ord is strongly preferred. It should be double-spaced with text similar to that of these assignment instructions (Times New Roman, size 12 script), one-inch margins. Include your full name and an appropriate title on the first page and a word count at the end of the document.
Structure: Your essay should be written in the form of a conventional analytical/argumentative paper and structured in the following way: • Introduction: This opening paragraph defines the topic and articulates a thesis. A thesis is a sentence (or perhaps two or three) that answers the questions in the prompt. It is the central argument that unifies the rest of the paper. It is not simply a restatement of the question(s) or an expression of what you intend to write later on. • Body: At least one paragraph (perhaps several) analyzing evidence in defense of your thesis. Each paragraph should have topic sentence, which articulates the main point of the paragraph and is related (implicitly or explicitly) to your central thesis. • Conclusion: This final paragraph should reinforce your thesis without restating, word for word, sentences in previous paragraphs. Do not make any new arguments or introduce any new evidence here. you should answer the following questions: 1.) One of the weaknesses of democratic political systems is their potential to become vulgar (from the Latin vulgus = the “rabble” or “mob”). In this course, we have studied several examples of this: the Mitylenian Debate (recounted by Thucydides); the execution of the generals at Arginusae (recounted by Xenophon); the execution of Socrates (recounted by Plato); the repeal of the Oppian Law (recounted by Livy); and the crisis surrounding Tiberius Gracchus (recounted by Plutarch). Choose at least two examples (one each from Rome and Athens) to analyze in depth. In these cases, why did the “mob” act the way it did?
Was there any justification for its actions? Why (if at all) did these events threaten the constitutional order? What lesson(s) should we draw from these cases as we try to protect and improve our own democracy? Answer some of these questions with analysis of these primary sources and relevant information from the Textbook. 2.) In classical Rome and Athens, women made up a majority of the population yet had very few legal and political rights. This did not mean they were powerless, however. In this class we read two ancient writings featuring women: the comedic play Lysistrata by Aristophanes (fiction) and Livy’s account of the repeal of the Oppian Law (non-fiction). What do these accounts reveal about classical Greek and Roman attitudes toward women and their role in society? To what extent did these sources reinforce or break stereotypes about women? Answer these questions with analysis of these primary sources and relevant information from the Textbook.
