CLAS 110: Introduction to Classics

Instructor: Jorge Bravo
Classics
Fall 2009
Course Description
This course will examine in depth the two most content-rich focal points of Classical antiquity--Periclean Athens and Early Imperial Rome--since they provide a context for so much of what Classics is about and, just as important, what different ages have imagined antiquity to be about. The course will cover Athens and Rome in roughly equal units, providing different perspectives on the material from the variety of approaches that currently make up the study of the Classics: history, archaeology, anthropology, gender studies, literary criticism, philology, religious studies, etc.

Interpretation of an Ancient Statue

Introduction

This is a writing assignment designed for a writing-rich first-year seminar on ancient athletics. Students write a 1-3 page paper in which they describe a fragmentary ancient bronze statue and argue for an interpretation of the athletic activity represented by the statue on the basis of comparison with other ancient images of athletes found in the students' textbook.

Learning Goals

This assignment is designed to teach students to

• Learn to observe visual material in detail
• Learn to write a detailed description of visual material
• Think about significance and implications of those details for conveying meaning
• Review and gain greater familiarity with the ancient visual evidence for the various athletics events

The Assignment

Student Handout Student Assignment (Microsoft Word 43kB Jul14 11)

Assessment

Students write a short paper in which they argue for a particular interpretation of the athletic activity represented by the statue. I read and offer feedback on each paper.

In terms of the visual component of the student's writing, what I am evaluating includes:

• Accuracy and specificity in the description of the surviving parts of the statue
• Effectiveness of the comparisons drawn with material illustrated in textbook
• Specificity in the description of the figures from the textbook

Classics Example Video with Jorge Bravo