Knorr's Curriculum Vitae

Spring 2006 Classes

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updated: 01/02/06

 

   

   

Love and War, Gods and Heroes:
Greek and Roman Epic Poetry
(CLASSICS 171 [IT] - Spring 2006)
TTh 1:50p-3:20p ETN 211

Professor Ortwin Knorr
Classical Studies Program

 Email: oknorrATwillamette.edu
Phone: x6029
Mailbox: 107 Eaton
Office Hours: W 10:30am-11:30 am
and by appointment, 306 Eaton
Syllabus

1. Tu., Jan. 17:

Syllabus and Introduction:
• Homer's Life & Portrait
• The Trojan Cycle
• The Proem of the Iliad

 

Fictitious Portrait of Homer
Roman copy of a Greek original from 460/450 BCE
(Munich, Glyptothek)
2. Th., Jan. 19:

 Homer, Iliad 1 (22pp.)
The quarrel between Achilles and Agamemnon

3. Tu., Jan. 24:


 Homer, Iliad 2 (29pp.)
Test of the Greek army's loyalty (Thersites) and catalogues
The Authenticity of the Trojan War
Read: Bernard Knox, "Introduction", pp. 1-22
in-class MOVIE: "Heinrich Schliemann: The Rediscovery of Troy" (Films for the Humanities, 1991, 26 min.)
4. Th., Jan. 26:


 Homer, Iliad 3-4 (36pp.)
Helen reviews the champions / Duel between Paris and Menelaus/
The truce is broken / First battle scenes
5. Tu., Jan. 31:

Homer, Iliad 5-6 (50pp.)
Diomedes fights the gods (The aristeia of Diomedes)/
Hector and Andromache
6. Th., Feb. 2:


 Homer, Iliad 7-8 (37pp.)
Duel between Hector and Aias / Wall constructed around the Achaean Camp / 2nd day of fighting
7. Tu., Feb. 7:

 Homer, Iliad 9-10 (45pp.)
The Embassy to Achilles/Marauding Through the Night

8. Th., Feb. 9:

 Homer, Iliad 16-17 (55pp.)
Patroclus rejoins the battle / Menelaus' aristeia and the fight over Patroclus' body

9. Tu., Feb. 14:

 Homer, Iliad 18-19 (36pp.)
The shield of Achilles / The champions arm for battle
10. Th., Feb. 16:

 Homer, Iliad 21-22 (39pp.)
Achilles fights the river-god Simoïs and kills Hector
11. Tu., Feb. 21:

Homer, Iliad 23-24 (56pp.)
The funeral games of Patroclus / The ransom of Hector's body
12. Th., Feb. 23:
 MIDTERM EXAM
13a. Tu., Feb. 28:

 1. Review of Midterm exam
2. Homer, Odyssey 1 (16pp.)
Proem / Odysseus on Kalypso's Island /
13b. Tu., Feb. 28:
Note different times!

after-class MOVIE: "Unforgiven" (USA 1993, 131 min.) with Clint Eastwood
6:30-9:00pm, Eaton 211
[recreates many themes and characters of the Iliad]
14. Th., Mar. 2:

1. Discussion of "Unforgiven"
Homework due:
list of passages where the movie alludes to the Iliad (1-2 pages)
2. Homer, Odyssey 2-4 (47pp.)
The Telemachy: Telemachos visits Nestor in Pylos /
Telemachos visits Helen and Menelaos in Sparta




Roman bust after a Hellenistic Homer statue (ca. 2nd cent. BCE)

15. Tu., Mar. 7:

Homer, Odyssey 5-8 (49pp.)
Odysseus leaves Kalypso; the storm / Odysseus among the Phaiakians
16. Th., Mar. 9:


 Homer, Odyssey 9-10 (31pp.)
The Adventures: Kikonians, Lotus-Eaters, Cyclops /
More Adventures: Aiolos' bag of winds, Laistrygones, Circe
17. Tu., Mar. 14:

Homer, Odyssey 11-12 (30pp.)
More Adventures: Voyage to the Underworld, Sirens, Skylla and Charybdis, Cattle of Helios, Storm: companions drown, only
Odysseus saved by Kalypso
18. Th., Mar. 16:



 Homer, Odyssey 13-16 (55pp.)
Odysseus returns to Ithaka, meets Athena and Eumaios /
Telemachos returns; life story of Eumaios; Odysseus meets his son at Eumaios' house and reveals himself

19. Tu., Mar. 21:

 Homer, Odyssey 17-18 (39pp.)
Odysseus returns home dressed as a beggar
20. Tu., Mar. 23:



 Homer, Odyssey 19-21 (39pp.)
Penelope interviews the beggar;
Odysseus almost betrayed by his scar;
the test of the bow
21. Th., Mar. 25:


 Homer, Odyssey 22-24 (39pp.)
The killing of the suitors, Penelope recognizes Odysseus; reunion with Laertes, and struggle with the suitors' relatives
March 27-31 (Mon-Fri)   Spring Vacation
22. Tu., Apr. 4:

in-class MOVIE: "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" (USA 2000, 103 min)
with George Clooney
[recreates many themes and characters of the Odyssey]
23. Th., Apr. 6:

1. Rest of movie and Discussion of "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"
Homework due:
list of passages where the movie alludes to the Odyssey (1-2 pages)
2. Hesiod, Theogony (all 1020 lines = 55pp.)
The Prometheus and Pandora Mythos (lines 521-589)


Fictitious Portrait of Hesiod?
So-called Pseudo-Seneca, Roman bronze bust (late 1st cent. BCE) after a Greek statue from ca. 200 BCE (Museo Nazionale, Naples)
24. Tu., Apr. 11:

in-class MOVIE: "Hercules" (1997, 93 min)
[combines the Hercules myth with motifs from other Greek myths, incl. some contained in Hesiod's Theogony]
Homework due:
short bio of Hercules according to ancient sources (1-2 pages)

25. Th., Apr. 13:


 1. Discussion of "Hercules"
2. Hesiod, Theogony (all 1020 lines = 55pp.)
The Three Generations of Gods /
The Battle of Gods vs. Titans (Titanomachy) (lines 617-721)
26. Tu., Apr. 18:












 Vergil, Aeneid 1-4 (97pp.)
Aeneas arrives at Dido's Court in Carthage/ Aeneas' Tales: The Fall of Troy and Aeneas' Wanderings / Aeneas' Love Affair with Dido and her Suicide

P. Vergilius Maro
Codex Vergilius Romanus, fol. 3v (5th cent. AD) at the Vatican Library
27. Th., Apr. 20:


 Vergil, Aeneid 5-8 (108pp.)
Funeral Games for Anchises and Voyage to the Underworld /
Aeneas lands in Latium; visits Euander at the future site of Rome
28. Tu., Apr. 25:

 Vergil, Aeneid 9-10 (58pp.)
Nisus & Euryalus; Pallas & Mezentius
29. Th. Apr. 27:

 Vergil, Aeneid 11-12 (61pp.)
Drances & Camilla; the final battle against Turnus
30. Tu., May 2:

 1. Evaluations (20min.)
2. Final Exam Review
31. Mon., May 8:
 FINAL EXAM, 2-4pm, Eaton 211