Humanities 110

Paper Topics | Fall 2000 | Paper 2

1. Looking at his account of Croesus (Book 1, 85-93) or of Helen's abduction (Book 2, 112-120), analyze how Herodotus seeks to establish the truth of his narrative and evaluate his ability to do so persuasively.
   

2. Writing about Hesiod's Theogony, Murray argues that: "Such cosmological speculation provided the base from which arose the Ionian theories about the ultimate physical composition of the universe, which were the origins of scientific thought." [Early Greece, 92] Do you agree with this proposition or would you argue that the cosmological models put forward by Anaximander, Anaximenes, and Thales (the Milesians) are fundamentally different from Hesiod's?
   

3. According to what principles does the Works and Days propose to organize or make order in the culture it describes? To what social, political, theological or ethical uses are these principles put?
   

4. Compare Solon's fragment 3 (Miller, p. 67) to Theognis' fragment 23 (Miller, p. 92-93). In your analysis, make sure to address the subject matter and likely context of performance of the poems. What is the significance of your comparison for understanding the values that may have contributed to harmony in the polis?

In addition to consulting with your conference leader, you can get help with all stages of the writing process from peer tutors at the Writing Center. You can find links to the Writing Center hours on the Drop-in Tutoring Schedule website. Extra tutoring help will be available in the week leading up to paper due dates.