class2 week 1

Class Introduction and Overview

  • Class Engagement

    • Instructor checks if everyone is logged in for participation.
    • Authority figure waits briefly for students who are still having technical difficulties.
    • Reminder for students to communicate any software issues regarding the Top Hat quizzes after class.

  • Mythological Narratives

    • Definition:
    • Stories that are traditional with collective importance.
    • Typically presented as fictional events involving generic characters.
    • Often emphasizes normal men and women as main characters.
    • Similarities with fables and folktales discussed, highlighting their presentation as fictional events involving generic characters.
    • Difference: Mythological narratives include named characters and recognized places.

  • Early Greek Literature Context

    • Mythos (Homer and Hesiod)
    • Definition: A commonly held belief, presumed untrue; refers to reports, tales, stories, or narratives.
    • In earlier literature, mythos wasn't inherently viewed as untrue. Contrasted with "logos", indicating a stronger sense of fiction later.
    • Nature of Traditional Oral Tales
    • Emergence: Not fixed in a single version; affected by various factors and changes over time.

Top Hat Quiz Overview

  • Types of Questions
    • Quiz may focus on material from prior classes or readings.
    • Discussion questions where correctness isn’t graded; participation is valued over absolute accuracy.

Brief History of Greeks and Geography

  • Key Dates

    • Importance of recognizing different periods of Greek and Roman history.
    • Movement through several thousand years, focusing on specific dates in relation to the student’s readings.

  • Geographical Context

    • Overview of the ancient Mediterranean's geographical features, focusing on familiar landmarks for some students.
    • Importance of Macedonia and Peloponnesus in the study of stories over the semester.
    • Definition and identification of major geographical areas within Greece, including Asia Minor and Crete.
    • Topographical Characteristics
    • Highly mountainous terrain leading to isolated communities and major population centers near the coast.
    • Importance of the sea for trade, culture, and interaction; risks involved in maritime travel elucidated.
    • Overview of Cyclades and Sporades islands, with mention of their significance in Greek mythology.

Important Periods of Greek History

  • Early Anti-Minoan Culture (3000-1600 BCE)

    • Minoan civilization characterized as highly sophisticated, mainly on Crete; known for the Palace of Knossos.
    • Limited historical records, reliance on mythology and art for insight.
    • Cultural significance of bulls in Minoan society and mythology.

  • Indo-European Invasion (c. 2100 BCE)

    • Migration of Indo-Europeans bringing a patriarchal pantheon, affecting existing Minoan cultural structures.

  • Mycenaean Culture (1600-1150 BCE)

    • Dominance in the region around the Peloponnese; fortified cities such as Mycenae emerged.
    • Description of city defenses and significant architectural features such as the Lion Gate.

  • Greek Dark Ages (circa 1150-800 BCE)

    • Significant decline in trade, documentation, and literacy.
    • Commencement of the polis, the Greek city-state; communities remained politically autonomous.
    • Language and Communication
    • Presence of various Greek dialects; ethnolinguistic identity emerging despite political fragmentation.

  • Archaic Period (800-500 BCE)

    • Rise of the polis as an essential civic identity; early Greek literature starts with the adoption of the Phoenician alphabet.
    • Major poetic figures began emerging from this period, including Hesiod and Homer.
    • Historical significant events include the founding of the Olympic Games and early Persian invasions of Greece.

  • Classical Period (500-323 BCE)

    • Golden age of Athens, marked by cultural and literary flourishing.
    • Prominent playwrights and philosophers emerge, alongside military conflicts such as the Peloponnesian Wars.
    • Notable events include the Macedonian conquests and the rise of Alexander the Great.

  • Hellenistic Period (323-30 BCE)

    • Expansion of influence from Alexander's successors in the Eastern Mediterranean until the conquest by Rome.
    • Transition to Roman dominance towards the end of this period.

  • Roman Period (30 BCE-AD 476)

    • Includes literature and mythological traditions that stem from earlier Greek legacy.