Civilizations of the Ancient World (Fall 2024) https://markbwilson.com/courses/ZZ/ZZ_aw/ Website and syllabus for Civilizations of the Ancient World (Fall 2024) en-us https://markbwilson.com/images/hero/aw/course_hero_pics@0.5x.jpg Civilizations of the Ancient World (Fall 2024) https://markbwilson.com/courses/ZZ/ZZ_aw/ Notes and reminders about the <em>Clouds</em> essay (due Nov. 18) https://markbwilson.com/courses/ZZ/ZZ_aw/?page=announcements&id=462 e100462 <p>Here are a few reminders on the <em>Clouds </em>essay, which is due on Monday, November 18. </p><p>The starting point I’d like you to bear in mind in that this essay is about making an argument and supporting that argument with evidence—in this case, three specific moments from <em>Clouds </em>that<em> </em>demonstrate and illustrate your argument concerning what <em>Clouds </em>tells us about fifth-century Athens. </p><p><strong>Comparing two works. </strong>For this essay you need to compare <em>Clouds </em>to another ancient Greek work. Which one depends on which prompt you are answering—make sure to watch the <em>Clouds </em>essay Overview Video for my discussion of this aspect of the assignment. The essay overview video is very important. Watch the essay Overview Video, is what I’m saying. I would also suggest that you watch the Overview Video. </p><p>This also means that you need to carve out time to read through and consider the other work as well as a separate chunk of time to plan and write the essay. </p><p>The goal for this essay to make an argument about fifth-century Athens using just these two pieces of primary source evidence. You don’t need anything else but the two primary sources. </p><p><strong>Structure. </strong>In your introduction, make sure you have a clear thesis statement—what you intend to show in the paper. Try to develop a concrete, specific thesis statement that lines up with and responds directly to one of the prompts. </p><p>In the main body of your essay, focus on three specific moments from <em>Clouds </em>that support your thesis. You should have three sections, one for each moment in <em>Clouds</em> you’re discussing. In each section, talk about the moment from <em>Clouds</em>, then a similar or contrasting moment in your other work, then discuss what this evidence tells us. When discussing both works, be specific and concrete.</p><p>I talk about the structure in the Overview Video, and especially in the Structure Musts video (on the Essay Musts page).</p><p><strong>Evidence and cites.</strong> A major rule of thumb for writing about history (and for academic work in general, but especially history) is that <span class="m23_ul">all assertions must be supported by evidence, and all evidence must be cited.</span> When you describe events from <em>Clouds </em>and the other work (whether it’s in quotes, a paraphrase, or just describing specific ideas present in the story), you need to provide a citation—a footnote or parenthetical cite that gives your source (the book version of <em>Clouds</em> and the other work you are using) plus a page number. You also need a bibliography listing the versions used of both works. For more on this, see the Evidence Musts video on the Essay musts page, and the bibliography and footnotes pages in the Citation Center on the course website.</p><p><strong>Requirements for all papers.</strong> Make sure to fully review the requirements for all papers (on the Essay Musts page of the course website) before completing and uploading your essay. Also review the prompt for the Essay you’ve chosen to make sure you answered what it’s looking for.</p><p>Any questions at all, please come to me. I’m really looking forward to hearing your insights on <em>Clouds </em>and what it has to tell us about fifth-century Athens.</p> Sat, 02 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0400 mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu Welcome to Week 11! https://markbwilson.com/courses/ZZ/ZZ_aw/?page=announcements&id=463 e100463 <p>This week we’re talking about the Peloponnesian War and its aftermath.</p><p>Things to ponder as you explore the materials. With the Peloponnesian Wars, the Greeks are fighting each other in a massive, generation-long slog unlike anything the ancient war has seen. Why? Why are they fighting, and why does it last for decade after decade? What is this war really about? Can we blame a particular city for this? Why do you think it turns out the way it does?</p><p>More wars between the Greeks opened them up to invasion by Macedon and the famous conquests of Alexander the Great. Why do you think the Greeks couldn’t maintain any real peace during this era, even when danger loomed from the north? What were they really fighting about?</p><p>A big part of this story is the two Macedonian kings, Philip and Alexander. What do you think was most instrumental in Philip being able to take over Greece? Was his son, Alexander, really that “great”? Was his conquest a failure because it didn’t remain unified? What are Alexander’s legacies for the world?</p><p>The other thing I really wanted to do with you folks this week is hash out what you guys think of <em>Clouds</em> now that we’re finishing it. There are some very striking scenes toward the end. What was most shocking or impactful for you—the debate where Unjust Argument wins (and: why does he win?); Pheidippides attacking his father; or Strepsiades abandoning rational discourse and taking up a torch?</p><p>Looking forward to discussing all of this with you. See you Tuesday!</p> Sat, 02 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0400 mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu Welcome to Week 10! https://markbwilson.com/courses/ZZ/ZZ_aw/?page=announcements&id=454 e100454 <p>This week we’re exploring two great Greek cities. One is Sparta, a society dedicated to the art of war. We’re also covering the foundations of Athenian society.</p><p>Things to ponder as you explore the materials. What do you think goes into making the Spartans like this—so different, so focused on being warriors? What does being a warrior society mean to them? Why aren’t more poleis like this, especially given the other cities are so impressed by the Spartans’ dedication? Is the Spartan experiment a success, in Greek terms? What are the most positive aspects of the Spartan society in terms of the well-being of its citizens? What are the biggest drawbacks of the Spartan system?</p><p>Culturally, Athens is the most important of the Greek poleis—just ask them!—but their story is like a fever dream, starting out as a tightly-managed oligarchy of a few privileged families and ending as Hellas’s only radical democracy. Why do you think Athens was so volatile? What is it about Athens that made them so aggressive in seeking cultural dominance?</p><p>The Persian Wars are a huge watershed for the Greeks. Even the battles of this war are remembered forever—Marathon, Thermopylae, Salamis. Why do you think the Greeks were really able to defeat the vastly more powerful Persians? How do you think the war changed them? What was most remarkable to you about the Persian Wars?</p><p>Also, we see the middle section of <em>Clouds</em>, where the “Socrates” character gets weirder and weirder, and Strepsiades gets more and more confused. What do you think Aristophanes is getting at here? What was he trying to show by having “Socrates” talk about the gods and he-chickens and she-chickens and things like that?</p><p>Looking forward to discussing all of this with you. See you on Tuesday!</p> Sat, 26 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400 mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu Quiz #5 grades and markups posted https://markbwilson.com/courses/ZZ/ZZ_aw/?page=announcements&id=458 e100458 <p>The grades and markups for Quiz #5 are posted on the My Grades page on the course website.</p><p>I recommend spending a moment to take a look at the Quiz Notes for this quiz, which are live on the Quiz Notes page and on the Print/PDF page, and are also included in the quiz markups.</p> Sat, 26 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400 mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu Gilgamesh Essay grades and markups posted https://markbwilson.com/courses/ZZ/ZZ_aw/?page=announcements&id=452 e100452 <p>The grades and markups for the Gilgamesh Essay are posted on the My Grades page on the course website. I was pretty impressed with most of the essays—a lot of good points were raised and there were some interesting perspectives on the Epic and what it suggests about Sumerian culture.</p><p>If you have any questions about the grades, comments, or deductions, please don’t hesitate to seek me out by email or in office hours.</p><p><strong>Reversible deductions.</strong> Some of you may find that you received “reversible deductions” for issues relating to formatting and citations. The good news is, those are points that you can get back. Check the cover page of your markup to see if there are any check marks and points taken off next to the reversible deductions. If there are, I made notes on the cover sheet or in the essay about the issue, and included a handout with the requirements.</p><p>Please resubmit your essay to BlackBoard with those problems fixed, and I’ll be in a position to reverse those deductions. Only reversible deductions can be reversed, so don’t resubmit for anything other than reversible deductions.</p><p><strong>Missing essays.</strong> If you have not gotten your paper in, please do so as soon as you can. In terms of your course grade you’re better off with any grade, even with a lateness penalty, than a zero for the assignment. Remember also that the lateness penalty is capped at a maximum of 30 points, so turning your paper in, even very late, is better than not doing so.</p> Thu, 24 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400 mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu Midterm Exam grades are posted https://markbwilson.com/courses/ZZ/ZZ_aw/?page=announcements&id=453 e100453 <p>The midterm exam grades are posted on the grading page.</p><p><strong>Exam Notes.</strong> Note that included in the PDF, behind the grading cover sheet, is a handout with notes on the responses for the exam. It’s also posted separately on the Exams page. I did not mark up or scan the blue books.</p><p><strong>Estimated Course Grade.</strong> At the bottom of the My Grades page, you will now see an estimated course grade so far, based on the assignments to date. This obviously only reflects what’s been done so far. </p><p>Even if your estimated course grade is lower than you would like now, that does not mean you will not pass the course. The final and two essays are still ahead, which altogether are more than half your course grade. The final exam also counts more than the midterm, and you will have a full two hours to take it. Most people do better on the final than they do on the midterm.</p><p>If you have not submitted your <em>Gilgamesh</em> essay, make sure to do so, and make sure to keep up with the readings and in-class discussion for <em>Clouds</em> so that your second essay will be as strong as you can make it.</p> Thu, 24 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400 mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu Welcome to Week 9! https://markbwilson.com/courses/ZZ/ZZ_aw/?page=announcements&id=444 e100444 <p>This week, as we continue exploring the early Iron Age, we’re talking about the so-called Greek Dark Age—the period during which the Greeks recovered from the collapse of the Bronze Age and built a new civilization.</p><p>Things to ponder as you explore the materials. The Greek Dark Age is frustrating and fascinating to historians of ancient Greece, because this period of rebirth, during which the foundations and chief elements of Hellas as we know it come into being, happens while the Greeks have no writing system and so there are no literature or records until the very end—we can’t hear them creating a new Greek society.</p><p>What do you think most drove the Greeks during the Dark Age? If the communities of the Aegean were so isolated and so fiercely independent, how did they end up having so much in common? How did they end up with such a clear idea of what it meant to be Greek?</p><p>After that we’re talking about the period after the so-called Greek Dark Age, when from our perspective Hellas can be heard and seen again, with the foundations of Greek culture already laid down in the previous, unseen centuries. Two influential cities emerge in this period, both with opposing and increasingly extreme ideas of what it means to be Greek.</p><p>Looking forward to discussing all of this with you. See you Tuesday!</p> Sat, 19 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400 mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu Readings in <em>Clouds</em> https://markbwilson.com/courses/ZZ/ZZ_aw/?page=announcements&id=445 e100445 <p>I’ve had a couple of questions about the readings in <em>Clouds</em>, so I wanted to make sure everyone was clear on what’s assigned.</p><p>If you are looking at the schedule for this week you’ll notice there’s a button that says “Note” next to the list of readings. If you open that up, you’ll see I’ve divided <em>Clouds</em> into six sections. You won’t find these divisions in whichever copy of <em>Clouds</em> you’re using—<em>Clouds</em> is all one play, so I just cut it up into six pieces to parcel up the readings and talk about different sections in class.</p><p>For each of these sections I give the page numbers in West’s <em>Four Texts About Socrates</em> (the recommended text). Like all ancient plays and poems, <em>Clouds</em> also has standardized line numbers that will appear in the margins in any good edition of the play, so if you’re not using West you can still use the line numbers to determine how far you need to read for each assignment.</p><p>For the next class meeting I am asking you to read the introduction to the play in whatever edition you have, so that you have the background for the action of the play, and then the first section (which I call “Strepsiades’s Problem”). This first section covers lines 1—133, or pages 115-120 in West.</p><p>Reading a play can be challenging, and we’ll talk more in class about how we can approach the text. For now, focus on the protagonist, Strepsiades. What is motivating him? How is the playwright depicting him?</p><p>The other key character to watch for, starting in the next section, is “Socrates.” This character is nothing like the real Athenian philosopher Socrates—this play was written specifically to discredit him and others like him—so you’ll want to keep a close eye on what the playwright is having this fake Socrates say and do.</p><p>More on this in class. See you soon!</p> Sat, 19 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400 mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu Welcome to Week 8! https://markbwilson.com/courses/ZZ/ZZ_aw/?page=announcements&id=438 e100438 <p>There is no meeting on Tuesday (instead, Monday classes are meeting on Tuesday).</p><p>The midterm exam will be held in-person on Thursday, October 17 in our normal meeting room and class period. Please arrive on time. You will only have the normal class period (from 3:00 to 4:15 p.m.) to take the exam. Make-up exams will be arranged only in cases of documented medical/family emergency.</p><p>The review sheet (detailing content and is posted on the Exams page on the course website, along with links to other resources. Make use of your notes, fellow students, quiz notes, and so on. Remember the Videos page has videos on every subject covered in class. The midterm will cover everything in the course so far up through the meeting on Ancient Asia.</p><p>See the sticky at the top of the Announcements page for more guidance. Email me with any questions, and good luck!</p> Sun, 13 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400 mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu Quiz #4 grades and markups posted https://markbwilson.com/courses/ZZ/ZZ_aw/?page=announcements&id=442 e100442 <p>The grades and markups for Quiz #4 are posted on the My Grades page on the course website.</p><p>I recommend spending a moment to take a look at the Quiz Notes for this quiz, which are live on the Quiz Notes page and on the Print/PDF page, and are also included in the quiz markups.</p> Sun, 13 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400 mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu Welcome to Week 7! https://markbwilson.com/courses/ZZ/ZZ_aw/?page=announcements&id=434 e100434 <p>This week we’re talking about two very different empires in the same part of the world: the Iron Age Assyrians, also known as the Neo-Assyrians, and the Persians. Finally, this course focuses on the Mediterranean, but we’re talking a side trip to ancient Asia this week as well. </p><p>Things to ponder as you explore the materials. Was the Neo-Assyrian empire really a failure? What went wrong, and why did it come apart so catastrophically? Did the Neo-Assyrians and the Persians have anything in common apart from being empires? What do you think were the most important keys to the success of the Persian empire a century or so later?</p><p>Why did the Greeks romanticize the Scythian barbarians? Is it a coincidence that the same kinds of things are happening in the Indus valley as are happening in Mesopotamia and along the Nile? What jumps out at you about the culture and religion of ancient South and East Asia?</p><p>Looking forward to discussing all of this with you. See you Tuesday!</p> Sat, 05 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400 mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu Sample Essay posted https://markbwilson.com/courses/ZZ/ZZ_aw/?page=announcements&id=431 e100431 <p>As promised, I have posted a sample essay on the website. This example PDF is meant to give you an idea of how an interpretive essay can be structured and formatted, and the way evidence is used and cited. It’s posted on the Essay Musts page and also on the Print/PDF page.</p><p>I hope it proves helpful. Feel free to email me with any questions.</p> Wed, 02 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400 mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu Quiz #3 grades and markups posted https://markbwilson.com/courses/ZZ/ZZ_aw/?page=announcements&id=429 e100429 <p>The grades and markups for Quiz #3 are posted on the My Grades page on the course website.</p><p>I recommend spending a moment to take a look at the Quiz Notes for this quiz, which are live on the Quiz Notes page and on the Print/PDF page, and are also included in the quiz markups.</p> Tue, 01 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400 mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu Midterm Exam review sheet posted https://markbwilson.com/courses/ZZ/ZZ_aw/?page=announcements&id=427 e100427 <p><p>The midterm review sheet is now available on <a href="?page=exams" title="the Exams page">the Exams page</a>, either as a web page or as a PDF. The first page details the content and structure of the midterm, which will cover everything up through the October 10 class meeting. There is no meeting on Tuesday, October 15.</p><p class="m23_follow">The midterm exam will be held in-person on <strong>Thursday, October 17</strong> in our normal meeting room and class period. Please arrive on time. You will only have the normal class period (from 3:00 to 4:15 p.m.) to take the exam. <strong>Please note:</strong> You must attend and take the exam in person on October 17. I do not give make-up exams except in the case of documented medical/family emergency.</p><p class="m23_follow">The review sheet is not designed to be a list of answers so much as questions you can use to guide you toward the areas you want to focus on in your review. As you read through the questions on the review sheet, those you have a sense of how you might answer are lower priority for review than those questions you’re not sure how you would answer; those you’d then want to go back and spend some time reviewing in your notes, the readings, the <a href="?page=videos">videos</a>, <a href="?page=quiz-notes">quiz notes</a>, and class discussions.</p><p class="m23_follow">Also note that the terms are a useful way of finding concepts you need to go back and review, so I’d advise stepping through the terms at the end of each topic and making sure you have a sense of what they mean and why we’re studying them. </p><p class="m23_follow">To prepare for the essay, I suggest that you focus on the four themes of the course as discussed in the <a href="?page=videos">Welcome video</a>—individual/community, mortal/divine, male/female, city/empire—and think about possible questions that relate to those topics across the cultures and peoples we’ve explored. For the essay you’ll be asked to give three examples, so you can sketch out a question about (for example) ancient peoples and their gods and three similar or contrasting examples of societies that show what the gods meant to the ancients. </p><p class="m23_follow">We will discuss further in class—please come to class with questions about anything you’re not sure of or want to hear more about.</p> </p> Mon, 30 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0400 mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu Welcome to Week 6! https://markbwilson.com/courses/ZZ/ZZ_aw/?page=announcements&id=421 e100421 <p>This week we’re talking about the early Iron Age, exploring the stories of the Phoenicians, Philistines, and Hebrews before looking at the first major empire of the new age, the Neo-Assyrians. The section is called “How not to run an empire,” so that gives you an idea of how it went.</p><p>Things to ponder as you explore the materials. Was the Neo-Assyrian empire really a failure? What went wrong, and why did it come apart so catastrophically?</p><p>Looking forward to discussing all of this with you. See you Tuesday! </p><p>Reminder: there are no class meetings on Thursday, October 3.</p> Sat, 28 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0400 mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu Random reminder about quizzes https://markbwilson.com/courses/ZZ/ZZ_aw/?page=announcements&id=420 e100420 <p>I mention to remind everyone at our last meeting: </p><p>Quizzes are always based on the readings assigned for that class meeting on the Schedule page. This is true even when I am a little behind schedule in lecture—the quizzes are made up based on the readings for the day the quiz is given. Just bringing that up in case there was any confusion on that point.</p><p>Also, if you have any trouble accessing the My Grades page, let me know. The password there is used just for that page, which can be emailed automatically using “Email me my password” or by asking me in an email.</p> Wed, 25 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0400 mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu Quiz #2 grades and markups posted https://markbwilson.com/courses/ZZ/ZZ_aw/?page=announcements&id=418 e100418 <p>The grades and markups for Quiz #2 are posted on the My Grades page on the course website.</p><p>I recommend spending a moment to take a look at the Quiz Notes for this quiz, which are live on the Quiz Notes page and on the Print/PDF page, and are also included in the quiz markups.</p> Tue, 24 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0400 mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu Welcome to Week 5! https://markbwilson.com/courses/ZZ/ZZ_aw/?page=announcements&id=413 e100413 <p>This week we’re talking about the Bronze Age Aegean: the indigenous inhabitants, especially the mysterious Minoans, and the invading Greeks, who swarm in from the north and take over the Aegean world before bringing about their own spectacular collapse, bringing down the whole Bronze Age with them.</p><p>There are a lot of things to talk about here. What strikes you as most intriguing about the Minoans—what we know of them? Why do you think the Mycenaean Greeks were so successful in surpassing them? If you were to talk about what was important to the Minoans and to the Mycenaean Greeks, what would be similar, and what would be distinctive? Were the Mycenaean Greeks their own worst enemy in too-greedily building a trade empire, or should we emphasize other factors in the great cataclysmic collapse of the Bronze Age and its civilizations?</p><p>We’re also talking about the dawn of the Iron Age, which we see first in Canaan—now that it’s not being warred over by the surrounding Bronze Age empires, the lands along the eastern shores of the Mediterranean are free to develop their own strength and economic reach. And they’re very characteristic of how the Iron Age differs from the Bronze Age. We’re focusing on three very distinct peoples who are rivals for land and independence in early Iron Age Canaan: the Phoenicians, the Philistines, and the Hebrews.</p><p>Why is the Iron Age so different, do you think? Why does a shift to iron matter so much? What do you think most sets apart a trade empire like that of the Phoenicians from the empires of the Bronze Age we discussed? What do you think are the biggest factors in the Hebrews being able to create their own state in Canaan despite huge disadvantages? How does religion factor into the story?</p><p>Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and reactions. See you Tuesday!</p> Sat, 21 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0400 mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu Important notes on Essay #1 (due October 7) https://markbwilson.com/courses/ZZ/ZZ_aw/?page=announcements&id=416 e100416 <p>Here are a few brief reminders about the Gilgamesh essay, which is due very soon on Monday, October 7.</p><p><p class="m23_follow"><ul><li><strong>Watch the video. </strong>Make sure to watch the overview video, since that tells you exactly what I am looking for. It’s on <a href="?page=essays-1" title="Essay #1 page">the Essay #1 page</a>.</li><li><strong>Thesis statement. </strong>Make sure you have an introduction with a thesis statement (your argument asserting your position on the question/problem being addressed) and a body that describes and discusses three examples from the Epic supporting your thesis statement. For models and explanations on how to do this, I urge you to watch the “Structure Musts” video on <a href="?page=essay-musts" title="the Essay Musts page">the Essay Musts page</a>. See also “Writing a Position Paper” (a.k.a. “The Elephant Pamphlet”), which is on <a href="?page=resources" title="the Resources page">the Resources page</a> on the website.</li><li><strong>Sources. </strong>For your examples you may use all of <em>Gilgamesh</em>, including the tablets that were not assigned if they contain helpful support for your thesis. You do not need to use other sources for this assignment; this essay is about your interpretation of Sumerian culture as represented in the beliefs, actions, and relations of the characters in the Epic.</li><li><strong>Requirements for all papers.</strong> You must adhere to the requirements for all papers (listed on <a href="?page=essay-musts" title="the Essay Musts page">the Essay Musts page</a>). Not meeting the formatting, structure, and evidence requirements for all papers <em>will</em> mean a lower grade. There are new videos posted there for formatting musts, evidence musts, and structure musts guiding you toward what is required and how to do it.</li><li><strong>Template.</strong> An MS Word and a Google Docs template already set up with some of the formatting I require can be found on <a href="?page=resources" title="the Resources page">the Resources page</a>. If you use Word or Google Docs I strongly recommend making use of these templates.</li><li><strong>Late papers.</strong> As per <a href="?page=expectations" title="Expectations page">the syllabus</a>, late papers are marked down by ten points per class meeting, up to a cap of thirty points. Avoid this penalty and block out the time you need to prepare, write, and review your essay so that it can be submitted on time.</li><li><strong>BlackBoard.</strong> All essays are uploaded to BlackBoard. Look for “Upload Assignments Here” in the left-hand menu. Your essay needs to be uploaded as a Word (preferred) or PDF file attachment, not pasted in as text submission. If you use a browser-based word processor, you’ll need to download or export to a Word document and upload that. </li></ul><p class="m23_follow">I’m happy to discuss any aspects of the Epic or the essay, so please come to me if there’s anything you’re not sure about. I’m looking forward to hearing your interactions with the folks of Uruk!</p><p> </p> Sat, 21 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0400 mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu Quiz #1 grades and markups posted https://markbwilson.com/courses/ZZ/ZZ_aw/?page=announcements&id=412 e100412 <p>The grades and markups for Quiz #1 are posted on the My Grades page on the course website.</p><p>Each quiz is scored out of 5. Normally on the My Grades page you’ll see the current quiz average, including the lowest quiz being dropped, but I won’t start showing that until we’ve had a couple more quizzes. That’s why right now it says there are too few grades to show an average in the Quizzes line on the My Grades pages. Later, you’ll see the average quiz grade there.</p><p>If your quiz grade isn’t what you’d like it to be, don’t panic! It’s still very early and there are lots of opportunities to improve the quiz grade, as well as getting other kinds of grades to balance things out. Quiz averages tend to improve over the semester as the quiz process and the material becomes more familiar. The key step is to come into class on time and prepared, and ask questions—by email, in office hours, and in class.</p><p>I recommend spending a moment to take a look at the Quiz Notes for this quiz, which are are live on the Quiz Notes page and on the Print/PDF page, and are also included in the quiz markups.</p> Tue, 17 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0400 mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu Reminder: Responses due Sunday https://markbwilson.com/courses/ZZ/ZZ_aw/?page=announcements&id=405 e100405 <p>Just a reminder to post this week’s online response if you haven’t already. Responses are due by the Sunday after the class meetings for that week.</p><p>To post your response, go to the course website (follow the links sent previously, or find markbwilson dot com and click on Courses), then click on Responses on the side menu. Use the buttons at the top of the page to go to the right week, or click on Due Dates to see the full list.</p><p>Actually, I’d recommend clicking on Due Dates and bookmarking that page to use as your starting point each week. That way you have the full list of meetings and the dates for each in front of you each time. </p> Sat, 14 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0400 mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu Welcome to Week 4! https://markbwilson.com/courses/ZZ/ZZ_aw/?page=announcements&id=408 e100408 <p>This week we’re talking about Egypt! This is a society that emerges around the same time as Sumer, and yet they could not be more different. Ancient Egypt has fascinated and perplexed students of history for thousands of years. What stands out the most to you about Egyptian society and culture?</p><p>Things to ponder as you explore the materials" This is one of those rare cultures where absolute monarchy remains stable and effective for century on century. Why is that? What do you think makes the role of the pharaoh work without abuse of power? What do you think are the most important values and beliefs to an Egyptian? How does this affect the way they think about the gods? How does it affect how they think about death? How is Egypt during the New Kingdom different from the Old Kingdom?</p><p>It’s striking how different Sumer is from Egypt. What do you think goes into making them so opposite to each other? Egypt unified early. Why was it possible there, and not in Sumer, where the city-states remained fiercely independent? What’s most different about their views of the gods, of kings, of death?</p><p>Speaking of death, this week we also read the next two assigned tablets of Gilgamesh. Why do the gods agree to send the bull and to punish Enkidu, when they were the ones that created Enkidu in the first place? What does Enkidu’s death mean for Gilgamesh? What is the author trying to impress on the reader in this climax to Gilgamesh’s relationship with Enkidu?</p><p>Looking forward to discussing this with you. See you Tuesday!</p> Sat, 14 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0400 mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu Welcome to Week 3! https://markbwilson.com/courses/ZZ/ZZ_aw/?page=announcements&id=401 e100401 <p>This week we’re progressing through the story of the civilizations of Mesopotamia, the land between the rivers: the original inhabitants in Sumer to the south, and the alien newcomers, the Semitic tribes that settle in Akkad, Babylon, and Assyria. They’re the strangers with their own languages and cultures who start to emulate, and, later, absorb the great cities and culture of the Sumerians.</p><p>In the discussion this week I want to talk about lots of things. What characteristics are distinctly Sumerian? How do they see the world, and why? Another topic is how different the Sumerians and the Semitic peoples were—why did they build Sumer-style city-states, even down to the ziggurats for their own gods, and end up adopting Sumerian technology? Why do you think the Sumerians didn’t survive? When Sargon of Akkad built an empire, what was it based on, and why didn’t it last very long after he died? Why do you think so much significance is attached to the Code of Hammurabi?</p><p>This week we’re also looking at tablets 2 and 5 of <em>Gilgamesh</em>—the taming of Enkidu and the fights with Humbaba, the forest guardian. What jumps out at you most from these two tablets? Why do Gilgamesh and Enkidu go on this quest? Is it just about glory, or is there more to it? What do you think is the symbolism in Gilgamesh and Enkidu attacking the guardian of the cedar forest? Note what happens to the cedar, too—what can we say about that? And what about the way Enkidu and Gilgamesh interact in these tablets? What’s that telling us about these two, and why Enkidu was the gods’ solution to Gilgamesh’s bad rule?</p><p>Looking forward to discussing all of this with you. See you Tuesday!</p> Sat, 07 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0400 mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu Reminder: weekly responses are due Sunday https://markbwilson.com/courses/ZZ/ZZ_aw/?page=announcements&id=400 e100400 <p>Just a reminder to post this week’s online response if you haven’t already. The idea this week is to respond to something in Tablet 1 of <em>Gilgamesh</em> that interested you or that you want to know more about.</p><p>The weekly Responses are a part of your grade, so this will be part of the routine for this course. Responses are due by the Sunday after the class meetings for that week.</p><p>To post your response, go to the course website (follow the links sent previously, or find markbwilson dot com and click on Courses), then click on Responses on the side menu.</p><p>Any questions or issues, email me and let me know!</p> Fri, 06 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0400 mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu Welcome to Week 2! https://markbwilson.com/courses/ZZ/ZZ_aw/?page=announcements&id=396 e100396 <p>This week we’re talking about the origins of the unique culture of Sumer and their city-state culture. What do you think drives your identity—your sense of who you are—if you’re from one of these city-states?</p><p>We’re also reading Tablet 1 of <em>Gilgamesh</em>. Pay special attention to why the citizens of Uruk are angry with Gilgamesh—what does that tell us about the role of the king in their community?</p><p>Looking forward to discussing all of this with you. See you Tuesday!</p> Sat, 31 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0400 mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu Welcome to Week 1! https://markbwilson.com/courses/ZZ/ZZ_aw/?page=announcements&id=391 e100391 <p>This is just a quick note to welcome you all to the first week of Civilizations of the Ancient World. I’m looking forward to exploring the ancient world with all of you, starting with our first meeting on Thursday. The meeting is in-person, 3:00 – 4:15 p.m., in Carman 209.</p><p><p class="m23_follow">At our first meeting we’ll be laying some important foundations we’ll be building on throughout the semester, including the themes of the course and some of the things we’ll be looking for as we explore the ancient world. One of the things I want to talk about on Thursday is the word “civilization” itself. What does it mean to have become “civilized”? What kinds of changes do you think it involved? What’s likely to be different from one early community to the next, and what might they maybe have had more in common?</p><p><p class="m23_follow"><strong>Syllabus and video:</strong> As a reminder, the syllabus, assignments, and requirements are all on my website, markbwilson dot com. Make sure you’ve looked through the site and that you’ve watched the welcome video, which talks about how the course works and answers some common questions.</p><p><p class="m23_follow"><strong>Books:</strong> Also make sure you have the books. We won’t need the <em>Four Texts about Socrates</em> until March, but you’ll need both the textbook and <em>Gilgamesh</em> right away, as there are assignments this week. The reading assignments on the Schedule page of the website are what you need to have read (and thought about) before coming to class.</p><p><p class="m23_follow"><strong>Email me:</strong> Many of you replied back to the welcome-to-the-course email I sent you after you enrolled, confirming that I have a good email address for you. If you didn’t, could you do me a favor and email me and let me know that I can use this address, or that that a different email is better for you? Thanks.</p><p><p class="m23_follow">That’s it for now. Let me know if you have any questions. I’ll see you all on Thursday!</p><p> </p> Sat, 24 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0400 mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu Welcome to Civilizations of the Ancient World! (Fall 2024) https://markbwilson.com/courses/ZZ/ZZ_aw/?page=announcements&id=388 e100388 <p>Welcome to Civilizations of the Ancient World! I’m looking forward to a great semester exploring the cultures and transformations of ancient societies, from “prehistory” to the rise of the Roman Empire.</p><p>Right now, I need you to do three things.</p><p><strong>First, look over the course web page,</strong> which will be our base of operations. Watch the quick welcome and orientation video (linked <a href="https://youtu.be/g1cMh9KNKAw" target="_blank">here</a> and on the overview page). Look through each of the pages on the website to see how the course will work, and make sure to click through to the schedule page to see how the readings, videos, and discussions are set up. Any questions about how it works, please send me an email.</p><p><strong>Second, get the books now if you can.</strong> A lot of you will be ordering books online, and you need to make sure you have the books and are ready to go when the course starts on August 29. On the “Books” page I’ve tried to give you lots of different options for getting what you need, but you should order now if there’s going to be any kind of shipping involved. (If you come across a legitimate online/e-text version of one of the assigned readings that’s not already listed, please let me know.)</p><p><strong>Finally, send me an email</strong> so that I know I have a working email address for you. You can just send a blank email, email and say “hi”, or email with a question or concern, but I want to make sure I can contact everyone. If you receive an email from me but there is an email address you prefer I use instead of this one, please definitely reply and tell me that.</p><p>Email me anytime with questions at mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu. I’m looking forward to starting our journey together.</p> Wed, 24 Jul 2024 16:15:26 -0400 mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu