Final Exam 2013
The format of the final is as follows: There are 26 ID's divided into two
columns (13 in each column): one column is "what", one is "who". You have
to answer two from each column and one more, from either column, for five
in all.
There are four essays from which to choose the one you want to write
about.
With respect to specific knowledge (such as exact dates), and for the
Identifications, the chronological limits for the final examination are
from the end of the Peloponnesian War to approximately 270 (i.e., the
first half century after the death of Alexander III of Macedon). ID's will
pertain only to those years. For the essay questions, however, familiarity
with people and events of other time periods, both earlier and later, will
be useful. It would be difficult, for example, to compare Athenian and
Spartan hegemony without knowing specific things about what the Athenians
did during the fifth century. You should know about important people,
places, and events of the later fifth century.
Instructions for an essay will look like this:
Choose one topic. Make copious use of facts in your discussion. Facts
include dates, names of people and places, events. The argument consists
of creating a logical relationship among disparate facts. It is also fair
to consider the value and extent of the evidence available to us about the
topic.
An essay question may look like this:*
The following exchange takes place near the end of Aristophanes'
Frogs, produced in 405, as part of the contest between Euripides
and Aeschylus to see which playwright deserves more to be restored to life
and go back to Athens:
Dionysus First about Alcibiades. What is your opinion?
The city is still in heavy labor.
Euripides What is its feeling about Alcibiades?
Dionysus What? Yearning, hatred, desire. But what of you
two?
Say what you think about him.
Euripides I hate a citizen slow to help his country,
swift to harm it.
Ingenious for himself, for the
state feckless.
Dionysus Well put, by Poseidon. And you, Aeschylus, what
is your opinion?
Aeschylus Best it is never to rear a lion in the city;
but if reared
It has been, 'tis best to yield
to its ways.
Which of the two playwrights gives the best advice? Why?
*Note that this sample essay is based upon a passage of literature but
here the whole passage and context is given to you. The essays on the
final will not have any such passages because they will be more general; I
used this sample essay because it was handy, pertained to the
Peloponnesian war period, and already existed.
An answer would need to contain all of these elements:
If you had read Plutarch's biography of Alcibiades, you would have many
things to say about his life before 421, especially his military career
and personal life. If you had read only Thucydides and Xenophon, you
would have to relate Alcibiades' entire career from 421 to 405, starting
with his efforts to destroy the peace of Nicias, the alliance with Argos
and other Peloponnesian states (and the Battle of Mantinea), continuing
through his fostering of the Sicilian expedition, his plan of action upon
arrival in Sicily, changes of sides, quality of advice given to the
Spartans and Persians, and effectiveness as a commander in the war in the
Aegean 411-406. This would give you a factual basis for assessing
Alcibiades' talents or lack thereof, and thus for answering the question.
If you had also read Aristophanes' Frogs you would know that
Dionysus chose Aeschylus. That choice might figure into your answer,
whether you agree or disagree with Dionysus.
Last updated: 10 December 2013
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