FirstDayAncientGeography

So that we have maps, a timeline, and a compendious book about Ancient Greece.
These are, of course, all available on-line, but it is harder for all of us to "be on the same page" online.

Pytheas wrote a work, which is now lost, about his voyage north around 300-330 BCE. This is Barry Cunliffe's effort to figure out what Pytheas wrote and wrote about.

Romm's book explores ancient geographical thought as it is found in ancient literature. It starts with Homer's world and each chapter moves forward a bit. But it is by no means a complete survey. To some extent, it uses modern theories about space/place/landscape to look at ancient works.

Roller's book is about what 'Geography' was to the ancient Greeks, including how the discipline got its start and what it accomplished. Not so much about how modern geography might view and analyze aspects of antiquity, but rather about exploration of the world in antiquity as well as intellectual movements and figures in antiquity which most closely resemble or are precursors to modern 'geography' and modern geographers.
NOT IN THE BOOKSTORE (short story): ORDER THIS BOOK IMMEDIATELY FROM WHEREVER FINE BOOKS ARE SOLD

Further readings: Chapters from Space, Place, and Landscape in Ancient Greek Literature and Culture, edited by Gilhuly and Worman.

Unfortunately, this books was too pricey, so we will use it "on reserve" in the library. I can probably make some PDF's and send them to you as well.
An eclectic group of articles from cultural geography and landscape studies: applies humanistic spatial theory to many different places and spaces.

"the study of anything in the Ancient Greek or Latin languages."
"the study of anything in the sphere of the 'Greco-Roman' world."
"Classics" was the humanities for the first century or so of UVM's existence.
"Classics" is also the original "area-studies" entity: it started out as "inter-disciplinary."

It includes all the other disciplines: one can find Classicists whose work is mostly in science, economics, anthropology, art history, medicine, archaeology, law, etc.
But most of us are concerned with literature and history.
I am primarily concerned with philosophy.

"Geography": I won't hazard a definition, BUT it usually has to do with space, whether that be location or arrangement, and it usually has to do with the meaning of that spatial aspect.
Thus this class is an exploration of "Classics" via the topic of "space and its meaning in the ancient world"

Most obviously, physical remains that archaeologists or others discover have as a primary part of their significance where they are found, which includes what they are found with.
Every written work has some geographical aspect: it originates in a place. But also, most include some reference to places.

Even a pot with an inscription around the rim might be rich material for geographic analysis.

What we are looking for are ways that spatial aspects of a thing explain a thing, or make it interesting. Our readings will, I hope do both. The assignments are meant to involve you in the creation of both.

You will have to give summary presentations of articles/chapters/essays. The assignment typically looks like this:

Wikipedia article "Acropolis of Athens" (and any other Wikipedia articles about Athens you care to read)
Article "Athens, Topography" in Brill's New Pauly: will be sent to you via email as a PDF file.
Oxford Bibliographies' article The Acropolis of Athens,
Stoa.org article The Acropolis, Strabo's Geography on Attica
Unesco World Heritage website on Athenian Acropolis
AthensGuide to Acropolis

Written out notes that can be handed in if required. They should include observations relevant to the thinking you were asked to do in the previous bullet points. These will be used for class discussion.