ANCIENT HISTORY 1024
T. HARRINGTON

www.idst.vt.edu/thbecker/1024.html

355 Lane Hall

email: thbecker@vt.edu


Ancient History 1024 examines the history and culture of the great civilizations of the ancient Mediterranean and Near East : Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, and Rome.


Required Reading:

Required Testing, etc.:
 

Supplementary Materials, including:
  are found below.  These are required reading on the appropriate days in the syllabus below.  Whenever possible, handouts and outlines should be printed out and brought to class for notetaking purposes.





Final Exam
 




Syllabus:

 
 
Date Topic Readings  Testing
8/22 Introduction, "civilization"

8/24 4th and 3rd Millennium: Dawn of Civilization: Egypt and Mesopotamia

Mesopotamia and Egypt, 4th and 3rd Millennium


8/29
Pyramids and Ziggurats
8/31
3rd Millennium: Epic of Gilgamesh:Mesopotamia The Epic of Gilgamesh

Gilgamesh Study Questions

Quiz  One
9/5 2nd Millennium: Mesopotamia:
Hammurabi and Babylon; 2nd millennium: Hittites

 Read  the commentary and text of lawcode of Hammurabi.  Click here for both.

9/7 2nd Millennium: Egypt

9/12 The archaeology  of Egypt : Deir el-Medina Deir el-Medina, Village of the Craftsmen 
Deir el-Medina (on-line text)

9/14 1st Millennium: Assyria, Persia, and Babylon

Ancient Near East, First Millennium, Some Names
 


9/19 Hebrews and Monotheism  
Israelites: A History

9/21  TEST ONE
 TEST ONE
9/26 Bronze Age of Greece  
 
  • Minoans and Mycenaeans


  • 9/28 The Odyssey The Odyssey, Books 1-12, except for 8

    Odyssey Study Questions, 1-12

      Quiz postponed to 10/3
    10/3 The Odyssey The Odyssey, Bks 13-24 (skip 13, 15, 18, and 24)
    Odyssey Study Questions, 13-23
    Quiz Two
    10/5 The Archaic World

    10/10 Greeks at War

    The Greeks at War

     
    10/12 Democracy and Architecture

     Parthenon and Democracy PDF

  • Parthenon (html)
  • Athenian Democracy (reading)

  •  

    10/17 Classical Age: Culture,  Society, Drama, Philosophy, and more  
    Athenian culture

    10/29 Macedonia and Alexander the Great  

    Alexander the Great, the Hellenistic Age


    10/24 TEST TWO 
     Test Two
    10/26

    Etruscans and Early Rome  

    Early Rome


    10/31

    Rome's Rise to Power  

    The Roman Republic (Internal and External Wars)


    11/2

    The Roman Republic  
    11/7

    Augustus and the Empire  

    Augustus, First Emperor of Rome


    11/9


    The Aeneid The Aeneid, Books 1-6

    Aeneid pdf
     
  • Study Questions on the Aeneid
  • Summary of the Aeneid
  • Map of Aeneas' travels
  •  
    11/14

    The Aeneid The Aeneid, Books 7-12    QUIZ 3
    11/16


    Early Empire and Pax Romana  

    Pax Romana: Emperors and Literature from 14 A.D.- 180 A.D.


    11/28

    Transformations in the Empire  
     

    11/30

    Christianity, and the Fourth Century

    12/5 Legacies  
    12/8  (Friday)
     FINAL EXAM
    7:45 - 9:45 a.m.