CLAS201 Classics Seminar
Spring, 2012
Department of Classics
Monmouth College

This seminar offers a survey of current topics and disciplinary models in the field of Classics for Classics majors and minors and serious students of the Classics.

THEME: Caesar's Wars

The seminar will meet about 50 minutes per week and will be run in the format of a graduate school seminar based upon discussion and interpretation of the assigned readings.

We will read and discuss a portion of Caesar's writings. Each member of the seminar will then write a summary /response related to the week's topic(s). In addition we will read selections from Goscinny and Uderzo's Asterix series.

For most of the semester, the seminar will be organized around weekly group presentations in which group participants will do the following:
1.) summarize the weekly reading assignment for the seminar;
2.) provide a handout outlining the reading along with at least one useful visual resource;
3.) raise questions for discussion.

Seminar participants will submit a two-page summary response to each week's discussion.

Failure to complete any of these assignments may significantly affect your grade in the course.

Grade:
25% Class Attendance and Participation
25%  Group Presentations
50% Weekly Written Summaries

About the instructor  / Class Photo

Web-based resources: Nifty Websites / Bibliography of Internet Resources on Ancient Societies

TEXTBOOK: Any unabridged translation of Caesar's writings. Be sure to bring a print or electronic copy to class every week. Here are some possibilities: MIT Internet Classics Archive http://classics.mit.edu/Caesar/gallic.html http://classics.mit.edu/Caesar/african.html http://classics.mit.edu/Caesar/civil.html http://classics.mit.edu/Caesar/alexandrian.html http://classics.mit.edu/Caesar/spanish.html Corpus Scriptorum Latinorum of Forumromanum.org: http://www.forumromanum.org/literature/caesarx.html. Also: Asterix Omnibus: Asterix the Gaul, Asterix and the Golden Sickle, Asterix and the Goths Rene Goscinny  and Albert Uderzo Sterling Publishing,  2011 ISBN: 978-1444004236

Here is an outline of Caesar's Career: http://www.vroma.org/~bmcmanus/caesar.html

A word on academic honesty: You are encouraged to work with other members of the class. However, please do not try to recite another's translation. This is a form of plagiarism (copying someone else's work without giving credit) which is both dishonest and ineffective for your goal of learning Latin. Any student submitting plagiarized work will receive a failing grade for that assignment. If two papers with identical or nearly-identical work are submitted by different students, both papers will receive a failing grade.

Caveat: This syllabus is subject to revision by the instructor, provided that written or verbal notice is given in class.

This webpage was prepared by Professor Thomas J. Sienkewicz of Monmouth College. If you have any questions, you can contact him at tjsienkewicz@monmouthcollege.edu.

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