Introduction to the Ancient Great Books

Introduction to the Great Books: Ancients is a course designed for junior high students who desire to study the Great Books but may be concerned about the pace and level of material normally attempted in a Great Books course. What makes this course distinctive is that focal literature selections are paired with history selections as well as a “living” book and the time spent with individual works is extended over several weeks, so that the student is reading short sections from three works each week. This allows the student to absorb the material at a moderate pace and also allows ample time for connections between the works.

Optional assignments of chronological history “spines” to give more context to the readings as well as movies, videos, music, and art that relate to the focal material will also be provided. Composition instruction will be an introduction to the progymnasmata levels of chreia/maxim and confirmation/refutation. These assignments are integrated into the history and literature being studied and will consist of two essays per semester, one from each level. Daily time spent on assignments is expected to be approximately two hours.

Course Objectives:

1. To become familiar with the primary points of plot, character, and style of major ancient works and authors, providing a fundamental understanding which will enable students to tackle these or other similar works in their entirety in future studies.
2. To receive an overview of events in ancient history and concurrent Biblical events.
3. To make connections of selected themes across a broad range of works, both contemporary and ancient, that will give them a base from which to approach other Great Books.
4. To learn and execute the forms of two types of progymnasmata essays: the chreia/maxim and the confirmation/refutation.
5. To receive an appreciation of the works studied at their most engaging level—as Great Stories that are enjoyable for all ages and all times.
6. To approach all works from a Christian worldview and to view each selection through the lens of Scripture.

Texts:

• D’Aulaire, D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths, (any edition)
• Homer, The Odyssey (trans. Samuel Butler), ISBN 1467960014
• Bendick, Herodotus and the Road to History, ISBN 1932350209
• Herodotus, The Histories (provided by instructor)
• Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream (retelling by Charles Lamb; available online)
• Church, Stories of the Greek Tragedians (available online)
• Plato, The Apology, Crito, and Phaedo (formatted and provided by instructor)
• Adams, Watership Down (any edition)
• Church, Stories from Livy (online)
• Virgil, The Aeneid (prose translation by David West), ISBN 0140449329
• Speare, The Bronze Bow, (any edition)
• White, The Plutarch Project, Volume Three, ISBN 0994797788
• Foster, Augustus Caesar’s World (any edition)