Humanities I: The Ancient Greek World
A First-Year Tutorial offered fall 2020, taught by W. Joseph Cummins, associate professor of classics and philosophy
This tutorial will be an introduction to the liberal arts through reading, discussing, and writing about several classic works which stand at the beginning of the liberal-arts tradition. More specifically, the course will be an introduction to poetry, history, and philosophy by way of some of the most famous works produced in ancient Greece.
We will begin with epic poetry, reading both the Iliad and the Odyssey. Then we will turn to three examples of tragic drama: Aeschylus’ Agamemnon, Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, and Euripides’ Bacchants.
We will also study Aristotle’s analysis of epic and tragedy in his Poetics. The History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides will be our example of historical writing in prose. Our last writer will be Plato, who illustrates philosophical questioning, reflection, and dialogue in his Defense of Socrates, Crito, and Drinking-Party.
Although our texts are chosen to illustrate different types of literature, they are linked by their cultural context, by some common techniques of composition, and by many common themes, such as the fragility of human life, the basic impulses of human nature, and the question of what makes human life meaningful and worthwhile. In sum, the course is about literature and the course is about life.
The Relevance of Ancient Greeks to the Contemporary World
After reading tragedies, epics, and then starting a prose novel, my reading vocabulary and knowledge of both mythology and history have expanded. But what is most rewarding to me has been making connections between the ancient Greeks and present-day human nature. The first connection was all it took for me to stay motivated throughout this course, and with each new one along the way, my appreciation for both past and present culture increases.
– Julianna Vajda ’24
Lively Discussion with Classmates
Ancient Greek Worlds has been a wonderful, fulfilling tutorial class. Professor Joseph Cummins does an excellent job inspiring his students to participate. Consequently, I get to hear from all my classmates! My favorite part of his class is hearing what my classmates have to say on the subject matter.
– Sadie Weiner ’24
