Diogenes Laertius (Extra Credit)

Diogenes Laertius' Lives of the Philosophers is filled with fascinating stories and sayings from the lives of the great men whose lives and ideas he describes. Read his account of any of the philosophers you would like to know more about. Comment here on what you thought the most interesting thing Diogenes Laertius had to say about that man.

For additional extra credit, read another of the selections in Diogenes Laertius and add a comment on what you found interesting in this new section.

You might find especially interesting the lives of Thales, Anaxagoras, and Diogenes. You might find even more interesting the lives of some of those philosophers who weren't discussed in class--and who often don't make it into the history books at all. If you read, for instance, the life of Bion, you'll perhaps be covering material that even Dr. Blanchard hasn't read.

(N.B., Do not confuse Diogenes Laertius with the Diogenes I discussed in class. A different man!)

Plutarch "On the Fortune of Alexander" (Extra Credit)

I read to you in class a few passages from Plutarch's "On the Fortune of Alexander." Glance through the online translation of this work (you don't need to read the whole thing), and pick out any information that would help you in writing an essay on whether or not Alexander deserves to be called "great." Note that there are two different "Orations" on this site, both from Plutarch's "Moralia."

Philip's Letter to the Athenians (extra credit)

In response to Demosthenes' diatribes against him, Philip of Macedon wrote a fascinating letter to the Athenians. Read through the letter. What evidence do you see here of Philip's skill as a diplomat? What evidence that he in some ways deserves the title "great"?

Plato

Please read "Meno" for next Tuesday. You can find online editions at either of the links below:

Meno at Digital Classics
Meno at Free Library

Imagine that someone had turned "Meno" into a film, and that you were assigned to write a review of that film. Give a "thumbs up/thumbs down" review of the movie as you imagine it.

Thucydides II

Please read the following passages from Thucydides history:

III: 36-50 The Mytilene debate
III: 69-85 The revolution in Corcyra
IV: 42-48 End of the revolution
V: 18-20 Peace of Nicias
V: 84-116 Melian Dialogue
V: 77-79 Athenian/Spartan treaty
VI: 89-93 Alcibiades justifies himself

Which of these passages do you find most interesting? Why? In what way does this passage show particularly well one of the strengths/weaknesses of Thucydides as a historian?

Thucydides--Books I and II.

I would like you to read all of Thucydides' history (and all the dialogues of Plato, all thirty two extant Greek tragedies, all the plays of Aristophanes, and all of Plutarch). For next Tuesday, however, I will be satisfied if you skim all of Book I and read the following selections from Book II: Pericles' Funeral Oration (II:34-46), The Plague in Athens (II: 46-57), and Pericles' Justification of His Policies (II:57-65).

Comment here on what you think of Thucydides as a historian. Note one specific strength or weakness, and give an example or two of what you liked/didn't like about Thucydides.

Euripides II--Andromache

Please read Euripides' Andromache for Thursday's class.

Once again, I'd like you to imagine you have just seen the first Athenian producation of the play. Write a "thumbs up, thumbs down" style review of the play as you imagine it.