Graduate Liberal Studies

Wesleyan University
Middletown, CT 06459
860-685-2900

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HUMS 630
The Tragic Moment: Democracy and Myth in Fifth Century Athens

Andrew Szegedy-Maszak             

Course Schedule
June 27 Introduction

Read:
Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound [It would also be worth reading Plutarch's "Theseus" to get a sense of the heroic tradition.]
June 29* Read:
Herodotus, Book 1, Book 3.79-118 (noting that these are chapter numbers, not page numbers), Book 6.101-140
July 4 No class. Happy 4th of July!
July 6* Read:
Herodotus, Books 7 & 8; Aeschylus, Persians; Plutarch, "Themistocles"
July 11 Read:
Aeschylus, Oresteia
July 13* Read:
Sophocles, Ajax and Antigone; Plutarch, "Aristides"
July 18 Read:
Thucydides, Book 1, Book 2.1-66; Sophocles, Oedipus the King; Euripides, Medea; Plutarch, "Pericles
July 20* Read:
Thucydides, Book 3.1-52, 69-86; Book 5.1-26, 86-116; Euripides, Electra and Trojan Woman; Plutarch, "Nicias"
July 25 Read:
Thucydides 6, 7; Euripides, Ion,; Sophocles, Philoctetes; Plutarch, "Alcibiades"
July 27* Read:
Euripides, Bacchae, Sophocles, Oedipus at Colunus; Aristophanes, Frogs
* Asterisks indicate the due dates for short (2 pp.) papers. Everyone has to do the first one; then you can choose 3 of the remaining 4 topics. There will also be one slightly longer (4-6 pp.) paper due on August 2.