History Test

Test 1

Answer five of the essay questions below based on class materials, which you may have open with you. You can get straight to the point (no need for formal introductions and conclusions, just get into the material) and devote roughly 250 words to each. This word count is neither a hard cap, nor a requirement. If you need to write more in order to thoroughly answer the question, do it, and if you can thoroughly answer the question with fewer words, that is fine. This is about quality, not quantity. We are only using class materials, so citations will be simple. You must put words that are not yours in quotation marks, so, when you want to quote a source verbatim, whether it’s me (don’t do this too much, though), Paul Cooper, or a primary source, mention the author in your sentence to give context, then put the words that belong to that author in quotation marks. That is all you have to do for this particular assignment. Please do not use outside sources, as this would defeat the purpose of assessing you based on course materials. If you use outside sources, you will likely include information we didn’t cover. I will likely recognize that, and you will lose a lot of points. If you use an outside source, copy it verbatim, and don’t cite it, I may give you a 0% on this test. Please do not copy each other in any way. I may give you a 0% if I notice that. Each question is worth ten points. Note that you are only required to do five; there is no extra credit for doing more. If you do more than five, I am only going to read your first five.

1)    What, according to Paul Cooper, were the main reasons for the collapse of the Bronze Age civilizations in the eastern Mediterranean in the 1,100s BCE? He highlights a few core theories, so demonstrate that you watched the documentary by concisely summarizing them.

2)    What is the “Thucydides Trap,” according to Graham Allison? How does this concept serve as a big picture explanation for the outbreak of the great Peloponnesian War (431 BCE-404 BCE)? Does Allison worry about a similar scenario playing out today? If so, explain. Include at least one well developed quote from Allison to highlight your points.

3)    Define hubris based on the book and the audio lectures. Next, identify three separate examples of someone displaying hubris in Homer’s Iliad. It is ok if you use the same person more than once (the main character shows hubris on multiple occasions), just make sure it is three separate incidents. Include at least one well developed quote from Homer to highlight your points.

4)    Define noblesse oblige using Sarpedon from Homer’s Iliad as your main source. Were Sarpedon and Glaucus privileged? If so, why did they deserve it? Why did those who were not privileged tolerate them? Include at least one well developed quote from Homer to highlight your points.  

5)    How were tragic heroes usually punished for their arrogance in Greek literature? How did this work with Achilles in Homer’s Iliad? How was Achilles able to learn from what happened to him? Include at least one well developed quote from Homer to highlight your points.

6)    Describe the role of fate in Homer’s Iliad. How did it determine what happened to a person? Could a person escape it? Were the immortal gods bound by it? Give three examples of the importance of fate in the Iliad, and include at least one well developed quote from Homer to highlight your points.

7)    Who were the people Aristotle was writing about in the sections of Metaphysics that we looked at? What trend did these people represent? Describe at least two of the men Aristotle mentions in those excerpts and explain how each was representative of this trend. Include at least one well developed quote from Aristotle to highlight your points.

8)    How did Hippocrates represent the trend mentioned in #6? What, in On the Sacred Disease, was he trying to get across? What was he frustrated about? What did he think the solution was? Include at least one well developed quote from Hippocrates to highlight your points.

9)    Why did Thucydides think it was so important to create a fact-based account of the Peloponnesian War? What was wrong with most historical accounts, in his opinion? How was he going to be different? How do his methods make him an example of the broad trend mentioned in #6 and #7? Include at least one well developed quote from Thucydides to highlight your points.