Associate Professor,
History
Director, Classical Studies
Towson University
Office: 101C Linthicum Hall
Office
hours: MWF 11:00-12:30
Office phone: 410-704-2911
Email: astallsmith@towson.edu
Education:
Ph.D. 1976, University of Pennsylvania
M.A. 1970, Columbia University
B.A. 1968, Barnard College
Recent Publications: “Interpreting the
Thesmophoria: Ritual and Theory”, Classical Bulletin 35, 2009, pp. 31-45 "The Name of Demeter Thesmophoros", Greek, Roman and
Byzantine Studies 48, 2008, pp. 115-131. “A Graffito of Vincenzo
Cornaros?”, Amaltheia 38,
2007, pp. 49-60. "One
Colony, two Mother Cities: Cretan Agriculture under Venetian and Ottoman Rule",
in Between Venice and Istanbul: Colonial Landscapes in Early Modern Greece,
edited by J. Davis and S. Davies. Hesperia Supplement 40,
2007, pp.
147-167. Readings in Ancient Civilizations.
2nd ed. (Dubuque IA 2005). with A. Mellen, The European
Travel Diaries of Albert Brisbane, 1830-1832: Discovering Fourierism for America
(Lewiston, NY 2005). with B. J. Hayden, H. Dierckz, G. W. M. Harrison, J. M.
Moody, G. Postma and O. Rackham, Reports on the Vrokastro
Area, Eastern Crete, vol. 2: the Settlement History of the Vrokastro Area and
Related Studies (Philadelphia, PA 2004).
HIST
101: Introduction to Ancient Civilizations
TuTh
9:30-10:45 AM Linthicum 314
TuTh
2:00-3:15 PM Linthicum
313
HIST 305: Roman Civilization
TuTh
12:30-1:45 PM Linthicum 208
HIST 101 covers the entire sweep of ancient history in the west, beginning with man's transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture, ca. 8000-4000 BC, and ending with the fall of the Roman Empire in the west, in the fifth century AD. The geographical area that is covered extends from the British Isles in the northwest of Europe, to the Indus valley, the threshold of Asia. We will examine the rise of civilization in the ancient near east, in Egypt and Mesopotamia, and its descendants in Persia, Israel, and Anatolia. The second unit concerns the development of Greek civilization, its political and cultural innovations, and what it drew from the older civilizations to the east. The third unit will consider the rise of Rome and the development of the Roman empire, the largest single political entity ever to control the entire Mediterranean basin. The contributions of Roman civilization to the law, language, social order, and engineering and architecture of the European nations which descended from it will be examined. The course is offered every semester.
"This course was a laugh riot!"
- Krusty the Clown
"I shoulda stuck with boxing" -
Rocky Balboa
"Do we need to know this for the
exam?" - Anonymous
"Pull the door closed tightly when you
go, please." - King Tut
HIST 305: Roman Civilization
The course begins with the various civilizations (Etruscan,
Phoenician and Greek) which influenced the early development of Italy and
continues with the founding of the city of Rome (753 BC), and the growth
of Roman power in Italy. The institution of the Roman empire (31 BC) led
to the conquest of the Mediterranean world. The immense size of that empire led
to the founding of Constantinople by the emperor Constantine the Great (AD 324)
and the division of the Roman empire into two states, east and west. We end with
the barbarian invasions of the fifth century AD, which led to the deposition of
the last Roman emperor in the West (AD 476)
Other courses, not offered in Spring 2010:
HIST 300: Introduction to Historical Study
HIST 300 introduces the student to the concepts and
practices of history from the most in-depth research techniques to the most
extensive meta-historical theories. There is no specific historical content in
the course, although the student will read books on historiography, the history
of historical writing. The main emphasis will be on the construction and
completion of a 25-page research paper based on primary and secondary sources.
This is an intensive writing course.
HIST 105 Byzantine
Civilization
The course begins with the establishment of
the city of Constantinople (AD 324) and continues through the Fourth Crusade (AD
1204), which destroyed the power of Byzantium to the benefit of the Venetian
Republic. We will also study the rise of various states, Arabs, Franks, Seljuk
Turks and Persians, and the Ottoman Turkish conquest of the city (AD 1453),
which made it the capital of their empire, Istanbul. The course ends with the
fall of Constantinople.
HIST 303: Alexander the Great and his Successors
This course covers the short but fascinating life of
Alexander, King of Macedon (356-323), and the Hellenistic period, which lasted
from his death in 323 to 31 BC. We will study the kingdoms of his successors
in Greece and the near east, and the rise of Roman power, until the end of
the last Hellenistic dynasty in 31 BC. The course also investigates aspects of
Hellenistic culture and religion, such as Greco-Roman mystery cults, Hellenistic
Judaism, and the Dead Sea Scrolls.
HIST 304: Ancient Greek Civilization
We begin with the Bronze Age civilization of the Minoans on the island of
Crete, discuss the Mycenaean Greeks, the Dark
Age, the rise of the Greek city-states, the classical period, the career of
Alexander the Great, and the Hellenistic era, ending with the Roman empire's
subjugation of the last independent Greek city-states. We will read important
works of Greek literature and study the art and architecture of ancient Greece.
HIST 484: Women in the Ancient World
A study of the real lives of women in ancient Greece and Rome
and the models presented to them by their divinities and heroines.
HIST 484: The Religion of Ancient Greece
An examination of what the Greeks thought (their literature
and philosophy) as well as what they did (their ritual practices) in attempting
to relate to their deities
HIST 494: Travel Study in Crete
This course is a two-week trip to Crete.
Students will hear lectures on Cretan history, culture, ethnography, art,
architecture and religion, and they will participate in field trips to
archaeological sites, churches, fortresses, museums, and remote mountain
villages. There will also be opportunities to experience the modern life of
Crete. The course will cover the entire history of Crete, from the Neolithic
(7000 BC) to the Minoan-Mycenaean, to the Iron Age and through the
Classical Greek and Roman periods. Then we will study the Byzantine, Venetian
and Ottoman periods. In 1912 the island became part of the Greek nation.
The course will be offered again in 2011.
HUMA 633: Comparative Biography: the Biography of Perfection
Graduate seminar
Those men and women who have been attracted to the ideal of
perfection, whether philosophers, pagans, Christians, Jews, Muslims or even
atheists, have left us with personal descriptions of their quest for the
sublime. Writings by or about these heroic individuals present their
life-long efforts to develop a program to achieve the state of grace,
perfection, enlightenment – however it might be described in varying cultural
contexts. Students will read eight core texts in the form of
biography or autobiography, in addition to numerous articles and papers. A 25
page research paper is required, as well as numerous shorter reports.
The Internet Classics Archive: Contains 441 ancient Greek and
Latin sources in translation
http://classics.mit.edu
Internet Ancient History Sourcebook: a large collection of ancient texts and links to texts http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/asbook.html
Research Resources for the Ancient Near East from U. of
Queensland
http://www.library.uq.edu.au/ssah/infoskills/classics/inforesources_eastern.pdf
The Walters Art Museum: an excellent collection of
ancient art in Baltimore
http://www.thewalters.org
Diotima: Materials for the study of Women and Gender in the Ancient World http://www.stoa.org/diotima/anthology/
Early Church Fathers: texts and translations
http://www.ccel.org/p/pearse/morefathers/home.html
Ancient World Mapping Center: Maps of the ancient
world
http://www.unc.edu/awmc/
In the Hall of Ma'at: archaeologists respond to sensationalized works
on 'Lost Civilizations'
http://www.thehallofmaat.com/maat/index.php
Exploring Ancient World Cultures: articles, links and images of the ancient world http://eawc.evansville.edu/index.htm
The Interactive Ancient Mediterranean: ancient maps to print out and
use
http://iam.classics.unc.edu
The American School of Classical Studies at Athens:
offers graduate and undergraduate study in classical archaeology in Greece
http://www.ascsa.edu.gr/
Periodical Historical Atlas of Europe: The states of Europe depicted at the end of each century in 21 maps http://www.euratlas.com/summary.htm
The Parthian Empire: all about Rome's eastern rival, from 247 BC to AD
228
http://parthia.com
The Perseus Project: a library of study materials on ancient Greece,
including maps, slides, and video. Also Latin and Greek texts in translation.
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu
Ancient Greek Tutorials: learn the pronunciation and accentuation of
ancient Greek.
http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~ancgreek/ancient_greek_start.html
The Corinth Computer Project: Reconstructing the city plan and landscape of Roman Corinth http://corinth.sas.upenn.edu/corinth.html
Archaeological Institute of America: supports
archaeological excavation in the Classical world and educational programs in
the US.
http://www.archaeological.org
Archaeology Magazine: publishes popular articles on archaeology.
http://www.archaeology.org
Biblical Archaeology Review: publishes popular articles on
Biblical Archaeology
http://www.bib-arch.org/
Directoris Imperatoribus Romanis; An encyclopedia of Roman
emperors.
http://www.roman-emperors.org/
An Illustrated History of the Roman Empire: also links to other Roman
sites
http://www.roman-empire.net/
Ohio State Excavations at Isthmia: the sanctuary of Poseidon
and its Roman mosaic
http://isthmia.osu.edu
Scrolls from the Dead Sea: a description of the site of Qumran, its
excavation and the scrolls.
http://sunsite.unc.edu/expo/deadsea.scrolls.exhibit/intro.html
Oriental Institute, University of Chicago: excavations
in the ancient near east.
http://www-oi.uchicago.edu/OI/default.html