Classics 2205 Sports & Spectacles in the Ancient World

Autumn 2015 | WF 2:20-3:40 p.m. | Lazenby Hall 034

Dr. Lipp
Department of Classics | College of Arts & Sciences
Email: lipp.14@osu.edu | Office: University Hall 414B | Office Hours: by appt.
Heres a question:
Why is there a Roman-style stadium on OSUs campus?

Ohio Stadium from the sky.

Roman Colosseum from the sky.

Ohio Stadium's North Rotunda.

Roman Pantheons Dome.

Course Description: This course provides an introduction to sport, athletic competition, and public
spectacle in the ancient Greco-Roman world. Through the supplementary use of selected primary
sources, art, and archaeology, students will examine the major sporting events and competitions and
seek to understand their political, cultural, and religious contexts, as well as evaluate their place in
Western cultural tradition. At The Ohio State University, this course falls under the GE category of
Cultures and Ideas.

Sports & Spectacles | OSU | Fall 2015 | Lipp / 1

Course Objectives: Students will gain an understanding and appreciation of ancient Greco-Roman sport
and spectacle, and how that legacy relates to, and is relevant for, both modern American sport and its
cultural context. Students will also be able to approach works of ancient art and literature as subjective
and objective observers, i.e. appreciating the more alien, Greco-Roman aspect of the works, while
assessing their own reactions to the texts and the texts relevance to their own lives and experiences. As
a GE Culture and Ideas course in the College of Arts & Sciences at The Ohio State University, the
following goals and outcomes apply:
Goals: Students evaluate significant cultural phenomena and ideas in order to develop capacities
for aesthetic and historical response and judgment, and interpretation and evaluation.
Expected Learning Outcomes:
1. Students analyze and interpret major forms of human thought, culture, and expression.
2. Students evaluate how ideas influence the character of human beliefs, the perception of
reality, and the norms which guide human behavior.
Assessments: Students will complete the following assignments as part of their grade for the course.
1. Participation Cards: As part of their daily engagement with the course material, in the first or
last few minutes of select meetings every student will fill out a 3 x 5 notecard according to a
given prompt.
2. Referee Decisions: Students will participate in 6 debates throughout the semester. The debates
will help students (a) to build skills in synthesizing material, and (b) to develop core capacities in
arguing on paper and out loud. Format-wise, for each debate one group of students (the
Athletes) will prepare and present before the rest of the class (the Referees) a pro and con
response to a pre-announced question. The Referees will then vote. Both groups will be assessed,
but in different ways (details to follow).
3. Final Exam: Students will take a final exam consisting of an essay question - What is the most
important aspect of this course for current OSU students? Details will follow in due time, but at
the very least a complete answer will have to list candidates to be considered most important
and then argue for one.
Overall Grading Structure: Using OSUs standard scheme (A 100-93, A- 92-90, B+ 89-87, B 86-83, B82-80, C+ 79-77, C 76-73, C- 72-70, D+ 69-67, D 66-60, E 59-0)
Participation Cards
Debates - Athlete
Debates Referee
Final

50%
15%
25%
10%

(~20 at ~2.5% each)

(5 @ 5% each)

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Required Books: Students should be prepared to discuss the assignments from the following books:
Sport and Spectacle in the Ancient World
2nd Edition, by D. Kyle (Wiley, 2015) ISBN 13: 9781118613566
Arete: Greek Sports from Ancient Sources
3rd Edition, by S. Miller (Univ. of Cal. Press, 2012) ISBN 13: 9780520274334
The Symposium
by Plato, translated by C. Gill (Penguin, 2003) ISBN 13: 9780140449273
Technology
IN the classroom: Students may not use laptops, smart phones, tablets, and similar electronic
devices during class, unless the instructor has approved.
OUT of the classroom: A note regarding email - the instructor will respond to an email from a
student within 24 hours if urgent, and within 48 hours if not. Students are thus advised to use
email judiciously, i.e., not as a source for last-minute questions before an assignment is due, etc.
Most, if not all, communication should be done either around or in class, or during office hours.
Academic Honesty & Plagiarism: It is the responsibility of the Committee on Academic Misconduct to
investigate or establish procedures for the investigation of all reported cases of student academic
misconduct. The term academic misconduct includes all forms of student academic misconduct
wherever committed; illustrated by, but not limited to, cases of plagiarism and dishonest practices in
connection with examination. Instructors shall report all instances of alleged academic misconduct to the
committee (Faculty Rule 3335-5-487). For additional information, see the Code of Student Conduct
(http://studentlife.osu.edu/csc/).
Procedures for Students with Disabilities: Students with disabilities that have been certified by the
Office for Disability Services will be appropriately accommodated and should inform the instructor as
soon as possible of their needs. The Office for Disability Services is located at 150 Pomerene Hall, 1760
Neil Avenue; telephone 614-292-3307, TDD 614-292-0901; http://www.ods.ohio-state.edu/.
Syllabus Subject to Change: The syllabus is subject to change at the instructors discretion. Should this
occur, the instructor will duly notify the students in writing and in class.

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SCHEDULE OF TOPICS & ASSIGNMENTS

An asterisk (*) indicates a homework assignment either on Carmen or distributed in class.
HW indicates tasks to be done before that days class.
Wk
1

Date
W Aug 26

#
1

Topic
Introductions

HW for Topic

F Aug 28

Sport in Homer

Miller: 1, 2

Debates

Kyle: Ch. 3
2

W Sep 2

Archaic Greece

Miller: 3-5, 182

Kyle: Ch. 4

F Sep 4

The Olympics: Origins

Kyle: Ch. 5

W Sep 9

The Olympics: The Ancient Games

Kyle: Ch. 6

F Sep 11

Panhellenic Crown Games

Miller: 75, 242

Debate 1
Assigned

Debate 1

Kyle: Ch. 7
4

W Sep 16

The Athenians

Miller: 120, 67, 219

Kyle: Ch. 8

F Sep 18

The Spartans

Miller: 6, 127, 152153, 151a-151c

Debate 2
Assigned

Kyle: Ch. 9
5

W Sep 23

Greek Athletes & Their Societies

Kyle: Ch. 10

F Sep 25

10

Greek Women & Greek Sport

Miller: 149-150, 158,

162

Debate 2

Kyle: Ch. 11
6

W Sep 30

11

Macedon, Alexander, and Hellenistic

Sport & Spectacle

Miller: 139, 246,

172a, 192

Debate 3
Assigned

Kyle: Ch. 12

Sports & Spectacles | OSU | Fall 2015 | Lipp / 4

F Oct 2

12

Close Reading I: Eros, the Good, &

Greek Philosophical Competition

Symp., 172a-185e

W Oct 7

13

Debate Only

(catch up or read
ahead on Plato)

F Oct 9

14

Close Reading I: Eros, the Good, &

Greek Philosophical Competition

Symp., 186a-201c

W Oct 14

15

Close Reading I: Eros, the Good, &

Greek Philosophical Competition

Symp., 201d-end

W Oct 21

16

The Roman Republic: Festivals,

Celebrations, & Games

Kyle: Ch. 13 (pp.

243-261)

F Oct 23

17

The Roman Republic: Greek Games,

Expansion, & Political Strongmen

Kyle: Ch. 13 (pp.

261-264) & Ch. 14
(pp. 268-276)

W Oct 28

18

Tour of Ohio Stadium: Class will

meet at Ohio Stadiums North Rotunda.

F Oct 30

19

Augustus

Kyle: Ch. 14 (pp.

276-288)

W Nov 4

20

The Roman Empire: Emperors &

Spectacles

Kyle: Ch. 15 (pp.

289-314)

F Nov 6

21

The Roman Empire: Greek Games,

Hadrian, & Assimilation

Kyle: Ch. 15 (pp.

314-323)

12

F Nov 13

22

The Roman Empire: Romans,

Christians, & Byzantines

Kyle: Ch. 16

Debate 5
Assigned

13

W Nov 18

23

Review

Kyle: Conclusion

Debate 5

F Nov 20

24

Close Reading II: Tertullians

Christian Spectacle

On the Spectacles,
TBA

14

W 25, F 27

NO CLASS FOR THANKSGIVING

15

W Dec 2

25

10

11

Close Reading II: Tertullians

Christian Spectacle

On the Spectacles,
TBA

Debate 3

Debate 4
Assigned

Debate 4

Debate 6
Assigned

Sports & Spectacles | OSU | Fall 2015 | Lipp / 5

16

F Dec 4

26

Close Reading II: Tertullians

Christian Spectacle

W Dec 9

27

Debate Only

Debate 6

12pm on Carmen

Final Exam
Due

W Dec 16

On the Spectacles,
TBA

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