Greek History Part 1: The Greco-Persian Wars
This 19-week course will lead students through the primary sources of Ancient Greece's rise to prominence with Herodotus as our primary guide. We will supplement with other readings, such as Plutarch and Aeschylus to paint a fuller picture.
Brandon Katz
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(47)
What's included
19 live meetings
19 in-class hoursAssignments
1-2 hours per week. We will have a major essay at the end of class to reflect on what we read and learned about the Greco-Persian Wars. Feedback will be available.Letter Grade
1 after class completionClass Experience
US Grade 9 - 12
Beginner Level
This class will explore a unique period in Ancient History: The Greco-Persian Wars. We will learn to read history from primary sources by working through the founder of history himself: Herodotus. We will use other sources, such as Plutarch's biographies and Aeschylus' play "The Persians" to fill in some of Herodotus' gaps. We will learn from these writings, but we will also learn to read them critically. By sifting between fact and fiction, we will come up with a reasonably complete picture of Greece's rise through conflict with Persia. This picture will include the historical causes leading up to the wars and what determined the final outcome.
Learning Goals
Reading Comprehension: How to read a narrativeHistorical Investigation: Following evidence to determine what happened in the past, where, and why
Syllabus
Curriculum
Follows Teacher-Created Curriculum19 Lessons
over 19 WeeksLesson 1:
Introduction
We will discuss background issues, such as Herodotus' and Plutarch's biographies, sources, and writing styles. For each subsequent week, we will read selections from Herodotus, Plutarch, and Aeschylus 60 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
Read Herodotus, Book I.1-94 of Herodotus' "Histories" and be ready to discuss.
We will discuss Croesus' fall as King of Lydia to King Cyrus of Persia 60 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Herodotus, Book I.95-140
Herodotus discusses Cyrus' rise to power and Persian customs 60 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Herodotus, Book III.1-89
Fall of Cambyses and Rise of Darius as King of Persia 60 mins online live lesson
Other Details
Supply List
We will be reading through Herodotus' "The Histories" (5th century BCE) as our primary source text. https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Herodotus/home.html We will add Plutarch's biographies from the late 1st and early 2nd centuries CE. We will specifically examine his Lives of Lycurgus, Solon, Cleomenes, and Themistocles. https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/home.html Finally, we will read Aeschylus' "The Persians," as he was a participant in the Battle of Salamis, giving us our closest example of an eyewitness account. https://classics.mit.edu/Aeschylus/persians.html
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
Our primary sources will be Herodotus, Aeschylus, and Plutarch (see Learner Supply List).
The secondary sources will be as follows:
"Ancient Greece, Second Edition" by Thomas R. Martin
https://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Greece-Thomas-R-Martin-ebook/dp/B00CE7NZCC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2AZ8HCDZVXKB8&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.fU7_vDfAywd39Adj8UG5Dz2Pqt2vSM2hxEMCSiqYyLFEVn9mkEK2a7ILa_QTiq4KB-mGyz2-HlWC2cuV1D7DqbKKC4CrAd3IUf0vdFaXcQZOnJOLVicHQUBeJCIl2etOVteJ3pCIEAXE9D0k2oJ3SmtbD0raD-8d2Lct1N-DcBRAklkoWMQ1QY07dsn3N4yaNGL5sYAPOmIJzBgtkaf4wIAeivUwRgy9lQD7YtswDLEgB6siOOdTNDytOO22CSk0WTEuh3pkRHTRfVpQecTTnPY_4r0dCEdzkkQVszpgfKqNEf9z0Esi9U8uG0oUFR5qWm1IDjlxMU5WgYMto2EqOw.XERpaNqSlz9zvINwb_pYa0Vr1zLDIUlFAO3n5uwGLlw&dib_tag=se&keywords=ancient+greece+thomas+r+martin&qid=1735927947&s=digital-text&sprefix=ancient+greece+thomas+r+martin%2Cdigital-text%2C93&sr=1-1
Having earned his PhD from Harvard University, Martin teaches Classics at the College of the Holy Cross.
https://www.holycross.edu/academics/programs/classics/thomas-r-martin
"Rise of Athens" by Anthony Everitt
https://www.amazon.com/Rise-Athens-Worlds-Greatest-Civilization-ebook/dp/B01CWZGAFO/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1CO5MHFENHL57&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.vHXn5Z0YlLTI5crI8v58YQ1Y1o6WR4iRXwLMdRAQbW6ES2eCsrMXMAngQ3IWqnk2RUGDnsDAbpCZKPxU11IyFZdoK_7G4Dc1NS9HKkHBxloF2LOIq82lJcsilyWf7UAHW6cr9Sr0AGmNfr-W_pLs4CVRTphz_pX0SOOai5MN9PzWuO1kDb2kPKvubAjHFzDuJHLVDy7Px5m1AyFtt4FfFQ.GzyXmPjUN-3ssV5aVd0Zsqh1XI-khS-NXhFuuSDjcRs&dib_tag=se&keywords=rise+of+athens&qid=1735928520&s=digital-text&sprefix=rise+of+athens%2Cdigital-text%2C102&sr=1-1
"Persian Fire" by Tom Holland, who has translated Herodotus' "Histories" for Penguin Classics
https://www.amazon.com/Persian-Fire-Tom-Holland-ebook/dp/B000RRA8JY/ref=sr_1_1?crid=905ZVK732BJL&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.JDw7Ryf4j-ZfqpoLRM_xuOzeXWqLpsuYQVZ5-4fQQ4DDUIFJBvW1ZBISwh0Cx6RLUzue1TLB2r0u-KdO75s9vbcIZZN6BfTxhB-scJWxE4y5bS-VZ8Q9EOkqVPuwmi7mbwxHWx4CRa30OHnm7RLlUz5f2Hw8HDQU0nda-gnrIJUb0KwtS19mNKvssdvYfpLpnlv9P_wsvHJwjx2xqpF_p2Xx4gJJ3_irPf1d-U-2syGRd0ZE7b2Jd7go51DwyVABRjZK0IW601J0RmWgD0tfWnfvfyGUP5AkEB5sXUp2l0BVxrnCJZkbJ9vkKpAADmaOX-xoeq339yoZnpYO2Bt5eQ.S3yNpwqKhHntvXwK6OqLzPrcfsRHuj5fcLLQF_yu064&dib_tag=se&keywords=persian+fire+tom+holland&qid=1735928565&s=digital-text&sprefix=persian+fire+t%2Cdigital-text%2C100&sr=1-1
"Herodotus: The Father of History" on The Great Courses, lectured by Elizabeth Vandiver (professor at Whitman College)
https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/herodotus-the-father-of-history
"The Greek and Persian Wars" on The Great Courses, lectured by John R. Hale (professor at the University of Louisville)
https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/greek-and-persian-wars
Joined August, 2023
4.9
47reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
2 Teaching Certificates
Maryland Teaching Certificate in Foreign Language
Maryland Teaching Certificate
2 Degrees
Master's Degree from Westminster Seminary California
Bachelor's Degree from University of Maryland College Park
Having earned my MA in Biblical Studies, I have learned to read the Greek language in depth. I can read and translate Herodotus, Aeschylus, and Plutarch each from their original Greek writing. Learning to read primary sources as literature must come before learning to evaluate them historically. This approach allows students to understand an author's themes and interests.
I have been tutoring both Greek and Latin for the last six years, having taught Latin in school for two. I have taught ancient literature such as Homer to high school students for college credit, and over the last year I have been teaching ancient history and literature to middle school students.Reviews
Live Group Course
$17
weekly1x per week, 19 weeks
60 min
Live video meetings
Ages: 14-18
2-12 learners per class
