Th Jan 12

Introduction: The sources of Ancient History

Tu Jan 17

History before Writing

Reading:  Mathisen, chapter 1

Th Jan 19

Mesopotamia: Cradle of Civilization
Library Resources for Ancient History

Readings:  Mathisen, chapter 2

Tu Jan 24

Mesopotamian Kingship

Readings: Sumerian King List (http://www.csun.edu/~hcfll004/sumking.html); Epic of Gilgamesh (http://www.angelfire.com/tx/gatestobabylon/temple1.html); Code of Hammurabi (intro and conclusion, plus as many laws as interest you) (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/hamcode.html)

Th Jan 26

Government of Egypt: Gods, Pharaohs, Commoners

Readings: Mathisen, chapter 3, and “Hymn to the Nile” (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/hymn-nile.html)

Tu Jan 31

Daily Life in Egypt:  Popular Religion, Material Culture

Readings: “Princess Ahura: the Magic Book” (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/1100egyptmagic.html) and "Instruction of Ptah-Hotep (excerpts at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/ptahhotep.html); Horus and the Pig (http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/ancient/1900horuspig.asp)

Th Feb 2

Mediterranean Coast

Readings:  Mathisen, chapter 4

Tu Feb 7

Early Eastern Mediterranean Religions

Readings: Genesis 37-50 (any modern English translation); Gilgamesh, Tablet IX (http://www.angelfire.com/tx/gatestobabylon/temple2.html); “Reports of Minos and Knossos” (http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/ancient/minos1.asp)

Th Feb 9

Early Empires

Readings: Mathisen, chapter 5

Tu Feb 14

The Black Athena Debate: Bernal’s argument

Readings: summary of Black Athena debate (http://www.physics.wustl.edu/~alford/athena.html); on-line Black Athena Debate (excerpts at http://academic.reed.edu/humanities/110Tech/BlackAthena.html)  
BONUS (optional):  "Black Athena: Yes and No" by Wim M.J. van Binsbergen (http://www.shikanda.net/topicalities/Black_Athena_YES_AND_NO.pdf)

Th Feb 16

Early Greeks: Traditional Interpretations

Readings: Mathisen, chapter 6 and Classical Greek writers on their own history (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/thuc-hellenes.html)

Tu Feb 21

Greek City States: Mainland Greece and Colonies

Readings: Founding of Cyrene (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/630cyrene.html); Herodotus on Hellenes and Phoenicians (http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/ancient/430phoenicia.asp)

Th Feb 23

Greek Urban Culture and Politics

Readings: Mathisen, chapter 7 and Herodotus (excerpt at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/herodotus-creususandsolon.html) and Aristophanes (http://eserver.org/drama/aristophanes/ecclesiazusae.txt)

Tu Feb 28

Classical Greek Society: Religion and Household

Readings: excerpts on Greek religion (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/greekrel2.html) and selections on women (http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/ancient/700greekwomen.asp)

Th Mar 1

Mid-term Exam

Mar 5-11

Spring Break

Tu Mar 13

Alexander the Great Dachowski sick; postponed to next week

Readings: Mathisen, chapter 8 and Plutarch, anecdotes about Alexander (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/plutarch-alexander1.html)

Th Mar 15

Hellenistic Culture Dachowski sick; postponed to next week

Readings: Athanaeus, “Procession of Ptolemy II” (http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/ancient/285ptolemyII.asp)

Tu Mar 20

New schedule due to illness:  Alexander the Great, Mathiesen, chapter 8, Plutarch on Alexander and Athenaeus on the "Procession of Ptolemy II"

Rise of Rome

Readings: Mathisen, chapter 9

Th Mar 22

New schedule due to illness:  Hellenistic Culture and the Rise of Rome, Mathiesen, chapter 9

Readings: 12 Tables (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/12tables.html) and Selections about the Etruscans (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/etrucans2.html)

Tu Mar 27

New schedule due to illness:  Roman Republic, Mathiesen, chapter 10, 12 Tables

Decline of the Roman Republic

Readings: Mathisen, chapter 10

Th Mar 29

Roman Leaders

Readings: Cicero against Marcus Antonius (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/cicero2ndphil.html); Suetonius, biography of Augustus (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/suet-augustus-rolfe.html)

Tu Apr 3

Pax Romana

Readings: Mathisen, chapter 11

Th Apr 5

Roman and Barbarian Culture

Readings: Tacitus, “Germania” (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/tacitus1.asp)

Tu Apr 10

Later Roman Empire

Readings: Mathisen, chapter 12

Th Apr 12

Christianity:  From persecuted cult to state religion

Readings: Eusebius, conversion of Constantine (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/conv-const.asp)

Tu Apr 17

A Christian Empire

Readings: Mathisen, chapter 13

Th Apr 19

Hermits and Bishops

Readings: Athanasius, “Life of Anthony” (http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/basis/vita-antony.asp)

Tu Apr 24

End of the Ancient World

Readings: Mathisen, chapter 14

Th Apr 26

Fall of the Roman Empire

Readings: Ammianus Marcellinus (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/ammianus-history14.asp); Priscus on Attila the Hun (http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/source/attila1.asp)

TBA

Final Exam (the exam will probably be May 3, 10:20, given past scheduling patterns, but we cannot know until the Office of Records and Registration releases the schedule.)