Western civilization (Europe and the US) owes much of its cultural, political and social heritage to the Greeks and

Western civilization (Europe and the US) owes much of its cultural, political and social heritage to the Greeks and later to the Hellenization of culture brought to the rest of the world by the conquest of Alexander the Great. This is what you will be examining in this discussion. To be successful here, you must understand the main points of the eText: The Greeks and the Exploration on the Hellenization of the Western World.

Instructions

Select one (only one!) topic from the below and write a response to the prompt by the initial post due date.

Option 1: Based on at least one primary and one secondary source (not your e-text) explain how the Persian War and the Peloponnesian War transformed Athens? Were these transformations beneficial or not, and why? Provide at least one specific historical example.

Option 2: Choose a role in ancient Greek society from the 5th – 4th century BCE (500 BCE – 301 BCE). Based on at least two sources (primary or secondary, not your eText), and staying in character, assume your character traveled through time to the present day.

• Identify yourself by name, gender, and role in ancient Greece.
• What similarities to your own (ancient) society do you note?
• What differences?
• Explain why you think these similarities and differences might exist.

Option 3: Based upon at least one secondary source (not your e-text) answer the following questions: Upon taking the throne of Macedonia, Alexander found Greece to be an easy prey. Why? In what ways did Alexander inspire loyalty in his people and what legacy did he leave for the future? How did this shape the Hellenistic world?

Make sure to incorporate historical evidence from the sources and source types noted in the prompt to support your points and use proper citations. You may use sources other than those found in the Recommended Resources, but you should write at least 300 words in your response.

Reply to at least two other students' posts with substantive responses of at least 100 – 150 words, and be sure to reply briefly to your instructor as well.

 Includes at least two quotes or paraphrases as evidence from relevant sources of the type required in prompt; includes properly formatted citations and a bibliography of sources in one of the approved formats (MLA, APA, or Chicago Style for Humanities. 

One option selected (if multiple options included in prompt).

Answer is thoughtful and complete and answers the question directly with no errors in content; answer meets or exceeds the guidelines in terms of word count.

 Two substantive posts that meet or exceed the word count guidelines left for other students by due date; comments further conversation regarding topic content. At least one substantive reply made to instructor. (will post after this first post gets done) for responses to peers.