Welcome to Greek Poetry!
Greek 4023: Greek Lyric Poetry. Spring, 2006. Professor
D. B. Levine
This term will be an exciting survey of some of the earliest poets
to express themselves in verse — after the Homeric and Hesiodic epics.
We will read the fragments of several poets in English in their entierty,
and many of the original verses of Archilochus, Hipponax, Mimnermus, Tyrtaeus,
Semonides, Solon, Xenophanes, Sappho, and Alcaeus.
As you can see from the schedule below, we will read about the poets
from ancient testimonia in the Loeb Classical Library volumes, which have
collected what ancient sources said about each author. Then, we will read
all of their works in English, and then selected pieces of their work in
Greek. For the latter, we will use the anthology (“flower collection”)
of D. A. Campbell, which has texts with notes on the Greek. This will come
in very handy, especially when we need to look at the peculiarities of the
Lesbian dialect and other poetic points.
Term Paper
Each student will write a research paper, on a specific poet’s Work.
The papers will be due at the end of the term, and will include information
on the following subjects:
1. “Life” and Times (What is the cultural context of the
poet’s life?)
2. Dialect (What kind of language does the poet use? What peculiarities
does it show?)
3. Meter(s) (What meters does the poet use, and what do these meters
signify?)
4. Topics/Themes (What does the poetry discuss, and how is it portrayed?)
5. Influence (How did later cultures use the poems of this author?)
6. Modern Scholarship (What studies of this poetry exist? What do
they stress? What kinds of questions do they ask?)
During the term, students will hand in sections of their preparation,
so the professor can help with suggestions for sources (and so that nobody
will be doing it all at the last minute.) Each section of the paper will
contain carefully-chosen examples to support each point.
Students should begin by checking the Oxford Classical Dictionary
(Mullins Library Reference Area. Call number: DE5 .O9 2003)
Topics will include:
- Sappho
- Solon
- Archilochus
- Tyrtaeus
- Mimnermus
- Hipponax
- Xenophanes
- Alcaeus
Students will choose the topic as soon as possible, but certainly
by the end of the second week of classes. Students who have not expressed
a preference by then will receive an assigned topic from the list above.
Grades:
Class Preparation and Participation: 40% (Students will come to class
ready to discuss, translate, and ask questions as appropriate.)
Research Paper Preparation: 25% (Students will carry out their research
and hand in the sections as required during the term.)
Research Paper: 25% (Final product)
Secret Word Presentations: 10% (Words will be assigned on the first
day of class; students will prepare and give presentations on time.)
Reading Schedule
Required texts:
D. A. Campbell: Greek Lyric Poetry: A Selection
D. A. Campbell: Greek Lyric: Sappho and Alcaeus (Loeb #142)
D. E. Gerber: Greek Elegiac Poetry (Loeb # 258)
D. E. Gerber: Greek Iambic Poetry (Loeb #259)
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE.
Week 1
Wednesday January 18 Welcome
Friday, January 20 Archilochus Gerber, Greek Iambic Poetry pp.1-76.
Week 2
Monday, January 23 Archilochus Campbell #1, 2, 3, 6
Wednesday, January 25 Archilochus English Gerber pp. 76-129
Friday, January 27 Archilochus. Campbell # 7, 18, 22 (= Gerber #13, 19,
21) (Inform Professor of Research Paper Topic)
Week 3
Monday, January 30 Archilochus, English, Gerber pp. 129-234, Campbell,
# 25,53,54,55, 56, 58
Wednesday, February 01 Archilochus in Campbell #60,64, 66, 67a, 71
Friday, February 03 Archilochus in Campbell # 74, 77, 79a, 88, 94, 103,
104, 112, 118
Week 4
Monday, February 06 Archilochus, concluded. (Hand in information on
Life and Times)
Wednesday, February 08 Semonides 7
Friday, February 10 Semonides 7
Week 5
Monday, February 13 Semonides 7
Wednesday, February 15 Semonides 7
Friday, February 17 Hipponax Testimonia in Gerber 343-353, Fragments
in English 353-495.
Week 6
Monday, February 20 Hipponax 24a, 25, 29
Wednesday, February 22 Hipponax 70, 77, 81, Fr. Chol. Adesp. 1
Friday, February 24 Hipponax, concluded. (Hand in information on Dialect
and Meters)
Week 7
Monday, February 27 Tyrtaeus. Testimonia and poems in English: Gerber
25-71.
Wednesday, March 01 Tyrtaeus 8
Friday, March 03 Tyrtaeus 9
Week 8
Monday, March 06 Tyrtaeus 9 concluded.
Wednesday, March 08 Review
Friday, March 10 Review
Week 9
Monday, March 13 Mimnermus. Testimonia and Poems. Gerber, pages 73-105.
Wednesday, March 15 Mimnermus 1
Friday, March 17 Mimnermus 2
Spring Break (Nolite In Ludum Intrare)
Week 10
Monday, March 27 Mimnermus 5, 10 (Hand in information on Topics and
Themes)
Wednesday, March 29 Solon Gerber 107-165.
Friday, March 31 Solon 1
Week 11
Monday, April 03 Solon 1
Wednesday, April 05 Solon 1
Friday, April 07 Solon 5, 19
Week 12
Monday, April 10 Xenophanes 1 (Hand in information on Influence)
Wednesday, April 12 Xenophanes 2
Friday, April 14 Review
Week 13
Monday, April 17 Sappho. Testimonia and Poems in English.
Wednesday, April 19 Sappho 1
Friday, April 21 Sappho 2
Week 14
Monday, April 24 Sappho 5, 16 (Hand in information on Modern Scholarship)
Wednesday, April 26 Sappho 31, 47,49,
Friday, April 28 Sappho 55, 81, 94, 96, 102
Week 15
Monday, May 01 Sappho 104a, 105a, 130, 132, Fr Adesp. 976
Wednesday May 03 Alcaeus
Thursday, May 04 (Research Paper Due)
Friday, May 05 Dead Day
Contact the Didaskalos
Professor Daniel B. Levine
Kimpel Hall 425 (Foreign Langauges Office)
Office: 502 Kimpel Hall
Office Hours: MWF 10:30-11:20 AM and by appointment
email: dlevine@uark.edu
telephone: 479-575-2951
fax: 575-6795
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