing grammar through analysis of texts. Daily assignments for review of sight reading and preparation of translation in The Apology will be made at the end of each class.
In order to ease the transition from Homeric Greek to Attic, initial assignments will initially consist of only a few lines of Greek, with time for sight translation and grammar review. You will be asked to record the identification of each word in the passage assigned, by way of a review of forms and grammar. As you show greater ease with identification of form and construction in sight reading, longer passages will be assigned without the grammar log.
September 3: Introduction to the syllabus, the course, the text, Attic Greek

September 4: Review of materials on the transition to Attic Greek; careful reading in Greek and translation of the opening lines of the Apology, with attention to grammatical and lexical forms significant to Socrates' argument and thought.

September 10: Review of the opening of the Apology; study of the forms and uses of pascho, elenchos, doxa, deinos; translation at sight.

September 11: Review of prior day's sight work and prepared translation; sight to 18d.

September 17: Review of prior class's sight work and prepared translation; sight to 19d.

September 18: Review of prior day's sight work and prepared translation; sight to 20c.

September 24: Review of prior class's sight work and prepared translation to 21b.

September 25: Review of prior day's sight work and prepared translation; orientation to the course projects; sight to 22a.

October 1: Review of prior class's sight work and prepared translation; sight to 23a.

October 2: Review of prior class's sight work and prepared translation; syntax review in Kaegi's Greek Grammar: participles and verbal adjectives; sight to 24b.

October 8:Review of prior class's sight work and prepared translation; syntax review in Kaegi's Greek Grammar: infinitives; sight to 25.

October 8: Review of prior class's sight work and prepared translation to 25c.

October 9 & 15: Discussion of text introduction, pp. 1-27; review of prepared translation to 26.

October 16: Review of outline (text introduction pp. 27-29 and handout) of Socrates' defense thus far; prepared translation through 27a.

October 22 : Review of assigned articles ("Reading the Apology," and Chapter 12 of Arieti's Interpreting Plato) and prepared translation to 28e

October 23 & 29: Independent project research in place of one class meeting. Review of assigned translation (Apology 16) and sight to 29a.

The Socratic Method October 30 -November 26
Exploration of the Death Dialogues and Socrates’ mission. Examination of the Socratic elenchos and its survival in modern applications:
October 30: Jennifer's Mid-term Project Presentation on The Phaedo. Discussion of Crito in English (also text introduction, pp. 29-31). Presentation of Euthyphro and discussion of to hosion.

November 5: Discussion of Connor article "The Other 399"; review of sight translation from October 29 and prepared translation and sight to 29d

November 6: Review of prior class sight work and prepared translation to 31b

November 12: Review of prior class sight work through Apology outline. Prepared and sight translation to 32a

November 13: Review of prior class sight work and prepared translation to 32e

November 17: (1 pm meeting in Honors Center) Review of prior class sight work and prepared translation to 34b.

November 20: Prepared translation of the Apology to 36.

November 26: Review of Apology outline, text introduction, pp. 31-36, and prepared translation to 37a.

Thanksgiving Assignment:: Embark on Project 2 by reading the introduction and English text of Plato: Symposium, translated with commentary by A. Nehamas, P. Woodruff (Hackett Publishing, 1989) [Gill Library: B 385.A5/N44/1989]. Choose your character for detailed study. Translate Apology Chapters 27 and 28.

December 3: Prepared translation of the Apology to 38c.

December 4:Prepared translation of the Apology to 39e.

Socrates Alive! December 10-11
Raising “The Socratic Problem.” Review of Plato’s life and art. Comparison of Plato’s depiction of Socrates with Xenophon’s Socrates in Memorabilia and Aristophanes’ Socrates' Clouds through texts and secondary assessments:
December 10: Prepared translation of the Apology to the end.

December 11: Review and discussion of Xenophon's Memorabilia; comparison of Xenophon's use of Greek and portrait of Socrates' defense with Plato's.

December 17: Final Project Presentation