Tesseract Freshman Trip

Day 11 - Colosseum, Capitoline Museum, Imperial Forum, Museum, and a home cooked meal!

2011-04-13T13:33:00.001-07:00

After yesterday's day of rest, we got an early start to the morning by walking 4 miles to the Colosseum. It was a nice walk along the river, and Taylor presented to the group about the history of the Colosseum. One of the most interesting points we learned was there were 26 different kinds of gladiators, including women and animals. Also, contrary to the movies gladiators rarely were killed in the arena.

At the end of Taylor's presentation, it got very windy, cold, and started to rain. So we ran over to the Capitoline Museum where we saw a number of fascinating sculptures. My favorite was the sculpture of Commodus dressed up like Hercules (he was very full of himself). After the museum it was sunny and nice out, which allowed us to go to the Imperial Forum where Maggie presented. The Imperial Forum was like an outdoor shopping mall in ancient Roman times.

We then went over to the Spanish Steps, checked out a church, and had some free time for lunch and shopping. After, we headed to the Borghese park and museum. Mr. Whitson said we were very lucky to get in as he needed to make reservations months ago. The Borghese family has has this collection of Renaissance artwork for centuries. Mr. Whitson asked us to write done and be ready to explain our 3 favorite paintings and why.

After the museum, we went back to the apartment and all helped Mr. Whitson make a home made dinner. Salad, pasta, a meat sauce, and bruscetta. It was VERY GOOD!

One more day!

Jordan Lee
Tesseract 9th Grade Student

Using public transportation!

On the way to the Colisseum

Capitoline Museum

Imperial Forum

Spanish Steps

Borghese Park

Dinner!

Day 10 - Roman Forum, etc.

2011-04-12T13:42:00.001-07:00

Today we all went to Palatine Hill, the birthplace of Rome. We walked through to see the home of Augustus, the first emperor of Rome. Along with his villa, we saw many other villas from other emperors of Rome. After looking through the villas, we went to the Roman Forum where Nick and Chianne talked about the forum and what happened there. One of the most interesting places in the forum was the Temple of Vesta. We learned about the Vestal Virgins. Their job was to keep the fire in the temple alive at all times. After seeing the temple of Vestus, we saw the temple of Romulus, where old movies played in the middle of the temple.

After we had lunch, Mr. Whitson decided that the class needed time to relax. So, to the joy of the class, we spent the rest of the day in the apartments to rejuvenate and sleep. After hours of trying to fall asleep, many of us gave up and socialized for hours, talking and joking with each other.

We went to dinner in a rustic part of Rome-one of Mr. Whitson's favorite spots. After dinner we all watched an amazing fire dancer that we all thought would catch on fire due to the greatness of her tricks. After she was done, nobody could resist giving her plenty of euros to thank for her show. After the show we all went to the apartment to go to sleep at 10:30.

All in all, it was a great day that relaxed us and got us pumped up for our 3rd day in Rome.

Derek Scullin
Tesseract 9th Grade Student

Shopping for our picnic lunch

The Roman Forum

Day 9 - Cuma, Hell, and the road to Rome

2011-04-11T13:46:00.001-07:00

Last night we got little sleep because of the fireworks that went off for the 150th anniversary of Italy. The first stop this morning was Cuma Acropolis. A Greek colony dating back to 750 BC. Mr. Whitson told us about the site then took us down to where people thought the entrance to hell was. We then went to the top of the hill where the Temple of Apollo was. The site was amazing, we looked out and saw the ocean and next to it was the woods.

Our second stop was Sybyll's Cave, the more widely accepted entrance to hell. The Sybyll's was the gatekeeper to hell, located directly below Apollo's temple. Along the way we passed a lake that was massive. An old man greeted us at the entrance of the cave. His family has owned the land the cave is on for generations He told us the cave was made from a volcano that exploded and it went down a mile. He lite some torches and handed them out and we started our decent to hell. We got to small tunnel on the right that led down to the River Styx. We all took turns and went down the tunnel and touched the water. Lily and Chianne got scared so they went back to wait outside. After everyone finished touching the water we got back up and went on to the next tunnel. The tunnel led us down to place where travelers would ask the Sybyll for their future. The old man led us back to the beginning of the tunnel and we thanked him, left, and started our bus ride to Rome. It took 3 hours to get and everyone was already tired. The apartment we are staying at is really cool, but we only got to enjoy it for and hour and on we were again walking the streets of Rome. We settled at the Piazza Nuovo and split up into small groups and went to dinner. We started to leave and then a rave started in the middle of the plaza. We got home, had our group meeting and, then some people went of to fight for the laundry or went to bed.

Colton Aboussafy
Tesseract 9th Grade Student

Cuma

Suspected tunnel to hell in Cuma

View from Cuma

Temple of Jupiter in Cuma

The road to Sybill's Cave

Inside Sybyll's Cave

Tunnel down to the River Styx

The River Styx

The way to the Sybyll's Lair

Our Rome apartment

Rome (so far...)

Day 8 - Island of Capri

2011-04-10T13:35:00.001-07:00

The morning started with us waking up to the sound of the rooster who wakes us daily. After breakfast we jumped on the bus and headed to the dock, where we later boarded the boat. The ride to Capri was brief, and we soon headed to Villa Jovis, Derek's site. After a long walk uphill we finally reached our destination. To our disappointment, the sky was foggy, and we were not able to see the amazing views that were expected. Afterwards, we headed back down from Villa Jovis and split into groups to shop and wander around the town of Capri. At 3:30 PM, the majority of the group headed to a ski lift, where we then saw a spectacular view from the highest point of Capri. We also had the pleasure of hiking all the way back down, where most of us got lost. The few who stayed behind shopped around more until we all met up at 4:30 PM. At last, altogether, we walked down what seemed like a million stairs to the dock once again. Most of us went to the beach on the Mediterranean Sea, where some of us got soaked as well. Finally, we all met up again to board the boat back to the mainland, onto a bus, and finally, back to Villa Vergiliana.
One of the highlights of the day was when Adam got soaked on the beach, and to his dismay, his wallet was drenched as well. Mr. Whitson had informed us earlier that we needed our ticket stub from the first boat ride in order to board on the boat ride home. To Adam's dismay, his ticket stub was in his wallet, which was now thoroughly soaked through, including his ticket. he ended up freaking out, thinking he would be stuck on the island forever. Lily ended up running through shops in an attempt to find tape to repair Adam's ripped ticket. She was able to piece back the ticket, but in the end, it didn't even matter, as Mr. Whitson revealed that the ticket stub was unnecessary. Adam was relieved, but also rather irritated, especially because he was still sopping wet. At the end of the day, we finally reached the villa, where we ate a delicious dinner, followed by packing. After showers, we all headed to bed to get a good nights rest for a long ride to Rome tomorrow.

Lily Munoz and Alyssa Lamb
Tesseract 9th Grade Students

Day 7 - Herculaneum

2011-04-09T12:56:00.001-07:00

One of the most mind boggling sites in Italy is Herculaneum along with Pompeii. Both are buried under multiple feet of rubble. Unlike Pompeii, it housed the more prominent figures of society. There were many baths that overlooked the then seaside shore, and many grand statues of ancient myths. Along with the intricate baths, there were also a surplus of mosaics and frescoes in Herculaneum. There were fancier paintings and signs of Christianity. Pompeii did not have any remains of wood like Herculaneum. Marble and brick were expensive and heavy to build with, so they sometimes used wood. There was an example of stairs from two story buildings and also wood separators in some houses. An interesting highlight came from an ancient bakery. There were mill stones that were essentially a dome shaped block of rock and another one that sat on top. The top one could move with the man power if two people, which when grain was poured in could grind to dough.

After seeing the ruins from Herculaneum, we went to the National Archaeological Museum. Statues and works of art from both Pompeii and Herculaneum were there. One renowned marble feature we found in the museum (though not necessarily from Herculaneum), was The Farnese Bull. It is a statue of a Antiope and her two sons tying her abuser, Dirce to a bull who would ultimately drag her to her death. It served as witness to fair revenge in the city. We had the opportunity to see the most artistically twisted example of Hercules (and, as a reference, that was where Farnese Bull was on display). Hercules was depicted as an older man, resting, which he never had been before. He had always been in motion. In his right hand he held his lion cloak and in his left he possessed the immortal apples of Hesperides.

In Naples we all filed around behind Mr. Whitson one at a time like ducklings. The cars and scooters did not acknowledge our presence, and I believe we all had the experience of being loudly honked a number of times. We rushed around, giving ourselves the opportunity to eat pizza at one of the oldest pizzerias in the world! Also to gain cultural knowledge other than ancient Greeks and Romans we visited a Renaissance cathedral. They used a lot of techniques like bronze and marble statues, but their designs are a bit more intricate instead of simple. Colors other than the primary red are used and embellished in gold. The overall structure also differs. The cathedral is very tall and spacious when the Ancients did not have the means or technology to create structures that tall.

Comparing different times and cities gave us more of an insight into these times. It forced us to analyze why there were differences in the structures and lifestyles. We can also take that and compare the culture differences between the Ancient worlds and ours today with the places we have seen.

Brekken Carns and Taghreed Adnan
Tesseract 9th Grade Students

Day 6 - Pompeii, Oplontis, and Mt. Vesuvius (with pictures)

2011-04-08T13:15:00.001-07:00

Today we went to Pompeii, Oplontis, and the great Mt. Vesuvius. We woke up, ate breakfast, then boarded the bus. We started our day feeling tired. While on the bus a couple of our classmates played some jokes to try and cheer everyone up (it worked). About 15 min. later we arrived at Pompeii feeling excited. We walked in through the gates with our tour guides Jessica and Lily leading the way. Immediately, we experienced moans of excitement, astonishment, and anticipated exhaustion. We started off visiting the temples of both Apollo and Jupiter(Zeus). Both Jess and Lily were very enthusiastic. We then went to see the molds of the dead people which were very strange in a way. From there we went to the oldest Brothel and everyone got a huge kick out of it. After that we went to the theaters where Jess and Lily had everyone make up a skit and then perform it in front of the class. The winners were Derek, Sam, Chianne. After being embarrassed we went to the Arena! There Jess and Lily talked about the gladiators and what they did. Pompeii, a city of great power, held both beauty and destruction within its past. Overall it was a great journey into the past and interesting to learn about.
Our next stop took us to Oplontis where Brekken was our tour guide. Oplontis was the home of Emperor Nero's second wife. Nero being the psychopath that he was, killed both his mother and wife. Oplontis, the house of Nero's wife, is the best preserved ruins from what we have seen. The walls give us an idea of what happened there and how the people lived. Brekken gave a terrific presentation and was a marvelous tour guide. From Oplontis we went to Mt. Vesuvius. We all looked around at the gift shops before we hiked up to the top. When we were ready we started our way up the volcano. It started out hard and steep but got easier after that. After everyone was up we headed back down to the bus and came back to the villa. At the villa we played ping pong ate dinner and talked for an hour then went to bed after a long tiring day.

Enjoy the photos!

Alexander Kaufman and Adam Nehmeh
Tesseract 9th Grade Students

Day 2 Photos

2011-04-07T13:51:00.001-07:00

Day 3 Photos

2011-04-07T13:37:00.001-07:00

Day 4 Photos

2011-04-07T13:20:00.001-07:00

Day 5 Photos

2011-04-07T13:04:00.001-07:00

Day 5 - Hadrian's Villa and Welcome to Italy!

2011-04-07T12:45:00.001-07:00

Today we said goodbye to Greece and hello to Italy! To start the day we woke up a little earlier than the other days in order to make sure we could catch the train to the airport and have plenty of time to make our flight. Mr. Whitson should try out for the Olympic speed walking team. Man is he fast! Just as we were about to board we were called back as the plane had technical issues. The delay was only 40 minutes and then we were on our way.

When we arrived in Italy we took a bus to Hadrian's Villa, which was very cool. Emperor Hadrian lived during a peaceful time in the Roman Empire, and was committed to keeping the peace, making sure his people were happy, and also creating his massive villa. Hadrian loved Greek architecture, and took a lot of those concepts and incorporated them with his own to create his dream vacation home. It was well preserved and the tour guides Taghreed and Alyssa did a great job. Afterwards, we began the long journey to our own villa 3 hours away. This place is really cool as it sits on it's own set of ruins (including a gladiator arena!). The accommodations are much nicer than what we had in Athens. They cooked us a phenomenal meal, including a birthday cake for Adam.

Tomorrow we get to go to Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius.

Kamrom Vishteh & Nikhil Patel
Tesseract 9th Grade Students

Day 4 - Delphi

2011-04-06T11:52:00.001-07:00

Today we visited the city and temple of Delphi. It was an ancient city that thrived during the ancient Greek Empire. People would come from all over to seek an audience with the Oracle, a person who foretold people's futures. Visitors would bring treasures to pay homage to the Oracle and appease the God Apollo. Strangely enough, the Oracle only worked about 8 days a year. Since Delphi sits on two fault lines, it is believed gases released by earthquakes went directly into the Oracle's chamber, giving her hallucinations and basically making her high. After visiting the ruins and hearing Nikhil's presentation on the city, we went to the Delphi museum, where they have moved most of the recovered artifacts.

Delphi is located in the mountains overlooking a massive ravine. It took 3 1/2 hours for us to reach DelphI. On that bus ride, Derek and Sam made an incredible educational rap that everyone enjoyed. A good memory was at night. Everybody started panicking because they thought there was a crazy man downstairs (which was made up by Kamron). Overall today was a good day.

Here are some of the lyrics to the rap:

Derek and Sam, we are so cool
We help the community and go to school
We look to the future and stay. In our path
Every Tuesday we all study math

We say what we want as long as it's nice
As long as were smilin', that'll suffice
Jessica and Chianne are so kind
They stay alert and use their mind

We are doing laundry and packing as we fly to Rome tomorrow and then drive to Hadrian's Villa and then stay in Naples!

Sam Glotfelty and Cole Beairsto
9th Grade Tesseract Students

Day 3 - Acropolis and Agora

2011-04-05T12:09:00.001-07:00

When we woke up this morning everyone went down stairs for breakfast at 7:30. Then we walked from our hostel to the Acropolis which you could see from the streets. It was a lot of uphill walking but it wasn't as far as we thought it would be. First we went to Areopagus Hill and you could see most of Athens from this point. After that we walked up to the main entrance of the Acropolis and we adopted a stray dog (there are so many stray dogs in Athens it's unbelievable. Each one fights to adopt a group of tourists) The Acropolis was kind of like a castle, but it wasn't used on an everyday basis. After our visit to the Acropolis, we walked to the Agora. This was used as a public place where people could go to speak to crowds, trade, craftsmen could work, and many other things. Sam and Kamron were the presenters for the Acropolis and Adam presented at the Agora.

When we finished we separated into small groups and went out to lunch. I ate a wrap with chicken. It's was DELISH. Maggie had spanakopita, which is like a pastry with spinach inside. Once we finished eating we met back at the Acropolis Museum. Many of the surviving artifacts are located there, including the entire frieze (the top facades).

After the museum we split up again, some went shopping, while others went to the Olympic Stadium (the original one!). Most of them actually ran on the track where the very first Olympic games took place. we got back to the hostel, we spilt into groups again and went shopping around. Everyone met back in the boys room for our group meeting, where we discussed our feelings on what we think about people being kicked out of their homes in order to uncover archaeological ruins. We are all getting ready for bed now. Tomorrow we have a long bus ride to Delphi. One more day before heading to Naples!

Chianne Connelly and Maggie Holgate
Tesseract 9th Grade Students

Day 2 - Mycenae

2011-04-05T12:07:00.001-07:00

Today we also went to Mycenae, the great ancient city of Greece. Alex Kaufman and Cole Beairsto were our tour guides, and provided us with a wealth of knowledge about the Mycenaean tombs. The ones we saw were massive domes reaching 50 feet in hight and were made of huge cut stone. We also saw the tomb of Agamemnon, to which Mr. Whitson provided us a history of Agamemnon's, the king of kings, ancestry and the manly tragedies that befell the bloodline. After Mycenae, we went back to our hostel and split into groups. Two groups went shopping, and a third went to the National Archaeology Museum. It is considered the largest and best collection of ancient artifacts in the world. The shoppers went around the street markets of Athens and found everything from earrings to gelato. Overall, it was a great way to start our class trip.

Nicolas Carerras
Tesseract 9th Grade Student

Day 2 - Epidaurus

2011-04-05T11:50:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Epidaurus. It is an ancient Greek amphitheater dating back to the fourth century BCE. It is considered 'the perfect amphitheater'. No matter where you sit, you can hear the performers on stage clearly. This was illustrated by Mr. Whitson, standing at the epicenter and speaking clearly to us in the VERY top row. The walk to the top was difficult, but very fun as well. We saw some other minor ruins, but they there mostly in the process of being reconstructed to show what things really looked liked at that time. We had lunch at the bottom of the hill at the local town at out bus driver's favorite restaurant. It was very enjoyable especially because there was a stray cat people took turns feeding. The cat got a free meal, and so did we; Mr. Whitson paid for our meal. Thanks Mr. Dave ;).

Taylor Thompson
Tesseract 9th Grade Student

Day 2: Coming Soon!

2011-04-04T20:37:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update - Taylor and Nick wrote their posts last night, but it looks like there was some difficulty exporting them from the iPad to this blog. We'll have them up in an hour or so.

Day 1: Arrival in Athens

2011-04-03T20:40:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

Crossing the Atlantic always make for a long day, and our trip was no exception. Fortunately, everything went as smoothly as it could. All of our flights were on time and actually arrived 10-15 minutes early in each case. Immigration and customs were a breeze. Nobody forgot anything substantial (or even insubstantial, really). Here are some highlights from a long but generally uneventful day:

What We Ate: In Phoenix, there were few options available, but most arrived well stocked. In Chicago, almost the entire group swarmed the McDonald's. From Chicago to London, we were served two meals in flight. In London-Heathrow, some had sandwiches, others had breakfast dishes, while most purchased over-sized bags of Cadbury and other assorted chocolates. In Athens, we all went out for dinner in a great restaurant serving traditional food with... non-traditional names. For dessert, the restaurant provided chocolate crepes, on the house.

What We Did on the 8-Hour Flight: I watched three movies. Jordan played Tetris for eight hours. Niki failed at sleeping. Derek and Sam talked.

What We Learned: Several students learned that "white" is not your nationality. Cole learned that it's a good thing to hold on to something when the metro is moving. Everyone learned how to operate a push-button shower, and that toilet paper doesn't go in the toilet in Greece.

I woke up an hour ago for a quick run around Athens and up the Lycabettus Hill. All of the guys in my room were passed out. I'll go jab them with a stick in 20 minutes and then, after a quick breakfast, we'll be on the road to Mycenae. More tonight.

Dave

2011 Freshman Trip Itinerary

2010-11-17T12:04:00.000-08:00

(Please note some very minor changes to April 12/13, mainly involving the swapping of Colosseum and Capitoline Museum.)

Saturday, April 2

7:30am - All students arrive at Phoenix Sky Harbor
10:20am - Depart Phoenix

Sunday, April 3 - Athens: Acropolis Museum

5:30pm - Touch down in Athens
6:30pm - Arrive AthenStyle guesthouse
7pm - Dinner, Athens stroll

Monday, April 4 - Athens: Day-trip to Mycenae, Epidaurus

9am - Mycenae: Ruins from the land of Agamemnon and Menelaus
1:30pm - Epidaurus: Home to the ancient world's perfect theater

Tuesday, April 5 - Athens: Acropolis, Agora, National Archaeological Museum

8am - Acropolis: The defining landmark of Ancient Greece
10:15am - The brand new Acropolis Museum
1:30pm - Agora: The center of Athenian democracy

Wednsday, April 6 - Athens: Day-trip to Delphi

11am - Delphi Ruins: We will follow in the footsteps of the many kings a visit to the oracle in search of advice...
8pm - Return to Athens

Thursday, April 7 - From Athens to Naples

10:30am - Depart Athens
11:30am - Arrive Rome, catch chartered bus to Tivoli
1pm - Hadrian's Villa: The most opulent villa of its era, though sadly raided over the years.
6pm - Arrive Villa Vergiliana

Friday, April 8 - Naples: Pompeii, Oplontis, Vesuvius

9am - Pompeii: A city buried alive by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 and one of our best glimpses into life in Ancient Rome
12:30pm - Oplontis: Emperor Nero's wife's villa, this boasts some of the best preserved frescoes from the era
2:30pm - Mt. Vesuvius: We will climb to the top of the mountain that punished Romans but rewarded historians...

Saturday, April 9 - Naples: Herculaneum, NAM, Sibyll's Cave

9am - Herculaneum: Though less famous than Pompeii, this is still a rich site, offering us another perspective on life in Ancient Rome - in this case, the perspective of an affluent town.
11:30am - National Archaeological Museum: Houses the richest finds from Pompeii, Herculaneum, and other ancient sites in the region
1pm - Free afternoon in Naples

Sunday, April 10 - Naples: Capri

Full day in Capri, including visits to Villa Tiberio and Arco Naturale

Monday, April 11 - Rome: Hadrian's Villa, Vatican

8:30am - Depart Villa Vergiliana
9am - Cumae Acropolis: Ruins of a Greek colony in Italy, upon which our villa was later built
11am - Sibyll's Cave: The entrance to Hades? Perhaps...
3:30pm - Arrive Vatican Apartment
4:30pm - St. Peter's Basilica: A short, ten-minute stroll from our apartment takes us to the pope

Tuesday, April 12 - Rome: Colosseum, Forum, Palatine

8am - Shop for lunch in Campo dei Fiori
9am - Palatine Hill: Romulus founded Rome here, Augustus ruled from here, and many other emperors followed
10am - Roman Forum: The heart of the Roman government for many years
Picnic lunch in Circus Maximus
1:30pm - Capitoline Museum: The collection is massive. We will focus on the frescoes and stuccoes that tell the story of Rome and the tombstones that reveal a great deal about Roman religious beliefs
3pm - Free time in Field of Mars

Wednesday, April 13 - Rome: Capitoline, Trajan, Borghese

8am - Colosseum: We who are about to die salute you!
10am - Trajan's Column: Set in the Imperial Forum, this is one of the most impressive monuments from the ancient world
Noon - Capuchin Crypt: Bones, Bones, Bones
Picnic in Borghese Park
5pm - Borghese Gallery

Thursday, April 14 - Rome: Morning Options, Afternoon in Field of Mars

Morning - Students will choose morning activity. Options include the Vatican Museums, Villa Tiberio in Sperlonga, Etruscan tombs in Cerveteri, the Villa d'Este in Tivoli, or Ostia Antica
Afternoon - Walking tour of remaining Roman highlights in Field of Mars, including Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Capuchin Crypt, and Trevi Fountain after dark

Friday, April 15 - Arrivederci Roma, Hello Phoenix

11:30am - Depart Rome
8:40pm - Arrive Phoenix

9th Grade Trip - Blog Index

2010-05-11T14:31:00.000-07:00

Want to relive the 9th grade trip to Italy and Greece? To make it easy, I've compiled links to all of the blog posts here:

Day 1: Arrival, Sperlonga, Capua
Day 2: Pompeii and NAM
Day 3: Herculaneum, Oplontis, and Cuma
Day 4: Capri
Day 5: Underworld, Rome
Day 6: Ancient Rome
Day 7: Epigraphs and Sarcophagi
Day 8: Villas and Vias
Day 9: Colosseum, Bones, and Michelangelo
Day 10: Flying to Greece, Delphi
Day 11: Epidaurus, Mycenae, Athens
Day 12: Acropo... what?

Day 13: At the Airport

2010-04-23T00:34:00.000-07:00

We're all at the Athens Airport, preparing to board. Loading in 5 minutes, take-off in 45 minutes, and then a whole lot of flying. And yes, all 16 kids made it to the airport.

See you in Phoenix around 9:40pm!

Dave

Day 12: Acropo... what?

2010-04-22T11:44:00.000-07:00

This post was written by Taylor Coleman:

This morning we walked our way up to the Acropolis. As we arrived at the Acropolis we found out that it was closed due to strikes, but it will be back open again tomorrow (the day we leave!). So, the two tour guides (Taylor and Jake) had to give their presentations around the Sacred Rock and inside the Acropolis Museum. The museum was staggering because it holds all of the ancient artifacts of the from the original Acropolis. For example, on display it had the original statues of the Temple of the Erechteion which was the main place of worship for the ancient Greeks.

Later, we visited Socrates's prison, where he died after being forced to drink poison. From that point we took a small hike where we could see all of Athens and the Aegean Sea. And, we took a break to play catch with the frisbee for a little bit. After that, we walked our way down to the Agora which was the political center and marketplace of Ancient Greece. We only had half an hour there before closing so we were rushed to get through the site.

After a break we had our final group meeting where we had three questions to discuss: 1. What have we read in class that explores what it means to be human, 2. What have we heard on our trip that explores what makes us human, and 3. What have we seen on the trip that explores what makes us human. Essentially, it was a review of both the trip and 9th grade Humanities.

This being our last day on the trip and in Athens, we had to pack early for the flight tomorrow. We had about 4 hours of free time to walk around and shop. Some of us went back out after dinner to shop and walk around the city.

Day 11: Epidaurus, Mycenae, Athens

2010-04-21T11:44:00.000-07:00

This post was written by Sam and Robert:

Today we started out with a long bus ride to Epidaurus. We spent the majority of the time sleeping with one stop for food and water on the way. Epidaurus was a huge, ancient theater that has great acoustics; you can hear a person talking at normal voice from the top row. It is also able to seat over 20,000 people. Mr. Labonte read a passage from the Illiad with most of the students sitting at the top row and we were able to hear him. We then took a few minutes to look around the temple that was in the area before we departed for Mycenae.

When we got to Mycenae we found out we only had 30 minutes before it closed, which made presenting a challenge. Robert Backer first talked about the history of Mycenae which was very interesting. It was founded in 3000 BC and was overrun by the Dorians in 1100 BC. Then the awesome Sam Ettenson talked about the Lions Gate which is a giant slab of rock that has two lions on it and weighs around 12 tons. Then the cool Robert Backer talked about the Grave Circles and told the story of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. The awesome Sam then talked about the Palace of Mycenae which was the largest in Greece at the time. Then, the awesome Sam talked about the Cistern which was where they stored water in case of a drought.

Then we left for Athens and the girls had a thumb war over Robert which was very entertaining to watch. On the bus ride we also had to write recomendations for next year's students for their presentations. We then got to the hotel and got settled in our rooms; shortly after that, we went to dinner. Our group consisted of Sam, Robert, Nathan Landau, David Guido, Jordan Reichlin, and Dave Whitson. We had dinner and we tried to see if Sam, Robert, and Nathan could finish the two stuffed burgers we had. We all finished them somehow. We then came back to the hotel and wrote this blog.

Day 10: Flying to Greece, Delphi

2010-04-21T11:42:00.001-07:00

This post was written by Jacob and David:

This morning was a rush. My (David's) room was woken up by Arron's sci-fi music, while Mr. Labonte woke up the rest of us early to get ready to leave for the airport. After arriving by train at the airport, everyone was freaking out about whether their bag was going to fit the length requirement; of course, 3 people's bags were too big and had to be checked. The flight took two hours, during which most of us slept. Those who were awake, though, had a really cool ride, because almost the instant we were in the air we were over the ocean and saw islands the whole way.

After landing, we immediately noticed some of the differences between Greece and Italy. In particular, Greece seemed much more mountainous. A chartered bus picked us up at the airport and we immediately started driving for Dephi - a very long drive. Once there, we visited the Oracle, where people got advice from the god Apollo. Dave told us that fissures in the earth brought up gases right to the oracle's spot and likely produced hallucinations. Finally, we made it to the hotel, a very nice and calming place, and then had dinner and a 45 minute conversation, while there were dogs barking and children crying right beside us.. Overall, it was a tiring but good day. It ended with my (David's) group scaring ourselves by talking about the Shining and Quarantine. It really freaked all of us out.

Day 9: Colosseum, Bones, and Michelangelo

2010-04-19T08:03:00.000-07:00

This post was written by Hunter.

First we went to the Colosseum. We got there about 15 minutes early and we waited outside of it until we were allowed to enter. Being there when it first opened allowed us to see it almost empty. After an hour at the Colosseum we all got on to the metro and headed to the Capucchin Crypt, a church where they put the skeletons of the priests that lived before. There were four to five rooms covered with bones in an artistic design. After that, most of us continued on to the Vatican Museum.

The group that I was in saw many sculptures (dating from the ancient to the renaissance periods) which were all throughout the museum. Best of all, we saw the Sistine Chapel, painted by Michelangelo.

This being our last day in Rome, we all headed home early to pack for Athens (all hoping our flight won't be canceled). After we pack and have our meeting we will eat dinner and then, as a group, make one last visit to the Trevi Fountain.

Day 8: Villas and Vias

2010-04-18T21:24:00.000-07:00

This post was written by Makhayla:

I woke up this morning weary-eyed, and the first thought that crossed my mind was: Hadrian's Villa. Today was the day when Michelle and I served as tour guides. And, instead of having two hours to get ready to go we only had an hour. This made the morning slightly more hectic than usual. Even though there were a few bumps to our morning routine, everything worked out for the best. Nathan was kind enough to prepare a lovely breakfast for the group. He made scrambled eggs and there were also croissants, yogurt, cereal, and fruit. After cleaning up, we all scurried around doing last minute tasks before departure.

All in all, I have to say that we did a pretty good job with staying on schedule. After leaving the apartment, we walked down the street where we then loaded onto the bus. As far as transportation goes, today was an easier day than the last three days. We had a chartered bus which picked us up and dropped us off at Hadrian's Villa, which is located on the outskirts of Rome. Even though we were about ten minutes late this morning, everything worked out because instead of taking an hour to get to the villa it only took about twenty minutes. Since we got there at about 8:30 and Hadrian's Villa didn't open until 9:00, we had about half an hour to relax at small cafe which was right next door to the villa.

Right as we were getting ready to enter Hadrian's Villa, it began to sprinkle. Luckily that only lasted for about ten, fifteen minutes. Michelle and I began the tour right inside of the main entrance, where we introduced the group into the main background of Emperor Hadrian and his Villa. From there we went from the Pecile, to Canopus, to the Piazza D'Oro, to the Maritime Theater. We then finished with a leisurely stroll through the Vale of Tempe.

After our peaceful tour of Hadrian's Villa, we loaded back onto the bus and we headed towards the village which surrounded the Villa d'Este. Here we split up into small groups and departed for lunch. The village had several cute cafes along with a few fancy restaurants. Afterwards we all met up next to the shopping area of the Village where we then walked to the Villa d'Este.

While we were at the Villa d'Este we did not have a tour guide. That was because this was meant to be a site where we could stroll around and explore the beauty of the villa. Here we found many waterfalls and gardens. It was nice to be able to walk around and explore all that the villa had to offer.

Our visit to the Villa d'Este was followed by a long walk along the Via Appia which eventually led us back to our Apartment. While walking, we decided to stop at a beautiful field where we had many options. Most of the group played a game called "Ulta ball" which they made up. The rest of the group either walked around the open field or socialized while taking several pictures. Everyone truly seemed to enjoy themselves.

By the time we got home it was about six oclock. We then had about an hour to hangout, do laundry, shower and do anything else that needed to be done. At approximately 7:00 everyone broke up into small groups once again and ventured out for dinner and desert. Everyone then returned home and spent a good chunk of time journaling and getting ready for tomorrow. We finished off the day by having a group meeting where we discussed the day's activities.

Today was a very busy day and everyone is excited to see what is in store for tomorrow.

Sincerely,

Makhayla A. Rose =)

Day 7: Epigraphs and Sarcophagi

2010-04-17T14:35:00.000-07:00

This post was written by Michelle:

As we near the half-way point of the trip, most of us have become accustomed to the mile-upon-mile walking we do on a daily basis. We all excitedly arose this morning at about 7:30, give or take, looking forward to all the new adventures this day would bring. After everybody got themselves together, we headed to the packed kitchen to make our Nutella filled breakfast (we were previously spoiled with all of the luxuries of Villa Vergiliana, and their delicious breakfasts).

We walked to our first stop today-the Museo Nazionale (wearing our most comfortable shoes of course). Here, we were introduced to Epigraphs. When faced with the question "What is an epigraph?" the teachers asked us to break down the word with the parts of it we knew. Because epi means after, and graph means writing, we determined it meant after writing, or a tombstone with a story. We explored various mind blowing sites through the museum, which showed us just how much the ancient Romans valued these so-called "epigraphs."

After we finished with the museum, we realized the time had come for the much built-up Scavi Tour (after exploring the depth of the gorgeous Vatican). We split up into two groups, and entered the separate country of the Vatican City. Our group was introduced to our tour guide, who was slightly intimidated by our "animated" conversation. We entered the area below the Vatican, and we were surprised to see what was there: ancient Roman tombs (Necropolis). The bodies were put into sarcophagi, which literally means flesh eater because the flesh of the bodies was eaten away. The tombs started out being built for the poorer parts of society, and moved on to the middle class. Our tour guide stressed the change and the development from the poorer to the richer tombs. The tour was definitely information packed, and one interesting tid-bit is that when a man was buried in a tomb, and he was removed from the tomb, his face was scratched off of the statue which showed who was located there.

The tombs then started to transition to religious purposes. We were shown the thought-to-be tomb of the great Saint Peter (the tour guide left us with the mystery of where his bones were actually located, because they actually were not located in the tomb). It turned out, Peter's bones had been moved, and later recovered. The most impressive site which we saw in my opinion at the Scavi Tour had to be the ancient bones of Saint Peter which give us a direct connection to God.

We all exited the building, both blown away, and relieved to be out of the small hot area. This was the part of the day which we had all been hoping for: Our free time in Rome! Everybody agreed that we needed food first, and then we all wanted to take a trip to the large Piazza Navona. We ate at one of the most fancy Italian restaurants we have seen so far in Rome, Where 2 delicious courses were consumed (that's a lot of food). All of us then took the short walk to the Piazza, where there were many street artists to entertain us, and a caricature artist, who sketched Jake, Sarah, and me. After a very relaxing afternoon in beautiful Rome, we took the bus back to the apartments, and just chilled at home for a while. A few of us went out for dinner around the block, and came home to be faced with the writing of our own epigraphs. Today could be looked over as an informative, and relaxing, satisfactory day: tomorrow will be thoroughly awaited.

Day 6: Ancient Rome

2010-04-17T10:56:00.000-07:00

This post was written by Arron Long-Lewis:

Anybody who enjoys history must learn to use their imagination, this was certainly true today. As we woke up at 7:00 AM, (or a tad bit earlier for some) we ate a quick breakfast and made our way down to the Palatine Hill from our apartment. According to the myth of Romulus and Remus, the Palatine hill was the hill on which Rome was founded on by Romulus. It is also where Aeneas was welcomed to Italy by king Evander in the other famous founding myth. Because of the hill's significance, many emperors have built palaces and planted gardens on the hill. Many great ruins are left of places such as the palace of Domitian, a rather gaudy and over-the-top palace that is only smaller than Nero's palace. The remains of the baths of the emperor Septimius Severus can also be seen as well as a series of temples like the Temple of Apollo.

As we walked down from the Palatine hill, we came to the Roman forum. Once the heart of ancient Rome, the Forum served as a place where many goods were exchanged between people and many political and religious events were held. The oldest building in the forum is known as the Temple of Saturn, built in 498 BC and renovated twice. This building served as the treasury for the State Repository and was also a place where written laws were kept. The main reason the building was constructed however was for the reason that the Romans wanted to thank the god saturn for their prospering economy and agriculture. According to a lesser known myth, Saturn was descended from the Titan Cronos who was banished by Zeus and would later become the first king of Italy. Besides the Temple of Saturn, the forum also boasts two triumphal arches and the senate meeting house as well as many other religious buildings tied to myths.

From the Forum we move on to the Capitoline Museum and see many works of art including the original statue of Marcus Aurelius and of Romulus and Remus with the she-wolf. However, the first thing we did was to see the Hall of the Horatii and the Curiatii; where the battle between the triplet sets took place. We then moved on through the Hall of Hannibal, Tapestries, Emperors, and finally, Philosophers. When we finished with the museum we went walked to the final two monuments of the day. The first monument was Trajan's Forum which he built to replace the Forum we saw earlier today and to show off his military exploits. Trajan had this place built between the years of 107-113 AD, and when it was new it looked even better and much more grand than the first Forum. Trajan's column, which is located inside of the Forum is also considered one of the greatest sculptural artworks of all time. The friezes themselves are incredibly detailed and show some of Trajan's greatest battles. As we walked out of the Forum, we had an unexpected visit to the Vittorio Emanuele the Second monument. While this building is grand and is a great tourist site because it is the location where the Italian unknown soldier is buried; Italians despise it because it was built under Mussolini.

Day 5: Underworld, Rome

2010-04-16T08:27:00.000-07:00

Hello Readers!

Today was our last day at the Villa Vergiliana (sadness) so it was goodbye to Naples and hello to Rome! I'd say the most prominent switch seen so far from country-side to city is the most important...FOOD! When staying at the Villa not only were we provided with food at basically all times without ANY problems but it was the most scrumptious food imaginable (can't top homemade Italian!).

Last night for dinner we split into two decently sized groups. One dined at a ridiculously cheap, killer pizza parlor-type place and was back in time to disperse and organize around the apartment whereas the second group had some pretty darn impatient and hungry children who just plopped down at the the first cafe/restaurant in sight. I don't want to say it but yeah, I was in group 2.

Seriously, the easiest way to win in Italy is just to scream louder than your opponent. But when you try to rationally order salad 10 times in 3 different languages and end up finally eating the equivalent of vinaigrette on paper and brick-like white nougat, you're in trouble.

They thought it'd be amusing to charge us a decent sum for this delicious meal. Group 1 Cost: approximately 10 Euros. Group 2 Cost: 17–25 Euros. Yummy.

Before the food and the frustration however was there a slightly darker (meant in both ways) place on our agenda. It was my 3rd time in a different place in the world going to where-else but HELL! Commonly referred to as the Sibyll's Cave, an adorable, elderly, VERY ITALIAN man led us through with not just scorching hot lanterns (Szarrah had to test that one out...on me) but TORCHES. Not only did this huggable Italiano lead us into this large, ancient cave in the middle of the woods (note: giant, breathtaking lake surrounded us. The cave we went into was at one point used by Roman armies to get troops from one side of the lake to another.) but his loyal friend, Napolitano did as well.

Yes, Napolitano as in Strawberry-chocolate-vanilla ice cream.

Want to guess why we loved N so much?!?!! Well, it might have been because he was yet another adorable Italian dog but he also made sure that, when walking down exactly 25 steps that you didn't fall into a giant pit of water, sat to show you that there was a 5 foot roof, and was just an excellent cuddle buddy as we sat on the cold cave floors while we read our elegies before crossing just a sketchy "bridge." After seeing some ancient "graffiti"/markings such as symbols for christianity (fishy! cross! palms! whoa.), fertility (certain...organs..."We're going to see a lot of skin in Italy."-Mrs. Tyma), and ancient writing did we progress to this obscenely awesome bridge. Going two at a time, we SLOWLY crossed the water that some Romans believed would lead to the underworld, creeping on a rickety, rotting bridge that TayTay might have possibly slipped on. Have no fear, parentals, it was both legal and I'd say 97% safe...Don't quote me on that though! This was done in order to experience not just some adrenaline but to really get close to where in the olden days people thought was where their loved (or hated) ones would go when they passed.

As a side note, kudos to everyone's elegies. Even more kudos because I don't think anyone cried, although some of us DID come dangerously close. RIP to all these were written for. We all got out of hell alive with only a few minor cuts and bruises before we hopped on a bus for the 3hr. trip to Rome. En route, we stopped at THE BEST gas station on the way - without a doubt as European as it gets with it being 2 stories with a restaurant, 2 cafes, grocery aisle and HARIBO. Michelle MIGHT have found "some" candy. That was a riveting experience.***

Even better was our WALKING TOUR. We started off in small groups, checking out the Spanish Steps, pretty fountains, and a cute tea shop. Then we moved on to the Trevi fountain, got MORE gelato, went to about 5 stunning Piazzas, the Pantheon (ohmygoshohymygoshohmygosh), the Prime Minister's house, and the Circus Maximus, totaling up to God knows how many miles. My fancy new shoes saved my life. Only in Europe would they have, get this, HEELED SNEAKERS.
We had quite a few new experiences today with some of our group members riding the bus and metro for the first time...that was a party!

Programming Note

2010-04-15T14:05:00.000-07:00

Our first day in Rome ran a bit long! Look for the blog post tomorrow...

Dave

Day 4: Capri

2010-04-14T12:58:00.001-07:00

This post was written by Wasnaa and Victoria:

Today we woke up (as usual) but had a little different schedule than usual. We all loaded on the bus and took it to a harbor where we got to get on a BOAT!!! The boat took us to the island of Capri where we took everyone on a very long walk through the island to see the sites of Palazzo a Mare, Via Tiberio and Villa Jovis where we made our speeches.

Everyone LOVED the walks, especially going uphill. Villa Jovis was very big and high up - talk about living on a cliff! After visiting the ruins we went back down, where we met and broke up into smaller groups depending on what you wanted to do. There was the option of hiking, eating and walking around, or shopping. I (Victoria) went with the group that went to eat. The food was DELICIOUS and soon after we went back to the dock and got to walk around. I (Wasnaa) went shopping halfway up the hill with my friends and when we were done shoping we went to eat, and then we headed back down to meet with the rest of the group. The third group got to go hiking and saw a lot more gorgeous ruins, with tons of stairs. They took lots of beautiful pictures. After we all regrouped we got on the BOAAAT and took it back to the harbour where we loaded back onto the bus and headed to Villa Vergiliana.

Day 3: Herculaneum, Oplontis, and Cuma

2010-04-14T01:04:00.000-07:00

This post was written by Jordan and Nat:

Oplontis is an amazing place. It is a Roman villa that has some of the most amazingly preserved frescoes. The frescoes fill the rooms completely and are really beautiful. The colors are amazingly well preserved. Many of them are closer to perfection than anyone could have hoped for and we spent nearly two hours walking around to look at them. Cuma includes a small entrance to hell. We went there and then hiked up the mountain to the Temple of Apollo. Herculeanum was another ancient city much like Pompeii. It is much smaller and was a very interesting place to visit and view the mosaics.

Day 2: Pompeii and NAM

2010-04-12T13:32:00.000-07:00

This post was written by Sarah:

Hello parents! I know if you are like my parents you have been refreshing this blog like crazy so I shall try to write fast. Today we went to Pompeii, Emilie and I (Szarrah) were the first tour guides there. And let me tell you, planning a whole tour throughout a city of originally 20,000 is pretty hard. You get there and it looks nothing like the picture in your head. Luckly, my amazing map skills saved us and ensured we got to see all the cool places we wanted everyone to see.

We next went to the museum. You were literally looking at GIGANTIC statues that looked so real I thought they would get up and move. They were so detailed you could see their veins. Then we just chilled in Naples with gelato. It was GREEATTT.

The defining moment of the trip for me today was when I woke up. I got up at 7 and woke up my room mates. We got dressed, packed our day packs, and were getting ready to head downstais when Michelle looked at the clock. NOT 7, but 4. AM.. ya I will never live that down.

OXOXO, Sarah

p.s. HI MOM

Day 1: Arrival, Sperlonga, Capua

2010-04-11T08:30:00.000-07:00

This post was written by Nathan Landau:

Hello readers, This is the first day of the 13 day long 9th grade class tip to Italy and Greece. It all started at around 4:30 am where just about everyone one in the class showed up at Sky Harbor Air Port and even though it was early, everyone was exited and ready to go. We walk through check in and security and boarded our first plane to Atalanta with no problems. The plane ride went by quick and before long, we were in Atlanta waiting to board our flight to Italy. That flight was a lot longer and was also over night. Which made it necessary to sleep. However, I believe most of us were not too successful at that task. After about nine and a half hours on that plane, we loaded ourselves on a bus were we were taken to Sperlonga which is the former home of Emperor Tiberius's villa. Tiberius was the second emperor of Rome who did just about nothing to expand and develop Rome. In fact for about the last 10 years of his life he spent his entire time away from Rome, in his villa. Which is one reason why that villa is so extravagant and important. After we departed from Sperlonga, we headed over to the town and the Gladiatorial museum of Capua. This was the second largest arena in Rome were many famous battles were held including Spartacus's revolt, which originated in that arena. It was also a housing ground for the Carthaginian military when Capua opened its doors to them. We shortly left there and headed to a small villa via the bus. We are all tired and anxious to see what the rest of the trip has in store for us.

Hello, visitors!

2010-04-09T12:42:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Tesseract School's 9th grade Humanities class blog. We'll be posting updates from the road on this site as we travel through Italy and Greece. You can see our daily itinerary here; each night, a different student will be responsible for summarizing the day's activities. Anticipate the first report being posted by 1pm on Sunday (Phoenix time).

Everything below this post is related to normal class activities and probably of little interest to you. But, you're more than welcome to explore what we've been up to this year.

Check back often for new posts!

Updated 4/10, 6am - We are all sitting at the gate. Some were searched more thoroughly in security than others! But most are getting caffeinated and wired for the flight. Apologies in advance to all other passengers on the plane.

Journaling and Blogging

2010-04-08T09:08:00.000-07:00

While on the trip, you will be required to journal daily and blog once. Expectations are as follows:

Journaling: On a trip like this, with a packed itinerary and surrounded by friends, it can be really hard to make the time to write. However, anyone who has traveled can tell you that the travel journal ends up being the most sacred memento from the experience. I've had trips on which I didn't write down my daily experiences; I really regret this now, as the memories have ebbed over the years. The journals I do have, however, keep those trips remarkably fresh in my mind.

A good trip journal generally involves two steps. First, over the course of the day, jot down things that you see, that you hear, that you smell, etc. These can - and probably should - just be fragments, a quick list of specific details. The greater specificity, the better. Try to get exact quotes from people, the precise wording on signs, the historical details the tour guides provide. This is one of the reasons for the little journal we gave you - it's easy to carry during the day and allows for quick bulletpoints.

Then, that evening, go through your list of details and try to assemble them into a narrative. Your story will be much richer because of the specifics that you have to plug in. We have given you some journaling topics in your daily itinerary to get your wheels spinning, but you're free to write about the things that interest you.

Your journal is private; we're not going to make you turn it in. But, we are interested in seeing what you have written, so when you return to Tesseract we will ask you to select three different entries - using whatever criteria you wish - which you will then type up, edit, and polish until they fully capture the story you're looking to tell. These three entries will be worth 30 points.

Blogging: On the day you are assigned to blog, you will be responsible for providing a complete summary of the day's events. This certainly includes a description of all major sights that we visited. In addition, though, you are welcome to include personal stories, random encounters, and other general hilarity. Try to capture the tone of the day, the feeling of being on the road, and also to integrate your voice into the piece. In other words, this shouldn't be a dry summary of facts. Make it interesting.

The challenge with this sort of writing is balancing the personal details with the historical ones. If you're not sure what this looks like, there are all sorts of websites devoted to travel writing that you could check out before you go. I've posted accounts of my recent trips in Turkey and Central America, and for all their flaws they may give you some idea of how to navigate between history and your story.

Rome Forecast for Sunday

2010-04-06T20:35:00.001-07:00

High of 60 degrees. 30 percent chance of precipitation.

Seats

2010-04-06T06:47:00.000-07:00

Phoenix-Atlanta

Seats were assigned by the airline. Do I care if you trade amongst yourselves? No.

40A - Hunter
40B - Wasnaa
40C - Nat
40D - David

41A - Sam
41B - Jacob
41C - Ms. Montanez
41D - Ms. D'Onofrio
41F - Michelle

42A - Emilie
42B - Jordan
42C - Robert
42D - Mr. Labonte
42F - Arron

43A - El Jefe
43B - Taylor
43C - Nathan
43D - Victoria
43E - Sarah
43F - Makhayla

Atlanta-Rome

39A - Jordan
39B - Robert
39C - Mr. Labonte
39D - Michelle
39F - Arron
39G - Sam
39H - Jacob
39J - Ms. Montanez

40C - Ms. D'Onofrio
40D - Hunter
40F - Wasnaa
40G - Nat
40H - David

41A - El Jefe
41B - Taylor
41C - Nathan
41D - Victoria
41G - Sarah
41H - Makhayla
41J - Emilie

Vatican Museum / Borghese Gallery

2010-03-29T10:53:00.001-07:00

Thanks to the following for indicating their preferences on the blog:

Michelle
Arron
Sam
Nathan
Jordan
Nat
Hunter
Jacob
Makhayla
Wasnaa
Victoria
Sarah
Emilie

Taylor, David, and Robert - please write your preferences in a comment on this post.

Looking Backward, Looking Forward

2010-03-21T13:34:00.000-07:00

A few quick notes on the final, in case you were curious:

Ms. Tyma and I were careful in dividing up the grading to avoid situations in which we would assess the same question differently on different exams. To that end, I was responsible for grading the first five IDs and she took the other five. I graded the Aeneas essay and she graded the Rome essay. I graded all of the lit terms. The other sections, obviously, were more objective than subjective, so it didn't matter who graded them.
On the IDs, we decided that out of the 3 points available for each one, we would give half a point for each of the five Ws and then give the remaining 0.5 for particularly good work in any of the five areas. In a couple of cases, one of the fine Ws was not clear or important, so we adjusted the grading accordingly.
On the roots, it was pretty clear that a lot of people were close on roots without getting them entirely correct. So, in order to be consistent, we decided that if the person was within one letter of the proper root, we would give credit. If they weren't, we would not give credit.
Total points on the test added up to 98, so we gave everyone two free points to bring the total score to 100.
When we hand back the tests either this week or next, we encourage you to add up the points for yourself and make sure that our math was right. We're also happy to meet to address any questions you have about it.

And now, the weeks ahead:

I mentioned last week that revised elegies were due Monday, but I didn't do a particularly good job of reminding y'all of that after the final, so I'm going to relax that deadline. Get the latest revision to me this week. Of particular importance - many of you made marginal changes on your first rewrite. If you continue to be in the position of telling, not showing, consider identifying your favorite 5-10 lines, cutting the rest, and then rebuilding around those lines. I know it feels terrible to delete work, but poetry often operates like that. Also, make sure that you review assignment requirements.
I am also going to ask every group to make a round of edits to their handout. Each group was in a slightly different position in terms of what needs to be done. For some, it's a matter of polishing. For others, serious revision is required. I would also like these by Friday. I will be holding off grading these handouts until the revisions are received.
Tomorrow (Monday), Ms. Tyma and I will introduce the Emperor assignment, which will require each of you to research and then develop a profile of a specific Roman emperor. The emperor card will be due end of class Tuesday and will serve as the foundation for our short overview of the Roman Empire.
Finally, in Writing Lab this week you will all begin planning your tour guide presentations in earnest. Your goal should be to make a lot of progress on this during the week, especially if you want your spring break to be a real break.

Reading through that list, it should be clear that, despite it being the first week after final exams, you all need to keep your engines revving. You can count on Writing Lab time on M/Th and class time on M/T, but everything else will have to be done at home.

Don't get discouraged or overwhelmed. Do what it takes to maximize your productivity. Break this down into individual tasks that you can knock off, one at a time. Remember - all of this work right now will make the trip much more memorable and valuable once we make it to Italy and Greece.

Also be aware, though, that the last week before departure - April 5-9 - will be hectic. You'll have the normal school work to deal with, baseball players will have four games, you'll have packing and last-minute shopping to deal with, and you'll be wrapping your head around the fact that you'll be away from home and stuck with all of us for two weeks. It'll be hard. Do everything you can to make that week more manageable for you.

Even if it means doing some work over spring break.

I know, I know. That seems unjust, if not immoral. But, having spring break one short week before two weeks in Europe makes it more of a luxury than a desperate need. If you could take one day out of those nine days of vacation and be really productive, you could make that last week much, much easier.

Think about it...

Finally, you'll probably want a book for the trip. Why not read something kind of relevant? Here are a few options that come to mind:

I, Claudius by Robert Graves - Considered the best work of historical fiction based in ancient Rome, Graves writes this as the autobiography of Emperor Claudius. It begins with Augustine and moves through the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Meticulously researched, it offers a great look into the early Roman Empire.
Sprezzatura: 50 Ways Italian Genius Shaped the World by d'Epiro and Pinkowish - 50 short chapters on important people and developments in Italian history. It starts in the ancient era, with pieces on the Roman calendar, Roman law, Julius Caesar, and more. But, it tracks Italian contributions from there all the way to the near-present, with chapters on St. Francis, Michelangelo, Garibaldi, and Ferrari. With sections ranging from 5-10 pages, it's an easy travel book, as you can read in short spurts without having to worry about losing the narrative flow.
Basilica: The Splendor and the Scandal: The Building of St. Peter's by R.A. Scotti - A fascinating story of the building of the Vatican's basilica, in which many of the great figures of the Italian renaissance are featured. If you're interested in architecture, the renaissance, or the Church, this is a great, highly readable option.
Excellent Cadavers by Alexander Stille - Easily the best book I've read on the Italian mafia. As much investigative reporting as it is historical non-fiction, this book is vividly written and the high drama Stille builds might actually get your heart beating.
If you want to read something by an Italian writer, my favorite is Italo Calvino. Some of his works can be difficult to unpack, but The Non-Existent Knight and the Cloven Viscount are fun fantasy stories. Invisible Cities is brilliant, and certain to be unlike anything you've read.

Study Guide

2010-03-15T18:21:00.001-07:00

Posted here because Makhayla asked nicely...

PART I - Vocab: You will be expected to know all words from Units 7, 8, and 9 - including stems and challenge words. As a friendly reminder, here is the complete list:

Unit 7: Domus, Dominus, Dormio, Dormire, Dormivi, Somnus, Lavo, Lavare, Lavi, Vestis, Domicile, Domestic, Domain, Domineer, Dominion, Dormant, Somnambulate, Somnolent, Ablution, Deluge, Divest, Investiture, Travesty, Vestment, Vested, Major-domo, Lavage, Demesne, Lave, Duenna, Lavabo

Unit 8: Coquo, Coquere, Coxi, Voro, Vorare, Voravi, Mel, Mellis, Sal, Bibo, Bibere, Bibi, Poto, Potare, Potavi, Ludo, Ludere, Lusi, Allude, Carnivorous, Collusion, Concoct, Cuisine, Delusion, Elude, Herbivorous, Imbibe, Mellifluous, Potable, Potion, Precocious, Saline, Voracious, Desalinate, Bibber, Illusive, Illusory, Interlude, Ludicrous, Postlude

Unit 9: Caput, Capitis, Cerebrum, Facies, Frons, Frontis, Affront, Capitalist, Capitulation, Cerebral, Cerebration, Confront, Decapitate, Deface, Efface, Effrontery, Facade, Facet, Precipice, Precipitate, Recapitulation, Cap-a-pie, Capitation, Per capita, Cerebellum, Cerebral cortex, Cerebral palsy, Facing, Prima facie, Frontispiece

PART II - Greek/Roman Gods: Early this semester, you were given a list linking the Greek and Roman names for many prominent gods. These are worth knowing, so we will test you on the most prominent pairings on this exam. The gods you need to know are listed below; you will be asked to match names on the exam.

Jupiter/Zeus
Juno/Hera
Minerva/Athena
Mars/Ares
Venus/Aphrodite
Phoebus/Apollo

PART III - IDs: You will be required to identify a number of historical events, figures, and terms. All possible ID subjects are listed below. A successful ID will cover the who/what/when/where/why.

Romulus
Remus
Faustulus
Amulius
Sabine women
Cacus
Aeneas
Dido
Anchises
Etruscans
12 Tables
Patricians/Plebeians

PART IV - Literary Terms: Define the following terms and provide an example of where we have seen them. Don't just name the story - describe how the specific term is used by the author and for what purpose.

Personification
Foreshadowing
Elegy
Founding myth
Allegory

PART V - Essays: You will be asked to write several essays of varying length, though all relatively short. Essay topics may focus on the following areas:

The relationship between Aeneas and the gods
The government of the Roman Republic - from beginning to end
The stages of the Roman Republic
The success of Augustus
Daily life and leisure in Ancient Rome

Monday Homework and Rome Museums

2010-03-05T09:06:00.000-08:00

Reminder - for Monday, please visit the Daily Life database and find at least one article to read on gladiators and/or Spartacus. Then, write a 1-2 paragraph summary of that article on your group blog. Be sure to include the title of your selected article and the author.

Click here to be directed to the Daily Life Database. Username is tesseract and Password is tesseract.

Also, a reminder - I will need to hear from you over the next week or so if you have interest in visiting the Vatican Museums and/or the Borghese Gallery. If you're curious about what each collection includes, check out the following links:

Vatican Museums

Collections online - see 30 of the highlights
Sacred Destinations - a great overview of the collection
Reviews - opinions on the museums from other tourists

Borghese Gallery

Official Site - includes pictures of many highlights
Virtual Tour - another good overview of the collection
Reviews - opinions from tourists

March Homework Schedule

2010-03-02T06:07:00.000-08:00

Week of March 1-5 - Connecting the Myth and the History

Monday, March 1 - Tour guide notes
Tuesday, March 2 - Vocab, Unit 9
Wednesday, March 3 - Work on elegy/poster
Thursday, March 4 - Elegy rewrite AND analytical poster
Friday, March 5 - Nothing

Week of March 8-12 - Daily Life and Leisure in Rome - Working, Bathing, Killing

Monday, March 8 - Slavery/Gladiators - Read one article from Daily Life database and write a 1-2 paragraph summary on your group blog
Tuesday, March 9 - Slavery/Gladiators (Homework TBD)
Wednesday, March 10 - Daily Life (Homework TBD)
Thursday, March 11 - Vocab Test, Unit 9 in Writing Lab /Leisure Activities (Homework TBD)
Friday, March 12 - Service Day

Week of March 15-19 - Exam Week (Schedule TBD)

Monday, March 15 - Tour Guide Handout Due

Week of March 22-26 - Roman Emperors

Week of March 29 - April 2 - Spring Break

Week of April 5-9 - Final Trip Prep

April 10 - Depart for Italy

The Capitoline Museum

2010-02-25T13:44:00.000-08:00

One of our stops in Rome will be the Capitoline Museum, a great museum located atop the historical Capitoline Hill. The highlight, to me, is the Conservators' Apartment, which is lined with fantastic frescoes, telling the history of Rome. One fresco is devoted to the Rape of the Sabines, which we already discussed in some detail. The first room, though, is named after one of last night's readings, the Horatii and the Curiatii. A large version of the picture is available here.

Questions for Today's Reading for 9r

2010-02-25T10:26:00.000-08:00

1) Augustus gains power in Rome at the conclusion of the 3rd Stage of the Roman Republic, which you examined in your distillation paragraphs yesterday. How did Augustus bring stability back to Rome? Why was he able to gain power and hold it for so long? Why was he successful, when Marius, Sulla, Pompey, and Julius Caesar all failed?

2) The Rape of Lucretia is an interesting story on its own, but it is also an allegory. Read the last paragraph very carefully. What might the events described in that paragraph represent? To put it another way, what larger historical events in the Roman Republic is Livy alluding to here?

3) What values are promoted by the story of the Horatii and Curiatii and why would Augustus want to emphasize them after the last 100 years of the Roman Republic?

Please submit responses on a sheet of paper with proper MLA heading.

Distillation Paragraphs

2010-02-23T05:48:00.000-08:00

In class, I outlined what I identified as the first two stages of the Roman Republic - Internal Stabilization/Italian Expansion (509-275) and Mediterranean Expansion (275-129). Your assigned readings over the last two days (9-16 and 33-41) deal with the final stage. In class today, and continuing tonight as homework, I would like you to distill those readings into summary paragraphs, highlighting the key elements of the 3rd stage (129-27).

To make things easier (or perhaps harder), I am going to restrict your sentences. For each section of the reading, you may only include the following amount of sentences:

Packet 9-16
From the Gracchi to Augustus - 2 sentences
Rise of Marius - 2 sentences
Marius, Saturninus, and Veterans - 1 sentence
Social War - 1 sentence
Sulla - 2 sentences
Pompey - 2 sentences
Pompey, Crassus, and Caesar - 1 sentence
Clodius and His Gangs - 1 sentence
The Civil Wars - 2 sentences

In addition, you must integrate one sentence for each of the primary sources you read into the proper part of your summary.

Here are the specific expectations:

Do not exceed the sentence restrictions or skip any of the required sections. You should finish with exactly 21 sentences
At most, you may use short quote fragments, but certainly not full sentence quotes
Wording should be your own; quotes should, of course, be cited
Choose a name for this third stage of the Roman Republic and include this as the title
Content assessment will focus on what you include AND what you omit. In other words, you must choose carefully which details are most significant and demand inclusion in your summary. If you miss important details, that will be counted against you
I'm looking for cohesive paragraphs, not a series of individual sentences. So, make sure the ideas flow smoothly from one sentence to the next
Please turn in a hard copy, double-spaced and thoroughly proofread. Have an MLA-style header (Your name, my name, class name, date - all single-spaced)
You may work alone or in pairs. Your choice.
Due beginning of class tomorrow; poor use of class time today will be counted against your grade.]

Homework Schedule - February Part II

2010-02-22T07:25:00.000-08:00

Homework Schedule

Week of 2/15 - 2/19: Origins of Rome

Tuesday - Vocab Unit 8 and Elegy Rough Draft
Wednesday - Read Packet 1-8
Thursday - Read Packet 31-33

Week of 2/22 - 2/26: From Republic to Empire

Monday - Packet 9-16
Tuesday - Packet 33-41 (Pick 7 sources)
Wednesday - Distillation Paragraphs
Thursday - Packet 27-31, 17-22
Friday - Vocab Test
You will have Writing Lab time on Monday and Thursday to work on your Tour Guide notes

Italian words so far

2010-02-20T10:21:00.000-08:00

Buongiorno - Hello
Ciao - Goodbye / Hello
Grazie - Thanks
Per favore - Please
Si/Non - Yes/No
Mi piacere - I would like...
Mi dispiace - I'm sorry
Scusi - Excuse me
Non capisco - I don't understand
Dov'e il bagno - Where is the bathroom?
Mi chiamo - My name is...
C'e - There is / Is there...?
Destra - Right
Sinistra - Left
Quanto costa - How much does it cost
Aperto/Chiuso - Open/Closed

1 - Uno / 2 - Due / 3 - Tre / 4 - Quattro / 5 - Cinque
6 - Sei / 7 - Sette / 8 - Otto / 9 - Nove / 10 - Dieci

Rome Maps

2010-02-20T09:57:00.001-08:00

Linked below are maps that I used, will use, or probably should have used in class related to our discussions of the growth of Rome:

Ancient Etruria - The Etruscan kingdom in the 6th century BC
Ancient Italy - Situates the Etruscans, Latins, Greeks, and very early Romans
Hannibal's invasion of Rome - Follows his route from Spain through Italy
Early growth of the Roman Republic - Through 285 BC
Expansion of the Roman Republic - From 200-100 BC

If you thought it was bad that the school could see your Skype transcripts...

2010-02-18T19:02:00.000-08:00

...it could be much, much worse!

Also - big congratulations to the boys basketball team for making it to the playoffs in their first season. Ultimate starts on Monday!!

And finally - JK Rowling has been accused of plagiarism!!!

Blog Feedback

2010-02-16T06:28:00.001-08:00

Over the weekend, I reviewed your three blogposts from the last week - Hercules/Cacus, Seven Hills of Rome, and Ovid/Tibullus. You'll receive individualized feedback from me, but here are some general comments:

1) Even in a blog post, you should be sure to include all necessary information, starting from a position of specificity. So, for example, your Ovid paragraph would have been well served to start with something like: "In Ovid's "Elegy for Tibullus," the Roman poet follows the third type of elegy, moving from grief to profound unhappiness." By starting off with a sentence like that, I immediately a) identify the author, b) identify the work, and c) identify my interpretation. Similarly, your hill paragraph should have begun with something like: "At the height of Rome, the Palatine Hill served as a base of power for several major emperors and also functioned as an important religious site." Again, this sentence fulfills several objectives: 1) it identifies the hill, 2) it identifies the era you're concerned with, and c) it highlights the two critical aspects of the hill during that period.

2) Please get the spelling of authors, characters, and historical figures right. I saw many different spellings of Tibullus and there's no excuse - you have it on the sheet right in front of you.

3) If you quote a work, the quote needs to be exact. People were sloppy in this regard. Also, if you are only citing one work of poetry within an essay, the only thing you need to include in parentheses at the quote's end is the line number. For example - Ovid offers some hope in his final stanza, when he notes that "Elysium's vale will be Tibullus's home" (60). Take note - only the number is included in parentheses, the end quote precedes the parentheses, and the punctuation comes after.

4) Also on the subject of quotes - if you use a quote, you MUST discuss the quote. You can't simply drop in a series of quotes and consider your job to be done. Keep these ground rules in mind - Never open a paragraph with a quote, never end a paragraph with a quote, and never have consecutive quotes.

5) On the Hercules/Cacus paragraph, check out Sarah's post for an excellent example of what I was looking for. Many people neglected the instructions, specifically - "I just want you to list unique details here." Sarah does that quite successfully. As for the second part of the prompt, Makhayla does a nice job of honing in on potential implications of Livy and Ovid's different stories.

6) I'm surprised that many of the Hill paragraphs still do not have a) citations (which were required in the assignment) or b) a sharper focus on their assigned era. Many people go well outside of their time period. Arron's is one of the stronger posts (I won't mention the one sentence where he goes outside of his assigned era).

7) People interpreted Ovid's elegy in a variety of ways; arguments for all three structures of elegy were expressed. The main problem I encountered here, though, was one that I warned specifically against - over and over again, people fail to refer to the last stanza. The exception to that, however, is the people arguing that this is an example of grief => consolation, for which that last stanza seems to be a strong example, as exemplified by Victoria.

Greece and Our Trip - Updated 3/25

2010-02-13T10:28:00.000-08:00

In case you have not been monitoring Athens, no worries - checking for news from Greece has been a part of my daily schedule for the last two months. The economic downturn has hit Greece harder than most other Western countries. Over the last month in particular, the EU's response to Greece has been a subject of high drama. The EU has made it clear that any assistance to Greece will be dependent upon the country's ability to impose harsh austerity measures. Those include significant cuts in pay to civil servants, the loss of jobs for others, and a
significant reduction in social services. Many Greeks have not responded to these moves with docility and restraint. Instead, there have been riots in Athens and, to a much lesser degree, Thessaloniki. In limited cases, these have resulted in violence.

From a distance, this news can be unnerving to follow, especially when keeping the safety of your children in mind. And, of course, safety is the over-riding concern for us in planning this trip. Know that we will not stick to our current itinerary if we feel it exposed your child to any danger.

After discussing the issue with Mr. LaBonte for the moment, we have decided to take a wait-and-see approach. With historically rare exceptions, these sorts of riots burn hot but expire quickly and It would be unusual for them to still be percolating a month from now. Additionally, it is important to note where the riots are taking place. We will stay in Monastiraki neighborhood in Athens, near the Acropolis. The riots, however, almost exclusively occur around government buildings and, to a lesser extent, universities.

The primary reason for a wait-and-see approach is that our plans are flexible. In other words, should circumstances demand it, we could modify our itinerary relatively late in the game to ensure the safety of your kids. We will continue to monitor developments in Athens on a daily basis as we move through March and early April.

Given that all of my experience leading student trips - and with travel in general - has accrued over the last decade, that experience has inevitably included learning how to deal with the potential hazards of traveling in uncertain times. This said you have my assurance that we will not expose your child to any undue risk and that you will have the opportunity to fully review and comment on the planned itinerary prior to our flight.

I inquired with our hostel in Athens about the current conditions and received the following response:

"The area around the hostel is very safe and is not near any of the protests which you may have seen on the news. I personally have not seen or heard anything here at the hostel and I too have seen the news reports and I am quite surprised when I watch it that it actually happened here because I never see or hear anything.

"So I can assure you that you will be very safe at the hostel and the sites surrounding the hostel, the protests you have viewed are situated in one small area not near any sites and we will mark this area on a map for you in the case of another protest so you can avoid this area."

While the hostel clearly is operating from a position of self-interest, these comments have been reinforced to me by others in Athens.

Hopefully this note eases any concerns that you may have and I encourage
you to contact me if you have any questions about our plans.

Freshman Trip Money and Valuables

2010-02-12T10:41:00.000-08:00

Establishing a recommended budget for food and incidentals in Europe is actually one of the more complicated components of the trip. There is a great deal of variation between people. Some eat a lot, some very little. Some are happy with simple food, spot bargains, and enjoy cooking; others grab the first thing that looks good, oblivious of the price, and place importance on dining in quality restaurants. As a result, the total expenses for two students may end up being very different. To be safe, we are setting a budget on the upper end of the spectrum. But, we will also outline the process by which we arrived at the figure here, so that you can modify the numbers as you see fit.

First, here is an overview of meals already included in the trip cost:

Greece: April 3-6 - Breakfast included
Naples: April 7-10 - All meals included (including breakfast on the 11th)
Rome: April 11-14 - Breakfast included

Or, to put it another way, students will need money to buy the following things in the following places:

Greece: 3 lunches, 4 dinners, snacks (4 days)
Naples: Snacks (4 days)
Rome: 4 lunches, 4 dinners, snacks (4 days)

So, all told, students are responsible for 7 lunches, 8 dinners, and 12 days of snacks, excluding flight days. We are budgeting 7.50 euros/day for snacks. That is generous, of course. For some perspective, a bottle of Coke will run anywhere from 1 to 3 or 4 euros (supermarket vs. at the Colosseum). A gelato will run from 2 to 5 euros (though it's pretty easy to get a satisfying 2-3 euro gelato). A cappuccino costs 1-1.5 euros at the bar, more for a patio seat.

We are budgeting 10 euros/lunch. A burger/fries/coke generally falls in the 7-8 euro range. Pizzas start around 5-6 euros for a Margarita and increase in price as the toppings are added.

Finally, we are budgeting 15 euros/dinner. This meal has, perhaps, the greatest potential range. If a group decides to hit the supermarket and then cook dinner, a really satisfying meal can end up costing 3 euros. Some restaurants have a set menu (antipasto, pasta, contorno, beverage) in the 10-12 euro range. Others require you to order by the dish and this can become expensive quickly. A 15 euro average allows for some nicer meals mixed in with some cheaper ones.

Add it all up and you have a ballpark budget of around 300 euros for food. Are there any additional costs? Not necessarily. To call home, if your student doesn't have an international cell phone (which is certainly not required), the purchase of a phone card would be necessary (5-10 euros). We will have internet access in our accommodations, but if a student wanted more time online, a visit to an internet cafe would probably cost around 5 euros. And then, of course, there are souvenirs. We leave that to your discretion.

With the amount settled, the next issue to discuss is accessing it. We recommend two possible options. One approach is to provide your student with a debit card. Most major banks issue cards that work internationally (look for the Plus or Cirrus logo on the back). Make sure that your pin is only four digits. Finally, a week before departure, call the bank to inform them that the card will be used abroad; otherwise, their fraud prevention department will likely freeze the account. In addition to the card, it is advisable to provide your student with some cash, in case s/he has some problems with it early in the trip. $100 US could be easily exchanged at the airport en route to Italy, allowing for a smooth transition.

The other option is simply to bring all of the cash you will need for the trip. It would be quite unfortunate, of course, to lose 300 euros. However, given that the banks often zap each ATM withdrawal with a 2-5 euro service charge, it doesn't make sense to withdraw small amounts. So, regardless, you would probably be carrying 100-150 euros around at some point. Given the small gap between those figures, is the ATM card worth the hassle if your student doesn't have one already? Seems unlikely, but it's your call, of course. In either case, the student should have a money belt to allow for the secure stowage of that cash.

Finally, a word on valuables. We are not going to restrict students from bringing personal electronics, like iPods and handheld videogames. However, I strongly discourage it. Every trip I lead, one or two students leave their iPods behind as unintentional gifts to the locals; in Italy, prolific pickpockets add an extra layer of risk, beyond normal human forgetfulness. Beyond that, though, consider the extent to which those electronics will even be necessary. The students will always be around their friends, always have new things to talk about, and will have little time to just sit around and use the electronics. They'll have personal entertainment stations on the planes and bus rides are great opportunities for conversations. It's too easy to drop off into your own little world when you have those distractions available.

Seven Hills of Rome - Let's Try This Again

2010-02-04T08:07:00.000-08:00

The story of Hercules and Cacus is said to have occurred on the Palatine Hill, one of the famed Seven Hills of Rome. During this class period, please examine one of those seven hills, focusing on three different periods:

1) The hill during the founding of Rome
2) The hill during the height of the Roman Empire
3) The hill today

In each case, look for important events that took place on or around the hill, as well as important buildings or other structures located on the hill. Using reliable sources (and please cite them, MLA style) type a description of the hill's history over the course of those three periods. The first class today will work alone or in pairs; all work completed should be posted to the blogs by the end of the period. The second class will continue and - hopefully - finish the work. Hill assignments are:

Palatine Hill: Makhayla, Wasnaa / Arron
Capitoline Hill: Emilie / Sarah
Aventine Hill: Nat / Sam
Caellan Hill: Taylor, Hunter / Michelle
Esquiline Hill: Jordan, Alessio / David
Viminal Hill: Nathan
Quirinal Hill: Victoria, Jacob / Robert

UPDATE: Things did not go particularly well yesterday. The second class was disheartened to find that much of the information left for them was either a - to put it kindly - minimal restating of the wikipedia intro paragraph or focused on the wrong time periods. I'm disappointed by the failure to follow instructions. Today, we'll shift to individual responsibility. Each person is now assigned one hill at one specific time period (with two exceptions - Emilie/Sarah will retain full responsibility for the Capitoline Hill and Nathan will retain responsibility for the Viminal Hall):

AT THE FOUNDING OF ROME:
Palatine Hill: Arron
Aventine Hill: Sam
Caellan Hill: Taylor
Esquiline Hill: Jordan
Quirinal Hill: Victoria

AT THE HEIGHT OF THE ROMAN REPUBLIC/EMPIRE
Palatine Hill: Makhayla
Aventine Hill: Nat
Caellan Hill: Hunter
Esquiline Hill: Alessio
Quirinal Hill: Jacob

TODAY:
Palatine Hill: Wasnaa
Aventine Hill: Nat or Sam if they have time
Caellan Hill: Michelle
Esquiline Hill: David
Quirinal Hill: Robert

This is due - posted to your blog and proofread - by the end of class on Friday.

Hercules and Cacus

2010-02-04T07:08:00.000-08:00

For today, you read three different accounts of Hercules and Cacus. In Humanities class later today, we'll discuss the greater significance of this story to the history of Rome. For now, I would like you to examine it from a strictly literary angle. Please write a response to the following two questions/prompts on your group blog.

1) What are the differences between the three accounts (Livy, Vergil, and Ovid)? Be very specific - every minor detail could be important. To be clear, I just want you to list unique details here.

2) Discussing each of the three accounts separately, what is the impact of the details told that are unique to that story? In other words, consider which details only Livy uses and the effect that those have on your understanding of Hercules and Cacus (and then repeat the same process for Vergil and Ovid). Also, consider the flip side - are there details omitted from that story that are used in the other two accounts? How is the larger message influenced by the inclusion or omission of those details?

Remember - there are no accidents. The authors chose which events to include and which to cut. Your job as an analyst is to consider the reasons behind and the impact of their decisions.

Artistic Portrayals of the Sabine Women

2010-02-03T07:11:00.000-08:00

The Rape of the Sabine women is a pivotal moment in the mythical founding of Rome and the story has been retold over time in many different eras. In particular, it has been a popular subject for artists.

Look closely through the following works. Take time to contemplate each piece, looking first at the whole, then at specific details, and then returning to the whole. What is emphasized in each piece? What emotions are expressed? Which details are unique to each piece? How well does the work capture the story as told by Plutarch? Which is your favorite? Which is your least favorite?

Why do you think that this story has held such lasting value? What makes it a popular subject for so many artists? Think specifically of the broader allegorical value of the story - in other words, what larger ideas or themes could this represent in other eras and places?

1593 - Giovanni Bologna's sculpture - Angle 1 / Angle 2 / Angle 3

1637 - Nicolas Poussin - Full Painting / Close-Up

1640 - Giuseppe Cesari - Full Fresco (Sorry, poor quality; we'll see this one up close in the Capitoline Museum in Rome, though)

1640 - Peter Paul Rubens - Full Painting / Close-Up 1 / Close-Up 2

1799 - Jacques-Louis David - Full Painting / Close-Up / Detail

1963 - Pablo Picasso - Full Painting

Blog / Trip Assignments

2010-02-02T08:37:00.000-08:00

Update #1: I've shuffled the deck with regards to the blog groups. The new assignments are:

Group 1: Arron, Michelle, Wasnaa, Jacob
Group 2: Sam, Mikizzle, Emilie, Nat, Taylor
Group 3: Robert, Sarah, Hunter, Jordan
Group 4: David, Victoria, Alessio, Nathan

Update #2: Tour guide assignments for Italy/Greece have been set. Student pairings are set in stone; you may trade the assigned site with another group, but that has to take place by the end of this week.

Arron/Nathan - Forum
Jake/Taylor - Acropolis
Hunter/Alessio - Colosseum
Sarah/Emilie - Pompeii
Victoria/Wasnaa - Capri
Makhayla/Michelle-Hadrian's Villa
David/Jordan/Nat - Herculaneum
Robert/Sam - Mycenae

End of Semester Reminders

2010-01-15T14:15:00.001-08:00

Please Note:

All late work is due by Friday
Please review your Edline grade report *today* to see if any of your work is missing. I have graded and processed everything that has been submitted, so if you have a * in any category, you have to assume that I have not received it. The * will be changed to a 0 if it is not received by Friday
Rewrites of the Athens-Sparta essay are also due on Friday
Less important - your participation grade this week was based heavily on your in class blog assignment on Athens in the 4th century BC

Where JC and Oedipus/Greece Intersect

2010-01-15T06:39:00.001-08:00

I realize that, for many of you, yesterday's performance of Julius Caesar was difficult to follow. It was unfortunate that we didn't have class time to set things up properly, but the relevance will become more apparent as the year moves on, since we will eventually deal with Caesar during the Rome unit. That said, there are some connections to be made right now, especially with regards to Greek tragedy and the political conflicts between Athens and Sparta.

In terms of tragedy, both JC and Oedipus struggle with fate. In Act I, Cassius challenges the notion of fate in a conversation with Brutus:

BRUTUS
Another general shout!
I do believe that these applauses are
For some new honours that are heap'd on Caesar.

CASSIUS
Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world
Like a Colossus, and we petty men
Walk under his huge legs and peep about
To find ourselves dishonourable graves.
Men at some time are masters of their fates:
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings.

The key part comes at the end of Cassius's excerpt. Fate, he says, is not the will of the gods, but a product of man's individual will. To put it another way, Cassius is essentially denying the existence of fate by saying that a man creates his own destiny.

As the play proceeds, Shakespeare plays games with fate, though, and seems to wrestle with to what extent this is man-made, and to what extent it is divine in origin. Is Caesar's death a matter of divine will? Before the final plot against his life is hatched, the prophecy is already declared - "Beware the Ides of March!" The conspirators are, to some extent, forced into action on that day out of fear that Caesar will be crowned before they can strike their collective blows. Did they create their own destiny, or were their actions scripted by the gods (and not just by Shakespeare)?

Following Caesar's assassination, as the civil war unfolds, the ghost of Caesar - which was an artistic choice by this production company and is not always present in performances of the play - seems to wreak havoc on the conspirators, overseeing their defeat and death. Was this doomed to occur because of fate? Or, is Shakespeare arguing something else - that immoral deeds only beget more immorality, that murder only leads to more murder and greater instability?

To draw the two works together, is the culminating downfall in JC a product of the gods, as is the case in Oedipus, or a product of the men involved in it?

Moving in a different direction - while Julius Caesar is identified as one of Shakespeare's tragedies, is it a Tragedy in the Aristotleian sense? If so, who is the tragic hero and what is his flaw? Is it Brutus or Caesar, or someone else altogether? What is the moment of anagnorisis? What is the lesson to be learned?

Finally, the central tension in JC is the division over how Rome should be ruled. Brutus and Cassius favored a Republic, with power dispersed among a larger group of Romans (to call it democratic would be misleading; it was, at best, an oligarchic democracy). Caesar, in aspiring to become an emperor - and being propelled towards it by the masses - was pursuing dictatorial power. While not a perfect parallel by any means, there are some comparisons to be made here between Brutus-Caesar and Athens-Sparta; indeed, the historical parallels proceed from these critical moments through to the modern day. The temptation is often strong to elevate the "good" leader to an all-powerful position from which he can rule effectively, especially when compared with the relatively disorganized governance of a diverse democracy - and all the more so during times of trouble. We will pursue this topic in much greater detail in the months ahead.

What thoughts did you have on JC?

First Semester Final Project

2010-01-10T13:35:00.000-08:00

In our study of Ancient Greece, four figures have stood above the rest: Odysseus, Achilles, Socrates, and Oedipus. In this final project, your job is to imagine a conversation between three of them (your choice). The conversation will focus on the issues that have been critical to our examination of Greek history and literature: freedom, justice, and heroism. In crafting this discussion, you will thus review those essential topics through the viewpoint of that era's most renowned (real or imaginary) figures.

Your discussions should be loyal to the characters' views, though in some cases you may have to infer their beliefs on a specific subject. In each topic, think back on how it has come up over the semester so far and bring in relevant information from those parts of the curriculum. For example:

Freedom: What types of freedom are essential? (Be specific - speech, belief, etc.) What types of freedom are harmful? Who should be free and who shouldn't? How is freedom expressed through democracy? Would the people/characters you selected favor the Athenian or Spartan approach to rule - and, by extension, personal and political freedom?

Justice: Who is justice for? What is the purpose of punishment? Where do the ideas of Hammurabi, Solon, and Justinian intersect with your three chosen people/characters? What does it mean to be guilty or innocent? How would the characters feel about the Trial of Socrates?

Heroism: What makes someone heroic? What makes someone unheroic? Does it appear to be consistent throughout the Ancient Greek era or does it change? Remember - your job here is to present the Greek view of heroism, not ours.

To be clear - you do not need to construct a larger story or plot around this. Just create a discussion focused on these three issues. It is acceptable for you to just jump from one issue to the next, though there may be smoother ways to blend these together.

Specific requirements include:

Write this as a play/dialogue
Accurately identify all three characters' views on the three required issues. Use direct quotes from and other specific references to Homer, Sophocles, and the Trial of Socrates
Through their discussion, establish a common understanding on what the three issues mean or involve. Where disagreements exist, you must have the characters work through them and find areas of agreement. Remember, this is a discussion - not single speeches by each character
Make specific connections to examples of freedom, justice, and heroism in the course material. When possible, direct quotes to class readings are encouraged
Integrate at least 20 vocabulary words from the first semester in your dialogue. Underline these words
Follow all MLA rules

While this is a large assignment, it allows you to bring together the different material we have studied since I arrived (and a little before), making connections between the classical literature, historical events, and vocabulary. Upon completion, you will have created in that document a tidy summary of the class.

I am not setting a page limit. But, I find it hard to imagine that this could be accomplished successfully in less than three pages.

Monday's In-Class Assignment

2010-01-10T02:32:00.000-08:00

We last looked at Athens in 399, when the Trial of Socrates took place. While the city-state would never again reach the heights it enjoyed in the previous century, it remained stable, independent, and culturally-rich for the next 61 years. In 338, however, the Macedonians took control of greater Greece, signaling an end to Athenian independence and democracy, along with the rise of Phillip II and his son Alexander (who quickly exhibited his greatness).

As we transition to a quick look at the brief but glorious ascent of Alexander the Great, I would like you to spend this class period identifying the key events between 399 and 338 BC. Working in small groups, please respond to the following questions with the most detail possible, in your own words. Keep a list of reliable sources and explain why you find each to be responsible.

What do you think were the three most important developments in Athens between 399 and 338 BC? These could be battles for power, political changes, economic problems, social developments, or anything else that strikes you as relevant.
What do you think were the three most important developments in Greece between 399 and 338 BC? (Sure, Athens is part of Greece, but look beyond Athens here.)
How did Macedonia develop from a semi-Greek backwater into the most powerful force in the west? What were the secrets of their success?

Work together to prepare one post. All group members should be involved in answering each question. In other words, I don't want you to divide the list of questions. Collectively prepare the answer to each one.

Oedipus the King

2010-01-05T08:09:00.001-08:00

The full text of Sophocles's play, Oedipus the King, is available here.

Each night this week, I will post discussion questions for the day's reading in this post. Responses will be required in your group blogs before class starts the next day. I would prefer that you not read ahead (unless otherwise directed to do so in a nightly assignment) or look online for materials to help you answer these questions. Also, please do not read your peers' posts until you have completed yours.

For Friday, 1/8: Complete Both Part I and II

Part I: Pick one of the following three prompts to write about (200 words):

1) As the play concludes, Oedipus's transformation is complete. He has become, in his own words, "the mortal man the gods despise the most" (1593), a victim and perpetrator of his own fate. As we discussed in class, the fall of Oedipus raises a question of guilt - is Oedipus responsible for his actions, or do his efforts to escape his fate reflect innocence? The larger question, though, involves the issue of fate vs. free will. If you lack free will, can you ever be guilty or innocent of anything? Provide specific examples, from the play or your life, that support your opinion.

2) Greek art - and tragedy, in particular - typically serves to reflect and reinforce Greek morality. In other words, the plays communicate a message about what is good or bad, and what happens to those who violate social norms. What is Oedipus promoting and criticizing? Important: the easy and obvious answer is that the play is discouraging killing your father and committing incest. That's obvious. But, that's also advice that most people have little need for. What important lessons are present in Oedipus for the common person?

3) In class, I spoke about Aristotle's four elements of the tragedy, the last of which was catharsis. Describe the cathartic effect that the story of Oedipus had on you. Alternately, if you did not feel anything resembling the catharsis described by Aristotle, try to explain why it had no such effect upon you. Be specific in your explanation.

Part II: Foreshadowing Redux

After reading the prologue, I asked you to find examples of foreshadowing, which was a struggle for many of you. Now, go back to the prologue and find two examples of foreshadowing that you missed before. I promise - this will be much easier now. As before, quote those examples here and explain the connection briefly.

For Thursday, 1/7:

Between lines 880 and 900, Oedipus's life begins to unravel. The fate he thought he had escaped seems to have tracked him down after all. This moment of recognition - the Greek term for it, coined by Aristotle, is anagnorisis - is a central event in most Greek tragedies, the turning point in the unfortunate protagonist's life.

Reflect on an example of anagnorisis in your own life. Can you think of a time where you felt sure about something (whether about you, or someone else, or even something) only to have that image shattered. Tell this moment as a story - describe what you thought before, the moment of discovery, and the aftermath. What were your thoughts as you moved through the moment of recognition? 300 words minimum.

For Wednesday, 1/6:

NOTE: Hum 9r needs to do a little more reading tonight, up to the arrival of Teiresias on page 9.

1) I talked in class about foreshadowing. Please skim back through the prologue and identify three passages (three lines or less), quote them (and include the line numbers), and briefly discuss what future events they might anticipate. Remember, "there is Creon, he shall arrive here soon" is not foreshadowing. For examples of foreshadowing in (old) kids' movies, click here.

2) Oedipus's speech (starts line 249) offers an excellent overview of his sense of punishment. What does Oedipus propose with regards to the king's murderer and what does it tell us about his view of justice? He also mentions "fate" briefly in the speech. How, in your mind, do fate and justice co-exist? In other words, can you have fate and justice at the same time?

3) Identify at least three words you don't know and provide definitions. The definitions should be in your own words, re-phrased from the dictionary entries you reference.

4) Comment on at least one other person's post. Be constructive. You'll want to focus on question 1 or 2.

All told, your responses should probably total around 300 words combined (not 300 words for each question - 300 words total), excluding quotes from Oedipus and the definitions.

How I Spent My Holiday Break: The DW 100

2009-12-26T12:00:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd post this here as well, in case anyone is looking for reading suggestions...

At the close of the last century, the Modern Library published its ranking of the top 100 novels of the 1900s. This proved to be so popular in sparking debate (and generating page views) that many other publishers and periodicals followed suit. Prominent lists include:

The Modern Library - 100 Best Novels
Radcliffe Publishing - Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century
Time Magazine - All-Time 100 Novels
Waterstone's - Books of the Century

While I saw the Modern Library list when it came out, it slipped my mind as quickly as it entered. I was brought back to the subject, though, by Keith Law, who is known more as a baseball writer for ESPN than a literary critic. However, he developed his own top 100 and, in so doing, indirectly prompted me to do the same.

I decided to do this primarily because it forced me to review all of the fiction I have read in my life to this point - a healthy activity in its own right. At the same time, it has driven me to begin filling in gaps in my own library, for how can I consider my rankings to have any credibility if I haven't read many of the works believed to be great by the "experts"? As such, creating this list has been a lengthy, difficult process. I started tinkering with it almost a year ago. While there are many more works I need to read before I can feel great about this list, I decided that I could always make that excuse. As such, I established the end of this year as a deadline for the completion of my first version.

The guidelines: While the original impetus for this was a list limited to the best novels of the 20th century, I am following Law's approach by including works from earlier centuries. I am not limiting this to novels, as I don't really want to get into the debate over what constitutes a novel. Novellas and novel-length works are fair game; short stories are out. Classics were really hard to work with, as they really deserve their own special treatment. Ultimately, I only chose to include a few works that preceded the 19th century and the vast majority of works included here come from the 20th century. Another challenge for me was choosing how to deal with multiple works by the same author. There are some writers, like Rushdie and Calvino, who I enjoy so much that their works would easily litter a personal Top 100. I decided to emphasize having different authors on this list, which forced me to be selective in isolating the definitive work from each author. At most, there are two novels by a given author on here - never three or more.

Any list obviously falls prey to the personal preferences of its compiler. As such, it's worth knowing those preferences in advance. My early literary tastes - which remain prominent in my views - centered on Latin American magical realism and European modernism. Both are represented quite well on this list. Meanwhile, I developed a very strong distaste for American and British lit. I worked hard to correct that in subsequent years, but there remain some gaps in my knowledge of that area. In my early 20s, I took up an interest in post-modern Eastern European literature, driven in large part by Milorad Pavic. After that, recognizing how little I knew about Asian, Australian, and African literature, I tried to pursue the major works from those areas. Overall, the outcome I suspect is a deep knowledge of Latin American literature and a functional knowledge of literature from other parts of the world.

100 David Lodge - Therapy

A work that functions as a comedy and a contemplation of religion in the contemporary world, Therapy's denouement suitably unfolds on Spain's Camino de Santiago.

99 Norton Juster - The Phantom Tollbooth

Juster picked up the torch from Lewis Carroll in this 20th century masterpiece that appeals on different levels to children and adults. In my case, it's one of two books I recall vividly from my early childhood (along with Tolkien).

98 Emilia Pardo Bazan - The Manors of Ulloa

Think Wuthering Heights set in Galician Spain.

97 JM Coetzee - Life and Times of Michael K

Until he published Disgrace, this was considered Coetzee's masterpiece. It's a jarring, deliberately Kafkaesque portrayal of Civil War-era South Africa, in which even white South Africans appear dehumanized and bereft of meaning.

96 Orson Scott Card - Ender’s Game

One of the most important works of science fiction of all time. Sure, the language is simplistic and the story is cliched at times; however, Card succeeds in creating a venue for the exploration of major ethical dilemmas, excelling where SciFi often feels heavy-handed.

95 George Orwell - Animal Farm

Some of us are more equal than others.

94 Augusto Roa Bastos - I the Supreme

A historical novel from the Paraguayan master, examining one of the most fascinating (and unfairly ignored) figures in history, one time Paraguayan dictator Jose Gaspar Rodriguez de Francia.

93 Junichiro Tanizaki - Makioka Sisters

Set in the 1940s, as Japan struggled with World War II and the complicated process of westernization, Tanizaki focuses here on the impact of those larger developments on the traditional family.

92 Guillermo Cabrera Infante - Three Trapped Tigers

A post-modernist portrayal of pre-revolutionary Havana. Cabrera Infante plays games with the structure, in ways that will be immediately evident by simply flipping the pages.

91 Willa Cather - My Antonia

Considered the finest of Cather's accounts of frontier life in America, this follows the struggles of a Bohemian immigrant girl in Nebraska.

90 Machado de Assis - Posthumous Memoirs of Bras Cubas

It is difficult to isolate one of Assis's novels, as this is certainly rivaled by Dom Casmurro, Quincas Borba, and Esau and Jacob. Bras Cubas was critical to the career of the great Brazilian writer, though, and has the clever narrative device of the dead man reflecting on his life story.

89 Oscar Zeta Acosta - Revolt of the Brown Buffalo

Hunter S. Thompson's wingman and lawyer outlines the development of his own sense of Chicano consciousness.

88 Ernest Hemingway - Old Man and the Sea

I worked very hard to cultivate an appreciation for Hemingway, working through all of his major works. I was even inclined to like him, given our shared appreciation for the Basque country. Despite that, though, I fail to see the greatness. He writes English as though it were a poor translation of Spanish, loaded with passive voice and even using words like molest in the sense of "bother" (molestar is Spanish for "to bother"). And, while the uncertainty and doubt that plagued post-WWI Europe was certainly a popular subject at the time, Hemingway approaches it with a level of resignation and impotence that feels self-indulgent.

The Old Man and the Sea, though, seems to operate on a more universal level, an allegory that, while ending in defeat, feels noble in purpose, the moral obverse of a Pyrrhic victory.

87 China Mieville - Perdido Street Station

The next generation of science fiction, Mieville moves beyond simple moralizing to a darker world that acknowledges that easy answers are hardly the property of the future. The flaws (an obsession with complicated linguistic terminology that borders on pomposity and a somewhat predictable unfolding of the plot that draws lightly on Michael Crichton) are easily over-shadowed by the depth and clarity of Mieville's constructed city.

86 Elie Wiesel - Night

The defining work of Holocaust literature, Wiesel's story is most potent in its exploration of the Nazi system's nefarious ability to turn father and son against each other and, in so doing, shifting the feelings of guilt and immorality to the victims.

85 Doris Lessing - The Golden Notebook

An accidental work of feminist literature, the genius of Lessing's work lies in the innovative structure, in which the story unfolds through the lead character's many different literary journals. Far more than feminism or Marxism, this provides insight into the literary process.

84 Qian Zhongshu - Fortress Besieged

A little like a Chinese Jane Austen, Qian's novel - one of the most famous from 20th century China - explores life in the country in the short-lived time between independence and the PRC.

83 George Eliot - Silas Marner

A moralizing Victorian novel that succeeds in large part due to the appeal of its gruff, unbending central figure.

82 Witold Gombrowicz - Ferdydurke

One of the great - and thoroughly unknown - works of European modernism, this work fits neatly into the tradition of satirical and absurdist commentaries on the simultaneous rise of fascist and communist ideologies in Europe (of particular relevance to Gombrowicz's Poland). Like Bulgakov's Master and Margarita, this was victimized by history and only relatively recently enjoyed a competent English translation.

81 Yasunari Kawabata - Master of Go

Another novel capturing the "moment in time" feel in Asia around World War II, this is based on an actual Go match that took place in Japan in 1938, spanning six months. As the game is played between the long-time master and his young challenger, larger changes are also taking place in Japan.

80 Henry James - Turn of the Screw

A great, short work of suspense, from a time when horror was all in the mind. Or was it?

79 Salman Rushdie - Shalimar the Clown

Shalimar likely benefits from two factors in making this list over other Rushdie novels - it's the most recent one that I've read and it deals with a subject (the conflict over Kashmir) about which I have a great deal of interest. While it stumbles to the finish, the character of Shalimar may be the best vessel Rushdie has created for playing his literary games.

78 Jack Kerouac - On the Road

Kerouac exemplified and transcended the Beat Generation in this novel, capturing many key characteristics of the American existence in the adventures of Sal Paradise. This certainly belongs in the top three candidates for the Great American Novel.

77 Margaret Atwood - Handmaid's Tale

Literary types burned out on the subject of the utopia pretty quickly, but the potential permutations of dystopia seem almost limitless. Atwood's, while not the best, may be the most distinctive of interpretations, with its emphasis on the female experience.

76 Edgar Allan Poe - Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym

It is easy to see, just in this short novella, how much influence Poe had on Borges's development as a storyteller. Among other tricky gimmicks, Poe plays with authorship here and manipulates the narrative with a faulty manuscript. Like other classic seafaring texts, Poe also expertly crafts the tale to reflect the slow pace of life in the ocean.

75 Voltaire - Candide

Everything works out for the best...

74 Graham Greene - The End of the Affair

Greene is another author about whom a great deal of debate exists in selecting a definitive work. Waterstone's has Brighton Rock. Time favors The Power and the Glory. Law refers Our Man in Havana. Affair, meanwhile, was celebrated by William Faulkner, and his word is good enough for me. In this novel, Greene chronicles the unraveling of an affair, the tension between physical love and spiritual love, and the crippling power of hatred.

73 William Golding - Lord of the Flies

What is human nature? Removed from civilization, would we revert to savagery? Can a piggy see without his glasses? Golding explores the key questions of our age...

72 Chinua Achebe - Things Fall Apart

Speaking of the tension between civilization and savagery... Achebe turns what had been a standard European conceit on its head in this critical novel, showing how a perfectly viable culture was undermined by the "light" of civilization.

71 Eduardo Galeano - Memory of Fire

A remarkable work, telling the history of the Americas over the course of three volumes through a series of potent vignettes.

70 Don Delillo - Falling Man

Perhaps the finest example of 9/11 literature, a very rich subject for many American writers over the last decade. Delillo focuses on the famous photograph of the man jumping from one of the towers, immortalized mid-fall, and the performance artist who reenacted that event all over the city.

69 RL Stevenson - Treasure Island

It was tempting to shine some light on another Stevenson work, perhaps Kidnapped or The Black Arrow, but Treasure Island was clearly the masterpiece. And pirates are awesome.

68 JM Coetzee - Disgrace

An excellent work, though almost certainly undeserving of the exuberant praise it has received (a poll by the Observer called it the greatest non-US English language novel of the last 25 years). As with Michael K, Coetzee succeeds in capturing the downward spiral of South Africa from a white South African perspective.

67 EM Forster - Passage to India

The definitive literary work on Colonial India, showing how even the best intents were blinded by prejudice.

66 Alejo Carpentier - Kingdom of this World

This account of the Haitian revolution is considered the origin of the term "magical realism," if not the genre itself.

65 David Malouf - Remembering Babylon

A fascinating look at residual racism in Australia, cleverly centered on a white community's discrimination of a white boy who was raised briefly by Aborigines.

64 Thomas Hardy - Return of the Native

A talented man is torn by the rugged Wessex moor, a wild and passionate young woman, and his intrusive mother. Things don't end well.

63 F. Scott Fitzgerald - Great Gatsby

Gatsby lands near the top of almost every list of greatest works. It is also the novel I've worked the hardest to appreciate, having recently completed my fourth reading of it. Originally, I hated it. In college, I came to recognize some of its merits. I now see the genius of Fitzgerald as a story-teller, though I would also argue that Gatsby doesn't even rank as his finest work. Fitzgerald's power as a writer is still in its early stages here.

In my most recent re-reading, it finally hit me: Gatsby is Alex Rodriguez, the most recent re-writing of the American Dream and the quest of its winners for acceptance and credibility. Success breeds failure.

62 Isabel Allende - Eva Luna

Latin American novelists seem to be particularly prolific; every year brings a new novel from Fuentes, Vargas Llosa, and Allende, among others, making it difficult to stay on top of their work. Allende is generally recognized as having two masterpieces, one of which is Eva Luna. As is also the case with many Latin American novels, Eva Luna seems to be as much about the art of story-telling as it is about Latin American history.

61 Art Spiegelman - Maus

A work of great literary significance, given its role in legitimizing the graphic novel, Maus also makes the holocaust accessible to a different audience, affecting an emotional resonance that is more difficult in a purely print medium.

60 JRR Tolkien - Lord of the Rings

Setting aside any debate over the allegorical meaning, this trilogy operates quite effectively on a literal level. If only good and evil were always so clearly defined.

59 Charlotte Bronte - Jane Eyre

I approached the Brontes quite prejudiced, lumping them together with Jane Austen, whose work I find completely underwhelming. In both cases, though, I was pleasantly surprised. Charlotte's work is closer to Austen's in tone and subject matter, though it seems richer and less superficial. Jane Eyre has all of the social commentary that makes Austen so appealing, but it also has a layered heroine who is able to pursue love without sacrificing her independence.

58 Joseph Conrad - Heart of Darkness

The more I learn about the Belgian Congo, the more I appreciate this work. The adaptation of Conrad's story to Vietnam by Francis Ford Coppola undeniably resulted in a brilliant film, but it also distracted readers from the original context. This should be read side-by-side with King Leopold's Ghost.

57 Jose Saramago - Blindness

Eugene Ionesco should sue Saramago for essentially copying the absurdist's Rhinoceros. Nonetheless, this is a compelling allegory begging for a five-paragraph essay.

56 Mario de Andrade - Macunaima

Another candidate for the birthplace of Latin American Magical Realism, de Andrade's much neglected work is wild, absurd, and often hard to follow. But, it is also wonderfully creative and worth the effort.

55 Franz Kafka - Metamorphosis

Another open-ended work that allows the interpretive juices to flow freely. It's said that Kafka wrote this over the course of one night and, when he submitted it to his publisher, was laughing riotously. That tells you everything you need to know about Kafka.

54 Ken Kesey - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

No book moved me more in high school than this one (and it's not very easy to move a teenage boy). I suspect that was a product of feeling, as a teenager, like I had a very clear idea of what I wanted to do with my life but having that clarity doubted by adults - in the same sense that Mack's sanity was questioned by Nurse Ratched.

53 Carlos Fuentes - The Old Gringo

Fuentes is unfairly neglected by most great novel lists. There is some debate over his finest work. Many hold up the Death of Artemio Cruz as the best. I favor The Old Gringo, though, which attempts to tell the story of Ambrose Bierce's late life journey into Mexico.

52 Herman Melville - Moby Dick

One of the most polarizing novels in history, some call this a masterpiece and others a cinder block of tedium. I lean more towards the former, but can sympathize with the latter. Melville does have extensive passages devoted to the monotony of the sea, but it often functions quite effectively as a narrative device, establishing story lines with great subtlety. And, Queequeg is a great character, stealing the show from Ishmael and Ahab.

51 Italo Calvino - If on a Winter's Night a Traveler

A masterpiece of postmodernist literature, this is a story about reading a story. Just read the opening paragraph: "You are about to begin reading Italo Calvino's new novel, If on a winter's night a traveler. Relax. Concentrate. Dispel every other thought. Let the world around you fade. Best to close the door; the TV is always on in the next room. Tell the others right away, "No, I don't want to watch TV!" Raise your voice - they won't hear you otherwise - "I'm reading! I don't want to be disturbed!" Maybe they haven't heard you, with all that racket; speak louder, yell: "I'm beginning to read Italo Calvino's new novel!" Or if you prefer, don't say anything; just hope they'll leave you alone."

50 William Faulkner - As I Lay Dying

One of Faulkner's more accessible novels, this story of the Bundgren family rapidly shifts narrators and is perhaps best known for these five little words: "My mother is a fish."

49 Francois Rabelais - Gargantua and Pantegruel

The chronicles of two giants who flood cities with their urine, as told by a French monk? Yes, please.

48 Milan Kundera - Unbearable Lightness of Being

Are our lives unique, or do they merely repeat the lives lived before and the lives that will follow ours?

47 Mario Vargas Llosa - Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter

Another author about whom a great deal of debate surrounds his definitive work. Vargas Llosa has an impressive body of work, ranging greatly in tone and theme. Aunt Julia is one of his funnier, more lighthearted works, focusing on the adventures of a scriptwriter for a radio soap opera.

46 George Orwell - 1984

I would hold this up as the finest of the dystopian novels, outshining Huxley's Brave New World and Zamyatin's We. Big Brother told me to.

45 Penelope Lively - Moon Tiger

Despite winning the Booker Prize, this is an over-looked novel. Lively's protagonist, Claudia Hampton, tells the story of her life from her deathbed, focusing on the events that took place in the midst of World War II. Lively plays with both narrator and chronology, jumping between perspectives and years.

44 VS Naipaul - A Bend in the River

While Conrad's Heart of Darkness is generally considered the definitive literary take on the Congo, Naipaul offers a very different perspective, focusing on the Indian immigrant experience which was common in Eastern Africa in the early 20th century but often ignored by a western audience. Both Conrad and Naipaul agree in one area, though - the Congo has a bleak future.

43 Mary Shelley - Frankenstein

I avoided this book for a long time, having been misled by the film adaptations about what to expect. Shelley's novel is a much more compelling work than the vapid horror films, and remains quite relevant in an age of genetic manipulation.

42 Miguel Angel Asturias - Men of Maize

Due to translation challenges, Men of Maize was long unavailable to English speaking audiences. As such, the Guatemalan gained international recognition primarily for his novel, El Senor Presidente. This, however, is his true masterpiece, detailing the deleterious impact of western capitalism on the indigenous population through florid language and layer upon layer of folksy wisdom and mythic figures.

41 Julio Cortazar - Hopscotch

Choose Your Own Adventure for an adult audience.

40 Alan Duff - Once Were Warriors

The finest work of literature to ever come out of New Zealand, Duff focuses on the disintegration of a Maori family, as the loss of cultural meaning produces frustration, impotence, and, ultimately, domestic violence.

39 Gustave Flaubert - Madame Bovary

In 2007, Time asked 125 of the world's greatest writers to submit their personal Top 10 novels. After compiling those lists, Madame Bovary ranked second. While roundly criticized in its initial publication (and actually put on trial for obscenity), it has since been celebrated as one of the greatest works of realism in history for its portrayal of the adulterous Emma Bovary.

38 Emily Bronte - Wuthering Heights

As noted in the entry on Jane Eyre, I was predisposed to dislike the Brontes, and was ultimately stunned by my enjoyment of their novels, especially Wuthering Heights. This novel combines the suspense of James's Turn of the Screw with the romantic qualities of Jane Eyre.

37 Ralph Ellison - Invisible Man

Ellison's Invisible Man has some intriguing parallels with Cuckoo's Nest. Both Ellison's narrator and Mack are talented, compelling figures, unjustly blocked from living the lives they deserve. The failure of American society to afford that opportunity to the invisible man is not just a racist one - it's a deeply foolish and utterly unjustifiable one. That is not to suggest that racism is justifiable, of course, but rather that the elevation of the invisible man's capacity makes the crime seem all the more glaring.

36 James Joyce - Ulysses

This is the most difficult novel to place on the list. Ranked #1 on the Modern Library 100, it is undeniably a work of great brilliance. In terms of structure, style, and language, it would be hard to argue that any other work qualifies as its peer. But, is it worth the major time commitment to actually read it? And, is the act of reading it actually enjoyable, or just intellectually edifying?

99 times out of 100, at least, I would reach for one of the next 35 books before reaching for Ulysses.

35 Fyodor Dostoevsky - Notes from Underground

I should probably be concerned that one of the five characters with whom I most identify is the underground man.

34 Peter Carey - My Life as a Fake

The Australian author is best known for Oscar and Lucinda and the True History of the Kelly Gang, both of which won the Booker Prize. I prefer this modern re-imagining of Frankenstein, though, in which the monster is replaced with a phony poet, particularly over the Kelly Gang which struck me as a bit dry.

33 Albert Camus - The Stranger

You don't really need to cry. Society makes you. Or else.

32 Jonathan Swift - Gulliver's Travels

One of the finest works of satire ever written by a master of the genre. If you think that Gulliver is just the story of a bunch of midgets pinning down a giant, you're missing out on a great deal.

31 Charles Dickens - Great Expectations

I avoided Dickens for many years, anticipating a work of dry Victorian moralizing. When I finally forced myself to pick up Great Expectations, though, I found a legitimately funny novel with a clever plot and a reasonably interesting protagonist in Pip, despite (or perhaps because of) his naive simplicity. It's unfortunate that South Park's recreation of Great Expectations is never replayed.

30 Thomas Pynchon - The Crying of Lot 49

The only work I've read by Pynchon and, not coincidentally, the only one that couldn't double as a step stool. The Da Vinci Code of the postal service industry.

29 Juan Rulfo - Pedro Paramo

Considered one of the finest examples of Latin American magical realism, Pedro Paramo is best known for its manipulations of time in the narrative structure.

28 Miguel de Cervantes - Don Quixote

An uproarious work of imagination and one of the cornerstones of the Western canon. Vargas Llosa tells a great story about how Spanish America was exposed almost exclusively, in its early years, to two books - the Bible and the Quixote. Thus, the rise of magical realism...

27 Mark Twain - Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer

I'm cheating by combining these two works, but they seem to belong together despite some differences in tone. Twain's ability to capture the southern vernacular while remaining accessible to a modern audience is remarkable, as is the universality of his humor.

26 Don Delillo - White Noise

Winner of the National Book Award in 1985, this is essentially a fictionalization of Ernest Becker's writings on death denial. A powerful statement on contemporary American materialism and the deep-seated fears operating underneath this.

25 Lewis Carroll - Alice in Wonderland / Through the Looking Glass

As is the case with The Phantom Tollbooth and Gulliver's Travels, there is a tendency to dismiss Alice as children's literature. However, that judgment is misplaced. Carroll's games with language make this a seminal work of semiotics. And his use of the chessboard as the backdrop for Looking Glass combined with his subtle integration of mathematical principles makes this a layered work. The brilliance of Carroll may best be seen through the authors he influenced; Borges's "Circular Ruins," for example, is taken from the Red King's dreams.

24 Kazuo Ishiguro - Remains of the Day

The life of an aged British butler hardly sounds like the most thrilling fare, but Ishiguro's abilities as a story-teller are on full display here. Through an unreliable narrator, Ishiguro methodically develops the plot, always under-stated. And yet, despite the subtlety, the story builds to a sharp climax, made all the more jarring by its surprise. A brilliant novel that exemplifies the finest parts of the British literary tradition.

23 F. Scott Fitzgerald - Tender Is the Night

No writer, I suspect, has ever been in such command of his language as Fitzgerald was in this novel. His word choice is impeccable. Whole paragraphs are crafted with the precision and genius of a Van Eyck painting, demanding a level of attention and appreciation far greater than the simplistic act of reading.

And yet, for all of the brilliance (or perhaps because of it?), the characters operating in here do not resonate with me. The world Fitzgerald inhabited and focused on in his writing, of fabulously wealthy Americans ruining their lives with alcohol, petty rivalries, and affairs, evokes little sympathy and even less interest. Sure, such a description is a little over-reductive and a little unfair, but it remains central to the dissonance I feel between the language and the content here.

One question that comes to mind in all of this is whether a successful author is obligated to create characters who are universally sympathetic or likable. Is this a necessary conceit, or the crutch of a lazy storyteller? And, on the flip side, am I displaying my limits as a reader by complaining of the inaccessibility or shallowness of the characters?

22 Michael Ondaatje - English Patient

Ondaatje, like Fitzgerald, is a master of language; in his case, though, his background as a poet greatly influences his prose, providing key passages with a lyrical quality. That language, combined with a fragmented narrative and shifting perspectives, suits the story well, as four central characters, all fractured by their experiences in World War II, seek solace and rehabilitation. Drawing elements from the mystery, the tragic drama, and the war story, Ondaatje crafts a powerful work that shakes convention through its complicated characters.

21 Joseph Heller - Catch-22

The finest war novel ever written, capturing the absurdity of the soldier's experience without trivializing it. Catch-22 is unusual, at least to my knowledge, in the sense that it parodies the war effort in WWII, which has historically received near universal praise, setting it as the polar opposite of WWI. The message here is unequivocal - war, no matter how just or successful it seems, is an immoral, perverting endeavor in which there are no winners.

20 Carson McCullers - The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter

Literary critics have made a big deal about the fact that McCullers wrote this novel at the age of 23, marveling at her ability to develop a group of characters and insights that seemed beyond her years. And, indeed, the tender sentimentality evoked throughout Heart is as nuanced as it is sincere, making this a work of universal relevance. And, it has one of the literary world's all-time sucker punches, made all the more gut-wrenching by McCullers's cautious narrative build.

19 Vladimir Nabokov - Lolita

Some critics would disagree with my claims of Fitzgerald's linguistic supremacy in Tender Is the Night and many of them would hold up Nabokov's in/famous work as the quintessential example of the English-language novel. It is, without question, a remarkable effort, a surprisingly touching conspiracy between the protagonist and the author's language to fool you into sympathizing with the lead character's bumbling yet despicable pedophilia. I criticized Fitzgerald for producing unsympathetic characters; Nabokov manages to create despicable characters who are highly likable and almost defensible.

18 Umberto Eco - Name of the Rose

A medieval mystery, set in a Benedictine monastery. When the bodies start hitting the floor, an inquisitor, William of Baskerville, and his assistant begin peeling back layers of secrecy. For those who don't understand the difference between fiction and literature, read the Da Vinci Code and then this novel. While Brown's operates on one level - the attempt at unpacking a conspiracy - Eco's functions on multiple levels - mystery, theological commentary, philosophical examination of the nature of truth, and the typical Eco-ian game of semiotics.

17 Franz Kafka - The Trial

Kafka's finest effort, as universal in feel as the rest of his works but also a compelling story in its own right. The parable on the law remains relevant and piercing in its perceptiveness.

16 Alan Paton - Cry, The Beloved Country

The greatest work of literature to come out of South Africa, a powerful denunciation of the inhumanity of the developing apartheid system, and an often beautiful reflection on man's capacity for generosity in the most difficult of times. Dating from 1946, it is a fascinating glimpse at a turning point in South African history; Paton actually expresses some optimism here that things may turn for the better. As we know, however, within a couple of years the Afrikaner Nationalists gained full control of the country and made permanent the apartheid policies.

15 William Faulkner - Absalom, Absalom

Faulkner enthusiasts would criticize the absence of the Sound and the Fury from this list, but I consider Absalom, Absalom to be his finest work. I suppose I'm a sucker for the multi-generational family narrative (which will become particularly apparent as I move through the rest of this list), but Faulkner is able to build so elegantly to the culmination of the family's tragedy - and, by extension, the southern tragedy - that it evokes an overwhelming sense of pathos.

14 Ngugi Wa Thiong'o - Wizard of the Crow

If you want to learn about post-colonial Africa, you could read a handful of historical works on the subject, or you could just read this work of fiction. Set in the fictional republic of Aburiria, Ngugi's novel is a searing satire, ripping apart the failures and fiascoes of so many African dictatorships. As is true of many other prominent works emerging from the former colonial world, it captures the struggle of balancing western capitalism with traditional ways, though Ngugi's approach is much more nuanced and multi-faceted than Achebe's.

13 Isabel Allende - House of the Spirits

This belongs right alongside 100 Years of Solitude in any discussion of the best Latin American novels. it also belongs there because it is a thematic parallel - Allende tells the story of Chile through a multi-generational family narrative while - and a technical one, as she is also quite skilled at magical realism.

12 John Kennedy Toole - Confederacy of Dunces

This is, without question, the funniest book I've ever read, causing me to laugh out loud nearly every chapter. It is an American Pnin, but instead of focusing on a hapless professor its subject is a self-absorbed "intellectual," who spends his post-graduation years reclined on his soiled mattress in his mother's house, railing against a variety of social sins. Fate intervenes, propelling our hero, Ignatius J. Reilly out of his house and into the working world, and high comedy (ok, low comedy) ensues.

As with the most effective (or, at least, the most memorable) comedies, though, there is also a darker side at work. As the novel surges towards its inevitable conclusion, the reader begins to feel a sense of guilt, recognizing that the misadventures of Reilly and his mother are symptomatic of deeper, even tragic, problems, made all the more apparent by a brief biographical sketch of the life and death of Toole.

11 Jonathan Franzen - The Corrections

After reading the Corrections for the first time, I was really excited and eager to speak with other literary types about it. I was stunned to hear it panned - with prejudice - by another English teacher. Even more staggering for me was her explanation - namely, that the characters seemed vapid and thoroughly unlikable. However, I often point to Franzen's character development as one of his strengths; indeed, it's what kept me engaged in his inferior earlier work, the 27th City. Amazon suggests that our divergent views are the norm; out of more than 1000 reviews, 294 score it as a 5-star work, while 253 give it 1 star.

Obviously, disagreements exist on every novel ever written, but Franzen seems especially polarizing. I wonder if, to some extent, it is a generational thing. In reading Franzen, I was struck by the fact that, over the years of reading so many classics, I had come to unwittingly associate fine literature with past eras. New cars, modern air travel, computers - those are all accoutrements of contemporary life and have no place in a literary classic. Relevance is dependent on universal themes, not the specific subject matter.

However, in Franzen, in Delillo, and a handful of other contemporary authors, I came to find a familiar world that continues to explore those same critical themes, but does so in a way that doesn't require a cognitive leap. The Corrections hit me as a defining work of late 20th century American life, for better or worse.

10 Adolfo Bioy Casares - The Dream of Heroes

Bioy Casares has been over-shadowed historically by his close friend Borges, and that's a shame. He's a master of setting tone, establishing tension within the first page of a work and carrying it through to the end without it becoming monotonous. Instead it builds to a crescendo, nowhere better than in this work, where Kafka meets Poe and fate and memory are handled expertly.

While Bioy Casares is neglected, this novel is practically invisible. It doesn't have a single review on Amazon, nor are new copies available for purchase. But, it's well worth tracking down. One of the only good descriptions of the novel online is posted here.

9 Virginia Woolf - To the Lighthouse

How should we think of life? As a series of important events, separated by an indistinct monotony? Or, is life really defined by those seemingly insignificant moments that dominate our existence? Woolf was famous, like many modernists, for shifting the narrative emphasis away from the momentous to the ordinary. Nowhere is that better on display than in To the Lighthouse, where a seemingly innocuous dinner consumes the bulk of the work, while the pivotal event is lost in the shortest, most abstract chapter.

8 Luisa Valenzuela - Black Novel (with Argentines)

Another Argentine gem that is criminally ignored, overshadowed by the greatness of Borges and Cortazar. Valenzuela gained some recognition for her novel, The Lizard's Tale, but this is almost unknown. Like The Dream of Heroes, this is work of dark suspense, borrowing from Kafka and Dostoevsky, but it is a more contemporary, international product.

A woman lies dead in her apartment. A man emerges from the building, the murder weapon in his pocket. He doesn't know who she is, what happened, or how he got there. As the novel unfolds, the subconscious impact of the Argentine Dirty War on its exiles in America emerges as the dominant theme, steering their lives back towards the violence they had hoped to escape.

7 Toni Morrison - Beloved

Generally acknowledged as the finest American novel from the second half of the 20th century, Beloved focuses on the story of Sethe and her daughter Denver, escaped slaves who have not quite escaped the past. Narrative perspectives shift frequently, as does the chronology, connecting this work structurally with several others on this list, including Moon Tiger and The English Patient.

The seemingly magical return of Sethe's other daughter, Beloved, sets in motion a series of events that unravel the tenuous peace Sethe and Denver had achieved, raising the question of whether any of us can ever escape our pasts.

6 Milorad Pavic - Dictionary of the Khazars

Pavic is one of the most distinctive writers of the 20th (and 21st) century, an unabashed post-modernist who pushes the limits of literary structure. A pioneer in "hyper-fiction," his print works differ dramatically in style.

Dictionary of the Khazars is, as the title suggests, a dictionary devoted to the Khazars, a Turkic tribe that existed in the second half of the first millennium AD. Actually, it is three dictionaries - one Christian, one Jewish, and one Muslim - each of which addresses key components of the Khazar story from its own perspective. Some terms included in the dictionaries are included in all three variations and in those cases they are cross-referenced. Thus, the reader has multiple options for reading this work. He can move straight through in a linear fashion. He can move alphabetically, bouncing between the three dictionaries. Or, he can bounce wildly from term to term and dictionary to dictionary, entirely in the order of his choosing. Ultimately, the meaning he derives will be dependent on the order he chooses. To make matters even more complicated, two different editions of the work are available, Male and Female, with subtle distinctions that also influence the "story."

Like many of Pavic's works, it is a text of nearly infinite possible outcomes.

5 Mikhail Bulgakov - The Master and Margarita

OK, the novel in a sentence: the devil comes to Russia with his cronies, including a three-foot tall black cat with a gun, and creates all sorts of mayhem, ultimately making a deal with Margarita in which her lover, the master, who has written a novel correcting the history of Pilate and Jesus but has subsequently checked himself into an asylum, is freed to be with her once more. I think one is contractually obligated to describe this as a "carnivalesque romp," and it falls quite firmly into the tradition of Rabelais and embodies Bakhtin's famous theory. The satirical elements may not resonate with a modern American audience, but that's ok - it operates quite well on other levels. And besides, there is an excellent site devoted to the novel, filling in many of the gaps.

4 Gabriel Garcia Marquez - One Hundred Years of Solitude

The third multi-generational family drama in my top 15 novels (with one still to come!) and almost universally acknowledged as one of the finest novels ever written. Little more needs to be written about this, the exemplary work of magical realism and the second most important Spanish language novel, behind only the Quixote.

3 Italo Calvino - Invisible Cities

There is no work I've read more than Invisible Cities, a twin product of teaching it multiple times and the tantalizing secrets that seem to lurk behind each page. It contains two components. First there are short descriptions of imagined cities, broken into 11 different categories, generally spanning 1-2 pages. These are divided into 9 different chapters. Each chapter is framed by a second component, an imagined conversation between Kublai Khan and Marco Polo.

The reader is free (or trapped) in Invisible Cities to move in a variety of interpretive directions. What does Calvino tell us about the nature of travel and discovery, or existence within the modern city? How can we communicate most effectively and meaningfully? How do geography and philosophy shape one another? And what the hell is a "Thin" city, anyway?

2 John Steinbeck - East of Eden

When I read The Grapes of Wrath in high school, I hated it, and subsequently avoided Steinbeck for the next five years. And boy, was I missing out.

English teachers do their students a disservice by sticking with Grapes. East of Eden is Steinbeck's greatest work, a retelling of the Biblical story of Cain and Abel through the Trask family of Salinas, California, in a sweeping narrative that stretches from the Civil War to World War I.

While 100 Years of Solitude is often linked with House of the Spirits (and with good reason), it actually makes a richer partner for East of Eden. Steinbeck and Garcia Marquez really enjoyed using twins as a plot device...

1 Salman Rushdie - Midnight's Children

Declared the "Best of the Booker," as the best of the annual literary award's first 40 prize-winning novels, Rushdie's work excels as historical fiction, magical realism, social commentary, comedy, and even familial drama. The seriousness of the story and the complexity of the prose somehow avoid becoming heavy, thanks no doubt to the playfulness of the author and his chief characters. And, once again, we have children switched at birth mucking up the action.

Trial of Socrates Grades...

2009-12-19T15:28:00.000-08:00

...have been emailed to your Tesseract Student accounts and posted on Edline. Edline grades are up to date and include all work turned into me, excluding Athens-Sparta rewrites. Time is limited when we return to school in January, so you won't have a ton of opportunities to life your grade. But, if you're unhappy with your current standing and want to propose an idea to me for an extra credit project, I'm willing to hear it. (If you can't get into your Tesseract email, try clicking here.)

If you're looking for something to read over break, consider picking up something dealing with Ancient Rome, to set yourself up well for both the second semester and our trip. Wikipedia has an extensive list of fiction options.

Have a good break!

Post-Trial Reflection Essay

2009-12-17T07:13:00.000-08:00

The Trial of Socrates raises a number of important issues worth further reflection. Today, during class, please write a response to one of the following prompts. Be sure to include at least two specific examples from the trial and one personal anecdote that is relevant to the topic. This is due at the end of the class period.

Time is limited, so I don't care about formatting. Just make sure your name is on it and the organization is clear.

1) Socrates was accused of circulating ideas that were dangerous to the very well-being of Athens. When is an idea so dangerous that it must be suppressed? What limits, if any, should there be on freedom of speech? Should freedoms be sacrificed to ensure safety?

2) Socrates was blamed for the misdeeds of two of his students, Alcibiades and Critias. Should a teacher be blamed for the actions of his/her students? In what circumstances? What kinds of teaching is acceptable, what kinds are unacceptable?

3) Many of you believed that the laws Socrates was accused of violating - particularly impiety and hubris - were unjust. If the law is unjust, is upholding that law an act of justice or injustice? What is the proper way of responding to an unjust law?

4) Why were the Athenians so worried about impiety and hubris anyway? Are these things we no longer concern ourselves with today? Or, can you still see people punished for impiety and hubris in the US?

Freshman Trip Assignment: Tour Guides

2009-12-12T17:56:00.000-08:00

Note: What follows is the assignment sheet from 2010. Specifics may change for 2011, but it is left here as a preview of what is to come:

Ancient sites can be tremendously powerful. They connect us to our human heritage, linking us to those who preceded us hundreds or thousands of years ago and whose influence lives on today. In those ruins, we can see the successful manifestation of the human desire to create something bigger than ourselves, something that can defy our own mortality, something permanent. By visiting and preserving those sites, we reinforce that timeless human mission.

However meaningful ancient sites may be on an existential level, though, they can lack meaning on a practical one. They are skeletons, providing the barest of outlines of what once existed, and only the informed and the creative can begin to restore meat to those bones.

Your job as tour guides is to make one ancient site reveal its secrets to us. Be story tellers - describe what life was like in this place during its height. Who visited this place? What did they do here? Were there any famous events that occurred here? Be informative - identify important buildings and structures for us. Provide critical background details to us. Be selective - decide what we need to know to appreciate what we see without getting bogged down in unnecessary details. Think about how hard it can be to absorb new names, dates, and facts, and focus on only the critical ones.

You will work in pairs or trios. The expectation is that all group members will participate equally in all stages of the assignment. In other words, one person can't do all of the prep while the other does all of the speaking at the historical site. That said, you should consider the strengths of each person and take advantage of those in your work.

Tour Guide Project, Part I - Research

The first part of the project requires you to learn about your assigned site in great detail. As a starting point, I will provide you with some background materials, pulled primarily from the Blue Guide to your specific site, the Archaeological Guide to Rome, and the Companion Guide to Rome. In some cases, these materials are quite extensive; in others, they're a little more sparse. Regardless, let me stress that they are intended as a starting point and the expectation is that you will pull material from a number of sources. In addition to print materials, look for DVDs or videos on the subject (I've acquired a handful of these that are available to you); it will help you a great deal to have a visual sense of the place. Specific expectations for your Research portion of the project are:

Organize notes by source (in other words, list all of the useful details you have found from the Blue Guide, followed by notes from the next source, then the next one, etc.)
Use a minimum of five sources - each of which provides a number of useful facts
Notes in your own words or brief direct quotes
Cover all important parts of your site as well as historical background
Include maps/pictures as needed
Highlight / mark the details that strike you as necessary for your presentation
Turn in one document (combine all group members' work)

Tour Guide Project, Part II - Handout

In support of your presentation, you are required to prepare a handout (minimum one page) for the group. While you may tailor this to fit your presentation plans, all handouts are required to cover three areas:

Historical Overview: A one-paragraph summary of the site's origins and peak
Description of Key Buildings/Features: What are the 4-6 things at the historical site that all visitors must see and understand to fully appreciate the site? List and briefly describe them here
Map: Include a map of the site and, if possible, the planned route we will follow through it

The handout should be easy to read, carefully edited, and properly formatted. It can be a single sheet of paper, a tri-fold brochure, or whatever other style that makes sense for your site. Most importantly, it needs to mirror your presentation, providing the group with a handy overview of what you've planned for us and an even more useful reminder of it afterward. As such, you will find that the design of this handout requires you to begin planning your presentation. The handout should serve, essentially, as an outline of your tour guide plans.

Tour Guide Project, Part III - Presentation

Over the month of March, your presentation plans should gradually come into focus. In the final week before departure, you will be required to submit detailed plans. These plans should include the following:

Itinerary for the visit (what will we see, in what order)
Speeches for each major site and historical overview
Plans for self-guided parts of the visit
All necessary supporting materials

In addition to submitting print copies of all of these plans, you will be required to make a "practice run" of your presentation for at least two of the trip leaders. Obviously, we can't actually visit the site in advance of our trip, but we will simulate conditions to the greatest extent possible.

As you begin planning, consider just what kind of tour you want to run. Does it make the most sense to keep the whole group of 21 people together, guiding it from one important spot to the next, with one or both of you speaking in each place? Does it make more sense to split into small groups? Could you and your partner prepare interpretive skits that recreate what would have happened at your site? Are there activities you could create that would help the audience to better connect with the site (for example, a "Scavenger Hunt" that requires them to find different buildings or images)? Start your planning from these question: What kind of tour do you wish you could be on? What do you think is the best way to connect with a historical site?

Also consider what your site allows for. A place like the Colosseum is more restricted - you don't have a ton of space to work with, the tourists will be packed in there, and there will be a lot of background noise. A place like Hadrian's Villa is more open, with acres and acres of space to maneuver. It's also important to be prepared for sub-optimal conditions. For example, what will you do if it rains? We're not canceling the tour; you have to be ready.

Have fun with this. Your work as a tour guide will shape the experiences that your peers have at these sites, the most important ones we visit on our trip. A great tour leader can produce life-long memories.

Trial Prep

2009-12-09T06:18:00.000-08:00

RADICAL DEMOCRATS / SOCRATICS

Heading into the Trial of Socrates, the Radical Democrats and Socratics need to be thinking about four primary issues:

1) What are the charges against Socrates? What specific events are the basis for these charges? You should have examples in mind for all of these.

2) What is the potential defense for Socrates? Again, cite specific events or details ("Socrates was, like, a great philosopher" doesn't suffice). Even the Radical Democrats should anticipate this and prepare their arguments accordingly.

3) What motivates the indeterminates? You need to win them over to your side. How can you defend or attack Socrates in a way that speaks directly to their interests? I have biographies of all of the indeterminates available for the other groups, upon request.

4) What motivates your opposition? If you can expose their biases, you might be able to undermine their argument.

As a group, you should work through those four issues before ever beginning to work on speeches. Ideally, you would finish sorting through these matters today (Wednesday) and then coordinate and begin writing speeches in class on Thursday.

SPEECH REQUIREMENTS (For Radical Democrats and Socratics)

Absolute minimum of 3 minutes in length, ideally closer to 5 minutes
Note cards are allowed, but this should be spoken, not read
Speak with passion, purpose - emotion and rhetorical flourishes are encouraged
Each member must contribute something different to the team's case
Be convincing; the winning side gets a bonus

AS FOR THE INDETERMINATES...

You're in a different position, obviously. First and foremost, the key point for you to keep in mind - you are not approaching this trial as enlightened, unbiased citizens of 21st century America. You are totally biased citizens of 4th century BC Athens. Your personal interests influence your decision. Sure, you should listen carefully to the evidence and weigh it, but your challenge is to get into your character's shoes and behave accordingly.

This week, while the other groups are preparing speeches, I would like you to still spend time talking through the issues. What is the nature of the charges facing Socrates? Which ones seem most serious to you? Imagine that the materials you have read so far represent the opening stage of the trial. Get a sense of where each of you sees things right now. Where does Socrates look to be in trouble, and what are the best arguments in his defense, as you see it.

Then, as a group, try to talk through each of your individual identities. For example, if you are the farmer, describe your background, your identity. Try to determine, as best you can, which issues are most important to you in this trial. Get feedback from the other indeterminates on whether your intuition is on the mark, or if you should see things a little differently.

Finally, review the backgrounds of the Socratics and Radical Democrats. What motivates them? Think about how they might try to manipulate you or misrepresent the evidence to fulfill their agenda.

INDETERMINATES IN WRITING LAB / CLASS

Please write up a description of your position as you enter this trial. Based on your background, which issues are of greatest interest or importance to you? Which charges against Socrates, or what evidence in support of those charges, seem most serious to you? What do you know about Socrates and what do you need to know in order to make your decision?

This is due at the end of the class period.

Reading for Tuesday

2009-12-07T08:42:00.000-08:00

Please read the document assigned to you below:

1) The Trial of Socrates: An Account - Arron, Nathan, Makhayla, Alessio

2) Socrates Study Guide - Sarah, Hunter, Victoria, Jordan, Jacob

3) Socrates (Apologies for the giant font) - Robert, David, Emilie, Taylor, Wasnaa

In class tomorrow you will report back to other members of your group (Radical Democrats, Socratics, and Indeterminates) on your assigned reading. Consider this the opening stage of plotting your case. Collectively, you should begin to identify here the problems with Socrates (if you're a Radical Democrat), the blessings of Socrates (if you're a Socratic), or some balance of the two (if you're an Indeterminate). Take notes on the assigned reading accordingly.

Also, while the individual indeterminates each received a description of their specific role, the other groups did not. I hope this will help - click on the following links for details on the Radical Democrats and the Socratics.

Notes on Salt

2009-12-06T10:33:00.000-08:00

I'm currently reading Salt: A World History, by Mark Kurlansky, not due to any particular interest in salt but more because I enjoyed another book by Kurlansky. But, salt has played a critical role in world history and was especially important in Ancient Rome. Here are a few interesting nuggets from the book...

Soldiers were often paid in salt (there is some disagreement on this; some historians say they were paid in order to buy their salt) and it is from this we get a number of words and expressions that survive today. First and foremost, "salary" comes from the linking of labor with the ability to possess or purchase salt. This also ties into the common saying that someone is "worth his salt." Finally, the French word "solde" (which also derives from salt) means pay and was the base of the word soldier.
Romans salted their vegetables before eating, hence the word "salad," which simply means "salted."
Salsamenta referred to salted products. The most common products centered around fish, both dried fish and fish sauces made from the discarded components of the fish drying process. Of most relevance to us, it's easy to see the origins of the word salsa, or sauce.

Also worth noting - in class last week, Alessio asked how long it would have taken someone to walk from Greece to China. Kurlansky writes briefly about Marco Polo's journey from Italy to China. According to Polo, the journey from Venice to "Xanadu" took four years. It's important to emphasize, though, that their trip was not a forced march, but rather one of frequent and extensive stops. In other words, they could have made it to China at a much faster pace. It looks like Venice to Beijing is roughly 5,000 miles as the crow flies, so you have to assume that on foot it would span at least 6,000 miles.

Finally, while I'm on the subject - I've always heard that Polo introduced pasta to Italy. Kurlansky finds this claim suspect. More likely, he writes, pasta entered Italy via Sicily, first brought to the island in the 9th century by Muslim conquerors.

Daily Life Essay Expectations

2009-12-03T07:50:00.000-08:00

Your primary goal in the Daily Life in Athens essay assignment is to provide an accurate overview of your specific topic, building off of evidence available in the Greenwood Daily Life database. This is not an argumentative essay, but rather a report. Your job is to distill the available information into a concise synopsis.

The specific expectations for the essay are:

Minimum one page, double-spaced
Minimum two direct quotes from the Daily Life database (unless other sources are approved by DW)
Consistent use of specific details throughout
Clear organization (even though this is not an argumentative essay, a short introduction is still handy to provide an overview of your topic; body paragraphs should still be organized around central themes or issues)
MLA formatting (heading, parenthetical citation)
Hard copy to Dave; also post to blog
Due beginning of class on Monday

Discovering Ancient Europe

2009-12-02T14:06:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned in class, when it comes to ancient history, historians are really making their best guess at what took place. While we may have more confidence about some matters, our sources are limited and a high level of creative interpretation is required. To make things even more complicated and exciting, despite the great distance in time from these events, new evidence is always emerging.

While we have always focused on China, India, and Mesopotamia as the early centers of civilization, new discoveries suggest that Europe - and specifically the lower Danube Valley - also had an advanced civilization of its own. This is a development of some significance with regards to how we think of Europe and the ancient world. Check out the article for more.

Class Schedule - Next Three Weeks

2009-11-29T09:24:00.000-08:00

The next three weeks are going to push you fairly hard, so get ready. In class, we will be working on the Trial of Socrates - a role-playing game that will span the three weeks, though it won't be the focus of every class. As part of this project, you will write two short essays, a formal speech, learn how to use a research database, and work on resume design. When not working specifically on the trial, we will learn a little about Greek philosophy, with particular focus on Plato.

But, there's a lot of other stuff going on. This week, we will introduce the freshman portfolio assignment. You'll be presenting in January, but some of the preparation will need to occur before break. Along with that, most if not all of you will want/need to rewrite your Athens/Sparta essay. And, for good measure, there's a vocab unit.

To help you with this, I'm not assigning any nightly reading over these three weeks. You'll notice a number of days on the schedule below where no homework is assigned. The expectation, though, is that you are working regularly on these larger projects. You need to do this - otherwise, you'll get crushed when everything comes due. Plan a work schedule that distributes the weight evenly.

Monday, November 30 - Essay review, Peloponnesian War
Homework Due - Nothing

Tuesday, December 1 - Peloponnesian War, Greek Philosophy
Homework Due - Vocab 6A-C/Flashcards

Wednesday, December 2 - Greek Philosophy (Continued)
Homework Due - Nothing

Thursday, December 3 - Trial Prep - Research on daily life in Athens
Homework Due - Nothing

Friday, December 4 - Portfolio Work Time
Homework Due - Portfolio Prep

Monday, December 7 - Trial Group Work - Discuss Daily Life Essays
Homework Due - Daily Life in Athens Essay

Tuesday, December 8 - More on Greek philosophy
Homework Due - Trial Resume

Wednesday, December 9 - Portfolio Work Time
Homework Due - Portfolio Prep

Thursday, December 10 - Trial Speeches
Homework Due - Prep for speeches

Friday, December 11 - Vocab Test
Homework Due - Study for test

Monday, December 14 - Trial - Day One
Homework Due - Final speeches

Tuesday, December 15 - Greek Philosophy continued
Homework Due - Nothing

Wednesday, December 16 - Trial Essay Work Time
Homework Due - Nothing

Thursday, December 17 - Trial - Day Two; Post-Trial Reflection Essays
Homework Due -

Greek Tragedies, In Brief

2009-11-26T14:17:00.000-08:00

Over the last week, I've read many of the surviving Greek tragedies. Sadly, what remains is quite limited, primarily consisting of a handful of works by Athens's three great dramatists - Sophocles, Aeschylus, and Euripedes. The subject matter would be somewhat familiar to all of you, drawing as it does from Homer and a handful of Greek myths. In this post, I want to pull a small excerpt that seems relevant to our class discussions from each of the ten plays I've had a chance to read.

Sophocles - Oedipus Rex

Quick Synopsis: Everything seemed to be going so well for Oedipus. First he vanquished the Sphinx, then he became King of Thebes, married, and established a happy family. But, unwittingly, he had already confirmed the tragic fate spelled out for him following his birth. This play, the first of a trilogy, narrates the unraveling of Oedipus's seemingly charmed existence.

Quote from the Chorus:
"Let every man in mankind's frailty
Consider his last day; and let none
Presume on his good fortune until he find
Life, at his death, a memory without pain"

Sophocles - Oedipus at Colonus

Quick Synopsis: Exiled from Thebes, Oedipus wanders with his daughter Antigone, finally stopping on the outskirts of Athens. Theseus, the King of Athens, makes an oath to protect Oedipus, and is true to his word when Oedipus's regal successor in Thebes comes for the disgraced monarch.

Quote from Theseus to Creon:
"You come to a city-state that practices justice,
A state that rules by law, and by law only;
And yet you cast aside her authority,
Take what you please, and worse, by violence,
As if you thought there were no men among us,
Or only slaves; and as if I were a nobody"

Quote from Oedipus:
"And tell me this: if there were prophecies
Repeated by the oracles of the gods,
That Father's death should come through his son,
How could you justly blame it upon me?
On me, who was yet unborn, yet unconceived,
Not yet existent for my father and mother?
If then I came into the world - as I did come -
In wretchedness, and met my father in fight,
And knocked him down, not knowing that I killed him
Nor whom I killed - again, how could you find
Guilt in that unmeditated act?"

Sophocles - Antigone

Quick Synopsis: Antigone and Ismene return to Thebes, following the deaths of their brothers in an ill-advised civil war. King Creon orders that the body of one brother, Polyneices, not be given proper burial rights because he had died attacking the city. Antigone defies the decree, arguing that in doing so she followed divine law.

Quote from Antigone to Creon:
"Yes; for it was not Zeus that had published me that edict;
not such are the laws set among men
by the justice who dwells with the gods below;
nor deemed I that thy decrees were of such force,
that a mortal could override the
unwritten and unfailing statutes of heaven.
For their life is not of to-day or yesterday,
but from all time, and no man knows
when they were first put forth.

"Not through dread of any human pride could I
answer to the gods for breaking these.
Die I must - I knew that well (how should I not?) -
even without thy edicts.
But if I am to die before my time, I count that a gain:
for when any one lives, as I do, compassed about with evils,
can such an one find aught but gain in death?

"So for me to meet this doom is trifling grief;
but if I had suffered my mother's son
to lie in death an unburied corpse, that would have grieved me;
for this, I am not grieved.
And if my present deeds are foolish in thy sight,
it may be that a foolish judge arraigns my folly."

Aeschylus - Agamemnon

Quick Synopsis: Following victory at Troy, Agamemnon finally returns home to Argos and his wife Clytemnestra. However, Clytemnestra hasn't quite gotten over his sacrifice of their daughter prior to his departure for the war. She isn't exactly happy about Cassandra, either. But, Clytemnestra is a clever woman, and she has some ideas for fixing these problems...

Quote:
"In fame unmeasured, praise too high,
Lies danger: God's sharp lightnings fly
To stagger mountains. Then, I choose
Wealth that invites no rankling hate;
Neither to lay towns desolate,
Nor wear the chains of those who lose
Freedom and life to war and fate"

Aeschylus - The Choephori

Quick Synopsis: Orestes and Electra, the children of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, are displaced from Argos following Clytemnestra and Aegisthus's treachery. It's payback time. A father's murder must be avenged; but, is it just for a child to kill his mother?

Quote from Orestes:
"Hark ye and learn, friends, ere my reason goes!
I say that rightfully I slew my mother,
A thing God-scorned, that foully slew my sire.
And chiefest wizard of the spell that bound me
Unto this deed I name the Pythian seer
Apollo, who foretold that if I slew,
The guilt of murder done should pass from me;
But if I spared, the fate that should be mine
I dare not blazon forth-the bow of speech
Can reach not to the mark, that doom to tell.
And now behold me, how with branch and crown
I pass, a suppliant made meet to go
Unto Earth's midmost shrine, the holy ground
Of Loxias, and that renowned light
Of ever-burning fire, to 'scape the doom
Of kindred murder"

Aeschylus - The Eumenides

Quick Synopsis: After killing his mother, Orestes is forced to flee Argos, as he is tormented relentlessly by the Furies. He takes refuge at the temple to Athena in Athens, imploring her to judge his case. She assembles a jury of Athenian citizens and hears from both sides.

Quote from Athena:
"O men of Athens, ye who first do judge
The law of bloodshed, hear me now ordain.
Here to all time for Aegeus' Attic host
Shall stand this council-court of judges sworn,
Here the tribunal, set on Ares' Hill
Where camped of old the tented Amazons,
What time in hate of Theseus they assailed
Athens, and set against her citadel
A counterwork of new sky-pointing towers,
And there to Ares held their sacrifice,
Where now the rock hath name, even Ares' Hill.
And hence shall Reverence and her kinsman Fear
Pass to each free man's heart, by day and night
Enjoining, Thou shalt do no unjust thing,
So long as law stands as it stood of old
Unmarred by civic change."

Euripedes - Medea

Quick Synopsis: Jason (of Argonaut fame) and Medea were such a nice couple. But, then, a more politically valuable option came along for Jason and so he cast Medea (and their children) aside. Let's just say that Medea didn't take it very well...

Quote:
"To you Medea,
I have no more to say. You will yourself know best
How to evade reprisal. As for human life,
It is a shadow, as I have long believed. And this
I say without hesitation: those whom most would call
Intelligent, the propounders of wise theories -
Their folly is of all men's the most culpable.
Happiness is a thing no man possesses. Fortune
May come now to one man, now to another, as
Prosperity increases; happiness never."

Euripedes - Hecabe/Hecuba

Quick Synopsis: Troy has fallen and the Greeks wait to return home. Meanwhile, Hector's family nears its final days. Priam's wife, Hecuba, is now Agamemnon's slave, as are her daughters Polyxena and Cassandra. The one child she had thought to be safe and free, Polydorus, has been murdered in an act of treachery. Once again, Greek justice is swift and painful...

Quote from Hecuba:
"How strange, that bad soil, if the gods send rain and sun,
Bears a rich crop, while good soil, starved of what it needs,
Is barren; but man's nature is ingrained - the bad
Is never anything but bad, and the good man
Is good: misfortune cannot warp his character,
His goodness will endure. Where lies the difference?
In heredity, or upbringing?"

Euripedes - Electra

Quick Synopsis: This is the same basic story that Aeschylus told in the Choephori, with some important changes, including an emphasis on the noble goodness of a peasant.

Quote:
"There is a place in Athens called
The hill of Ares, where the gods once sat to cast
Their votes in the first murder-trial, when Ares, filled
With savage indignation for his daughter's rape,
Killed Halirrhothius, son of the Sea-god; a court
Where ever since, for mortal men, Justice sits firm,
Inviolable; and there you too must stand your trial
For this bloodshed. The votes being equal shall acquit you;
For Loxias, who commanded you to kill your mother,
Shall take the guilt upon himself. And this shall stand
As precedent for murder-trials in time to come,
That the accused, when votes are equal, wins his case."

Euripedes - Heracles

Quick Synopsis: Heracles, fathered by Zeus, has been one of the greatest heroes for a long time. After returning triumphantly from Hades, however, Hera finally punishes him for her husband's misdeeds. Madness drives Heracles to kill his wife and children.

Quote from Theseus:
"I hate a friend whose gratitude grows old;
One who ready to enjoy his friends' prosperity
But unwilling to sail in the same ship
With them when their fortune lours.
Arise, unveil thy head, poor wretch! and look on me.
The gallant soul endures without
A word such blows as heaven deals."

Athens/Sparta Essay Grading

2009-11-19T08:33:00.000-08:00

I will assess your Athens/Sparta essay using the following guidelines:

STRUCTURE/ORGANIZATION (10 points) - Do you follow the recommended essay structure? Does your intro provide necessary background info and set up your thesis? Do your paragraphs each provide a key sub-argument (expressed clearly in your topic sentences), include evidence, and conclude by reconnecting back to your thesis? Does your conclusion explain the significance of your argument?

THESIS/ARGUMENT (10 points) - Is your thesis argumentative? Do you prove your argument in your body paragraphs?

EVIDENCE (5 points) - Do you have it? Do you integrate it smoothly into your own writing? Do you cite it properly?

MECHANICS (5 points) - Have you edited this effectively, correcting typos, misspellings, and grammatical errors? Does your writing flow smoothly?

Modern Slavery

2009-11-17T11:58:00.001-08:00

In both classes today, people asked about whether slavery still exists today - and, indeed, it does. Varying by source, estimates of how many people are enslaved seem to run from 24 to 27 million worldwide, though given the covert nature of modern slavery, we can't be entirely precise in this area. If you're interested in the subject, two good places to start are BBC News's In Depth feature on modern slavery and the American Anti-Slavery Group's website. As you click around these sites, one point you discovery may surprise you - it happens in the US too.

2012, Apocalypse, and Monotheism

2009-11-16T18:58:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't love a movie about apocalyptic disaster? It's certainly a popular theme among Americans, where 2012 dominated the box office this last weekend, and any number of other disaster movies have turned tidy profits in the past.

As with any movie "based on history," though, 2012 plays fast and loose with the facts. The biggest distortion? Apparently, it's the whole notion that the Mayans predicted the world to end in 2012. As Lane Wallace explains in The Atlantic, quoting historian Sandra Noble, "There is NOTHING in ancient Maya records that predicts the end of the world; no apocalypse, no destruction, no cosmic clashes. Nothing."

If you're interested in the subject of Mayan disaster prophecies, click the link to read more. Most important to our class, however, is the quick, historical overview of apocalyptic visions provided by Wallace. Specifically:

"Visions and prophecies have been found in writings dating as far back as 2,000 B.C., according to Kerkeslager, although not all cultures had an equal need for thunder and lightning delivery of justice. In a polytheistic culture like ancient Greece, the need for apocalyptic beliefs was less, because a multitude of warring gods could explain misfortune or disparity. You might simply be the casualty of a power struggle between Hera and Zeus.

"But as cultures became monotheistic, the disconnect between a supposedly fair and just God, and an unjust world, became harder to explain away. Hence, Kerkeslager says, apocalyptic notions in the Hebrew Book of Daniel, which was written only three years after a Greek King named Antiochus had begun a brutal repression of the Jews in Jerusalem, including turning the Jewish Temple into a shrine for Zeus. The revolt of Jewish revolutionaries, including the restoration of the temple in 165 B.C. (the same year that the Book of Daniel was written) is the basis for the Jewish holiday of Hannukah. But at the end of the Book of Daniel, the author predicts that an apocalyptic end will come to the repressive Greeks 1,290 days after their desecration of the temple. Unfortunately, as with other apocalyptic prophecies, it didn't happen. So the last line of Daniel changes the date to 1,335 days."

It's an interesting argument worth considering - is the rise of apocalyptic notions a product of the shift towards monotheism, or is that simply coincidence?

Books, Books, Books

2009-11-16T18:19:00.000-08:00

In preparing for classes, I've made use of a number of useful works on Ancient Greece. In the same way that I expect you to cite your sources in your essays, I want to share these books with you, so that you have some sense of where the information presented in class is coming from. And, on the off chance that you want to pursue this subject farther on your own, I want you to have some ideas...

The Classical World: An Epic History of Greece and Rome by Robin Lane Fox - This is, without question, the most useful single text I have found on the ancient world. It's stuffed - 600 pages total and very little of it unnecessary - but it also reads easily. Fox makes the material accessible and enjoyable, blending together a variety of sources and approaching the subject matter from a number of angles. I particularly like his frequent references to recent archaeological discoveries - and the ways those discoveries have changed the way we think about the past. In so doing, he emphasizes the sheer uncertainty that engulfs ancient history while also promoting a sense of optimism, that every single day we move closer to understanding what happened. If you want one book that spans Greece and Rome, this is it.

Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea: Why the Greeks Matter by Thomas Cahill - I was really excited to find this book. It seemed like an ideal tool for the type of ancient history class I wanted to teach, as Cahill's professed goal was to explore the key lessons that can be learned from the ancient world by the present. With chapters devoted to key themes like "How to Rule," "How to Think," and "How to Fight," I anticipated excerpting chunks out of this book for class use. Unfortunately, Cahill doesn't deliver what he promises. For example, the chapter on Greek contributions to governance / political science focuses more on Greek theater than connections to the present. That said, the book is nonetheless interesting, providing an overview of a number of key aspects of Classical Greece. To put it another way, Cahill's thesis doesn't correspond to his body paragraphs, but the body paragraphs are still compelling work in their own right.

Ancient Greece: State and Society by Nicholas Jones - It's a useful text, certainly, for gaining an understanding of how the government functioned in Greek history, from the Minoan/Mycenaean period up through Hellinistic Greece. But, it's drier than a pack of Saltines and I wouldn't recommend it unless you were passionate about the subject matter or looking for a cure for insomnia.

Travels with Herodotus by Ryszard Kapuscinski - I'm heavily biased in favor of Kapuscinski, my favorite travel writer and among my favorite writers of non-fiction in general. This was his last work, a career retrospective of sorts. Kapuscinski was a Polish journalist who seemed to be on site for every major revolution and coup in the developing world in the second half of the 20th century. On most of his trips, he took a copy of Herodotus's Histories with him, which we briefly discussed in class. This book is largely a rumination on Herodotus's work, providing extensive excerpts from the book and reflections on what the historian described - and above all else, the Persian Wars. We will read a short excerpt from this in class.

The Greek Way by Edith Hamilton - You already read Mythology by Hamilton, one of the more prolific early authors on the ancient world. This text, her definitive work on Ancient Greece, hits all of the highlights, including Greek art, religion, and the major intellectual figures. While Hamilton was among the great experts of her time, that was more than 60 years ago and thus her work neglects many recent research developments. That said, as a defining work in the field, this remains a mandatory read for those interested in the subject matter.

Participation Grades

2009-11-13T10:02:00.001-08:00

If you log into Edline, one new thing you'll notice is that I've added a participation grade for the last week. My goal is to continue this moving forward, posting a weekly score for your role in class discussions. The grade scale is pretty simple and generally follows this model:

Outstanding - 100% - Is ready to go when class starts, has read and underlined the previous night's reading, participates regularly and constructively, is not disruptive

Satisfactory - 90% - Generally ready to go and prepared, contributions well to most classes, is minimally disruptive

Acceptable - 80% - Is focused and ready for class after a gentle reminder, has some understanding of the reading, contributes every other class, is occasionally disruptive

Not satisfactory - 70% - Often unprepared, contributions are either lacking in frequency or relevance, is often disruptive

Unacceptable - 50% - Disruptive and unprepared

Obviously, not everyone fits into these easy categories. It is possible to make excellent contributions and yet also be very disruptive. Similarly, it is possible to be silent in class but fully prepared and engaged, listening well to others. Grades will be adjusted accordingly in those circumstances. If you feel that the participation score you receive is unfair, talk with me.

Odds and Ends

2009-11-13T07:23:00.000-08:00

Thanks everyone for a very good second week. If you have any difficulty finding any of the items on your map assignment this weekend, take a look at this website, a great resource for ancient maps.

In a class earlier this week, one student asked if Theseus was a real person, or strictly a legendary one. There appears to be some historical debate on the subject. Professors Morford and Lenardon, experts on the subject and authors of a major textbook on Greek mythology, write that "Theseus of all the legendary heroes has the strongest claims to being a real person. As stated above, he was for Plutarch a historical figure and he very likely was one of the kings of Athens perhaps in the ninth or eighth century B.C. But serious historical and chronological problems arise when we try to understand how he appears as the great conqueror of the legendary Minotaur and a king of Athens in the earlier Mycenaean Age and also a later king of Athens." You can find out more at the link.

In another class, when we were discussing democracy as it exists today, compared with during Classical Greece, Taylor asked about the electoral college and whether that serves to limit democracy in the US. The electoral college is a fascinating subject and one of the best overviews of its historical development comes from an article by Tara Ross on the Heritage Foundation website. (Note - the Heritage Foundation is a conservative-leaning organization. But, the article is carefully constructed around detailed evidence.)

Ross describes the creation of the electoral college as a check on what were perceived to be the worst excesses of democracy. Her quotations from the founders are particularly revealing: "Alexander Hamilton agreed [with James Madison] that "[t]he ancient democracies, in which the people themselves deliberated, never possessed one feature of good government. Their very character was tyranny; their figure, deformity." Other early Americans concurred. John Adams, who signed the Declaration of Independence and later became President, declared, "[D]emocracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide." Another signatory to the Declaration of Independence, Benjamin Rush, stated, "A simple democracy . . . is one of the greatest of evils.""

As I wrote, it's a compelling read, and worth a look if you're interested in the subject.

Finally, as I mentioned in class, "Education for Death" is just one of a number of anti-Nazi and anti-Japanese propaganda films produced by Disney in support of the war effort in WWII. The most famous cartoon from this period features Donald Duck - "Der Fuhrer's Face." I've embedded it below. As with the other cartoon, consider what they have chosen to mock and criticize about Nazi Germany - and what, by comparison, they are promoting as good and right about America.

Today's WL Prompt

2009-11-12T07:05:00.000-08:00

As is likely clear already, modern democracies (including the US) descend in part from Athens, which tends to be held up as the early model of enlightened political rule. Sparta, meanwhile, has received the opposite treatment - used as an example of poor and uncivilized governance. Why is that the case? What makes Athens seem so superior to us?

To answer this effectively, you should:

Identify key areas in which Athens and Sparta differ
Explain why these differences are so significant to us => Why do we value the Athenian style more?
Consider whether we are being entirely fair to Sparta => Are there aspects of Sparta's government that we do emulate or should emulate?

Other guidelines / pieces of advice:

A great response will include at least one quote from each of this week's assigned readings
Please have a brief intro paragraph that includes your thesis. For an in-class write like this, it is acceptable for the intro to be only your thesis statement
An easy way to structure this essay would be to find three key issues in which Athens seems to be superior to us than Sparta, devote one paragraph to each, and explain the specific issue and its importance to those of us in the US today
If you believe, personally, that Sparta is superior to Athens, that's ok. This essay prompt isn't asking you to go against what you believe. What is undeniable, though, is that Athens has been more important in influencing the American system - and that's what the question is asking you to explore.
You do not need a full works cited page - just include the page number from the packet in parentheses after the quote.

Ancient Greece Links

2009-11-10T07:59:00.000-08:00

If you look to the right, you will now see a long list of links to websites focused on Ancient Greece. These are compiled entirely from your blogposts. I'm impressed by how much diversity is there - 23 different websites total. As a group, you combined to produce an excellent collection of sources, all of which are now easily available to you. If you're ever bored...

Hector/Achilles Judgments

2009-11-10T06:53:00.001-08:00

I read these in class, but will post them here as well, in case you missed any part of my reasoning:

Humanities 9r Judgment

The case made for Hector in SAS's opening statement is a good one. As requested, it opens with an attempt at defining a hero, using the Campbell reading as a springboard (though I would have liked to see a little more). I was struck by the focus on Hector's "gentle nature" - not just Helen's compliment to him, but also his loyalty to Paris. It potentially damages your point that Hector fights for something larger than himself; couldn't it be said that he is placing his brother above Troy and his wife and child? However, the other side didn't capitalize on this opening and your larger point is likely valid. You would have benefited from directly targeting Achilles in this statement; Hector is a great warrior and would hold up under comparison. But, you do bring forth some useful evidence.

The Achilles statement, from RD, is based largely around his merits as a warrior. And, no question, Achilles's killing power and relentlessness would have been held in the highest esteem by Greek society. But, I found your argument against Hector to be tenuous at best - it's hard to call Hector selfish and Achilles selfless without bringing some serious evidence to the table, and you don't have that here. You say Achilles fought for the glory of Greece; the other side can just as easily say that he fought for the glory of Achilles. Their side is easily defended, needing only the most general understanding of the plot. Yours can be defended, but again you need something to back you up.

Ultimately, the debate was won convincingly in the subsequent give-and-take. Sarah wisely attacked your accusation that Hector acted selfishly and you couldn't come up with a good counter.

Therefore, we will build a statue to Hector.

Humanities 9g Judgment

The opening case for Hector lands on many of the key points. He does seem to be the more selfless of the two, and if we value that in our heroes, he stands apart. He is also the more reliable, staying in the thick of the fight (aside from a brief final visit to his family) throughout the war. I think you could have done a better job of attacking Achilles - calling someone "just a fighter" in Ancient Greece would have elicited blank stares, as if to say, "what, there's something more than fighting?" You, more than team Achilles, needed to assert the values of heroism you hold in high esteem; by not doing so, you allowed the debate to be played out on Ancient Greek terms.

On the Achilles side, the argument begins very slowly. The opening, contrasting the strength and weakness of these men is not convincing at all. And, the point about Hector being selfish is dubious, badly in need of supporting evidence. To make matters worse, the Trojan Horse example is just wrong - Achilles is already dead by then. It is undeniable, however, that Achilles proves to be the superior warrior, and that is an important fact.

Entering the debate, while both sides had a somewhat shaky start, the pro-Hector position clearly held the advantage. However, the tide turned first slowly and then, when Nathan took the floor, with a measure of definitiveness. He had thought through the key issue, neglected by all others, centered at the heart of this debate - for what purpose do we build statues? What message will we communicate? His points were excellent and Hector's promoters had no sufficient response.

Therefore, we are building a statue to Achilles.

Writing Lab - 11/10

2009-11-09T09:32:00.000-08:00

Today in Writing Lab, you are going to work in groups of 2 or 3 to examine a specific type of government (assigned below). My hope is that, by the end of the period, you will be able to post a paragraph on each of the following:

1) Provide a general overview of your form of government. How does it work?
2) What are the strengths of this form of government?
3) What are the weaknesses of this form of government?

As you and your partner are not members of the same blog group, you can just post your complete response under one name. Please include links / copy the urls of whatever sources you use.

Here are the groups:

Republic - Hunter, Victoria
Theocracy - Taylor, Robert
Monarchy - Sam, Jordan
Anarchy - Nathan, Sarah, Nat
Totalitarianism - David, Makhayla
Oligarchy - Emilia, Alessio, Wasnaa
Kleptocracy - Arron, Jacob

Class Schedule Through Thanksgiving

2009-11-08T10:33:00.000-08:00

What follows is a detailed overview of the Humanities 9 class over the next three weeks (taking us to Thanksgiving). This is subject to change, of course, but I expect we'll stick fairly close to this schedule.

Monday, November 9 - Classical Athens: The Big Picture
Homework Due - Blogpost and Vocab 5A-C

In class, we will go over general expectations for the course over the next few months, address any vocab-related questions that you have, and I will provide a quick overview of Classical Greece, focusing specifically on Athens, so that you can have a general feel for what took place before we move ahead. In Writing Lab, students will examine the many forms of government that have existed over human history, culminating in a blogpost assignment.

Tuesday, November 10 - The Rise of Athenian Democracy
Homework Due - Read Pericles's Funeral Oration (Handout)

Our focus this week is on government and more specifically on the development and different forms of democracy. Pericles, as documented by Thucydides, provides us with one of the best summations of Athens's government.

Wednesday, November 11 - The Democracies of Athens and the US
Homework Due - Read Democracy in Brief, 7-16 (Not nearly as bad as it seems) (Handout)

While Athens is the world's first democracy, there are some stark differences between how it functioned and the US democracy does. We will zoom out today from Athens to the American system and others in existence today.

Thursday, November 12 - Athens vs. Sparta and Other Famous "Others"
Homework Due - Read Plutarch on Sparta (Handout)

Athens and Sparta have always been paired as contrasts, a dichotomy setting up the tension between, among other things, "freedom"/"equality" and "good"/"evil." We will chart similarities and differences between the two polises and then consider other famous historical parallels (with the help of Walt Disney). In Writing Lab, students will consider their examination of different political systems with a poster assignment.

Friday, November 13 - Vocab Test
Homework Due - Study for the vocab test

After we finish the vocab test, we'll use today to wrap up any lingering questions from the week.

Monday, November 16 - Essay Writing
Homework Due - Greece Map Assignment

Today, we pause our examination of Ancient Greece to discuss best practices in essay organization and writing. Students will be given time in Writing Lab to continue the development of their Athens/Sparta essays.

Tuesday, November 17 - What is justice?
Homework Due - Read Solon: Selected Fragments (Handout)

The rule of law was a new concept in Ancient Greece. We will start with Draco and Solon, the early lawgivers, and continue to explore how justice in general was perceived and achieved.

Wednesday, November 18 - No School
Student-Parent-Teacher Conferences

Thursday, November 19 - Freedom and justice in the US Constitution
Homework Due - Read "Democracy in Brief"

Today, we will continue our examination of the constitution, focusing specifically on how it guarantees specific types of freedom and justice. In writing lab, students will have time to continue working on their Athens/Sparta essay.

Friday, November 20 - Service Day

Monday, November 23 - Why did the Athenian democracy fail?
Homework Due - Read "The Fall of Athens" (Handout)

As the question suggests, we will focus on the decline of Athens's democracy today, trying to identify reasons for its fall. The assigned reading from the WSJ, though, focuses on a different event, allowing for some potentially interesting comparisons to be drawn. In Writing Lab, students will participate in an online activity, built around Jared Diamond's compelling work on why societies fail, Collapse.

Tuesday, November 24 - Are there flaws in the US democracy?
Homework Due - ATHENS/SPARTA ESSAY - FINAL DRAFT

Much has been written over the last decade in particular about the waning of American power and prominence. At times, American democracy has come into question, for a number of reasons. We will try to unpack those issues.

Wednesday, 11/25 - Friday, 11/27 - Thanksgiving Break

Monday Blogpost

2009-11-05T13:23:00.000-08:00

For Monday, the assignment is quite simple - find the best three websites you can on Ancient Greece. Provide links to these on your blog and a short explanation (2-3 sentences) of what you like about each. Be picky! Don't just use the first three websites that you find; look through at least ten before selecting your three.

One catch - all of the websites linked on your group blog must be different. In other words, if someone else posts in your group before you do, you can't use any of the websites that they do. Also, I would prefer that you not use online encyclopedias. Yes, wikipedia is cool. Find something else.

You can either copy the url for each website into your blogpost, or you can make a link. Making a link in blogger is easy. For example, let's say that I wanted to link to a website focused on Ancient Egypt. My blogpost might start, "My first choice was the British Library's Ancient Egypt site." Next, I would highlight the text that I want to be my link - I would probably select "British Library's Ancient Egypt." After highlighting, I would then look to the toolbar just above the textbox where I type my blogpost. In that toolbar, you'll see a lot of buttons. Starting from the left, there is a Font box, then Text Size icon, then Bold, then Italics, then Text Color. Then, you'll see what looks a little like a globe with a chain link on top of it. Click this. It will ask you for a url - paste the url for your website here.

Once complete, it will look like this: "My first choice was the British Library's Ancient Egypt site."

Defining Poverty

2009-11-05T13:19:00.000-08:00

In Humanities today, Alessio raised a deceptively complicated question - how do you determine if someone is poor? In economics, this is called the poverty line - a specific income level which is considered the minimum necessary to achieve the basic needs for a healthy life. In the US, we have long followed the same basic formula to determine this, which factors in family size, rent, an economical food budget, and other core expenses. Based on this, there were 39.1 million poor people in the US as of the most recent report in 2008.

However, many people suggest that this approach is old-fashioned, over-simplified, and understates the level of poverty in America. The New York Times tackled the issue in 2001 and most of its commentary is still relevant today. If you're interested in these issues, the article is worth reading. Here is one key excerpt: "Defining poverty is not easy. Even if the Census Bureau's new measure calculates necessary expenditures more accurately than the current formula, the new approach, like the current one, still uses income as the single criterion for judging who is poor. That leaves out neighborhoods, for instance. Is a ghetto family impoverished because of its crime-ridden surroundings and poor schools, although the family has enough income to rise above the official poverty threshold? And there is the issue of responsibility. Should the family of a hardworking full-time employee earning the minimum wage be blamed for poverty because the minimum no longer lifts the worker's income above the poverty level, as it did in the 1960's and early 70's?"

The issue is as much a political one as an economic one. Many government-run social programs are available only to those below the poverty line. If the government changed how it defines poverty and the poverty line specifically, we might suddenly see millions of new Americans qualifying for those benefits, a huge additional financial cost for the government. Beyond that, the political opposition could turn this into bad press for the president, accusing him of allowing poverty to increase dramatically during his time in power (even if nothing had really changed beyond the definition of poverty).

It is not only a sensitive issue in the US. When I led a student project in Chile, we spoke with an economist about the country's current economic state. Many have wanted to point out that, following the removal of the terrible dictator Agustin Pinochet in 1990, the country experienced a financial boom. The truth is complicated. What follows is copied from our report from Chile:

"The first statistic he presented, tracking poverty rates in Chile, indicated that poverty dropped between 1987 and 2003 from 45% to 18.8%; recent studies show that the decline continued in 2006, to 13.7%. However, he quickly explained, that is highly misleading. If one accepts this information, along with information compiled in similar studies in Europe, then one must also accept that there were more people living in poverty in Europe in 2006 (15%) than in Chile. The problem stems from how poverty is defined. Chile has used a relative poverty metric which considers those living in poverty to be those making less than 50% of the average pre-tax income. But, the markets are so distinctive, this sort of measurement is problematic, as it sets up a European making 1050 euros/month and a Chilean making $100/month (US) as equals. While the cost of living is certainly much lower in Chile, it hardly bridges the gap.

"If one makes a modest adjustment to the poverty definition, raising the poverty line from 43,712 pesos/month to 66,388 pesos, the percentage of those impoverished in Chile jumps from 18.7% to 36.4%."

Greetings / First Assignment

2009-11-05T06:14:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the new Humanities 9 course blog. This will serve several purposes. First, I will use it to pass on basic information, involving things like schedule changes. Second, I will use it as a place to follow up on class discussions, answering unsolved questions or providing links to sites with more info on the subject. Finally, you will find prompts here for assignments on your own group blogs, which will sometimes be homework and other times tasks for writing lab.

One question that I couldn't sufficiently address this week came up in one of the Humanities sections - how exactly did the Colosseum deteriorate over the years? Were there specific events that damaged it, or did it just slowly crumble over time? This website does a nice job of outlining the great building's decline and is worth a look.

For today, in Writing Lab, I would like you to write a short blogpost on the readings from the last two nights. Please respond to the following two questions, devoting a similar amount of time to each:

From "The Hero's Adventure" - Joseph Campbell states that "our world seems drained of spiritual values. People feel impotent. To me, that's the curse of modern society, the impotence, the ennui that people feel, the alienation of people from the world around them." His point is that where the ancient and medieval worlds were places of action, in which heroism was a tangible and possible thing, we don't have that today. Instead, people in the modern world feel powerless, lifeless, and out of touch. Do you agree or disagree with Campbell? Don't just state your opinion - bring up specific examples that support it.

From "Reports of The Origins of Athens" - As the title suggests, these readings help to explain how Athens came to be. Based on all of the readings (and please refer specifically to each reading as you go), what existed before Athens? And, what did Athens look like or involve once it was established?

Freshman Trip Assignments

2009-09-30T18:09:00.000-07:00

The freshman study trip to Italy and Greece is exactly that - a study trip, not a vacation. As such, there are specific assignments to be completed by students, either prior to departure or while on the road. These will be assessed and those grades will be applied to the students' second semester Humanities grade. The assignments are outlined below:

1) Student Tour Guides: Working in pairs, students will lead us through eight major ancient sites - Pompeii, Herculaneum, Capri, the Colosseum, the Forum, Hadrian's Villa, Mycenae, and the Acropolis. While the style of guidance can take many forms, all student tour guides will be expected to: a) tell the story of the site, b) identify and explain the significance of major structures/artifacts at the site, and c) provide the group with a handout outlining key points. Most importantly, the students' job is to make the site speak - to make it interesting. Ruins can feel empty and boring; the guide must make it feel real and relevant. The full assignment sheet is posted here.

2) Poem to the Dead: Following the style of the Greek elegy, students will prepare a short poem in memory of the dead to be delivered when we arrive at the River Styx in the Sibyll's Cave. The poem could be devoted to a specific person from the student's life, a famous Greek or Roman hero, or to the dead in general.

3) Honoring the Gods: The Roman Pantheon was originally devoted to the old Roman Gods and, as is clear from Greek epic poetry, honoring the gods was a mandatory act. We will celebrate our arrival in Rome by paying the gods proper respect at the Pantheon. In support of this, students will prepare a poem in honor of a specific Roman God of their choice, following models supplied from Greek epic poems.

4) The Oracle's Riddle: While many sought insight from the Oracle at Delphi, often its message was more of a mystery than an answer. Truth might have been there for the taking, but it was wrapped in a riddle - a riddle often only decoded when the person affected was past the point of no return. We will mark our visit to the oracle by sharing riddles. Each student will be expected to bring one riddle of their own choice (bonus points if the riddle is of their own creation).

5) Monologue: The great theater of Epidaurus is one of the most remarkable ancient sites still in existence. The acoustics are so spectacular that an actor's lines could be heard clearly from any part of the theater. We will test it out. Students will be required to select a monologue from any Greek drama of their choice (minimum 10 lines) and deliver it here. With passion.

6) Journal: Students will be expected to journal daily. Sometimes specific topics will be assigned; on other occasions, they will be free to reflect on whatever they choose.

7) Blog: To keep families in the loop, we will maintain a trip blog. All students will be expected to update it once.

Freshman Trip Itinerary

2009-09-28T16:43:00.000-07:00

4/10 - Depart PHX

Naples: 4/11 - 4/14 - Staying at Villa Vergiliana

4/11 - Luxury and Slavery

Arrive at Rome Fiumicino
Picked up by bus from Villa Vergiliana
Sperlonga: See the Grotto di Tiberius, ruins of an ancient villa situated in front of a major grotto along the coast. It's an excellent example of the type of luxurious, rural residences Rome's elites built for themselves.
Capua: Spartacus's slave rebellion occurred here. Today there is a Gladiatorial Museum, the best of its kind.

4/12 - Frozen in Time

Pompeii: a city buried alive by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 and one of our best glimpses into life in Ancient Rome (Student Tour Guides)
National Archaeological Museum: Houses the richest finds from Pompeii, Herculaneum, and other ancient sites in the region
Free time in Naples

4/13 - Frozen in Time, Pt. II

Mt Vesuvius: We will climb to the top of the mountain that punished Romans but rewarded historians...
Herculaneum: Though less famous than Pompeii, this is still a rich site, offering us another perspective on life in Ancient Rome - in this case, the perspective of an affluent town (Student Tour Guides)
Oplontis: Emperor Nero's wife's villa, this boasts some of the best preserved frescoes from the era

4/14 - Island Life in the Ancient World

Sail to Capri: Visit Greek and Roman remains and enjoy the views (Student Tour Guides)

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Rome: 4/15 - 4/19 - Staying at Flatinrome Termini

4/15 - Morning in Hell, Evening in Rome

Visit the Greek Acropolis of Cumae before leaving Naples
Lake Avernus and the Sibyll's Cave: We will journey deep into the earth, torches in hand, en route to the River Styx
Bus to Rome
Walking tour of Rome (including Pantheon, Trevi Fountain)

4/16 - Knowing Rome through its Ruins

Colosseum: Gladiators! (Student Tour Guides)
Forum: Politics! (Student Tour Guides)
Trajan's Column: Cylinders!
Palatine Hill: The heart of early Rome

4/17 - Knowing Rome through its Artifacts

Capitoline Museum: The collection is massive. We will focus on the frescoes and stuccoes that tell the story of Rome and the tombstones that reveal a great deal about Roman religious beliefs
Museo Nazionale / Diocletian Baths: Again, the collection is huge, but we will focus on one key part - the extensive assortment of tablets that provide historians with a wealth of information about Roman culture
Optional Visit to Vatican Museum (Not included in trip cost)

4/18 - Knowing Rome through its Luxury

Day trip to Tivoli
Hadrian's Villa: The most opulent villa of its era, though sadly raided over the years (Student Tour Guides)
Villa d'Este: A Renaissance re-imagining of the classical villa
Optional Visit to Borghese Gallery (Not included in trip cost)

4/19 - The Rise of Christian Rome

San Sebastiano Catacombs: One of the many surviving catacombs of the early Christian era, when the believers were persecuted by the Roman government
St. Peter's Basilica: Not ancient, but can't be missed
St. Peter's Necropolis: Deep below the basilica, this *does* have ancient origins
Capuchin Crypt: Bones, bones, and more bones

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Delphi: 4/20 - Staying at Pan Hotel

4/20 - Visiting the Oracle

Fly to Athens
Bus from airport to Delphi
Visit Delphi archaeological site

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Athens: 4/21 - 4/22 - Staying at AthenStyle Hostel

4/21 - Ancient Greece in a Nutshell

Mycenae: Ruins from the land of Agamemnon and Menelaus (Student Tour Guides)
Epidauros: One of the best preserved Greek theaters
Athens: Arrive late afternoon for a stroll around town

4/22 - The Glory of Athens

The Acropolis: You might have heard of it (Student Tour Guides)
National Archaeological Museum: One of the greatest collections in the world

4/23 - Fly Home

Freshman Trip Transportation Plan

2009-09-17T07:25:00.000-07:00

What follows is the complete overview of all transportation we have booked/chartered or will ultimately use while in Italy and Greece:

FLIGHT: Phoenix to Athens (ATH), via Chicago O'Hare (ORD) and London-Heathrow (LHR)

AA782 to ORD, AA86 to LHR, BA632 to ATH
Depart Phoenix 10:20am on 4/2
Arrive Athens 5:30pm on 4/3

BUS: Hop-In Sightseeing will handle all of the transportation in Greece, picking us up from the Athens airport, taking us to Delphi, Mycenae, and Epidaurus, and then returning us to Athens.

FLIGHT: From Athens to Rome on EasyJet

BUS: Sibilla Bus Company will provide our transportation from Rome's Fiumicino airport to the Villa, around the Naples area, and from Naples to our apartment in Rome afterward.

BOAT: Hydrofoil to/from Capri

METRO: In Rome, we will travel primarily on the metro with occasional bus use

FLIGHT: Rome to Phoenix, via Chicago O'Hare (ORD)

AA111 to ORD, AA1733 to Phoenix
Depart Rome at 11:30am on 4/15
Arrive Phoenix at 8:40pm on 4/15

Freshman Trip Packing List

2009-09-09T10:24:00.000-07:00

The guiding principle is to pack light. We request that students limit themselves to one backpack or dufflebag that fits airline carry-on requirements (55 x 40 x 20cm), along with a smaller daypack. This is particularly important on our Athens->Naples flight, where checked baggage charges are applied - AND, to make matters trickier, you are not allowed a personal item on that flight, so your daypack has to fit in your larger suitcase/backpack.

Obviously, that limits what they can pack! Laundry services will be available, so students don't need to bring enough clothing to survive the trip. But, they should make careful choices about what to bring, paying particular attention to three factors. First, the weather - April can bring pleasant, mild days, but it can also bring cold and rain. In Rome, average April temperatures range from a high of 67 to a low of 45, with an average of 2.7" of rain. Athens and Naples have similar ranges, though we have better odds of sunshine in the former. The main point here - students should have something warm and something to keep them dry. Second, cultural sensitivity - long pants are a better idea in Italy and Greece than shorts. They're essential if you plan on entering St. Peter's or any other church/cathedral. Italians, by and large, dress well; if you aim for the scruffy look, you will clearly be out of place. Finally, be prepared for a lot of walking. Bring comfortable shoes.

Use the following as a rough set of guidelines. Remember - they do have stores in Italy and Greece. You can buy something if the need arises.

CLOTHES
-Five shirts (short/long sleeve), socks, underwear
-One warm pull-over (add a second, thin layer if you get cold easily)
-Two pairs of pants
-One pair shorts / skirt
-Hat
-Optional: Scarf, gloves, other assorted sources of warmth

GEAR/ACCESSORIES/ETC
-Good walking shoes
-Sandals or flipflops
-Umbrella (collapsible, easily carried)
-Mini flashlight / headlamp
-Digital camera (optional)
-Sunglasses
-Journal/Pen (we will supply a small journal)
-Toiletries (Travel size, in a plastic bag)
-A few energy bars
-Optional: Cell phone, European plug converter (if needed)
-Watch (or some other time-keeping device)

MOST IMPORTANT
-Money belt
-Passport
-Debit card or money
-Trip binder (we will supply)
-Your trip guide plans

Finally, why not read something kind of relevant? Here are a few options that come to mind:

I, Claudius by Robert Graves - Considered the best work of historical fiction based in ancient Rome, Graves writes this as the autobiography of Emperor Claudius. It begins with Augustus and moves through the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Meticulously researched, it offers a great look into the early Roman Empire.
Sprezzatura: 50 Ways Italian Genius Shaped the World by d'Epiro and Pinkowish - 50 short chapters on important people and developments in Italian history. It starts in the ancient era, with pieces on the Roman calendar, Roman law, Julius Caesar, and more. But, it tracks Italian contributions from there all the way to the near-present, with chapters on St. Francis, Michelangelo, Garibaldi, and Ferrari. With sections ranging from 5-10 pages, it's an easy travel book, as you can read in short spurts without having to worry about losing the narrative flow.
Basilica: The Splendor and the Scandal: The Building of St. Peter's by R.A. Scotti - A fascinating story of the building of the Vatican's basilica, in which many of the great figures of the Italian renaissance are featured. If you're interested in architecture, the renaissance, or the Church, this is a great, highly readable option.
Excellent Cadavers by Alexander Stille - Easily the best book I've read on the Italian mafia. As much investigative reporting as it is historical non-fiction, this book is vividly written and the high drama Stille builds might actually get your heart beating.
If you want to read something by an Italian writer, my favorite is Italo Calvino. Some of his works can be difficult to unpack, but The Non-Existent Knight and the Cloven Viscount are fun fantasy stories. Invisible Cities is brilliant, and certain to be unlike anything you've read.