Bookmark this page as your main entry point to the course website. That way, you’ll be sure to see any changes and other information I’ve posted here.

These announcements are also sent out by email to all actively enrolled students on my roster. If you are actively enrolled and are not receiving these emails, it may be that your email system is filtering emails from me (in which case, please whitelist me so you do receive them). Or, I may have the wrong email address for you. If you do not find the emails from me in your filtered emails folder, please send me an email and confirm your address so I am able to reach you with information and updates about the course.

Important notes on the Images Essay (due Dec. 8)

22 November 2025

Here are a few brief reminders about the Images essay, which is due very soon on Monday, December 8.Read more…

Watch the video. Make sure to watch the overview video, since that tells you exactly what I am looking for. It’s on the Images Essay page.

Thesis statement. 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 sources supporting your thesis statement. For models and explanations on how to do this, see “Writing a Position Paper” (a.k.a. “The Elephant Pamphlet”), which is on the Resources page.

Sources.

For the museum option, if you can go to a museum in person and view the works directly that is what I strongly prefer, as this option is about your subjective reactions to experiencing the works you are writing about. Remember to choose two works that have the same subject (two little girls, two warriors, two fertility goddesses) but from different times or places so you can talk about the implications of how the same concept was conveyed differently in different times or places.

For the film option, you need to write about the agenda of the filmmakers and the agenda of the authors of the primary source and how each is using an ancient culture to impress their own beliefs (the filmmakers’ and the authors’) on the audience. If you’re not sure about the primary sources for the film you chose, make sure to come to me and we’ll discuss.

Requirements for all papers. You must adhere to the requirements for all papers (listed on the Essay Musts page). Not meeting the requirements for all papers will mean a lower grade.

Template. There is an MS Word template already set up with some of the formatting I require on the Resources page. If you use Word, I strongly recommend making use of this template. There is one for Google Docs as well.

Late papers. As per the syllabus, 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.

Brightspace. All essays are uploaded to Brightspace. 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 export your paper as a Word document and upload that.

I’m happy to discuss any aspects of your sources or the essay, so please come to me if there’s anything you’re not sure about. I’m looking forward to hearing your interpretations of your chosen depictions of the ancient world!

Link to Essays page

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Current Announcements (2)RSS feed

Exam Review Sheet posted

1 December 2025

I’ve updated the final exam page. On this page you’ll find information about the final and some review materials. The exam will take place Tuesday, December 16 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.

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 videos, quiz notes, and class discussions.

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.

To prepare for the essay, I suggest that you focus on what you would consider to be the major themes of this course, and think about possible questions that relate to those topics across the periods and transitions we’ve explored. For each essay you’ll be asked to give three examples, so you can sketch out a question about a recurring topic in the course, your perspective on that question, and three similar or contrasting examples that demonstrate that perspective.

Please take a look at the review sheet for details on the exam’s content and structure. Once you’ve read through the review sheet, if you have any questions about the exam or about any of the topics covered in it, please don’t hesitate to come to me or bring them up in class.

To get to the final exam page, click on “Exams” in the navigation index, or follow the link to the “Exams page” below.

Link to Exams page

Welcome to Week 15!

29 November 2025

Bust of Julius Caesar.

This week we’re talking about a series of massive turning points for the Roman Republic: the rise of Marius, very different dictatorships of Sulla and Caesar, and the final collapse of the Republic, to be replaced by the one-man rule of Augustus.

Things to ponder as you explore the materials. What does Marius stand for? What do you think Sulla was most interested in accomplishing? What is his legacy? What do we think of Pompey?

What was Caesar’s goal, for himself and for Rome, and why was he killed? All things considered, does he deserve praise as a great leader or censure as an ambitious seeker of power? What about Antony—he was the experienced lieutenant of Caesar, so why did he lose out to a kid who started with nothing but Caesar’s name?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and reactions. See you Tuesday!

Link to Schedule page

Clouds essay grades and markups posted

25 November 2025

The grades and markups for the Clouds essay are posted on the My Grades page on the course website.

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.

Reversible deductions. 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.

Please resubmit your essay to Brightspace 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.

Missing essays. 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.

Link to My Grades page

Quiz #9 grades and markups posted

24 November 2025

The grades and markups for Quiz #9 are posted on the My Grades page on the course website.

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.

Link to My Grades page

Welcome to Week 14!

22 November 2025

Statue of an unknown young Roman.

This week, after we discuss the Roman contest with Carthage, we see the culmination of the Roman empire as it gains control over the west and east—only to fall apart at home in a series of assassinations, scandals, and civil wars.

Things to ponder as you explore the materials. Two factions emerge in the Roman aristocracy as we head into the Late Republic: the optimates—those who believe in tradition and the systems of the Republic; and the populares—those who insist Rome must take a new direction to survive. Why does this break occur? What do the two sides really stand for? Are populist firebrands like Tiberius Gracchus heroes of the people, or self-serving demagogues?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and reactions. See you Tuesday!

Link to Schedule page

Quizzes #7 and #8 grades and markups posted

18 November 2025

The grades and markups for Quizzes #7 and #7 are posted on the My Grades page on the course website.

I recommend spending a moment to take a look at the Quiz Notes for these quizzes, which are live on the Quiz Notes page and on the Print/PDF page, and are also included in the quiz markups.

Link to My Grades page

Welcome to Week 13!

15 November 2025

Roman cuirass and equipment.

This week we’re talking about Rome. The Romans started out with kings, but after escalating crises under the last king, Tarquin, they replaced the kings with a Republic.

What stands out to you as the defining characteristics of the Republic? What does this idea mean to the Romans? The early history of the Republic involves an ongoing conflict between the patricians (families that control the priesthoods) and the plebeians (all other families of any class). Where does this conflict come from? Why are the priest-families so important to the Roman political system?

The early Republic was increasingly driven by war and on the offensive. Why do the Romans become militaristic and expansionist?

How do you think they see their rivalry with Carthage? Why do you think Hannibal is able to almost win—and why does he ultimately lose? Why does Rome seem to have such an off-hand approach to governing the territories it consumes or conquers?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and reactions. See you Tuesday!

Link to Schedule page

Welcome to Week 12!

9 November 2025

Detail of Aeneas or Numa from the Ara Pacis in Rome.

This week, we’ll be looking at Alexander’s legacy, the Hellenistic world. What was Alexander trying to achieve in his merger of Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Persian, and Greek cultures? How did the Hellenistic era change art, philosophy, and civic duty? Were the rulers of the Hellenistic kingdoms a part of that, or a contradiction of the Greek idea Alexander had so prized?

On Thursday we move on to our Roman unit. We’re starting with ancient North Africa and Italy, and then we’ll begin the exploration of the Romans and their story. This is the beginning of the rise of the people that within a few centuries would dominate the entire Mediterranean, including most of the peoples we’ve studied.

Things to ponder as you explore the materials. At first Rome starts out as a city-state within the city-state culture of Latium with its own priest-king, just like the city-states in Sumer. But the Romans get fed up with the kings after a while and eject them from Rome. What do you think makes them turn against the kings? Is it just the actions of the kings, or does it go deeper? Why do you think the legends about the fall of the kings focus so much on the Rape of Lucretia as the thing that turns the Romans against the kings? What does the story of that rape signify to them?

Looking forward to your discussions and reactions. See you Tuesday!

Link to Schedule page