HIST 101 Discussion Sections, Fall 2000

Loyola University Chicago
Department of History

HIST 101: The Evolution of Western Ideas and Institutions to the Seventeenth Century (R. Bucholz)
Semester I, 2000/2001
Discussion Sections—J. Derek Halvorson

Section 060: Fri, 12:30 P.M.–1:20 P.M., SKY 613
Section 062: Fri, 1:30 P.M.–2:20 P.M., SKY 602

Office Information:
Instructor: J. Derek Halvorson
Office: Crown Center 557 (Lake Shore Campus)
Office Hours: Mon, 10:00 A.M.-11:30 A.M.
Wed, 10:00 A.M.-11:30 A.M.
or by appointment
Office Phone: 773/508.2226
E-mail: jhalvor@luc.edu
URL: http://orion.luc.edu/~jhalvor/

Texts:
R.E. Lerner, S. Meacham and E. M. Burns, Western Civilizations: Their History and Their Culture, vol. I (13th edn., New York,
1998).
P. M. Rogers, ed., Aspects of Western Civilization, vol. I (4th edn., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, 2000).
Plato, The Last Days of Socrates, trans. H. Tredennick and H. Tarrant, intr. H. Tarrant (London: Penguin, 1954; rept. 1993).
Peter Abelard, The Letters of Abelard and Heloise, trans. and intr. B. Radice (London: Penguin, 1974).

Course Objective:
The aim of this discussion section is fourfold:

to learn to critically engage historical texts, and in so doing to gain exposure to the many facets of human experience as they are highlighted in the historical record.
to provide a forum in which students can address issues raised in course lectures in a small group format, with the dual goal of reinforcing material treated in the lecture and delving deeper into matters only touched upon superficially in the larger setting.
to aid students in listening and communicating, both through the written and the spoken word.
to encourage students to participate in the great conversation.

Evaluation:
The evaluation of students in discussion sections—which comprises the majority of the participation grade for the HIST 101 course as a whole—is based on attendance, participation in class discussion, and written responses to text readings. For the weight of the discussion section/participation grade in the overall HIST 101 grade, see Professor Bucholz’s syllabus.

Participation:
Because students’ participation grade in HIST 101 is based primarily on their performance in their discussion sections, attendance at these sections is mandatory, and a record of that attendance will be kept. If you are not in class, you cannot participate. Students should be prepared to discuss the readings on the days for which they are assigned, as designated in Professor Bucholz’s syllabus. Students should be aware that they will be called upon randomly to participate. To help prepare for discussion, students are required to record brief responses to the text discussion questions for three of the texts assigned for each week (and they should certainly feel free to answer the questions for more than three, if they desire … though there is no ‘extra credit’ for doing so). The responses for each text should be no longer than one loose-leaf page, and need not be typed. These are brief responses, designed to serve as starting points for classroom discussion. Response papers will be collected randomly and counted towards the overall participation grade.

Text discussion questions

Book Review #1 (Plato)

Book Review #2 (Abelard)

Weekly Text Readings

Week Date Topic Reading

2 8 Sep. Near Eastern Civilizations Code of Hammurabi (6-9); Epic of Gilgamesh (9-12); Biblical Flood (12-13); Book of the Dead (28-9); Ten Commandments/Covenant Code (43-5); also The Tomb of King Tut (19-24)

3 15 Sep. Beginnings of Greek Civilization Homer, Iliad (59-65); Homer, Odyssey (66-73)

4 22 Sep. Classical Greece Plutarch, 'Reforms of Lycurgus' & 'Spartan Discipline' (76-9); Thucydides, 'Funeral Oration of Pericles' (79-84); A Critic of Democracy (84-5); Aristophanes, 'Lysistrata' (108-110); Plato, 'The Trial of Socrates' (111-3)

5 29 Sep. The Hellenistic World "Alexander the Great" (129-34) [treat as one document]; Plato, 'Allegory of the Cave' (134-8); Epicurus, 'Golden Maxims' (146-8); Sextus Empiricus, 'The Principles of Skepticism' (148-9) [answer text discussion questions only for "Alexander the Great"]

6 6 Oct. The Hellenistic World (cont.) The Persian War (86-9); The Peloponnesian War (99-105); Aristotle (141-6)

7 13 Oct. The Roman Republic Sallust, "The Breakdown of Roman Unity" (160-1); Suetonius and Plutarch on Julius Caesar (169-72); the Augustan Principate (175-83)

8 20 Oct. The Roman Republic (cont.) Appian, "Absolute Tyranny" (161-2); Sallust, "Catiline Plots Revolt" (165-6); Cicero, "The Enemy is Within" (166-7) [answer text discussion questions for two of the three documents]

9 27 Oct. Paper #2 assignment discussion of topics for Abelard and Heloise paper

10 3 Nov. The Roman Empire (cont.) the Augustan Principate (175-83) [do not answer questions for these documents]

11 10 Nov. Fall of Rome & Early Middle Ages 1. Minucius Felix, "Anti-Christian Propaganda" (206-7); 2. Juvenal, "The Dark Side of Rome" (235-6); 3. Tacitus, "The Germanic Tribes" (253-4); 4. "The Laws of the Salian Franks" (285-7); 5. "Beowulf" (287-9)

12 17 Nov. The Early Middle Ages 1. Einhard, "The Moderate and Progressive King" (290-1); 2. Charlemagne, "Education and the Scriptures" and "Carolingian Scholarship" (294-6) [treat as one document]; 3. "The Annals of Xanten" (296-7); 4. King Louis IX, "Legal Rules for Military Service" and "Liege Homage" (301-2) [treat as one document]; 5. "Ordeal of Hot Iron" (304) [answer text discussion questions for twoof the three documents]

13 24 Nov. NO CLASS

14 1 Dec. The High Middle Ages & the Waning of the Middle Ages 1. The Rule of St. Benedict (322-6); 2. Robert the Monk, "The Speech of Pope Urban II at Clermont, 1095" (304-6); 3. Pope Boniface VIII, "Unam Sanctam" (346-7); 4. Marsilius of Padua, "Defensor Pacis" (347-8); 5. Jean de Venette, "The Plague in France" (355-7) [read all five documents; answer text discussion questions fortwo of the five documents]

Week	Date	Topic	Reading
2	8 Sep.	Near Eastern Civilizations	Code of Hammurabi (6-9); Epic of Gilgamesh (9-12); Biblical Flood (12-13); Book of the Dead (28-9); Ten Commandments/Covenant Code (43-5); also The Tomb of King Tut (19-24)
3	15 Sep.	Beginnings of Greek Civilization	Homer, Iliad (59-65); Homer, Odyssey (66-73)
4	22 Sep.	Classical Greece	Plutarch, 'Reforms of Lycurgus' & 'Spartan Discipline' (76-9); Thucydides, 'Funeral Oration of Pericles' (79-84); A Critic of Democracy (84-5); Aristophanes, 'Lysistrata' (108-110); Plato, 'The Trial of Socrates' (111-3)
5	29 Sep.	The Hellenistic World	"Alexander the Great" (129-34) [treat as one document]; Plato, 'Allegory of the Cave' (134-8); Epicurus, 'Golden Maxims' (146-8); Sextus Empiricus, 'The Principles of Skepticism' (148-9) [answer text discussion questions only for "Alexander the Great"]
6	6 Oct.	The Hellenistic World (cont.)	The Persian War (86-9); The Peloponnesian War (99-105); Aristotle (141-6)
7	13 Oct.	The Roman Republic	Sallust, "The Breakdown of Roman Unity" (160-1); Suetonius and Plutarch on Julius Caesar (169-72); the Augustan Principate (175-83)
8	20 Oct.	The Roman Republic (cont.)	Appian, "Absolute Tyranny" (161-2); Sallust, "Catiline Plots Revolt" (165-6); Cicero, "The Enemy is Within" (166-7) [answer text discussion questions for two of the three documents]
9	27 Oct.	Paper #2 assignment	discussion of topics for Abelard and Heloise paper
10	3 Nov.	The Roman Empire (cont.)	the Augustan Principate (175-83) [do not* answer questions for these documents*]
11	10 Nov.	Fall of Rome & Early Middle Ages	1. Minucius Felix, "Anti-Christian Propaganda" (206-7); 2. Juvenal, "The Dark Side of Rome" (235-6); 3. Tacitus, "The Germanic Tribes" (253-4); 4. "The Laws of the Salian Franks" (285-7); 5. "Beowulf" (287-9)
12	17 Nov.	The Early Middle Ages	1. Einhard, "The Moderate and Progressive King" (290-1); 2. Charlemagne, "Education and the Scriptures" and "Carolingian Scholarship" (294-6) [treat as one document]; 3. "The Annals of Xanten" (296-7); 4. King Louis IX, "Legal Rules for Military Service" and "Liege Homage" (301-2) [treat as one document]; 5. "Ordeal of Hot Iron" (304) [answer text discussion questions for twoof the three documents]
13	24 Nov.	NO CLASS
14	1 Dec.	The High Middle Ages & the Waning of the Middle Ages	1. The Rule of St. Benedict (322-6); 2. Robert the Monk, "The Speech of Pope Urban II at Clermont, 1095" (304-6); 3. Pope Boniface VIII, "Unam Sanctam" (346-7); 4. Marsilius of Padua, "Defensor Pacis" (347-8); 5. Jean de Venette, "The Plague in France" (355-7) [read all five documents; answer text discussion questions fortwo of the five documents]