GREK 2013 / Spring 2009
Homer
Instructor: Dr. Charles E. Muntz
Time: MWF 2:30-3:20
Place: Kimpel Hall 213
Dr. Muntz's Office: 407 Old Main
Office Hours: Tu 12:30-1:30, W 3:45-4:45, and by appointment
Phone: (479) 575-5891
Email: cmuntz@uark.edu
Our goal in this class is to learn to read and understand the first great work of western literature, the Iliad of Homer. This will include understanding the intricacies of Homeric grammar and vocabulary, the methods by which the Iliad was composed, and the meter of Homer. We will also consider the poem as a great work of literature.
Workload
Reading and Translation: Regular reading and translation of the Iliad. We’ll have to see how quickly we are able to go, but we should be able to get through the entirety of the first book this semester.
Quizzes: There will be a short quiz each Friday, unless otherwise announced. Quizzes will cover vocabulary, grammar, forms, meter and translation. There will not be a midterm.
Final: There will be a comprehensive final exam, covering all of the Iliad read in class and including a sight translation passage.
Attendance: Regular attendance is important. If you need to miss class, please arrange to go over the material covered that day with one of your classmates. If you miss more than three classes without a legitimate excuse such as a serious illness or religious observance, I will deduct half a mark from your final grade. If you miss a quiz or exam date without a valid excuse, you will receive a zero for that exam. Please arrive at class on time as well - more than three instances of tardiness will also result in your final grade being lowered by half a mark.
Grading Breakdown:
Quiz Average: 50%
Final Exam: 50%
Reading Materials
Required Texts:
Benner, Allen Rogers. Selection’s from Homer’s Iliad. There have been many printings of this. I have ordered the one with an introduction by Mark Edwards, but feel free to buy another version - the basic contents should be the same. If you have any doubts, please ask!
A translation of Homer’s Iliad. There are many good ones available - my personal favorite is by Robert Fagles, but feel free to choose another. No translation comes close to capturing the power of the original!
Policies
Equal Access: University of Arkansas Academic Policy Series 1520.10 requires that students with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to ensure their equal access to course content. If you have a documented disability and require accommodations, please contact me privately at the beginning of the semester to make arrangements for necessary classroom adjustments. Please note, you must first verify your eligibility for these through the Center for Educational Access (contact 479-575-3104 or visit http://cea.uark.edu for more information on registration procedures).
Inclement Weather: If the University stops running the Razorback Bus System because of snow or bad weather, there will be no class. Otherwise, class is on!
Miscellaneous: Please turn off all cell phones and finish any food you might be eating before coming into class. Drinks are acceptable.