Humanities 110

Paper Topics | Fall 2007 | Paper 2

Maximum Length 1500 words
Due Saturday, October 6th 5 p.m., in your conference leader's Eliot Hall mailbox.

1. Using Parmenides fragments 2, 3, 6, and 8, reconstruct his argument to the conclusion that that which is not cannot be thought or spoken about. (A) Make sure that you identify the argument's premises and show how the conclusion is supposed to follow from the premises. (B) Develop in rigorous detail one objection to the argument. (For example, one could argue that the conclusion does not follow from the premises of the argument. Or one could argue that one of the premises is false.) (C) Develop in rigorous detail the strongest response you think Parmenides could give to your objection. (D) Explain why you think the response is satisfactory or unsatisfactory.

2. What do the formal and stylistic elements (line, shapes, movement, color, decorative elements, choice of subject matter, use of figures, etc.) of the "Punishment of Atlas and Prometheus" kylix from 550 BCE tell us about what the vase painter chose to represent as the encounter between humans and the divine? An image of the vase can be found at https://cdm.reed.edu/u?/vrcwork,37935 (you will need to use your Reed username and password to access the site). In preparation for this paper, you will want to review Hesiod's narration of the stories of Atlas and Prometheus (Theogony, lines 509 and following) and chapters four and five of Osbornes Archaic and Classical Greek Art. In addition, the online tutorial on how to read Greek Vases will be helpful (you will need to use your Reed username and password to access the site): https://cdm.reed.edu/cdm4/studyguides/vases/. A kylix is a wide-mouthed cup used at drinking parties. These cups could be decorated on both the outside and inside; the image we have given you is on the inside of the cup.

3. In Sapphos poem #24 (Frs. 130), she writes, Love drives me on, that loosener of limbs, / bittersweet creature against which nothing can be done. In Vernants essay on Feminine Figures of Death, death is also referred to as a loosener of limbs. In a close reading of one or two of Sapphos poems, show how the poem(s) view the relationship among love, death and desire. You may use, in addition to Sappho, the essays by Vernant, Carson, and Hallett.

4. The Archaic Age is generally associated with the rise of the polis, a form of government that articulates an idea of citizenship in which every citizen runs the city. Compare the ideal member of the oikos or polis put forth in Hesiods Works and Days with that in one or two of Solons fragments. What are the qualities of the ideal member of the oikos or polis? What does this ideal say about the authors larger visions of political life? Use close analysis of textual evidence to support your claims. In preparation for this question reread chapters three and four in Martins Ancient Greece.

5. During the Archaic Age, Greek aristocrats defended their privileges against more inclusive forms of government, and defined themselves differently from the broader mass of citizens through practices such as the symposium, pederasty, excessive drinking, and a general tendency to celebrate the Lydian, the heroic, the beautiful and the ephemeral. Using one or two of the Greek lyrics, analyze how the poems defend or reject the privileges of the aristocracy.

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.