Instructions:  Fill out the answers to these questions and bring to 216 L/L at the time stated for the final (4:00 p.m. Tuesday 16 December). Provided that you have read at least half of the assignments, there will be no penalty for materials not read, but it is fair to expect people to be familiar with what they are asked to criticize. There is not room on this sheet to answer all of the questions fairly; either write them out or type them on separate pages, keyed to the numbers/letters of the questions.

I.  Assessment of materials required for the course.

B.  If you did not read the work but the discussion of its contents in class made the work seem valuable, say so. Also say if the class discussion led you to feel thankful that you had not spent time reading the assignment.

C.  Some of the authors have an additional question appended about alternatives; please do not answer merely yes or no but explain your answer.

1. The Epic of Gilgamesh

2. Selections from Herodotus
a. Book 2.50-53 (on the web)
b. Parts I-III
c. Parts IV-VIII
d. Parts VIII-IX and Epilogue
Would you have preferred to have the full text available and to have read more of the ethnographic portions (as opposed to the military and political ones)?

3. Presocratic philosophers and the sophists
a. The Milesians
b. Heraclitus
c. Xenophanes
d. Parmenides
e. Zeno
f. Pythagoras
g. Empedocles
h. The Atomists
i. Anaxagoras
j. Protagoras
k. Gorgias
There is another modern translation available with fewer authors and possibly less opaque  introductions; without having seen this, does it sound as if it would be better?

4. Selections from Thucydides
a. Parts 1-2
b. Parts 3-4
c. Parts 5-7b
d. Parts 7c-8
Would you have preferred to have the full text available?

5. Sophocles
a. Antigone
b. Oedipus the King
Would you have preferred to have read different plays so that there would be less overlap  with other components of the program?

6. Euripides Hippolytus

7. Aristophanes Clouds

8. Xenophon Socrates' Defense

9. Plato
a. Euthyphro
b. Apology

Would you have preferred to have read different dialogues so that there would be less  overlap with other components of the program?

10. Demosthenes First Philippic (on the web)

11. Polybius 1.1-11, 62-64; 3.1-12; 4.17-21, 38-45; 5.104; 6.2-11, 43-57; 36.9 and 17 (on the   web; if you read some parts and not others, please indicate which)

12. Cicero
a. On Obligations 2 & 3 c
b. On the Nature of the Gods 2 & 3
c. The Dream of Scipio (on the web)

13.  Livy's preface (on the web)

14. Seneca

a. On Providence
b. On the Shortness of Life
c. On Clemency
d. Letters 41, 47, 65, 70, 76
e. Letters 89, 90, 92, 102, 124

15. Tacitus describing the death of Seneca (on the web)

16. Marcus Aurelius Meditations (on the web)

17. The Gospel of Nicodemus (on the web)

18. Ammianus Marcellinus (on the web)
a. On the inhabitants of Rome
b. Battle of Adrianople

19. Symmachus and Ambrose on the Altar of Victory  (on the web)

20. Athanasius Life of Antony  (on the web)

21. Augustine
a. City of God books 1-5
b. City of God books 19 & 22
c. Letters (two assignments)

22. Gregory of Tours History of the Franks books 1 & 2 (on the web)

23. Peter Abelard  (on the web)
a. Introduction to Sic et non
b. Historia calamitatum

II.  Please answer at least 10, and make sure that you include related questions (e.g., if you answer1 you need to answer 2 as well; if you answer 6 you need to answer 7 as well). Suggestions for reading or study. A simple yes or no answer to questions is insufficient without specific reasons:

2.  If you answered yes to 1(b), do you prepare for class most of the time? If not, why not?

3.  My usual practice in courses such as this one is to give frequent short quizzes on the content (which count toward the final grade), both as a spur to discussion and to encourage students to keep up with the reading. How would such a practice affect you?

4.  The history component of IHP has been designed in the past as intellectual history. Does this emphasis seem appropriate in the context of the other two classes in the program? Would you prefer more of an historical structure in this course?

5.  Would you be willing to purchase and read a history textbook (provided it is attractive and well written)?

6.  Would you have preferred to have no historical background at all, but to have read all the texts in an historical vacuum?

7.  If you answered yes to 6, suggest other ways of creating a context for the various texts.

8.  Are full versions of fewer authors preferable?

9.  Did the guest speakers present different and valuable approaches to the materials?

10.  Was the addition of a lecture on art relevant? Would you like to have studied more kinds of ideas? For example, there are on the faculty scholars who study the history of mathematics, history of science, and ancient music.

11.  Is it good or bad to find reading assignments on the web instead of buying books?

12.  One historical period that received little attention was the Hellenistic era (beginning late fourth century BCE). Would you have liked to have learned more about Alexander the Great and the idea of world empires as practiced by westerners, and imitators of Alexander (especially Caesar)?

13.  Should religious texts be eliminated? Increased in number?

14.  Would you like to read biographies?

III.  Student exercises.

Why is it good and why is it bad to use the same paper for two (or more?) different instructors? Does it seem reasonable that if each of three instructors were to assign, for example, three papers, that if things worked out right someone could do only one-third of the writing actually expected?

There were no tests or examinations (not counting this exercise). Should there be? Which method of evaluation is better, considering the nature of the material? Which would you rather do? (These are two very different questions.)

Please assess the following options:

regular written exercises, multiple-draft (= revisions required)
written assignments due (a) every week, (b) every two weeks, (c) when?
scheduled weekly quizzes on the reading
random unannounced rather than weekly quizzes on the reading
assigned group exercises for small groups of students
debates
requirement of a fictional paper
assignment to each student to learn about one ancient or medieval man or woman (other than the authors assigned) to learn more about, to be able to view the world from his or her point of view

IV.  What other questions need to be asked and answered?