Core 3 - The Roots of Western Civilization - Term 101

Core Three lecture are held every Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 10 a.m.

Core 3 Faculty

• Susan Chattin - History
• David Dixon - Political Science
• John Egan - Music
• Robert J. Garrity - English
• Philip Gilbert, C.PP.S. - Mathematics
• Michael Malone - Philosophy
• John Rahe - Theatre Arts
• Ilicia Sprey - History

Core 3 Required Texts

1. The Aeneid. Virgil. Trans. by Robert Fagles. Viking Penguin: 2006.
2. The Roots of Western Civilization. Thomas Greer and Gavin Lewis. Saint Joseph's College Edition: 2010.
3. Core 3 Syllabus. Rensselaer, IN. Saint Joseph's College: 2010.
4. The Everyday Writer. Lunsford, Andrea and Connors, Robert. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1997.
5. Gilgamesh. A New English Version by Stephen Mitchell. Free Press: 2006.
6. The New American Bible. Saint Joseph Edition (Large Type – Illustrated). Catholic Book Publishing Company.
7. The Odyssey. Homer. Trans. by Robert Fagles. Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition: 1996.
8. Sophocles: The Three Theban Plays. Trans. by Robert Fagles. Penguin Classics: 1984.
9. The Trial and Death of Socrates. Four Dialogues by Plato. Dover Thrift Edition: 1992.
10. On Aristotle. Garret Thompson and Marshal Misner. Wadsworth: 2000.

Collegial Agreements

• There will be a minimum of 20 pages of written work required of all Core 3 students. Your instructor will determine the writing assignments. He or she may assign summary papers, compare and contrast papers, creative writing papers, research papers, or other appropriate writing activities.
• Each student is required to participate in a tragedy skit contest which will be explained by your instructor.
• Unlike Core 1 and Core 2, there is no separate grade given for writing. Only one grade will be given for your work in Core 3.
• Each student will take a final exam that contains one comprehensive essay question.
• Students must sit with their class in an assigned section during lecture.

Lecture and Reading Schedule

I. The Hebrew Journey of Faith
Topic	Date	Lecture	Required Reading
Introduction and Preamble: Ancient Mesopotamia	08-24	Michael Malone Introducing The Roots of Western Civilization	Greer and Lewis, Chapter 1: pp. 7-16
	08-26	Ilicia Sprey Mesopotamia and the Birth of Civilization	Greer and Lewis, Chapter 1: pp. 16-28 and Gilgamesh (Mitchell version) pp. 67-129 (Prologue and Books I - V)
	08-31	Michael Malone The Oldest Story Ever Told	Gilgamesh (Mitchell version) pp. 130-199 (Books VI - XI)
Hebrew Stories of the Beginning	09-02	Tim McFarland Introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures	Greer and Lewis, Chapter 1: pp. 48-53 and New American Bible Genesis 1 - 9 (pp. 4-12)
	09-07	Kevin Scalf Stories of the Beginning	New American Bible Genesis 11-22 (pp. 13-25)
Exodus from Egypt and the Rise of the United Kingdom	09-09	Tim McFarland The Exodus Event	New American Bible Exodus 1-12 (pp. 59-71)
	09-14	Jeff Kirch The Covenant at Sinai	New American Bible Exodus 13-24 (pp. 71-83)
	09-16	Tim McFarland The United Kingdom: Saul, David, and Solomon	New American Bible 1 Samuel 17-18; 2 Samuel 1; 2 Samuel 5-7; 2 Samuel 11-12; 1 Kings 2-3; 1 Kings 6 (pp. 281-284; 296-297; 300-302; 304-306; 324-327; 329-330)
Prophetic Literature - Exile and Restoration	09-21	Michael Malone The Prophet Amos: A Voice for the Powerless	New American Bible The Book of Amos (pp. 1057-1066)
	09-23	John Nichols The Prophet Isaiah: A Voice of Hope	New American Bible Isaiah 5; 40-55 (pp. 829-830; pp. 863-881)
II. The Legacy of the Greeks
Topic	Date	Lecture	Required Reading
Greek History And Epic Literature	09-28	Video The Greeks	Greer and Lewis, Chapter 2: pp. 55-76
	09-30	Robert Garrity Introduction to the Odyssey	The Odyssey: Books 1, 2, and 5
	10-05	Susan Chattin The Odyssey: A Mythic Quest	The Odyssey: Books 6, 9, 10, and 11
	10-07	Video Hollywood and the Homeric Epic	The Odyssey: Books 12, 13, and 16
	10-12	Michael Malone Traveling With Odysseus: In Search of Wisdom	The Odyssey: Books 21, 22, 23, and 24
	10-14	Ilicia Sprey The Classical Greeks	Greer and Lewis, Chapter 2: pp. 76-103
Greek Drama: Tragedy	10-19	Video Greek Art and Architecture	Oedipus The King pp. 155-200
	10-21	John Rahe The Tragedy of Oedipus Rex	Oedipus The King pp. 201-251
	10-26	John Rahe Public Law vs. Private Conscience in Antigone	Antigone, pp. 55-128
	10-28	No Lecture [Prepare for Tragedy Contest]	"Tragedy Skit Contest" in Core 3 Syllabus
Philosophy: Plato	11-02	Rob Reuter Socrates' Jailhouse Argument	The Crito in The Trial and Death of Socrates
	11-04	Angela Elrod-Sadler Understanding the Allegory of the Cave	Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" in the Core 3 Syllabus pp. 19-22 and On Aristotle Chapters 1 and 2
Philosophy: Aristotle	11-09	Robert Garrity Aristotle on Virtue and Moral Responsibility	On Aristotle (Chapters 8 and 9) and "A Summary of the First Part of the Nicomachean Ethics" in Core 3 Syllabus pp. 23-24
III. Rome and the New World Order
Topic	Date	Lecture	Required Reading
Roman History, Culture, and Law	11-11	Ilicia Sprey The Rise and Fall of the Roman Republic	Greer and Lewis, Chapter 3: pp. 106-128
	11-16	John Rahe Law, Order, and Roman Virtue	Selections from Polybius and Cicero in Core 3 Syllabus
	11-18	Susan Chattin Everyday Life in the Roman Empire	Greer and Lewis, Chapter 3: pp. 128-144
	THANKSGIVING BREAK
Roman Epic Literature	11-30	Robert Garrity Introduction to the Aeneid	The Aeneid, Books 1, 2, and 3
	12-02	Maia Hawthorne Dido and the Cost of Rome	The Aeneid, Books 4, 5, and 6
	12-07	April Toadvine The Aeneid Reflected in Roman Society	The Aeneid, Books 7, 8, and 12
Fall of Rome and Birth of Christ	12-09	Michael Malone The End of the Roman Empire and the Birth of Christ	Greer and Lewis, Chapter 3: pp. 144-155 and New American Bible Luke 1-2 pp. 97-102

Core 3 Internet Sources

• The Bible Gateway
• The Dead Sea Scrolls
• Interpreting Ancient Manuscripts
• The Temple Mount in Jerusalem
• Greek Art and Architecture
• The Ancient Greek Gods
• Atlas of Greek and Roman World
• The Ancient Olympics
• Diatima: The Study of Women in the Ancient World
• Exploring Ancient World Cultures
• Electronic Resources for the Classicist - A great site with many links and resources for study of the classics from ancient Greece and Rome.
• Maecenas: Images of Ancient Greece and Rome
• The European History & Culture Image Project
• Mythology in Western Art
• People of Ideas - A nice site with information on many of the individuals you will be studying. See especially, Ancient Greece, Hellenist and Roman Age and Judaism and Early Christianity.
• Ancient art and Architecture
• Roman Art
• Roman Mythology

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