Description: 

An examination of ancient Greece before and during the Peloponnesian war.
 

Topics will include:

Persian attempts on Greece

Political life in Athens

Political life in Sparta

Spartan customs

The culture of homosexuality in ancient Greece

Ancient Greek philosophy

Greek warfare- Hoplites and phalanx

Peloponnesian war

Decline of Athens

 

Reading:

Thucydides   The Peloponnesian War   (there are multiple translations available – please see instructor before purchasing text)

“To the question why they broke the treaty, I answer by placing first an account of their grounds of complaint and points of difference, that no one may ever have to ask the immediate cause which plunged the Hellenes into a war of such magnitude. The real cause I consider to be the one which was formally most kept out of sight. The growth of the power of Athens, and the alarm which this inspired in Lacedaemon, made war inevitable.”

Thucydides  chapter I

Humanities Honors Seminars are sponsored by TSU’s Humanities Institute. These one-credit seminars on topics outside our normal curriculum are designed to reward students with gpa’s of 3.5 and above by helping them experience the joys of challenging readings, rigorous discussion, and intellectual camaraderie. Students with lower gpa’s and a special interest in a given topic may be admitted with instructor approval. Since topics vary, HNR 401 may be taken multiple times for credit.

Faculty and staff are invited to join the seminar and participate, with the understanding that students come first in discussions. If you are interested in reading only one or two of the books, contact Whelchel or Tierney for the appropriate dates.

To suggest a topic, instructor(s), or ask a question, contact any of the Humanities Institute members: Dr Dennis Petrie, Dr. Tom Tierney, Dr. Bob Whelchel.