Thursday, 8/29 - Recycling Day

• P&P

• See yesterday's post for instructions between now and next Tuesday, our next full class together ; )

Wednesday, 8/28 - Hesiod's Theogony, Overview and Prologue (Prooimion)

"Don't just do it!" Sometimes Nike is wrong.

• P&P 

• Review J5

HW:

• Purchase the decided upon version of Homer's Iliad--the Robert Fagles translation--so you can begin reading it sometime next week.

• Read the entire Theogony over the weekend and do the two journals below: (click on Read More)

Tuesday, 8/27 - Quest and Hesiod

Facsimile Binding - The Works of Hesiod, 1635 (from Ars Obscura)

• P&P

• Quest (Quiz-Test) over Leithart's Intro materials (including Intro to Ancient Epic)

• When finished, read Theogony, lines 1-115. Then please begin your next journal, which will introduce you to Hesiod's Theogony from a critical perspective. It's an extraordinarily structured affair, so please lend Leithart your ear.

HW:   

J5 – Heroes (53-61): “Theogony Intro” / “The Muses”

 Review Questions:

1.      What is a “theogony”?

2.      What two main stories does Hesiod's Theogony tell?

3.      Describe the concentric arrangement of the passage concerning the battle between Zeus and the Titans.

4.      How are the five major stories of the Theogony organized?

5.      Describe the structure of the prooimion.

6.      Describe some of the ambiguities of the first section of the prooimion.

7.      How does Hesiod make clear that Zeus is the central character of his poem?

8.      Who are the Muses? What is their role?

9.      In what sense do the Muses "lie"? What might this say about the nature of art?

10.  How does Hesiod connect poetry and political rhetoric? How does this differ from the modern view of poetry?

Monday, 8/26 - ICE, ICE, baby

• P&P

• ICE - rock your five paragraph In Class Essay. Please do the following:
• Underline your thesis
• Preview your main points 
• Underline each topic sentence  

HW: review your journals and Leithart's general Intro and Intro to Ancient Epic to prepare for a short quiz tomorrow. Also, please bring your copy of Hesiod.  

Block, 8/22 - Intro to Epic, Prep for ICE

*P&P

*Review J4 - Intro to Ancient Epic

*Begin putting together your outline for an ICE (In Class Essay). See the prompt below. You may bring your outline with you to class during which you will flesh out your argument. Enjoy!

HW: 

• Be ready for a short quiz-test on Tuesday over the Introductory chapters of Leithart's Heroes of the City of Man.  
• Using Leithart's text as inspiration, write an ICE (in personal letter form) that answers the following prompt: 

Wednesday, 8/21 - Discuss Leithart's "Intro" Conclusion and begin J4 - Intro to Ancient Epic

THE EQUINE THAT IS TROJAN

• P&P

• Discuss J3 reading and take notes.  

• Begin J4 

HW (due block day) 

J4 – Heroes (43-51): “Introduction: Ancient Epic”

1.      What is the definition of an epic?

2.      What does an epic recount and include?

3.      Describe the oral tradition from which epic’s seeds first sprouted?

4.      List, define, and give one example of each of the standard epic poetic devices.

5.      What meter did Homer compose in? Why is it called this?

6.      Define and discuss the chiasm (and concentric or “ring” structures) as a textual structuring unit.

7.      What effects do these structures achieve?

8.      What do we know about Hesiod, the alleged author of Theogony and Works and Days?

9.      What do we know about Homer, supposed author (in some way) of the Iliad and (possibly) the Odyssey?

Tuesday, 8/20 - Finish Leithart Intro Tonight

• P&P

• Discuss J2

• Read

Think about the following questions as you merely read the rest of Leithart's Introduction.

J 3 – Heroes (35-38): “Hesiod, Homer, and Moses” / “Conclusion”

“Hesiod, Homer, and Moses”

1.      Outline/discuss Leithart’s rationale for a “Christian reading of ancient pagan literature” that “arises from a biblical understanding of ancient history.”

2.      Explain how the Medieval Church often mishandled “the inheritance of the pagan classics,” and give one example.

3.      In what way were they correct with their handling of said texts?

4.      What are the only two options available concerning the relationship between Scripture and all other stories? And if you think there is a third option, try and justify your thinking.

“Conclusion”

5.      What has the church historically believed about the “devil’s stories” and what should be her relationship to them?

6.      What is your favorite quote from this reading?

  

Monday, 8/19 - Get a light heart

"What has Jerusalem to do with Athens?"

• P&P

• J1 - discuss  

• Begin HW

HW (At least read the pages below for tomorrow's discussion. If you'd like to stay ahead of the game, finish the journal. Finish the journal for Wednesday at the latest):

J2 - Heroes (29-35): “Our Stories and the Story of God”

1.      What is Leithart's goal in writing this book?

2.      Leithart claims that biblical parallels or "archetypes" can and should be found in pagan literature. What line of argument does he make (pg 30) concerning creativity?

3.      What does Leithart claim is the aspect of being created in God's image that is commonly forgotten? What are those most commonly mentioned?

4.      What about God's (and man's) "making/creating" is different from that of the animals? He (and we) create(s) unnecessary things that display an unnecessary beauty."

5.      What is his line of argument that concerns story?

6.      What are the three “books” of God? 

7.      What is the basic “story” of Scripture that contains all other stories and that all other stories somehow reflect, albeit sometimes in warped (pagan) ways?

8.      What is your favorite quote from this journal’s reading?

 

Friday 8/16 - So we begin . . .

• P&P

• Finish discussion from yesterday

• Begin HW (Journal) below 

HW (Mon 8/19): 
Make sure that you order a copy of Peter Leithart's Heroes of the City of Man: A Christian Guide to Select Ancient Literature. Also order Stanley Lombardo's translation of Hesiod's Works and Days and Theogony (one book). Both of these books are only available in hard copy (not hard cover). All other electronic/hard copy purchase decisions are up to you. Please see the links on the right column of the blog for book info. Many books are cheaper if purchased used. Some overall orders are cheapest if you order everything from Amazon, since order over $25 qualify for free shipping. For Monday, begin reading Leithart and do assignment below (I will post a scanned copy of the first chapter on Moodle by Friday):

J1 (Journal) Heroes (Heroes of the City of Man) (13-23): “Intro” / “The Problem with the Classics”)

1.What did church father Tertullian mean when he asked the question, “What has Athens to do with Jerusalem?”

2.Why does Peter Leithart quote Tertullian? Why is Tertullian's question apropos for today, according to Leithart? 

3.What little (actually huge) bone does Leithart pick with the authors of Who Killed Homer? and why?

4.Cite two examples of biblical heroes of the faith using pagan literature?

5.What did St. Augustine mean by "plunder the Egyptians"?

6.What are some of the difficulties/pitfalls to plundering the classics?

7.What are three of Leithart's premises (reasons) for why Christians should study the classics?
8.Do you take issue with any of Leithart's premises or conclusions? If so, which one(s) and why? If not, what is your favorite insight of his?

Thurs 8/15 - Why are you taking this class?

St. Augustine of Hippo - Spoiling the Egyptians

Hello! And welcome to Classical Literature, the MV English class designed for people who love to read good books, discuss said books, and not have to take quizzes on, say, what a gerund is.

If you are in this class and you hate reading, I strongly encourage you to change your schedule. (Pause). If you hate reading and you're still here, you must be a fighter, and fighting is what we will be reading about, so you're in good company.

Now that we have that settled, please take about ten minutes to write down responses to the following questions:

1. Should Christians study ancient pagan literature?
2. Why should Christians study it?
3. Is there a Christian approach to reading these texts? If not, explain. If yes, answer the question below.
4. What would a Christian approach consist of, look like?
5. What do you most look forward to in this class?
6. What ancient texts have you read before?