CLAS/HIST240 Ancient Societies:
Sport and Recreation
Department of Classics
Monmouth College
SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES
Revised 10/30/00
NOTE: This schedule will remain "in progress" throughout the semester. It will be modified as needed. Students are advised to consult this schedule periodically for changes, modifications, and additions.
For Young, numbers refer to pages.
For Sweet, numbers refer to chapters.
For Miller, numbers refer to passages.
| Part I Introduction to Ancient Athletics |
| Aug. 29 Course Introductions Discussion: What is sport? |
| Aug. 31 The
Vocabulary and Philosophy of Sport Sweet, preface; Young, 171-176; Monmouth College Statement of Athletic Philosophy |
| Sept. 5 The
Origin of Sport Sansone (on reserve) |
| Sept. 7 Athletics in the Early Mediterranean, Bronze Age Greece, and ancient Egypt. |
| Sept. 12 Athletics
in Homer Miller, 1 and 2; Sweet, 2 |
| Sept. 14 Pindar
and the Poets Sweet, 29 and 33; Miller, 186-190; A. E. Housman's "To An Athlete Dying Young" Note: Reading and discussion of Pindar's Odes will continue throughout the course. You should bring your copy of Pindar to class every day. |
| Part II Ancient Athletic Games |
| Sept. 19 The
Four Crown Games and the Panathenaia Sweet, 1 and 31; Miller, 84-85 and 164-185; Swaddling, chapters 1, 3, and 9 |
| Sept. 21
Olympia: Introduction to the Site Swaddling, chapter 2 1st Unit Quiz (on Part I) will be given in the last part of this class. |
| Sept. 26
Olympia and the Games Miller, 60-67 |
| Sept. 28
Organization of the Festival Swaddling, 4-5; Miller, 68-76 |
| Part III Ancient Athletic Contests |
| Oct. 3 Running
and Marathon Swaddling 57-62; Sweet, 3 (pp. 27-35); Miller, 12-19 |
| Oct. 5 Discus
and Pentathlon Swaddling 62-71; Sweet, 4, 5, 8; Miller, 32-35, 40-41, 44-46 Quiz on Olympic Site |
| Oct. 10 Jumping
and Javelin Sweet, 6 and 7; Miller, 36-39, 42-43 |
| Oct. 12 Combat
Sports: Boxing, Wrestling, and Pancration Swaddling 71-82; Sweet, 9-12; Miller, 20-31 2nd Unit Quiz (on Part II) |
| Oct. 17 Combat
Sports Cont. Mid-Course Evaluation Due |
| Oct. 19 No class: Work on Individualized Project |
| Oct. 24 FALL BREAK |
| Oct. 26 No class: Work on Individualized Project |
| Oct. 31 Equestrian
Events and Non-Athletic Competitions Swaddling, 81-87; Sweet, 13, 21, #1, pp. 145-146, 31, pg. 246, 25-27; Miller, 47-59 Prospectus for Individualized Project Due |
| Part IV Prizes, Athletes, and Spectators |
| Nov. 2 Miscellaneous
Sports and Other Forms of Entertainment Sweet, Chapters 22-28 (look especially at FISHING) Judging and Prizegiving| Swaddling, chapters 7 and 8; Miller, 77-80; 86-89 |
| Nov. 6 Fox Classics Lecture, 7:30 P.M. in Highlander Room. Attendance Required. |
| Nov. 7 Spectators
and Nudity Miller, 3-11, 91-95; Sweet, 12.6, 19 Women in Greek Sport Swaddling, pp. 40-43; Miller, 96-106; Sweet, 20 Short paper on Fox Lecture Due |
| Nov. 9 Famous
Ancient Athletes, Training and Education Sweet, 17-18, 21, 30.14-58; Miller, 38d, 107-130 |
| Part V. Roman Sports |
| Nov. 14 Vergil,
Aeneid V (handout) and Roman Baths 3rd Unit Quiz (on Parts III and IV) |
| Nov. 16 Amphitheatres
and Hippodromes Miller, 131-145 Sweet, 32 |
| Nov. 21 Gladiators, Christian Martyrs and Ancient Sports |
| Nov. 23 THANKSGIVING break. |
| Part VI The Modern Myth and the Ancient Reality |
| Nov. 28 The
Modern Olympic Myth Young, 7-43; Miller 186-192; Samaranch Aside, Corruption's as Ancient as Games |
| Nov. 30
Amateurism vs. Professionalism in Ancient and Modern Sport Young, 44-103; Miller, 146-163 Map/Geography Quiz |
| Dec. 5 Nationalism
and Internationalism in Ancient and Modern Sport Miller, 164-169 Individualized Project due at 3:30 P.M. |
| Dec. 7 Evaluating
the Ancient Evidence Young, 105-176 Evaluation of Individualized Projects due 4th Unit Quiz (on Parts V and VI) |
| Dec. 13 6 P.M. Group Presentations, Course Evaluations, etc. |
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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