CLAS210 Ancient Literature: Images of Masculinity

First Unit Quiz ("Gladiator," Gospel of Mark, and Iliad 1-12)

Part I Iliad Chronology (20%)

Directions: Rearrange the following events of the Iliad in the order in which they actually occurred in Iliad 1-12.

Diomedes and Glaukos Exchange Friendship
Invocation to the Muse
Embassy to Achilleus
Aphrodite Rescues Paris
Capture of the Horses of Rhesus
The Catalogue of Ships
Duel between Hektor and Ajax
Agamemnon Takes Briseis from Achilles
Farewell of Hektor and Andromache
Duel of Paris and Menelaus
Valor (aristeia) of Diomedes

Part II Character Identifications (30%)

Directions: Identify TEN (10) of the following in two or three short but informative sentences. Be sure to mention whether this character appears in "Gladiator," the Gospel of Mark, or the Iliad, his/her role in this story, and what this character suggests about images of masculinity.

JOHN THE BAPTIST
THETIS
COMMODUS
PETER THE APOSTLE
HELEN
AGAMEMNON
HECTOR
ATHENA
MARCUS AURELIUS
MENELAUS
ANDROMACHE
ZEUS

Part III Short Essays (50%)

Directions: Answer TWO (3) out of the following three questions in a short essay in which you make frequent reference to specific scenes and events in "Gladiator", the Gospel of Mark, or the Iliad.

1.) Discuss Maximus’ attitude toward his family and compare it to the attitudes of Jesus and Achilles. How do these attitudes affect the image of masculinity portrayed by each character?

2.) Compare Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem (Mark 11:111) with Maximus the Gladiator’s relationship with the crowds in the Colosseum and with Achilles’ interaction with his fellow Greek soldiers. How are these encounters similar? How are they different? Compare the images of masculinity in the three situations.

3.) Use a scene from the Iliad to explain the Greek heroic code and apply this code to the actions of Jesus and Maximus.

This material has been published on the web by Prof. Tom Sienkewicz for his students at Monmouth College. If you have any questions, you can contact him at toms@monm.edu.

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