Ancient Greek Civilization
Cultural Essay: Greece began as a culture dominated by Homeric aristocrats and influenced by the Near East, developed into (mostly) a democracy, and evolved into a Hellenistic culture, combining elements of both east and west. Choose three major facets of Greek culture - art, literature, religion, various types of social customs, etc. - and trace their development through Greek cultural history. What changed in these facets of Greek culture over time, and what stayed the same or remained traditional? What explains these changes or the lack of them? Use details and examples that are as specific as possible in your essay, and try to link Greek culture to the broader historical context as well.
Suggestions on how to write a good examination essay
Even students who know their subject matter well sometimes write poor essay examinations. The following suggestions are designed to help you master this difficult and demanding technique.
1. Remember that you are writing an argument. Take a clear-cut position on the issue and sustain it throughout your essay; although if there are two or more sides to a question you should make each one clear. Never lose track of the position you are defending.
2. Define the issues before you write. Read the question carefully. Underline key words. Define mentally exactly what is required, considering such issues as the time period to be covered, the major problem or problems pertaining to the question, the geographic area involved, and the major relevant factual material such as individuals, specific events, dates, etc. If you think that the question could be taken in more than one way, or you would put it in a slightly different way, be sure to define at the outset how you are understanding the question.
3. Cover the whole question. Your time is limited and you must use it with care. In order to avoid omitting parts of a question, jot down a simple outline immediately, checking to make sure it takes account of the entire question and points you want to bring in, and stick to the outline as you write. Doing this will enable you to relax a bit (as far as that is possible!) as you begin your essay, knowing that you won't risk forgetting relevant points and ideas.
4. Get right to the point. Don't waste your time making general statements about the ancient world; write a very brief introduction, defining your position on the question. Alert the reader, in short, to your argument.
5. Paragraph properly. A paragraph is a tool. Use a paragraph to develop one major aspect of the argument. Write a topic sentence and support the points you make with specific evidence and examples. An outline (see #3 above) makes paragraphing easier.
6. Use the best examples and evidence to support your points. Make sure it is relevant, i.e., that it really does support the point you just made. Do not fact-dump, i.e., just write down examples to prove that you have done the reading.
7. Be precise, not vague. Do not write, "Solon lived in ancient Athens." Write instead, "Solon, Athenian archon in 594 BC," etc. Make sure to include dates or at the very least to make certain that events are arranged in their correct chronological order.
8. Write a very brief conclusion. Tie your argument together in a short, concluding paragraph summarizing your position on the entire argument. Do not just say "and so there are many similarities and differences" or the like, since that says nothing of substance.
9. Finally, make sure that you have included material from very component of the course: lecture, textbook, and ancient sources. Answers containing relevant examples from the ancient sources will earn the most credit.