Classics: Anc Hist Gaming: Alex theGreat

Topics examining themes in Ancient history. Representative topics: The Peloponesian War; Alexander the Great. May be repeated for credit with different content. Topics vary by offering; periodic offering at intervals that may exceed four years.

Class will meet in Jeanne Mance Gaming Space; Open to Degree and PACE students

Course Description: This 3-credit class is a reading, discussion, and simulation-gaming group based on the astounding life and career of Alexander the Great (356–323 BCE) which left far-flung imprints in legend for 1000 years and more; and the division of Alexander’s empire by his generals (‘The Successors’) after his death. Our main readings will be Plutarch’s Life of Alexander; selections from Arrian’s Campaigns of Alexander; and Mary Renault’s classic historical-fiction trilogy. Required Materials (available at bookstore) 1. Plutarch, The Age of Alexander: Nine Greek Lives (Penguin). ISBN-10: 0-14-044286-3 2. Mary Renault, The Alexander Trilogy Collection (Fire from Heaven, The Persian Boy, & Funeral Games). Virago Ltd, ISBN-10: ‎ 2087047774, ISBN-13: 978-2087047772. Or you can order different editions used on Abebooks, or get audio book. Other materials will be provided on Brightspace. Package of standard index cards (3 x 5): see making quiz questions and taking quizzes.

Assessment / Expectations These games can be great for generating discussion and insights about the associated reading and the historical events being modelled! They lose a lot of educational value if you don’t do the associated reading. So your grade in this class is determined by daily reading quizzes (see below). Your overall quiz average is then capped by the percentage of your attendance (see below), on the grounds that participating in the games is an equally vital part of the learning. The resulting grade can be raised a bit, but not lowered, by good participation—enthusiasm, focus, joining in discussion, not leaving early, etc. Daily Reading Quizzes For each day’s reading—which includes the footnotes!—make one multiple choice question relating to that day’s reading. Your question should not be too abstruse: focus on some large issue that a careful reader will appreciate, or startlingly memorable detail that you’d have to be asleep to miss. Write it clearly on one side of a standard index card (available at the bookstore) so that other students can read it when projected in front of class. On the other side, write your name and the date in the upper left, and the answer in the middle. Grade Cap I—Quiz Questions: Pay-to-play quiz system. Your overall quiz grade is capped by how many reading questions you turn in. That is, if you only turn in cards for 80% of the days, your reading grade will be no higher than 80, regardless of actual quiz grades. Grade Cap II—Attendance: Your maximum possible grade in the course overall is also capped by the percentage of days you attended class, with each unexcused absence ‘costing’ an equal fraction. For example, two misses mean a maximum GPA of 95% regardless of other virtues). The reason for this tough policy is that we are trying to build a community here, and we need you! In practice this policy is more psychological than practical since poor attendance inevitably leads to low performance anyway. Of course you can be excused for legitimate illness or other emergencies.

See Section Expectations