Topic	Things to Ponder
1/26 Introduction, 4th Century, Alexander the Great	What is a city? Think about physical, political, economic, historical, spiritual, and any other levels. What is "Hellenistic"? Continue to refine and ponder.
2/2 Peoples and Kings: the Macedonian Background. Dr. Perlman Praxiteles, Skopas and Lysippos	What is a polis? What is a king? Why "Kings and Cities"? Why does portraiture matter? What are coins?
2/9 DESCRIPTIVE essay due. Greece, the Seleukid Kingdom and Pergamon	What is a satrapy? How is multiculturalism dealt with? What is the role of religion?
2/16 Ptolemaic Egypt -- Alexandria	How does a pharaoh differ from a king? What did the Ptolemies do about this? What's different about women's lives in Alexandria?
2/23 Architectural developments, the urban structure	What has fundamentally changed about the way one experienced urban and architectural space? Why?
3/1 Medicine: Dr. Dean-Jones	What is behind healing cult? Does it work?
3/8 Poetry, New Comedy The Novel, Pastoral, Jason and the Argonauts	Think of the voices in Hellenistic poetry. What is court poetry? Is it really very ambiguous? How big is the world? How small is the world? What difference does it make in daily life?
3/15 Spring Break
3/22 Geography, Diplomacy, Warfare, Economics, Seafaring SECOND PAPER DUE	How did one get along with others? What advancements were made and how did they change the face of the ancient world? What role did the islands play?
3/29 Kings and Queens -- Ruler Cult; Hellenistic Women	Is ruler cult just lip service? What is significant about a strong queen?
4/5 The West: Magna Graecia, Sicily, Italy and Rome	Imagine life in third-century Syracuse. What's different about the West? Is Rome a Hellenistic city? Where does city end and empire begin?
4/12 ROUGH DRAFTS DUE The past, the present and the future; The family	What is the appeal of the past? What is the role of fortune? How does the family live?
4/19 Philosophy and Science: Dr. S.White	What is happiness? what is the good? If you lived in Hellenistic times, which philosophical school would you follow and why?
4/26 Magic, new religions, salvation cults, Christianity: Dr. L. Michael White	What to believe? Does it matter? Why? What can you do with it?
5/3 Hellenistic to Roman; Evaluation of Life in the Hellenistic City	What is a city? What is Hellenistic? What is a Hellenistic city?
5/10, 5:00 p.m. FINAL PAPER DUE	In my mailbox in WAG 123 or by e-mail
5/18 Final exam, 2-5 p.m.	see sample for format (I may simplify a bit). Essays are TIMED but take-home

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