Classics/History 121
Some Suggested Paper Topics
The historicity of the Dorian invasion
The historicity of the traditional account of the Messenian wars
The Lelantine war
The historicity of the First Sacred War
Religious leagues, e.g., the Delphic Amphictyony or the Panionion
Tyrants' relationships and policies: evidence from Herodotus and
elsewhere
The Alcmaeonids in Athenian politics
The origins of the hoplite army
Solon and Aristotle on Solon: primary source as a check on a secondary
Solon and Croesus: sources and chronology
King Cleomenes of Sparta: different traditions
Cleisthenes' actual constitution
The pattern of the Ionian revolt
The cause(s) of Darius' invasion of Greece, or of Xerxes'
Problems of the Battle of Marathon
Making sense of the Battle of Plataiai
The status of perioikoi at Sparta
Pausanias' medizing
Themistocles' political career
Formation and purpose of the Delian League
Ephialtes' reform of the Areiopagos
Pericles' citizenship law
Pericles' military expeditions
Length of Cimon's ostracism
Peace of Callias
Thucydides on Alcibiades, Brasidas, Cleon, or Nicias
Argive policy during the Peloponnesian war
The first Battle of Mantineia
The importance of Amphipolis to Athens in the 5th and 4th centuries
Conduct of a cold war
Causes of Athenian invasion of Sicily
The revolution of 411
The trial of the ten generals
Old comedy as political commentary
Athenian democracy: Thucydides, "Old Oligarch," Demosthenes, Aristotle
Persian interference in Greek affairs: late fifth century and early
fourth centuries
The sympolity of Corinth and Argos in the 390's
Phoebidas' occupation of Thebes
Did Epamainondas have a foreign policy?
The cities of Magna Graecia
Fourth-century political and social changes; the mercenary army
Elpinice in fifth-century Athens
Syracuse and Carthage
Demosthenes' politics
Philip II in the eyes of Demosthenes, Isocrates, Polybius, and others
The destruction of Persepolis
Greek federal states: fifth, fourth, or third centuries
Heroes and saviors: from the dark ages to the Hellenistic era
Family politics of the Diadochi, especially first two generations
Reforming kings of 3d-century Sparta: Agis IV and Cleomenes III