This document outlines the syllabus for a Greek & Roman Humanities course taught by Professor Will Adams. The course will cover developments in classical civilizations expressed through art, architecture, politics, literature, music, philosophy and religion from prehistoric times through the birth of Russia. Students will be evaluated based on attendance, a cultural event paper, a research project, and four exams. The course will include lectures, activities, readings, videos and discussions. Academic honesty is strictly enforced.

1. Greek & Roman Humanities
Professor Will Adams · Wadams5@valenciacollege.edu
Osceola Campus – Building 2, Room 234
Mondays & Wednesdays, 12:00 – 1:15 PM
“Wise men talk because they have something to say, fools
because they have to say something.” - Plato
Course Description
§ Greek & Roman Humanities offers the student integrated examinations of dominant
developments in the Classical civilizations as expressed in art, architecture, politics, literature,
music, philosophy and religion.
§ The course will cover the period from the Paleolithic era through the birth of Russia, and will
emphasize the development and influence of classical thoughts and ideals.
§ This course is a Gordon Rule course, in which the student is required to demonstrate college-level
writing skills through multiple writing assignments. A minimum grade of C required if used to
satisfy Gordon Rule requirement.
Course Objectives
§ To understand the continuation and evolution of the human experience by thinking critically about
humanity’s artistic, cultural, and intellectual development.
§ To broaden the student’s knowledge of the ideas and personalities associated with the Greek and
Roman civilizations.
§ To learn, internalize, and utilize vocabulary specific to the period covered by this course.
§ To appreciate the legacy left behind by both the Greek and Roman civilizations.
§ To learn skills essential to critical thinking and synthesis of thought by carrying out scholarly
research and authoring thoughtful essays.
§ To attend cultural events in order to recognize the continued relevance of the sometimes-ancient
ideas being discussed throughout the class’s duration.
Required Textbook
Gloria K. Fiero, The Humanistic Tradition, Book 1.
Additional readings as assigned throughout the semester

2. Evaluation Formula
1. Attendance & Class Participation 35%
§ Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class meeting, and count as part of the
attendance & participation grade.
§ The professor should hear each student’s voice at least once per class meeting.
§ Please be aware that, under Valencia’s Attendance Policy, there is no such thing as an “excused
absence”.
§ In-class activities, homework assignments, and in-class assignments also count toward this
portion of your final grade.
§ Short-form, pop quizzes may be administered throughout the course of the class.
§ The format that the quizzes appear in may vary.
2. Cultural Event with Written Evaluation 10%
§ You will be required to attend one cultural event throughout the class’s duration.
§ The instructor throughout the class’s duration may suggest various events to you, but it is
ultimately your own responsibility to find and attend an approved cultural event.
§ Proof of attendance at said event must be furnished (i.e. ticket stub, program, souvenir, etc).
§ A two-page “reaction” (i.e. non-research) paper is required. Be sure to answer the following
questions: What did I do? What did I think of it? What did I learn?
3. Research Project 25%
§ One four-page written research project is required.
§ Proper MLA style citation should be used for all written assignments.
§ One draft may be turned in for the professor’s perusal two weeks prior to the due date.
§ Plagiarism = A grade of zero. No exceptions.
§ Wikipedia = A grade of zero. No exceptions.
§ All research projects should be stapled or bound by the student
§ A detailed research project description will be distributed at a later date.
4. Examinations 30%
§ Four long-form examinations will be administered.
§ Examinations will not be cumulative in their subject matter.
§ You will be given a study guide for exams, at the instructor’s discretion.
Grading Scale
100 – 90% = A
89 – 80% = B
79 – 70% = C
69 – 60% = D
59 – 0% = F

3. Class Meeting Schedule
Date Task
Monday, August 29th Activity: Introduce class, distribute and discuss syllabus.
Read for next class: Pages 1 – 15 (Paleolithic Culture through
Creation Tales).
Wednesday, August 31st
Lecture: Paleolithic cave art
Activity: Cave painting
Read for next class: Pages 16 – 61 (Mesopotamia through Western
Sudan: Nok Culture).
Monday, September 5th
Labor Day – NO CLASS
Read for next class: Pages 28 – 89 (Arts in Mesopotamia through
Reading from Thucydides’ Peloponnesian Wars).
Wednesday, September 7th
Lecture: The earliest ancient written languages & religion.
Activity: Translation competition
Monday, September 12th
Lecture: Embalming & Egyptian funerary architecture
Homework: Sarcophagus lid
Wednesday, September 14th
Lecture: The Art & Culture of the Ancient Aegean Civilizations
Monday, September 19th
EXAM #1
Wednesday, September 21st
RESEARCH PROJECTS ASSIGNED & LIBRARY VISIT
Read for next class: Pages 89 – 99 (The Olympic Games through
Reading from Aristotle’s Poetics).
Monday, September 26th
Lecture: Greek mythology
Wednesday, September 28th
Lecture: Dionysus & Ancient Greek Theatre
Monday, October 3rd
Watch: Medea in class
Wednesday, October 5th
Watch: Medea in class
Monday, October 10th
NO CLASS
Read for next class: Pages 100 – 122 (Greek Philosophy: The
Speculative Leap through The Classical Ideal: Male and Female).
Wednesday, October 12th
Lecture: Ancient Greek Philosophy
Monday, October 17th
Lecture vi Blackboard: Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics
Deconstructed
Read for next class: Pages 122 – 135 (Greek Architecture: The
Parthenon through The Diffusion of the Classical Style: The
Hellenistic Age).
Wednesday, October 19th
EXAM #2
Monday, October 24th
Lecture: The Classical orders & the great temples of ancient
Greece.
Homework: Classical architecture sketch
Read for next class: Pages 137 – 158 (Rome: The Rise to Empire

4. through Roman Architecture).
Wednesday, October 26th
Lecture: The Roman Republic & What Is Satire?
Pages 159 – 161 (Roman Sculpture)
Monday, October 31st
Lecture: Rome’s Best & Craziest Emperors
Wednesday, November 2nd
Lecture: The Coliseum’s Bloody History & Its Legacy
Monday, November 7th
EXAM #3
Wednesday, November 9th
Watch Ancient Rome, The Modern Stadium
Monday, November 14th
Lecture: Pompeii: Roman Time Capsule
Wednesday, November 16th
Lecture: The Emergence of Christianity in Ancient Rome
Read for next class: Pages 162 – 164 (Roman Painting through The
Fall of Rome).
Monday, November 21st
Lecture: The Byzantine Era: An Empire Evolves
Wednesday, November 23rd
Thanksgiving – No Class
Monday, November 28th
Lecture: The Slavs, The Mongols, and The Birth of Russia
Wednesday, November 30th
RESEARCH PROJECT PRESENTATIONS
Monday, December 5th
CULTURAL EVENT DUE
Activity: In-class Final Exam Study Session
Wednesday, December 7th
FINAL EXAM – 12:00 PM
Guidelines for Written Work
§ All written work should be set in Arial 12-point font, with double spacing and standard 1” page
margins.
§ Also, minimum page totals for any written assignment require that the written page be filled in its
entirety to count as one page.
o In other words, if a written assignment requires 2 pages, but the student only writes 1.5, the
student will not earn all possible points for the assignment.
Class Conduct
Conduct yourself with courtesy, consideration, and respect for others.
Extra Credit Policy
§ Each quiz or test throughout the class’s duration will include one extra credit question equal to
10% of the quiz or test’s total point value (i.e. A five point extra credit question for a fifty point
test).
§ In addition, extra credit may be earned by writing more than the required number of pages for any
written assignment.
§ Extra credit for extra written work will be given up to a maximum of 15% of the assignment’s total
point value.
§ No other extra credit opportunities will be available.

5. Late & Make-Up Policy
§ No late work will be accepted.
§ No work will be accepted via e-mail.
A t t e n d a n c e
§ Students are expected to attend every class. Attendance will be taken and will count as a portion
of the final grade. After the FOURTH absence, a student has missed two full weeks of class. A
notice of Excessive Absences may be issued and the student may be withdrawn at the professor’s
discretion.
§ It is always the student’s responsibility to contact the professor about issues that may lead to
excessive absences. It is also the student’s responsibility to arrange to receive class notes or
handouts from missed classes from his or her fellow students.
§ Do not contact the instructor for this information without contacting your classmates or
checking the blog first!
§ Please note that there is no such thing as an “Excused Absence” (even with a doctor’s note, death
in the family, etc.) under Valencia’s Attendance Policy.
Academic Honesty
Plagiarism is intellectual theft and will not be tolerated. Presentation of the ideas and words of others
as if they are your own work constitutes plagiarism. This includes use of material from books, the
Internet or any other source. The student is expected to perform his or her own research and present
his or her own thoughts. Direct use of another author’s words or ideas, as well as paraphrasing must
be cited. Each student is expected to be in complete compliance with the college policy on academic
honesty as set forth in the college catalog and the student handbook.
Plagiarism in any work will result in a grade of zero for that assignment.
Computer & Equipment Use Policy
§ Use of computers in the Business, IT, and Public Service classrooms at Valencia
§ College is restricted to those activities designated by the instructor to enhance the class materials.
Any other use is strictly forbidden. Inappropriate use includes, but is not limited to:
§ Use of computer to send E-mail or access Internet sites not specifically assigned in class.
§ Use of computer for job, internship, homework or other activities not assigned in class.
§ Modifying any hardware or software system configuration or setting.
§ Activities not in accordance with the Valencia Student Code of Conduct
§ Use of computers in the departmental open lab is limited to those activities involved with
preparing homework or coursework in this department and is subject to the same
restriction as listed above.

6. § Computer use is remotely monitored; any student using computers inappropriately may be
subject to dismissal from class or banishment from the lab. Subsequent offense may be
sent to the campus administration for further disciplinary action.
Students with Disabilities
Students with disabilities who qualify for academic accommodations must provide a notification from
the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) and discuss specific needs with the professor,
preferably during the first two weeks of class. The Office for Students with Disabilities determines
accommodations based on appropriate documentation of disabilities.
Disclaimer
This outline may be altered, at the instructor’s discretion, during the course of the term. It is the
responsibility of the student to make any adjustments as announced.