| Course Title: The Spartans: Myth and History |
| Start Date: 08/24/2020 End Date: 10/15/2020 |
| Term: Fall Semester 2020 |
| Description: In contrast to democratic Athens, oligarchic Sparta was renowned for its secrecy and skillful use of propaganda. Thus, it presents difficult challenges for historical study. In this course we will try to peer behind the "Spartan mirage" to determine how much the Spartans really differed from other ancient Greeks. We will then try to understand the use of Spartans as models for later polities and for groups like the Nazis and Alt-right. Topics: government, education, and citizenship; the role of women, eugenics, and slavery; the use and misuse of the image of Sparta. Readings will include Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon, Plutarch, and modern scholarship on specific topics. |
| Distribution(s): I - Humanities |
| Academic Level Of Course: Undergraduate | Credits:4.00 |
| Faculty | Phone | Email address |
| Paula Debnar | 413-538-2873 | pdebnar@mtholyoke.edu |
| Meeting Dates | Method | Meeting days | Meeting times | Building name | Room | Frequency |
| 08/24/2020 - 10/15/2020 | Flex. Immersive Seminar/Disc. | Monday | 02:30PM - 03:45PM | TBA | TBA | Weekly |
| 08/24/2020 - 10/15/2020 | Flex. Immersive Seminar/Disc. | Tuesday and Thursday | 02:15PM - 04:00PM | Weekly | ||
| 08/24/2020 - 10/15/2020 | Flex. Immersive Seminar/Disc. | Wednesday and Friday | 03:00PM - 04:00PM | Weekly |
| Requisite Courses | ||
| None |
| Comments |
| Additional Comments |
| With permission of the instructor, this course may be taken by juniors and seniors for 300-level credit in Classics. |
| Course Tags | ||
| ANCST0001 | ANCST: Ancient Studies major | This course has been approved to count towards the Ancient Studies major and/or minor. |
| ANCST0001 | ANCST: Ancient Studies minor | This course has been approved to count towards the Ancient Studies major and/or minor. |
| CLASS0001 | CLAS: Classical Studies major | This course has been approved to count towards the Classical Studies major and/or minor. |
| CLASS0001 | CLAS: Classical Studies minor | This course has been approved to count towards the Classical Studies major and/or minor. |
| MOD0001 | MOD-1: Courses meeting in Module 1 | This course meets in Module 1. |
| Cross-listed Sections |
| CLASS-253-01 The Spartans: Myth & History |
| HIST-253SP-01 The Spartans: Myth & History |
| Course Availability | ||||
| Section status: Open | Capacity: 18 | Enrollment: 17 | Available: 1 | Waitlist: 0 |
BOOK INFORMATION
| Book List | Required | Publisher Full Price |
| Title: Sparta (Lactor book 21) Author: Cooley (ed.), M.G.L Copyright: 2017 Edition: Volume: ISBN: 9780903625401 Publisher: London Association of Classical Teachers |
Required | 24.99 |
| Title: Spartans: A New History Author: Kennell, Nigel Copyright: 2009 Edition: 2 Volume: ISBN: 978140513 Publisher: Wiley Blackwell |
Optional | 48.75 |
| Title: Three, Issue 1 Author: Gillen, Kieron Copyright: 2013 Edition: e Volume: ISBN: Publisher: Image Comics |
Required | 0.99 |
| Additional Book Comments |
| This is NOT the complete book list for this class. |
| Copies are on order at You will need to order Sparta (Lactor 21) on your own. |
| Instructor's comments about the book list: 1) Some copies of Sparta (Lactor) are available on Amazon and it can be ordered directly from Oxbow press. Shipping from the latter is steep, but keep in mind you won't have much else (if anything) to purchase. Since it could take a while to get your hands on a copy,please don't put off placing an order. https://www.oxbowbooks.com/dbbc/sparta.html. (Keep scrolling.) 2) Spartans: A New History is optional, since it will be available through the library as an e-book and I will have pdfs on Moodle. 3) I just (8/7) add Kieron Gillen's *Three, Issue 1*, a graphic novel that is available as an ebook for .99--that's right, 99ยข https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Three?id=1dHpAgAAQBAJ |